SHAUN Austerfield is on the brink of ending his eight-month injury nightmare.

The York Wasps' centre is set to make his first appearance since March in tomorrow's final pre-season match against newly-formed Gateshead Thunder at Huntington Stadium (3pm).

Austerfield has been undergoing a tough programme of rehabilitation since damaging cruciate knee ligaments in last season's 26-19 defeat by Dewsbury at Ram Stadium.

The hard work finally paid off when coach Lee Crooks named him among the substitutes for tomorrow's encounter.

"Shaun has been training exceptionally well," revealed the Wasps boss. "He is chomping at the bit to play and will definitely figure at some point."

Back row forward Mick Ramsden also returns after missing the two friendlies with a hamstring strain.

However, Crooks may have to do without his first choice half-back pairing of Paddy Handley and Gareth Stephens as the Wasps put the final touches to their preparations for the new season.

Scrum-half Stephens, who pulled a hamstring in the friendly against Hunslet, will not play as Crooks looks to have him fully fit for the season's home opener against Doncaster Dragons on December 3.

Handley missed last week's match against his former club Featherstone with a neck muscle problem which could again keep him out.

"We may play Paddy, but we will look at how he is tomorrow and if we feel we have to be cautious then he will not play," explained Crooks.

With the Wasps opening their Northern Ford Premiership the following Sunday, Crooks will field his strongest available team tomorrow.

Defeats in their two pre-season games to date has not unduly concerned Crooks but this time he is placing more emphasis on the result.

"I will be looking to put out our strongest team," said Crooks. "There will be 19 or 20 players there but whether they all get a game is debatable.

"We will look to treat it more competitively. I'd like to think we have learnt from the last two weeks and can put it into place.

"Where I wasn't bothered about results in the first two games I would like to think we can win this one to boost confidence for next week's game.

"I will be putting a bit more pressure on the players. Over the last two games we've been good in some areas and not so good in others so we have identified the areas we need to work on and we've been doing that in training."

Gateshead Thunder's travelling army should swell the attendance. Their supporters are revelling in the chance to see their team in action again after the old club merged with Hull FC a year. Around 150 made the trip to last week's friendly at Sheffield Eagles.

Despite losing 22-4, Thunder coach Andy Kelly was encouraged by the display from his team which included several players from last season's Academy team and a number of trialists.

He is still short of players but has made some useful signings, including winger Leon Williamson, from Sheffield, prop Paul Lister, from Doncaster Dragons, Wigan Academy scrum-half Martin Gambles, Huddersfield second rower Jim Carlton and a trio of players from Kelly's former club Wakefield - Andy Field, Lee Garside and Steve Hall.

Gateshead hoped to have former York centre Andrew Lambert in their ranks but he has returned to Australia for family reasons.