ADRIAN Skeggs has warned his Sixways rugby stars that they are playing for their futures in the final seven games of the season.

The Worcester coach believes his players let the club and it's supporters down with their display at Henley last Sunday and is giving them the remainder of the season to prove they want to stay at Sixways.

Skeggs was furious with the performance at Dry Leas despite the 16-13 victory, but has resisted the temptation to make wholesale changes for tomorrow's crunch clash with Coventry at Sixways (3pm).

Instead he will give his professional players the chance to prove they are the best National One side in the league by beating Leeds Tykes to the championship.

He said: "The players have seven games to show they want to stay at Worcester. If that doesn't spark them into action then they really don't deserve to be here.

"I don't want to be going to Exeter and Wakefield again next season and I'm sure they don't either. Everyone talks about wanting to get into the Premiership but it is one thing talking, quite another doing it on the pitch."

Worcester go into tomorrow's clash with an eight-point lead over Leeds at the top of National One but with the Yorkshire side having two games in hand, Skeggs knows his side cannot afford any more slip-ups.

"The players need to be hungry and show that they are tough enough mentally to last the pace and play with the composure needed on match day.

"There has not been enough consistency lately. We need to be desperate to win and work for one another - Leeds are doing that, now we need to be more like that."

The Australian, in his first season at the club, is keen to stay positive though, despite the disappointment of Henley and believes his side will bounce back quickly.

"The core of the squad have done it for us for most of the season and they will get their chance to put things right. The players are in a hole at the moment but they have enough character to pull themselves out of it."