Does anybody on here think we can win on sunday as the second half performance from the weekend given anyone the confidence we can get the job done. I think fev will come out all guns blazing to try and blow us off the park if we can still be in the game at halftime we have a good chance if not it will be a long afternoon. And from what i have seen it doesn't matter if they play down the slope in the second half or not they are equally as strong so no excuses on that front. And would you make any selection changes for the weekend maybe one or two in from huddersfield or not.

Of course we can win. Fev have undoubtedly put together a more than decent squad but elevating them to a great team is not on, despite their Leeds 'connections'. We need to put together two very good 40 minutes instead of one, or 20 minutes here and 15 there and we certainly can bring the points back. The same team as last Sunday will do me and certainly no shuddersfield players. Up The Fax!

The recipe for beating Featherstone or indeed any side has to start with a full 80 minute performance. We certainly have enough firepower to trouble them and the players should take some confidence from our 2nd half performance against them. Ultimately Featherstone have to lose at some point as no team wins forever , so with everyone expecting us to lose I see it as another free hit in fact everyone who plays them as a free hit . Psychologically what is there to fear?we lost comprehensively there twice last year so what’s the worst that can happen , I know Grix won’t pick this side but this would be mine on the left and grixs’ on the right




Jouffret Martin
Walmsley. Walmsey
McComb. Arundal
Barber Barber
Salty. Salty
Aston. Aston
Keyes. Keyes
Murray. Murray
Moore. Wood
Gwayze. Calcott
Kavanagh. Kavanagh
Roberts. Roberts
Fairbank. Fairbank

Tangata. Tangata
Arundal. Garside
Calcott. Gwaze
Wood. Moore

I think Roberts will come in on duel reg ,personally while defensively sound I think arundal offers little in attack so would put him in the second row and unleash McComb and walmsey but I know that won’t happen. I can forgive jouffrets handling errors at fb as he offers more threat than Martin in attack , can’t wait for woodburn hall to return and noticed he was passing and catching the ball on Sunday so can’t be far off .

Yes we have a chance, we need to be at our very best, play our own game and stay in touching distance, if we do go ahead the later the better because Fev have another gear or two to use on the rare occasions they need them.
I noticed both Morris and Aston took knocks on Sunday so have to wait to see on how they are which could swing it with if and where Roberts and Jouffret play.
On Arundal and Barber being in the centres I believe it helps support the mobile pack approach, both could play in the second row so it gives a bit of size across a wider area but McComb is pretty strong and is dangerous in open play.

I hope Roberts plays as he can defend and brings go forward. In my opinion Mcomb is not a centre as his defence is that that strong. It is a toss up between him and Walmsley as they both bring something different. I would bench Moore as Wood is cleverer and we need to score early to put them under pressure. Calcott to start over Gwaze because he adds more bulk from the start to stop their pack especially if we uphill in the first half. Jouffre wont play if it is cold. I overheard JWH saying he hoped to be back in a few weeks. Unfortunately i can`t make it to PO Road as out with family.

Off topic what are peoples thoughts on the signing of joe martin. I thought the reason we didn't sign alex walker was because simon didn't want another out and out fullback so what is joe and isn't is arrival the reason liam Whitton left it makes little sense to me unless its a case of looking after your mates. If anything we need more fire power in the forwards and the players we currently have can do at least a good of job at fullback as joe.

Agree with some of what you say - but no idea why you would want to drop Gwaze who's consistently been our best forward.

Not dropping gwaze , just have him as interchange. Just think that we need our biggest props starting. Gwaze to come on after 15 min or so and then with his engine until half time then stay on for the start of second half. That way we can rotate the other two bigger props.

Totally agree, it makes no sense at all to me.

It is a strange one , basically we’ve replaced Liam whitton with Martin which came out of nowhere. Given that jouffret, Aston , walmsey and salty can all deputise at fullback and we have knowles out for the season and gee for a while it would make more sense investing in these areas, just an all round weird one .

Martin is an odd signing though whenever I have seem him play he has been steady. We have to have some faith in the coaching team.

Liam Whitton must have been a way off still to play at Championship level and the lad wanted away.

Perhaps the big forward needed is Roberts, hopefully every week.

I hate to say it and hope i'm wrong but it does seem like jobs for the boys?

Already posted about Joe Martin so no point in repeating it except to add not sure he has ever been one of the boys since the Wiki stats show he played just 2 first team games for Fax between 2014 to 2018 before being allowed to leave and hasn't been here for the last 4 years!
Alex Walker is another question.
According to the club and SG he was allowed to join us on a trial basis yet was never given a chance to play a single game so not sure what he was trialed on?
From the available info I can only conclude JWH was and is the first choice fullback in SG's mind.
Joe Martin was signed as short term cover for him.
Alex Walker didn't fit in with either of the above and while we're talking about it having played zero first team games for any professional club neither did Liam Whitton.

Perhaps the major issue about why Halifax have signed Martin and not Walker would have been their respective salary demands? Walker was coming off a full-time contract with Wakefield so might not have had a job outside rugby league and might not have been in a position to take up a relatively lowly-paid contract, whereas Martin might have been? Just guessing of course but that was my first thought.

Think you've probably hit the nail on the head there.

Having watched the first half back ont' youtube, I think Walmsley showed up well both in defence and carrying the ball out. We got well on top for the first 10 minutes but then the comedy of errors started and we got pinned back. Cut out the errors and penalties and I think we are well capable of matching Fev (saying that, they are fast in attack and throw the ball around very quickly, there was some times I thought the playback had gone into fast forward!).

No Huddersfield duel reg but woodys back in the squad https://twitter.com/halifaxpanthers/sta ... 60260?s=21

No Huddersfield duel reg but woodys back in the squad https://twitter.com/halifaxpanthers/sta ... 60260?s=21

It will be interesting if woody is actually fit to play i do think we could of done with 1 or 2 in from huddersfield in the forwards to give us some more firepower but other than that i would stick with the same team as last week.

Well McComb is back in https://twitter.com/halifaxpanthers/sta ... 58656?s=21 Who was flat ? Certainly not walmsey so who does he drop? Arundal , salty , barber ? Anyone think he might drop Keyes for jouffret? Certainly an interesting team selection incoming .

Well McComb is back in https://twitter.com/halifaxpanthers/sta ... 58656?s=21 Who was flat ? Certainly not walmsey so who does he drop? Arundal , salty , barber ? Anyone think he might drop Keyes for jouffret? Certainly an interesting team selection incoming .

Quote ="Listenup94"Well McComb is back in https://twitter.com/halifaxpanthers/sta ... 58656?s=21 Who was flat ? Certainly not walmsey so who does he drop? Arundal , salty , barber ? Anyone think he might drop Keyes for jouffret? Certainly an interesting team selection incoming .'" Trying to get into SG's mind. Possibly Zac coming in for Salty and Martin for Jouffret unless JWH is has a surprise earlier than expected return.

Quote ="Listenup94"Well McComb is back in https://twitter.com/halifaxpanthers/sta ... 58656?s=21 Who was flat ? Certainly not walmsey so who does he drop? Arundal , salty , barber ? Anyone think he might drop Keyes for jouffret? Certainly an interesting team selection incoming .'" Trying to get into SG's mind. Possibly Zac coming in for Salty and Martin for Jouffret unless JWH is has a surprise earlier than expected return.

I can see Zak coming in for Saltonstall who I think would be one of the 'flat' players mentioned. Jouffret must stay in the side if we want to take the points. He does something different. Lachlan can't be dropped after last week. If we play the percentages like we did in the 1st half last Sunday we will get the same result. We've got to take the game to Fev and test them. We did it in the 2nd half and as Ross Strudwick would observe, won that. Go for it from the start and see where it takes us. Up The Fax!

Looking through the squad it seems the knowles and gee injuries have highlighted our lack of strength in depth in the second row which is why I hoped either Hewitt or roberts could come in ( noticed both Hewitt and Cole Oakley are playing for the hudd reserves) feel the garside kav partnership needs freshening up , both high work rate players but don’t offer a lot in the offload department , for me it’s moving barber or arundal to 2nd row or maybe tangata and bring calcott into the prop pos .

Calcott another player for me who seems to get short shrift. Always seems to do well but like Woody in the past seems to be one of the first out of the team in favour of a few who's performance does not seem to matter. It makes no sense for Woody to play this game so this is likely just Grix trying to throw up a surprise for Fev, but on a heavy pitch and in a game we are pretty much nailed on to lose, it makes more sense for him to be played in the Leigh game where we should fancy our chances. Bringing back steady Joe Martin to start this game would send out the wrong message in my opinion but I would not be surprised if it happens.

I think if we can make a game of it most people will be happy, can't see us winning but can see us taking a heavy loss.

I did see Aston take a knock so still waiting to see if he's fit, if not then LJ will go into the halves and Martin to 1.
On a heavier pitch I can see SG bringing back JM anyway as Jouffret did knock on twice leading to 2 scores, I wouldn't do so but can see the reason if Grix does.

JWH being used as mind games by SG, surely not.

Agree Calcott is one who given the correct encouragement and game time will continue to develop into an excellent first choice player . Can anyone name a player who has been improved by Grix ?
I think tomorrow could be a long afternoon at the office .

I ve noticed a few diggy comments regarding Grix given that I’ve been following fax for a couple of seasons this time round , I’d like to know why .