Halifax Panthers' play-off push back on track after heavy win over Newcastle Thunder

After successive defeats against York Knights and Batley Bulldogs, sixth-placed Fax have been left to look over their shoulders as in-form London Broncos have closed the gap on the final play-off spot in recent weeks.

But two tries from Lachlan Walmsley and Matty Gee, as well as efforts from Ben Crooks, Dan Murray, Zac McComb, Ben Kavanagh and Brandon Moore gave Simon Grix’s men a much-needed 50-12 win, although they were made to work very hard for the two points against the Championship’s bottom club.

Grix admitted during the build-up to this crucial fixture with Newcastle that he wanted a “reaction” from the horror-show nilling at Batley last Sunday.

To assist those plans he made some changes to the 17 who were on the wrong end of that embarrassing 42-0 scoreline, with Brandon Pickersgill and Murray coming into the starting 13, as Ben Tibbs and Kyle Wood missed out, with Ryan Lannon coming onto the bench in place of Adam Tangata.

McComb and Adam O’Brien came in to start at centre and hooker respectively, as Moore and Kevin Larroyer were named as interchanges.

The inclusion of Pickersgill saw James Woodburn-Hall, initially, move to scrum-half. But, with his head already bandaged up after his first-half collison with Crooks at the Fox’s Biscuits Stadium last weekend, he had to be carried off the pitch in the warm-up here at The Shay, presenting an immensely premature setback for Grix. Tom Inman came in as the Jamaica international’s last-minute replacement.

However, for the vast majority of the first half, the visitors did not look like the team propping up the rest in the table, and, for the opening eight minutes, they went set-for-set with Fax, with both sides appearing to be simply waiting for the other one to crack first.

And it was the Thunder who cracked, giving away a penalty for offside. And Fax, with lightning-quick hands from Jacob Fairbank, Inman and Louis Jouffret, punished them emphatically, as Crooks finished off the fine move for his first try for the club since joining from Keighley Cougars.

Jouffret missed the conversion from a difficult angle but the Frenchman had to be at his defensive best soon after to deny Robert Tuliatu on the last tackle with Newcastle threatening.

Fax had already lost to the team occupying bottom spot this season having been humbled by Barrow Raiders, who, until that surprising late March 16-12 triumph in Cumbria, were winless in their opening six games.

It couldn’t happen again, could it? Not at The Shay where the Panthers had previously won seven of their eight league fixtures?

The Shay crowd, however, despite their side’s slender 4-0 advantage, was largely subdued in the July sunshine. Perhaps nervous of a third successive league defeat for the first time this season, against a Newcastle side who hadn’t won on their travels since the opening day.

And although the visitors were probing at the Halifax line, the home side proved clinical in attack with three tries in the final eight minutes of the first half to finally get the Panthers’ supporters purring. What was to worry about?

Crooks was the instigator for this late flurry of tries, as he produced a flash of brilliance to somehow flick the ball behind his back to allow the grateful recipient, Walmsley, to dart over the line for his 29th league try of the season.

Walmsley had gone the previous two games without etching his name onto the try sheet. You scarcely could envisage the winger not returning to try-scoring-ways for a third consecutive outing.

When Fax next attacked they utilised the other side. And it produced equally magnificent results with James Saltonstall, under pressure on the last tackle, unbelievably managing to escape the clutches of three purple shirts and squirm a pass into the path of Gee who gleefully touched down unopposed.

And there was still time for Gee to crash over from close range as the Panthers established a seemingly unassailable 22-0 lead at the break, their place in the play-offs - despite the Broncos breathing down their necks - still intact.

But Grix’s men certainly like to do things the hard way, especially during what is turning out to be an inconsistent season. And, in the blink of an eye, their advantage was more than halved within the first nine minutes of the second half thanks to James Chapelhow’s double.

The first was a penalty try, awarded after Will Calcott was adjudged to have held him back. The second was similar, although this time he was allowed to ground the ball himself after a tidy grubber kick which Fax failed to deal with.

The nerves around The Shay were tingling again. Newcastle, in the ascendancy, plotting a stunning third win in five games.

But who should come to the Panthers’ rescue again? For the 30th time this season? Pickersgill did the majority of the hard work with a splendid quick break before Crooks found Walmsley who was at his expert best to touch down in the corner. Blanks against York and Batley completely out of sight, out of mind.

A collective sigh of relief then engulfed the ground as Murray eased through a now tired Newcastle defence. 32-12 and the nerves well and truly eased.

It was all Fax now and Crooks and Walmsley were combining beautifully. Another pass into Walmsley was then kicked over the top for Inman - the game’s star man, who, don’t forget, wasn’t even included in the initial starting 13 - to easily touch down, but he was prevented from doing so by Brad Gallagher who was sin-binned.

Although most of the action was happening down Fax’s left, when Saltonstall was brought into the action he was effective also, and stormed clear before finding McComb for their seventh try.

There was still time for Kavanagh and Moore to add to the tally as Fax, in the end, cruised to victory and get their play-off push back on track. Attention, however, now turns to the Broncos and the 1895 Cup next weekend with Halifax 80 minutes away from a first Wembley appearance since 1988.

Halifax: Pickersgill, Walmsley, McComb, Crooks, Saltonstall, Jouffret, Woodburn-Hall, Calcott, O’Brien, Murray, Kavanagh, Gee, Fairbank

Interchanges: Moore, Lannon, Fleming, Larroyer

Tries: Crooks, Walmsley (2), Gee (2), Murray, McComb, Kavanagh, Moore

Conversions: Jouffret (7)

Newcastle: Donaghy, Young, Walker, Clegg, Boafo, Miller, Bailey, J Chapelhow, Davies, E Chapelhow, Tuliatu, Gallagher, Clark

Tries: J Chapelhow

Conversions: Miller (2)

Attendance: 1,453

Match official: Cameron Worsley