Panthers v Toulouse preview: Simon Grix hoping Halifax town centre will be a ‘good place to be’ on Saturday night after Fax’s ‘best performance of the season’

But while the Shaymen’s 2023-24 National League campaign is still in its infancy, Fax’s season is well and truly at the proverbial business end, and head coach Grix knows that his side need six points from their remaining three games - starting with the visit of second placed Toulouse at 6pm on Saturday - to stand any chance of reaching the Championship play-offs.

He said: “We have got to win them all to get ourselves in the play-offs. It’s really tight but the focus for us is to control what we can, which is our performance. By winning at the weekend at Whitehaven, that one is ticked off, so now it is onto the next one where we will throw everything into it. That will be the theme between now and the end.

“If we were to lose this week it would pretty much put the nail in the coffin in terms of our play-off hopes but I don’t expect us to roll over for the rest of the year. I expect us to give our best every week.

“We have put ourselves in this position by losing too many tight games. There are a lot of lessons to be learned. But we are where we are so we have just got to look after ourselves now.

“We will prepare for the best version of Toulouse and, hopefully, prepare for the best Panthers’ performance of the season.”

As for both the town’s sporting teams to be playing on the same day, Grix added:

“It’s unusual but if both teams get the win I'm sure Halifax will be a good place to be on Saturday evening!”