Simon Grix: Halifax Panthers won’t be ‘surprised’ by ‘unfortunate’ Keighley Cougars

Fax welcome the Cougars on the back of their stunning 18-22 Challenge Cup victory at high-flying Featherstone Rovers - as well as a 100 per cent home record still intact with three league wins out of three.

Keighley, meanwhile, have lost three out of their five league games, against Fev, Widnes and Batley - although they followed-up a 33-22 win over London Broncos with victory in the Challenge Cup at Hunslet last Sunday.

On this weekend’s opponents, Grix said:

“Keighley have been unfortunate. I have watched all of their games and they have been in them. The score lines haven’t looked flattering but sometimes it doesn’t tell you all of the story.

“They play a little bit differently to other teams. You can’t be surprised by them. Our lads will be prepped and they will see what is coming.

“It’s been a long time since they were in the Championship. I remember playing them a long time ago in the Championship. They are a good club, they are well followed, run well and they have got a lot of noise around them in terms of publicising themselves.

“They have gone out and spent to compete at Championship level and probably not got the results they had hoped or expected. But they are plugging away and if they keep going I am sure they will be fine. They are not easy beats by any means.”

On players to look out for, Grix revealed:

“There is definitely some quality in that team in Luke Gale, an international half-back turning up there. They’ve got Brenden Santi who played in the World Cup with Italy, he is going well, and the young Billy Gaylor, who was in our reserves once upon a time, and he’s been playing well too. Lewis Young, the little full-back, is another very good player.

“They are a solid team and they have got a lot of threats and for us it is as it has always been - just keep concentrating on ourselves and try and be better every week.

“For us, we got a little nudge of confidence against Batley and we got a little bit more against Featherstone, so now we move on and throw all of our efforts into Keighley.

“Hopefully we can continue to improve in all areas again.”