T’Other Side: Halifax

T’Other Side: Halifax

2019 Matches

FIRST TEAM SQUAD

LAST TIME OUT

Head Coach: Richard Marshall

This is his fifth year as head coach at Halifax. He had a very successful first year. Results dipped somewhat in his second season, but for the last two years they made the Qualifiers again.

Richard Marshall’s playing career started at Halifax where he spent six seasons. When he left Fax he had spells at Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants, London Broncos, Leigh Centurions and Swinton, retiring in 2007.  He played two games for Ireland in the 2003 European Nations Cup. Richard’s playing position was prop or second row.

Captain: Scott Murrell

Some teams have halfbacks with great pace others have players who are brilliant organisers (like Liam Finn!). Scott Murrell definitely comes into the brilliant organisers category. He is without doubt the real controlling force on the pitch for Halifax, commanding huge respect from the rest of his team. He began his career at Leeds Rhinos but made his first team debut for London Broncos in 2004 whilst on loan from Leeds. In 2006 he moved to Hull Kingston Rovers who were then in National League One. After securing promotion to the Super League at the end of that season he remained with Hull KR for a further 6 seasons before signing for Halifax in 2013. In 2010 he made an appearance off the bench for England.

New signings for 2019

Halifax tend to make fewer signings in the off-season than many Championship teams. No doubt their reserve team is one of the major reasons for this. This year they have brought in 5 players to their squad.

Ben White seems to have settled into the scrum-half spot alongside Scott Murrell. Although signed from Berkeley Eagles in Australia he is English and began his career with Leeds before spending three years at Swinton. He is an English Youth international and has also played for Germany.

Ben Kavanagh has added Super League experience to the front row having played 121 times for Widnes, Wakefield and Hull Kingston Rovers. He has also played 17 times for Scotland.

Another international added to the Halifax squad is French forward Kevin Larroyer who has played in Super League with Catalans, Hull KR and Castleford. He must have bitter memories of a previous game playing for Toulouse against Fev in France in 2011, a game that Fev won 90-10!

Scott Robinson joined Halifax from Fev and has already scored 3 tries for Halifax.

Reece Chapman-Smith who plays fullback or stand-off was formerly with Leeds Academy. He made his first grade debut coming off the bench against Leigh a fortnight ago.

Dual Registration and Loans

Halifax had dual registration agreements with Castleford Tigers and Newcastle Thunder last year but do not have one for 2019.

They do have Liam Cooper on loan from Saint Helens.

The Fev Connection

There are three players who in this year’s Halifax squad this year who have previously played for Rovers. Ben Kaye was a very popular hooker at Post Office Road for three years. Will Sharp was a great favourite during his time with Fev from 2013 to 2015. He scored many crucial tries including the last minute ones against Sheffield which took Fev into the play-offs in 2013 and the one which beat Batley in 2015 when Fev snatched victory by scoring 22 points in the last six minutes! Shaun Robinson moved from Fev to Fax during the off-season.

Last year there were 3 players in the Fev squad who had played for Halifax. They have all now left Fev. Richard Moore to Hunslet, Anthony Thackeray to Sheffield and Sam Brooks to Leigh. Morgan Punchard is the only one of our current squad who has been at Halifax but he never got to play in the first team there.