HALIFAX will head to Dewsbury Rams on Sunday, January 6, determined to build on their impressive 42-16 Boxing Day pre-season success at Keighley.
The visitors proved far too strong for their Co-operative Championship rivals to underline their 2013 potential – thanks to an explosive final quarter.
Fax were leading 14-12 on the 60-minute mark, but with newly-signed hooker Karl Ashall on the field for a second spell, coach Karl Harrison’s men scored five tries in 14 minutes to send out a major warning to their title challengers.
Teenage forward Niall Berrett, making his first-team debut, prop Sam Barlow, centres Steve Tyrer and Ben Heaton and winger Lee Paterson all romped in for tries, while new recruits Scott Murrell, Andy Bracek, Rikki Sheriffe and Ashall performed impressively.
And Harrison is hoping this is a sign of things to come.
“In the end, I thought we had too much class and too much pace and that was reflected in the scoreline,” he said.
“I thought the boys looked strong defensively and held off a very physical Keighley team.
“I was also pleased for the young boys.
“Brent Taylor, Niall Berrett, who got himself a nice try, and Iain Davies ran like 10 men.
“We had four or five teenagers on the field at the end, which is a good sign for us.
“And all in all, it was a good day for the team.”
