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Harveys of Halifax

A really bad day at Belle Vue...

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Published Date: 20 May 2009
If Halifax think that the trauma of last Sunday was bad enough then tomorrow's trip to Doncaster could bring back some nasty memories.
Perhaps of one match in particular where they contrived to throw winning money away by conceding 30 points in the final 16 minutes.

That was in the final week of May 2005, virtually four years ago, when they trooped back to the dressing room after
80 minutes at Belle Vue on the wrong side of a 54-38 scoreline from a Dragons side including the likes of Marty Moana, Graham Holroyd and Lee Harland.

Indeed, it was the latter's performance in this one that helped to impress Anthony Farrell enough to sign him during the following close season.

Fax were leading 22-12 at the break and 38-24 on the hour after Andy Spink scored their last try.

That shell-shocked team was Damian Gibson, James Haley, James Bunyan, Jamie Bloem, Rikki Sheriffe, Dean Lawford, Ben Black, Andy Hobson, Ben Fisher, Jason Boults, David Larder, Spink and Pat Weisner with the substitutes being Damian Ball, Chris Morley, Ryan MacDonald and Fereti Tuilagi.

So it wasn't that bad a team!

It is sometimes forgotten what a potent combination Black, Fisher and Weisner could be up the middle of the park.

They had destroyed champions-elect Leigh the previous year and wrecked Whitehaven later in 2005.

And don't forget that earlier in the year they had comprehensively sent Castleford packing from the Challenge Cup at the Shay.

Bunyan was perhaps one forgotten member of the playing staff during that period.

He had been one of Farrell's first signings when the prop had taken over as player coach from Tony Anderson, coming from Oldham in a straight swap for Jon Roper.

And he made an instant impression in his first game at Keighley.

For those unaware of the fact the away dressing room at Cougar Park has but one toilet which is more often than not unusable.

"Bunny" therefore trotted up the wooden staircase and used the WC in the referees room, unfortunately rendering it totally uninhabitable for a long period of time afterwards......and nearly seeing him get a red card from Colin Morris before the kick-off.

His career with Halifax could have also started a lot sooner.

The club were actively scouting him as a junior in 1995 when he was playing for Milford alongside David Bastian.

The two are still good friends and Bunyan is godfather to Bastian's son.

Bunyan actually took a cheque in respect of a signing on fee but later returned it and signed for Huddersfield as did another youngster who Fax had chased for months called Ryan Hudson.

This match at Belle Vue also marked one of the final appearances of Tuilagi.

And yet he hardly had the ideal preparation.

"Freddie" was living in the Midlands in those days and found it a hard slog to get to training.

He also got hopelessly lost trying to get to Doncaster and was on the mobile phone to Paul Dixon (who was standing in the car park) for ages trying to get his bearings.



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  • Last Updated: 20 May 2009 8:04 AM
  • Source: Evening Courier
  • Location: Halifax
 
 

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