Blistering speed, moments of sublime skill and just the right amount of defensive brutality.
It was all on show at the Shay last night, and a crowd of 4,053, the biggest at a rugby league match in Halifax since the club dropped out of Super League in 2003, lapped it up.
And Melbourne Storm, reigning National Rugby League champions and World Club Challenge hopefuls, weren't bad either.
To view a slideshow of action pictures from the game - Click hereBecause, while Craig Bellamy's star-studded side took the expected win, it was Matt Calland's new-look Fax, fresh from last weekend's thrashing of Whitehaven, who should take the plaudits.
Calland had made all the right noises this week about judging his players on their level of performance rather than the scoreboard.
As it turned out, they did pretty well by either yardstick.
Melbourne took the scoring honours by six tries to two, winger Steve Turner adding their sole conversion, and in brilliant Queensland and Australia full back Billy Slater had the best player on the field.
But, for significant stretches of this warm up fixture, Fax did enough with and without the ball to earn the respect of their world class opponents.
Calland's revamped defence held firm for long periods; skipper Sean Penkywicz constantly threatened Melbourne's ironclad marker play; and on loan Bradford prop Craig Kopczak led a tremendous pack effort.
It was on Fax's left hand flank where there was really something to celebrate though, with the attacking guile of Graham Holroyd and Jon Goddard opening up the Melbourne defence on half a dozen occasions.
Goddard scored two tries, taking his tally to six in three outings, might have had another if in-form winger Lee Patterson's inside pass in the first half had found its mark, and generally did a job on the Storm's teenage centre sensation Israel Folau.
The Storm had started with predictable vigour, stand off Russell Aitken putting down an early chance and Fax full back Shad Royston producing a desperate ankle tap to bring down a flying Slater as the home side battled for survival.
Survive they did though, and when half back Mick Govin hoisted a cross field kick on quarter time, Goddard and prop Frank Watene combined superbly for the former Hull KR back to score.
Holroyd slotted over the conversion and Fax, almost unbelievably, led the NRL champions.
It couldn't last, of course, and by the time half time arrived the Storm had blown away their hosts' slender advantage, with Slater, replacement forward San Tagataese and Folau, from a sublime kick by half back Cooper Cronk, all touching down, Turner adding his one and only goal of the night.
Aitken went over within four minutes of the second half restart, quickly followed by centre Ben MacDougall, but there was to be no collapse, no runaway win.
Fax really should have scored with half an hour to go, Andy Gorski inexplicably clinging to the ball with an unmarked - and visibly unhappy - Lee Greenwood outside him after Holroyd and Royston had cut Melbourne to shreds.
Holroyd continued to probe though, and with 15 minutes to go found Goddard in just enough space for the centre to exploit for his second score.
That cut the gap to 22-10, only for Slater to re-establish Melbourne's margin when he pounced from point blank range 12 minutes from the end.
STAR MANWhile Halifax's best moments over the last three weeks have been the result of brilliant teamwork rather than individual genius, it is clear that Matt Calland's new-look line up boasts some individuals of outstanding ability.
Step forward Jon Goddard.
The centre had scored two tries in each of his two appearances before last night, but it is doubtful whether even the former Hull KR back himself would have reckoned on grabbing two more against the meanest defence in the NRL.
That's exactly what Goddard did though, demonstrating just what a coup Fax pulled off in bringing him to the club in the first place.
It wasn't just the tries though: Goddard contained the hulking threat of Israel Folau brilliantly and continues to combine superbly with both the man inside him - stand off Graham Holroyd - and the man outside him - winger Lee Patterson.
Not far behind Goddard was another player with top flight experience, young Bradford prop Craig Kopczak.
The 21 year old consistently made ground with the ball, more often than not finding the all important quick play the ball too.
He also produced some monstrous tackles in defence, losing precious little in comparison with the Storm's star-studded pack.
The final point goes to captain Sean Penkywicz who never stopped looking for the gap that might have given him the thing the no one in the NRL could claim in 2007 - a dummy half break against Melbourne.
As it turned out, Fax's livewire never made it into open ground, but there were plenty of occasions when he came mighty close, giving the Storm defence plenty to think about in the process.
MATCH FACTSHalifax: Shad Royston; Lee Patterson, Jon Goddard, Mike Ratu, Andy Smith; Graham Holroyd, Mick Govin; Paul Southern, Sean Penkywicz, David Wrench, David Larder, Danny Heaton, Paul Smith. Subs: Miles Greenwood, Craig Kopczak, Dana Wilson, Frank Watene, Richard Varkulis, Andy Gorski, James Haley, Lee Greenwood, Damian Gibson.
Tries: Goddard (2)
Goal: Holroyd
Melbourne Storm: Billy Slater; Steve Turner, Will Chambers, Israel Folau, Anthony Quinn; Russell Aitken, Cooper Cronk; Jeff Lima, Matt Geyer, Brett White, Jeremy Smith, Ryan Hoffman, Dallas Johnson. Subs: Antonio Kaufusi, Adam Blair, Sika Manu, Sam Tagataese, Ben MacDougall, Dane Nielsen, Aiden Tolman, Liam Foran
Tries: Slater (2), Folau, Aitken, Tagataese, MacDougall
Goal: Turner
Referee: Steve Ganson (St Helens)
Attendance: 4,053
PLAYER POINTSAndy Smith 6, Sean Penkywicz 4, Graham Holroyd 3, Jon Goddard 3, Paul Smith 2, Mick Govin 2, Paul Southern 2, Craig Kopczak 2
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