Halifax boss Karl Harrison confirmed key winter signing Scott Murrell would have played in Sunday’s game at Dewsbury if it had been a competitive fixture.
Murrell sat out the 23-10 pre season loss with a hand injury sustained at Keighley on Boxing Day, with X-rays initially suggesting he had sustained a fracture.
But Harrison, who said he was “disappointed” by aspects of his side’s performance, said the former Leeds and Hull KR playmaker is on course to make a rapid recovery.
“Scotty’s a bit sore, but could have played if it had been an important game,” said Harrison, whose side round off their pre-season against Batley on January 20 before opening their Championship campaign against Sheffield at the end of the month.
“He broke his hand last year and that came up on the X ray, but he has had it re-examined and it’s not broken.
“He’ll be fine.”
Overall, Harrison was relaxed in his analysis of an afternoon when Fax struggled to find any kind of form, especially in attack.
“I thought it was a disrupted, slow game,” he said, after seeing his side score one try in each half, from centres Steve Tyrer and Ben Heaton.
“Dewsbury played really, really well. They ran harder than we did, tackled harder than we did and deserved the win.
“They scored four tries, two dummy half jumpovers, a one on one missed tackle and an advantage play from half way.
“They didn’t really break us down, but then again we didn’t break them down either.
“We weren’t great with the ball, which was down to them controlling the ruck speed better than we did, which made us much easier for them to contain.
“Enthusiasm from a couple of the boys was disappointing, but we came through injury free and it was a good hit out.
“We wanted to win, but I think they wanted it more; they were going for field goals and singing afterwards like it was their Grand Final.
“There were no points on offer and sometimes it is not a bad thing to lose, because it reminds you what you need to do to win.”
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