Boss demands steely performance
Frank Greaves’ men went down 23-13 away to champions Sheffield on May 20 and their next opponents are the 2017 runners-up Leeds.
Halifax-Huddersfield have home advantage this time, at Bradley Park, and Greaves said: “We are looking to bounce back after a mediocre display at Worksop, although a lack of course knowledge didn’t help.”
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Hide AdGreaves felt the team was too easy to beat. “We have to find that strength we had last year. When we were ahead last summer we pushed on and when we were losing we didn’t lie down.”
Leeds won their first match and haven’t won the league since 2005. Their team manager Nigel McKee is reported to have said that is poor for a district so large.
Greaves added: “You have to win your home matches and trying to beat the team that finished second last year is a big incentive.”
Greaves has drafted in former Crow Nest Park Junior Captain James Edwards, now at Fixby, after his fine perfomances for the Union junior team and his victory in the Hawksworth Trophy at Bradford.
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Hide AdAdam Robinson has withdrawn pending the birth of his first child and captain Graham McLean is resting himself. These two make way for Edwards and in-form Tom Calvert.
Halifax-Huddersfield: Aaron Schnacke, James Edwards, Tom Calvert and Josh Morton (Huddersfield), Isaac Turner (Woodsome Hall), Tom Hunt and Joshua McAspurn (Meltham), Scott Minto (Hanging Heaton), Matthew Colcombe (Longley Park), Sam Bridges (Bradley Hall), Jamie Smith and Mark Birkett (Halifax).