Championship preview: Halifax Panthers to play on ‘emotion’ in West Yorkshire derby with Bradford Bulls

Fax welcome their West Yorkshire rivals for the penultimate fixture of the 2024 Championship season knowing two crucial points will prevent them from finishing in the bottom two automatic relegation places down to League 1.

A win would also ease pressure on the slim chance of Finn’s men finishing 12th, where they would face the third tier’s play-off winner in an all-or-nothing eliminator, although a string of other results involving the teams below them in the table - Barrow Raiders, Swinton Lions and Whitehaven - would have to against them.

And Finn, who played against the Bulls in only his second appearance for his hometown club, knows the fixture means that little bit more to everyone involved.

He told the Courier: “It means a lot to the fans and the lads as well. We have got a lot of Halifax lads playing for us, and a Halifax coach, so it means a lot to all of us, fans included.

“We want to put in a performance where we will be proud of ourselves and people watching will be as well.

“I remember playing in my second ever game against Bradford on Sky at The Shay. We got beat in the end but it was the super team at Bradford and the awesome foursome (Paul Anderson, Brian McDermott, Stuart Fielden and Joe Vagana).

“It was raining and I was playing half-back with Gavin Clinch. We were chipping over from our own half and stuff. We put in a good account of ourselves that day.

“That was Super League but it’s similar circumstances now. They were big spending and we were on a budget. It’s a different division but the similarities are there.”

He added: “It did mean extra. Brian Noble once referred to it as an ‘emotional derby’ for Halifax. As irritating as that is, he is right because they think they’re bigger than us and their emotional derby is Rhinos who are bigger than them.

“He had a way with words did Mr Nobby! He’s probably right. That is what we need to play on at the weekend - a bit of emotion.”