Grix braced for ‘attritional’ clash as Storm Dennis blows in

Halifax coach Simon Grix is predicting an ‘attritional’ contest in Sunday’s round three Championship fixture against Dewsbury at the Shay (3.0).

The weather wreaked havoc with last week’s league fixtures, with Fax’s game at Featherstone and the Rams’ match at Swinton both being called off as Storm Ciara swept across the country.

And with another named weather system, Storm Dennis, forecast for this weekend, Grix admitted he is desperate to avoid drawing a second consecutive blank.

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“Looking at the forecast, the weather and the pitch conditions won’t suit either side, but it’s just important we get the game on,” said Grix, who said a decision on a potential new date for the game at Post Office Road was unlikely to be taken until after next weekend’s fourth round Challenge Cup games.

“Last week’s postponement was obviously unavoidable and it’s telling the only games that were played in the Championship were on the artificial surfaces at Widnes and London.

“But we wouldn’t want to go two games behind, because it’s going to be difficult to fit those fixtures in further down the track.

Dewsbury are a big team, who will challenge you physically, and they’ve got some real quality and experience in the backline with Liam Finn, Paul Sykes and Matty Fleming, the centre they signed from London.

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“It’s certainly going to be an attritional-style of game, that’s for sure.

“You need to play to the conditions: Kick well, complete well and manage territory well.

“But that’s easy to talk about during the week and a lot harder to do when the mud’s over the top of your boots on Sunday afternoon.”

Fax are likely to field a similar team to the one that would have played against Featherstone, with wingers Shaun Robinson and Jodie Broughton and back rower Ed Barber all pushing for inclusion.

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Grix is also hoping to have dual-registered Huddersfield forwards Oliver Roberts and Oliver Wilson available.

Roberts has played in Fax’s last two fixtures, scoring the winning try in round one against Sheffield, while Wilson, a highly-rated 19 year old front rower, impressed against Fax in pre-season.

“We have got a healthy squad, so we’ve got players who need an opportunity, not just this week, but over the next few weeks,” said Grix, who said that full back Reece Chapman-Smith, prop Will Calcott and half back Fraser Stroud were all likely to figure for the joint Halifax/Huddersfield/Hunslet reserves this weekend.

“Those changes are not necessarily a reflection on the people who played against Sheffield, more a reflection of the strength of our squad.

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“I’m hoping we’ll have Roberts and Wilson as well, who potentially add something to us.

“There were other players available from Huddersfield too, but we’ve not needed to go too heavily down that route just yet.”

Fax have also confirmed their fourth round Challenge Cup tie against Sheffield Eagles will be played next Saturday at Belle Vue, Wakefield, with a 2pm kick off.