"I think we certainly overachieved in the end to finish third" - Grix reflects on Halifax Panthers' year

But Simon Grix' s squad ensured it was to be a memorable campaign for much more than a name change.

After a mixed start, Fax went on a sensational run of nine straight wins to help propel them into the Championship play-offs where, after overcoming Whitehaven, they lost to Featherstone.

"I think we were all optimistic about the season ahead," says Grix, reflecting on the mood at the club at the start of the year.

"After having a season cancelled because of Covid, everyone was really looking forward to it.

"It was a difficult pre-season, a very clinical environment at times and the limitations around training made it difficult.

"It was the same for everyone but it definitely wasn't what you'd call the most enjoyable of pre-seasons.

"We didn't get off to a great start. The expectation with this club is that we should do well and be at the top end.

"The last proper success was quite a while ago but the fans still demand to be up there, rightly so. Why would you want to support a team that's down the bottom end? You want them up there.

"So there was a bit of heat coming in from the outside when we weren't winning.

"We lost three games on the trot, one of them against opposition that, yes, we shouldn't have done, but the others were against good teams in Bradford and Toulouse.

"So I think there was some unnecessary panic and worry around where we were at and what we could achieve, whereas internally, we all knew what was coming, we just hadn't hit our groove yet."

Grix says his belief never wavered, despite the mixed start.

"For the lads, I think it probably took a couple of wins after that," he says.

"We nilled Dewsbury which was followed by another nilling of Newcastle.

"I think we only probably started believing then after that stuttering start, the playing group, that we could go on and have a good season, finish up there and put ourselves in a position that we hadn't for a while.

"But personally, I wasn't shaken by it, I knew we were going to come good, we just needed a few individuals to up their game and to improve collectively."

And Fax did come good, with a 46-12 win over Sheffield on June 6 kicking off nine consecutive victories.

"I think that equalled the club's longest winning run, but that was tinged with disappointment as well," says Grix.

"It was Whitehaven away that finished the run for us, in a game where we probably got out-enthused, which for us and anyone who's had anything to do with Halifax will know and understand that it's sort of embedded in us from group to group over the years that you've got to work hard.

"It doesn't matter what talent you might have, you've got to work hard otherwise the talent doesn't come through.

"That's what I'm always hammering home and has been hammered before me.

"We let ourselves down, we could have broken the record and got those ten wins on the trot, and maybe more had we made sure we had the effort level where it needed to be, and obviously some attention-to-detail in there.

"We came across a good team and we weren't quite good enough on the day.

"It was definitely an achievement to hit the nine but it's tinged with a bit of disappointment as well because I honestly felt we had a couple more wins in us."

Fax's season would reach its zenith with a 24-20 win over Whitehaven on September 19.

"It was a classic game of two halves, we started the first-half really well, posted some points and went in at half-time with a good margin," recalls Grix.

"The message at half-time was basically 'we don't have to win it twice, just return to process, build the game up again'.

"We failed to do that, we were sloppy and invited Whitehaven back into the game.

"Although it never felt like we were going to lose it, it made it uncomfortable for a time.

"It was good to put out an entertaining game for those watching on the TV.

"That was a highlight, along with beating Bradford at home with a winner from Salty in the corner.

"We had a drop goal finish against Widnes in terrible weather too, there were a number of highs throughout the season, definitely."

But the following week's semi-final with Featherstone proved one game too many for the Panthers.

"The problem we had last year was a whole bunch of factors ended up getting on top of us," says Grix.

"Because of Covid, teams were reluctant to loan anybody out so we couldn't bring reinforcements in and we had a number of lads playing with injuries.

"It's not that they couldn't play but they weren't able to give the best of themselves because they were managing that injury in the background.

"There were a number of lads struggling.

"But also Featherstone were a really good team. Because they had the money to bring in extras and they had a very good squad to start with, they just had too much for us.

"Teams like Featherstone and Toulouse are benchmark teams for this competition, and you've got to take them into the later stages and be in the game.

"There's not many games throughout the season where they're in a really tight contest.

"To have really had a chance in that game, we had to be able to take them to the latter minutes of the game, and put them in that position that they've not been in and test them and see what happened.

"Unfortunately they had a bit too much for us, and we were big contributors in our own demise as well, which was disappointing.

"But that game aside, to get there was a big achievement for us."

Grix says his side's spirit and resilience were huge factors in their season, one which will be remembered for much more than the first under their new name.

"It was a challenging year but a rewarding one," Grix says.

"Truth be told, if you went down the budgets, I think we certainly overachieved in the end to finish third.

"We had a gritty toughness about us, we came away with victories where we deserved to win but we didn't win many games pretty.

"I think like most things, winning becomes a habit and when you're on that run you just find a way and you have that belief that you're going to pull it out, and more often that not we did.

"Also, our togetherness. Pre-season is normally the formation of that, but with it being a bit clinical and not quite as fun, it probably took us a bit longer.

"And having your backs to the wall when everyone's doubting you probably helped us as well.

"There were a lot of good, consistent performers who helped, and we overcame a lot too, and you tend to take a bit of pride and energy from that.

"Overcoming adversity and keeping going became a bit of a factor for us as well."