Keyes believes Halifax Panthers squad is gelling nicely as Widnes Vikings clash looms

The 26-year-old arrived at the Shay last October after signing a two-year deal from Hull KR.

Keyes was one of many new additions to the team and the player has admitted that it will take time for the group to find their rhythm.

When asked about his relationship with fellow halves Louis Jouffret and Cory Aston, he said: “It’s good. Even with Louis we’re still learning about each other, all three of us are new to the club so we’re still learning about how we like to play.

“I think we’ll definitely reap the rewards of that later on in the year. We’re still going through that gelling stage at the moment, but we showed some positive signs and hopefully we can build on that.

New names in the squad also add a lot of competition for places, but that is exactly the challenge Keyes was looking for.

He said: “It’s massive, it’s what you want. I think that’s a big thing we’ve got this year, a lot of competition for places. There are people itching to play and it shows in training.

“There are people who are trying to get you out of the team so you’ve got to be on your ‘A game’ every week. Hopefully I can continue to perform to my standards and hopefully it speaks for itself.”

Following an impressive display against London, Keyes now hopes to turn on the style at home to Widnes Vikings on Sunday.

“We know what they’re about, they come to play and throw the ball around,” said the scrum-half. “They play tough so we’re going to have to be on defensively.”