Elliot Morris: This is best Halifax Panthers squad I have been in

Initially joining the reserves, Morris has risen through the ranks to become a regular first teamer. After making his debut in a 78-0 win against Pilkington Recs in the 2016 Challenge cup he has gone on to make more than 100 appearances for Fax.

Morris believes that, with 11 new recruits having joined over the summer, the competition for places will help the team to realise their true potential. He said: “We made some really strong signings this year. We have a big number of middles which adds pressure and competition that makes you get the best performances from the players.”

“Out of all the teams I have played with at Halifax, I feel this is the strongest and best squad I have played and trained with.”

That is high praise from Morris who believes the team is even more talented than last year’s squad who made the play-offs last year.

“Promotion is something that’s been spoken about, it’s definitely a goal that we have set for ourselves and we’re 100 per-cent on board.”

Morris is aiming for a strong start against Batley Bulldogs on Sunday, building on Fax’s pre-season displays. He said: “We wanted to add a bit more intent from the Wakefield [Trinity] game, especially in defence and we definitely delivered that against Salford.”

“Batley away is always a fun one, they always show up and thrive off their home pitch and use it well.”

He added: “It will be a good test for us to start the season and a win there will kick us on for a very good strong season.”