Panthers resist Broncos comeback to return to winning ways

A James Saltonstall double, along with tries from Louis Jouffret, Lachlan Walmsley and debutant Eribe Doro gave Fax a firm grip on proceedings but scores from Zach Eckersley, Dean Parata and Bill Leyland got the Broncos to within six points.

And, after Dan Murray was sin-binned as the game drew to nervy close, Joe Keyes kept his composure to seal the win with a late penalty.

Fax were looking for an immediate response to that heavy defeat at Fev, with Simon Grix insisting before the game that his side “had to be better” if they were to beat a London outfit who grabbed their first points of the season last Sunday thanks to a first win in Whitehaven since 2016.

2016 is also the same year in which the Broncos last recorded a victory at The Shay and, in order to try and extend their miserable trip record to West Yorkshire, Grix handed Ben Tibbs his first start of the season, replacing Jake Maizen who sustained a shoulder injury at Fev.

Jacob Fairbank missed out due to the concussion protocol following a head knock suffered in the same game, while Will Maher and Matty Gee replaced Ryan King and Will Calcott.

Daniel Smith, benefitting from Fax’s dual registration partnership with Castleford Tigers, started on the bench, along with Doro, who made his first appearance since signing on a one-year loan from Warrington Wolves.

After a couple of early handling errors from both sides, an inventive pass from Keyes sent the impressive Ben Kavanagh racing clear. The second row then produced a sumptuous kick towards the try line - an invitation for Walmsley - but Paul Ulberg somehow got to the ball first.

A sustained spell of Broncos pressure followed but Fax’s defence held firm. At the other end, another error, after a high kick from Keyes was dropped, was nearly punished by Saltonstall but he was unable to open the scoring.

That honour, however, fell to Jouffret. And what a memorable try it was. An Alex Walker kick struck the fortunate chest of Fax’s stand-off, who calmly collected the ball before powerfully racing clear - nearly the full length of the pitch - and scoring in the corner, despite the best efforts of Iliess Macani.

Although Keyes missed the conversion, the try seemed to lift not just the players, but the Shay crowd as well, who came together prior to kick off for a minute’s applause to remember Zak Dewhirst, the former Fax reserve player and the club’s wheelchair manager, who sadly passed away recently, aged 27.

Adam Tangata, who was making his 150th appearance for the Panthers, was replaced just before the half-hour mark by Doro, who made an instant impact. After being held up on the line, he then kept a loose ball alive ten metres out, found Jouffret, who turned provider, as Saltonstall, in his 200th game for Fax, gleefully collected a looping pass to make it 8-0, with Keyes helping himself to his first points of the afternoon.

It was just over a year to the day since the Panthers had run in five unanswered tries against the Broncos in this fixture last season, clinching a one-sided contest 28-0.

But, as Grix correctly asserted before the game, they are a side who “won’t go away.” And they got back into the contest when Eckersley, just about, according to match referee Cameron Worsley, latched onto a grubber kick, as the Broncos got to within four points before the half-time hooter.

However, three tries in the space of 11 second half minutes put the home side, seemingly, fully in control. Walmsley went over for his fourth try of the season after a fine flowing move involving Kavanagh and Tibbs before Doro made it a debut to remember by showing sparkling footwork to create a gap to make it 18-6 under the posts.

Jouffret then claimed another assist to help Saltonstall clinch his brace over in the far corner but Fax were pegged back when Parata ran onto his own kick.

Refusing to believe it was merely a consolation, Broncos scored again through Leyland to stun The Shay into silence.

The crowd, however, were vocal moments later, voicing their discontent to Worsley after Kevin Larroyer was left stricken on the turf, and unable to carry on, with Broncos, adding to the Fax faithful’s frustrations, gaining a penalty.

From that set, the visitors’ pressure nearly told, but Murray had other ideas, pulling back Parata to deny a certain try. It left Fax down to 12 men for the final nine minutes after the yellow card was brandished.

With only six points the difference, Keyes kicked a nerveless penalty with only three minutes remaining as Fax held on to return to winning ways.

Halifax: Woodburn-Hall, Walmsley, Tibbs, McComb, Saltonstall, Jouffret, Keyes, Tangata, Kavanagh, Gee, Larroyer, Moore, Maher

Substitutes: Wood, Doro, Murray, Smith

Tries: Jouffret, Saltonstall (2), Walmsley, Doro

Conversions: Keyes (2)

Penalties: Keyes

London Broncos: Walker, Ulberg, Bassett, Eckersley, Macani, O Leyland, Parata, Bienek, Davis, Hill, Lovell, Natoli, Stock

Substitutes: B Leyland, Williams, Albert, Nunes Silva

Tries: Eckersley, Parata, B Leyland

Conversions: O Leyland (3)

Attendance: 1950

Match official: Cameron Worsley