Strong second half show against Championship's bottom club lifts Halifax Panthers into play-offs

It took a while for Fax to click into gear in their last game at Odsal, with Ronan Dixon and David Nofoaluma’s tries book-ending a scrappy first half to give them a 12-4 lead.

However, once Will Calcott went over five minutes into the second half, the floodgates opened with Brandon Douglas grabbing a quick-fore double before Nofoaluma notched a second of his own. Maxime Jobe and Jacob Fairbank completed the scoring for a 48-10 victory.

It was six tries in a blistering 21-minute spell to blow the basement side away to secure a comfortable 48-10 win, and ending Fax’s five-game temporary stay at Odsal on a high - and back in the top six.

You sensed it was going to be a one-way procession when Dixon careered over under the posts with barely four minutes on the clock.

But the lowly visitors, with only two wins all season, survived a barrage of chances and pressure - namely James Saltonstall dropping the ball when Nofoaluma broke clear - to hit back courtesy of Jack Rampton touching down Billy Jowitt’s grubber kick.

Nofoaluma, as usual, was in the thick of the action and he looked to send Charlie Graham over with a neat offload but the centre was held up.

Fax, however, had to wait until two minutes before the hooter for their second try of the afternoon with Nofoaluma producing some lovely skill before powering over from close range.

Galvanised, and re-energised, Fax continued from where they left off at the end of the first half at the start of the second 40 and they extended the lead after yet more great work by that man Nofoaluma - the set ending with Calcott receiving George Whitby’s short ball and powering over.

Douglas then scored on his 28th birthday, crashing over by the sticks after being found by Adam O’Brien. It was becoming an onslaught as Hunslet struggled to contain the hosts.

Douglas bagged a birthday double after spinning out of a challenge before Nofoaluma celebrated his second after racing onto a short ball and finding a generous gap in the visitors’ defence.

Nofoaluma’s lovely offload then sent James Saltonstall clear to find Graham who allowed Jobe to score his try for Halifax.

Fairbank’s try completed the scoring as the Panthers leaped above Doncaster, who lost at home to fellow play-off hopefuls Featherstone Rovers, into sixth.

But Doncaster will look to reclaim that spot with their game in hand at home to Barrow Raiders next weekend.