Tyrer strikes late as Fax end warm-up games with a draw at Rovers

Richard Marshall’s side remain a work in progress; the coach has yet to field his strongest team, or even one containing his most influential individual, the veteran half back Scott Murrell, ahead of the Championship opener at Widnes in two weeks time.

But there was much more good than bad here against a typically combative Rovers side, playing in front of their new Australian coach Ryan Carr for the first time.

There were plenty of solid individual performances - with hard-running winger Will Sharp probably the pick - and with Murrell and other likely round one starters Shane Grady, Brandon Moore, Ed Barber and Chester Butler all sidelined, Marshall does not look short of options.

Some of Fax’s attacking combinations still need work, as Marshall acknowledged afterwards, but with half backs Ben White and James Woodburn-Hall and full back Quentin Laulu-Togagae in tandem for the first time, they moved the ball to the edges with real purpose.

The visitors started strongly, with a much stronger pack making plenty of metres down the middle and hooker Ben Kaye and White directing play.

There were two early chances; Sharp just dabbed a foot in touch after a brilliant pass from QLT and Ben Kavanagh was held up on the left after grabbing White’s short kick.

And Fax got the lead they merited on 12 minutes when the impressive Jacob Fairbank popped up on the end of a short pass from Kaye to score from close range, Tyrer converting for a 6-0 lead.

The visitors continued to look the more cohesive side, but as the half hour approached Rovers came more and more into the game, with Fax gradually confined to their own half.

It was to Fax’s credit that the home side only scored once, Moses Boas slipping Brad Day over and converting for a 6-6 stalemate at the break.

Rovers regained the lead through John Davies - probably the most destructive forward on the field - six minutes after the break, QLT spilling a kick from Boas and Davies pouncing for a gift of a try.

Boas kicked the conversion, but Fax levelled again; first working the ball right, where Jordan Syme was held short, and then whipping it back left, QLT firing the killer pass to Tyrer.

The centre converted for 12-12, only for a moment of quality from Leeds’ young full back Ashton Golding to create a try for Josh Hardcastle, Boas again on target with the boot.

But Fax stuck to the script, with Woodburn-Hall probing repeatedly down the right, before White chipped to the left with two minutes remaining and Tyrer came up with his trademark soaring leap to claim the ball and the try.

Featherstone: Golding; McDaniel, Walters, Teteh, Carey; Richardson, Boas; Ormondroyd, Maskill, Cooper, Day, Delaney, Lockwood. Subs: Davies, Hardcastle, Wheeldon, Hartley, Punchard, Beckett, Taylor

Halifax: QLT; Sharp, Tyrer, Saltonstall, Robinson; Woodburn-Hall, White; Fleming, Kaye, Fairbank, Larroyer, Kavanagh, Grix. Subs: Curtis Davies, Cooper, McGrath, Kidd, Morris, Calcott, Syme.