Grix: Plenty of plus points for players and coaches after reverse against Eagles

Halifax coach Simon Grix said both he and the club’s young players had taken plenty of positives from Wednesday night’s 52-8 1895 Cup reverse against Sheffield.

A full-strength Eagles side ran out comfortable winners at Cougar Park, Keighley, after Grix named a rookie line up - with 10 players on debut and the remaining seven on the fringes of his first team thinking - having opted to prioritise Sunday’s Championship fixture at Leigh (3.0).

Despite the hefty scoreline, Fax showed some promise with the ball, with rangy Welsh half back Fraser Stroud managing to catch the eye with minimal ammunition.

“Did the score reflect the game? Maybe,” said Grix.

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“But I don’t think it reflected the effort they put in, I thought they were really plucky.

“Experience and physicality probably lost them the game, which was probably what we expected against an established Championship side.

“The lads that are already in the first team squad, they looked a level up, which was what I told them I expected them to see, so that’s good.

“For the others, it was a chance to put their hand up, because watching them against other reserve sides isn’t always the best indicator of where they are at.

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“I think a couple of them did; Calvin Barker and Fraser Stroud both showed some nice touches.

“Fraser laid on a nice try with the ball out of the back of the hand, which was great to see.

“I think I’ve learned a few things and the players will have learned plenty as well.

“Some of them have probably seen they’re a way off that level and some of them will have seen it’s not too far away for them.

“Credit to Martin Gonzalez and Stevie Greenwood for pulling that lot together, they’ve done a great job there.

“On to Leigh now.”