LAST year was a weird one for Halifax Panthers. After starting like a house on fire with six Championship wins in a row, the West Yorkshire side, led by former St Helens livewire Kyle Eastmond, tanked before impressing in another six unbeaten games to end the season.
A fifth-placed finish was certainly something not to be sniffed at with 14 wins from 24 games ensuring the Panthers qualified for the second-tier play-offs with ease.
In fact, Halifax actually sat first on the Championship ladder for six weeks before Eastmond’s side derailed with no win in seven around the midway point in the season.
It’s fair to say that the Panthers are only looking up in regards to 2026, with the capture of Super League pair Tanguy Zenon and Myles Lawford key to that, whilst retentions such as David Nofoaluma, Ben Crooks and Ben Tibbs will help provide stability for Eastmond and his squad.
With the ability to beat anybody on their day, Fax will be hunting blood once more next season.
One to watch
Tanguy Zenon is perhaps a name not many Halifax fans will know as of yet.
But the 23-year-old will light up the Championship with silky footwork, pace to burn and an ease to be in the right place at the right time.
Having come through the ranks of the Catalans Dragons, Zenon lit up the Challenge Cup quarter-finals for Hull KR against Salford back in 2023 and will look to cause havoc at The Shay in 2026.
Squad: 1 David Nofoaluma, 2 Ben Tibbs, 3 Tanguy Zenon, 4 Alfie Johnson, 5 Charlie Graham, 6 Jesse Soric, 7 Jack Hansen, 8 Will Calcott, 9 Adam O’Brien, 10 Dan Okoro, 11 Ben Crooks, 12 Owen McCarron, 13 Jacob Fairbank, 14 Tom Inman, 15 Connor Davies, 16 Ronan Dixon, 17 Myles Lawford, 18 Bayley Liu, 19 Zack McComb, 20 Vila Halafihi, 21 Ben Forster, 22 Darius Carter, – Leon Cowen
Ins: Bayley Liu (Bradford), Alfie Johnson (Warrington), Ben Forster (Oldham), Darius Carter (Huddersfield), Dan Okoro (Warrington), Tanguy Zenon (Catalans), Jesse Soric (Gold Coast), Myles Lawford (Wakefield, loan), Leon Cowen (St Helens – loan)
Outs: James Saltonstall (retired), Owen Restall (Midlands), Maxime Jobe, James Woodburn-Hall, Adam Tangata (all released), Brandon Douglas (Bradford), Brad Graham (Dewsbury)