HALIFAX PANTHERS returned to action in Round 6 of the Championship competition with a creditable performance against unbeaten leaders London Broncos, and their coach Kyle Eastmond (pictured above) will be confident of a closer game against the Crusaders, who currently lie in 14th place with two wins from five games.

Eastmond has named a 17-man squad that includes the return of the experienced Ben Crooks and Wigan loanees Kian McGann and Dayon Sambou.

The Crusaders also bring in some loan players, with Jaiden Drachenberg from Wigan, Bailey Pemberton from Leigh and Joe Bajer from Warrington all named in their 19-man squad.

Last week they lost the experienced Danny Addy to Dewsbury Rams.

SQUADS

Panthers: 2 Ben Tibbs, 5 Alfie Lindsey, 7 Curtis Davies, 8 Will Calcott, 9 Adam O’Brien, 12 Owen McCarron, 13 Jacob Fairbank, 17 Myles Lawford, 18 Hugo Salabio, 19 Zack McComb, 20 Vila Halafihi, 21 Ben Forster, 22 Darius Carter, 23 Leon Cowen, Ben Crooks, Kian McGann, Dayon Sambou
Outs: 1 Logan Moy, 6 Jesse Soric, 10 Dan Okoro,
Ins: Ben Crooks, Kian McGann, Dayon Sambou

Crusaders: 3 Jayden Hatton, 5 Luke Forber, 6 Declan Patton, 7 Jordan Gibson, 9 Josh Eaves, 10 Chris Barratt, 11 Brad England, 12 Cole Oakley, 13 Pat Moran, 14 Joe Baldwin, 16 Mark Ioane, 17 Ashton Robinson, 18 Junior Westwood, 22 Jake Nottingham, 23 Greg Eden, Huw Worthington, Jaiden Drachenberg, Bailey Pemberton, Joe Bajer
Outs: 1 Lloyd Roby, 4 Jake Spedding, 20 Thomas Bridge, 25 Danny Addy, 26 Pat Ah Van,
Ins: Jaiden Drachenberg, Bailey Pemberton, Joe Bajer

Referee: Milo McKelvey

STATS

All previous meetings:
North Wales 17, Halifax 20 (ChR23, 10/8/14)
(at Racecourse Ground, Wrexham)
Halifax 6, North Wales 12 (ChR10, 11/5/14)
Halifax 28, Celtic Crusaders 38 (NL1R17, 17/8/08)
Halifax 24, Celtic Crusaders 30 (NRC-QFQ, 6/4/08)
Celtic Crusaders 26, Halifax 18 (NL1R3, 29/3/08)
(at Brewery Field, Bridgend)
Halifax 30, Celtic Crusaders 18 (NRC-QF, 26/5/07)