HALIFAX PANTHERS will head into what they hope will be a more stable 2027 season without captain Ben Crooks after the 33-year-old centre or secondrow confirmed his retirement.

He is calling time on a 15-year senior career which started at Hull FC, where he came through the youth system to make his first-team debut in 2012.

Such was Crooks’ early impact, he won a place in the 2013 Super League Dream Team following 20 tries in 22 outings in all competitions, the last of them the 16-0 Challenge Cup final defeat by Wigan Warriors, in which he aggravated a previous ankle problem and missed the remainder of the campaign.

The son of former Hull FC, Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers and Great Britain forward Lee Crooks, like his father (who played for Western Suburbs and Balmain Tigers), he went to Australia, but unable to break into the Parramatta Eels team, he featured for Wentworthville Magpies in the 2015 New South Wales Cup.

He then joined Castleford, and also played for Leigh (then Centurions), Hull KR and Keighley Cougars before heading to Halifax during the 2023 season.

Crooks topped 275 career appearances and 130 tries, the last of each coming in the Panthers’ 19-18 home defeat by Keighley, which ended a turbulent year in which the previous version of the club were liquidated in February, causing the departure of a string of players.

He was among those who remained, and after Halifax were relaunched with a new board, led by Martyn Buchan, he finished the campaign on 17 games and eight tries.

The Panthers, hit by a deduction of twelve points due to those financial issues, finished second-bottom, winning eight of 24 matches over the year.

“What a ride it’s been, but it’s time to get off,” said Crooks.