HALIFAX PANTHERS director Adam Butterfield is enjoying the Adam Tangata effect as the 35-year-old forward continues his fourth spell at The Shay.
The popular Cook Islands international last month returned to the West Yorkshire club after spending the French Super XIII season playing for Avignon, where the squad included a former Fax favourite in halfback Louis Jouffret.
Tangata has had three previous stints at the Panthers, from 2015 to 2018, 2019 to 2020 and 2021 to 2025, having also played for Widnes and Wakefield.
Before arriving in the UK, he was in the Canberra Raiders system and played for Mount Pritchard Mounties in the New South Wales Cup.
Butterfield, part of the group who brought Fax back from the brink of extinction after liquidation during the early stages of this season, believes Tangata’s presence has provided an all-round tonic.
“Adam isn’t just a very good and experienced player, he’s a great bloke,” he explained.
“He loves Halifax Panthers and Halifax Panthers love him.
“He is great on the training field, he lifts the younger lads, and he galvanises our supporters.”
Butterfield is currently liaising with coach Kyle Eastmond on squad plans for 2027, but wouldn’t be drawn on Tangata’s long-term future.
“He’s come back in for the rest of this season, and we’ll see where we are after that,” he added.
“We’re working on signings, and have quite a few irons in the fire, but we still need clarification on central funding, because stability is crucial going forward.
“We are going into the final few weeks of what has been a long and difficult year, but we are still here and trying to finish as high as we can before we continue our rebuild over the close-season.”