Ben Tibbs’ treble helps Halifax Panthers past Thatto Heath

HALIFAX PANTHERS 48 THATTO HEATH CRUSADERS 6
JACOB KILBRIDE, The Shay, Sunday

BEN TIBBS chalked up three tries as Halifax set up another meeting with Catalans by seeing off spirited amateurs Thatto Heath in a hard-fought affair.

The final scoreline failed to properly reflect the National Conference League side’s grit and determination as they continually frustrated their Championship opponents and even led at one stage.

Max Dudley’s touchdown and Sean Leicester’s goal gave the travelling support something to cheer after Tibbs’ unconverted opener.

But the Panthers, beaten 40-4 at home to Catalans in last year’s competition, notched eight unanswered tries thereafter, although the contest rarely felt in mis-match territory. The Crusaders could certainly return to St Helens with heads held high.

New Halifax boss Kyle Eastmond witnessed several moments of individual class alongside some scratchy spells which will provide lots of food for thought.

Halifax looked set for a comfortable afternoon when a classy offload from Louis Jouffret allowed new captain Ben Crooks to put Tibbs over inside five minutes.

But if those inside The Shay thought that would start the procession, they were mistaken.

Given a piggy-back up the field after Halifax were penalised, ex-Leigh hooker Lewis Foster grubber-kicked through from dummy-half before Dudley gleefully dropped on the loose ball. Leicester added the extras.

That elation soon faded as Thatto Heath failed to find touch from a penalty and after a couple of drop-outs, instigated by clever James Woodburn-Hall kicks, Jouffret’s bullet pass sent Crooks diving across the tryline, with Jouffret adding the first of six goals.

Halifax again capitalised on an error when Crooks picked off a loose Jamie Jones pass and set up Tibbs to finish.

Not even those quickfire scores would spark Halifax into a dominant first-half showing though, as Thatto Heath continued to compete.

Jouffret, Tibbs and James Saltonstall all dropped high kicks while the visitors somehow denied Woodburn-Hall’s dummy with a one-on-one tackle after earlier sending Saltonstall into touch.

Four minutes from the break, Halifax eventually got a fourth score as Crooks dotted down Woodburn-Hall’s short kick in the left corner.

Thatto Heath’s spirit was typified by their early second-half efforts. For a spell, they defended repeat sets on their own tryline, holding out until Crooks coughed up possession.

The dam finally burst when Saltonstall sent the ball back inside from a right-side shift, allowing Charlie Graham to spin over.

And the former was in the thick of action again when collecting Jack Hansen’s high kick, wrestling out of the tackle and returning the favour to hand the debutant a first Halifax try.

The professional divide began to tell in the final quarter as Halifax reeled off three tries in six minutes.

Tibbs clinched his hat-trick from a sublime short-side dummy-half pass from Jouffret and Crooks’ flick-on, Saltonstall waltzed over after Keane Gilford dropped a high Hansen kick and Zack McComb went over.

To their immense credit, Thatto Heath kept Halifax scoreless in the closing stages, although it was already mission complete for the Yorkshire side.

GAMESTAR: Louis Jouffret. Halifax’s moments of class stemmed from the mercurial Frenchman, whose eye-catching pass for Tibbs’ hat-trick score was a particular highlight.

GAMEBREAKER: Having held out for 15 minutes, Crooks’ late first-half try was a sucker blow to Thatto Heath.

MATCHFACTS
PANTHERS
1 Louis Jouffret
2 Ben Tibbs
3 Charlie Graham
4 Ben Crooks
5 James Saltonstall
6 James Woodburn-Hall
7 Jack Hansen
8 Brandon Douglas
9 Adam O’Brien
10 Joe Hird
11 Owen McCarron
19 Zack McComb
13 Jacob Fairbank
Subs (all used)
14 Tom Inman
17 Will Calcott
18 Owen Restall
20 Brad Graham

Tries: Tibbs (5, 21, 62), Crooks (15, 36), C Graham (51), Hansen (54), Saltonstall (65), McComb (68)
Goals: Jouffret 6/9

CRUSADERS
1 Sean Leicester
2 Mason Phillips
3 Adam Saunders
4 Josh Crehan
5 Keane Gilford
14 Jack Jones
7 Ryan Houghton
8 Kye Siyani
9 Lewis Foster
10 Max Dudley
11 Jamie Tracey
12 Jamie Holroyd
13 Adam Carr
Subs (all used)
6 Oliver Owen
15 Jacob Bloxham
16 Loui Pauls
17 Brad Ashurst