THERE is a new era at Halifax in 2024 as former Dewsbury boss Liam Finn takes the reins at The Shay after earning promotion with the Rams in 2023.
The hole left by Simon Grix, who spent five years at Fax in which time he won the 1895 Cup and made it to a Challenge Cup semi-final, should not be underestimated but Finn is calm and collected and won’t shy away from the new challenge.
He will be helped by brilliant new signings Gareth Widdop and Greg Eden, whilst former loanee Adam O’Brien will replace the Batley-bound Brandon Moore after signing a permanent deal with the club.
Fax won at Wembley in 2023 but their cup success likely contributed to them missing out on the play-offs, so getting back inside the top six will be high up on the agenda for Finn in his first season at the Shay.
Watch out for… GREG EDEN has always finished tries like they are going out of fashion. The ex-Castleford winger has made a career out of flying acrobatically for a try in the corner, and, following Lachlan Walmsley’s move to Wakefield, Eden will be keen to make that left wing spot his own.
2024 squad: 1 James Woodburn-Hall, 2 Greg Eden, 3 Zack McComb, 4 Ben Crooks, 5 James Saltonstall, 6 Louis Jouffret, 7 Joe Keyes, 8 Adam Tangata, 9 Adam O’Brien, 11 Ben Kavanagh, 12 Matty Gee, 13 Jacob Fairbank, 15 Ryan Lannon, 16 Will Calcott, 17 Ben Tibbs, 18 Brandon Douglas, 19 Connor Davies, 20 Tom Inman, 21 Olly Davies, 22 Ben Hursey, 23 Gareth Widdop, 24 Sam Campbell, 31 Kevin Larroyer.
Rugby League World predicts: 6th
First published in Rugby League World magazine, Issue 494 (March 2024)
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