HALIFAX PANTHERS are planning to pack some power in 2027 after signing Australian loose-forward Braydon Guyan from Ipswich Jets and confirming props Brandon Douglas and Delaine Gittens-Bedward will be part of Kyle Eastmond’s squad.
Guyan, has played 21 games in the second-tier Queensland Cup over the past two seasons with Mackay Cutters and Ipswich, scoring three tries, and the 21-year-old has signed a two-year contract.
Both Douglas and Gittens-Bedward played for Fax this year – the former on loan from neighbours Bradford and the latter after signing in April as the current version of the club continued to rebuild following the February liquidation of the old.
Experienced Douglas, 29, is a familiar face at The Shay, having had four previous stints as a Panther – in 2017 and 2018, both times on loan from his first club Castleford, from 2024 to 2025, when he featured 28 times across those two campaigns, and his loan outing in the 28-12 home defeat by Oldham in April.
That took his club appearance tally to 51, while this year he had six Bradford outings and one on loan to Batley.
As well as Castleford, where he came through the Academy after starting out in the Bradford development system, he has had spells at Doncaster and Sheffield.
Jamaican international Gittens-Bedward, 25, has had a circuitous career to date.
The one-time London Broncos development player studied in Coventry and played for England Universities as well as turning out a handful of times for both Coventry Bears and London Skolars.
He joined Barrow in April 2024, going on to make 17 appearances before a January move to Workington which followed a trial spell at Leigh.
He turned out ten times for Town before switching to Fax, for whom he featured in 16 matches as Eastmond’s team, hit by a twelve-point deduction due to their financial issues, finished second-bottom.
Other forwards so far signed on for next year are Leon Cowen, Curtis Davies, Jacob Fairbank, Ben Forster, Zack McComb, Adam O’Brien and AJ Wallace.
