Halifax head coach Richard Marshall praised front-row Adam Tangata after his side’s 28-50 defeat to Salford.
Tangata was the stand-out performer for Halifax and was rewarded with a late try against the Red Devils.
The Cook Island international, who joined Fax from the Mount Pritchard Mounties at the start of the season, struggled to adapt at the start of the season and found himself out of the team.
However his return to the fold coincided with Halifax’s incredible nine-game winning streak that saw them surge into the top four of the Kingstone Press Championship, and participate in the Qualifiers as a result.
“He got two handshakes after the game,” said Marshall
“I thought he was great. He’s typical of our season. He wasn’t in at the start and was running on with water. But he was always still a part of the group and he was working on the areas of his game that he needed to do.
“I think he came over in December and he was about two months behind the rest of the team. When he got those two months back in March, April and May and we started to play him we saw his potential and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I’m pleased for Adam; he could have gone home when he wasn’t getting in, but he didn’t, he worked on his game and he’s reaping the rewards now and I’d suggest that he was our best player today.”