‘I am glad there is a bit of sense’ - Simon Grix thankful for ‘bonus’ recovery period as Halifax Panthers’ televised game with Championship leaders Featherstone Rovers is put back 24 hours

The cracking fixture at The Shay had been chosen by ViaPlay for live coverage in their usual Monday night slot but with Fax sealing their place in the 1895 Cup final at Wembley on Saturday, August 12, the game has been brought forward to Sunday evening.

“I am glad there is a bit of sense in that,” revealed Grix. “The Mondays (televised games) don’t really work for part-time teams in terms of getting people to the stadium and the fact that everyone is working all day. You are not getting the best version of the product on a Monday evening in my opinion.

“Playing on Sunday, with an eye on the next week, gives us a bit more recovery time, so that is the bonus there.”

However, Grix has insisted that all eyes are on the “tough” challenge of Featherstone, who are still undefeated on the road in the Championship this season.

He said: “It will be a good challenge. It is always a tough game. When you play Featherstone, no one really expects you to win. It’s one of those where the pressure isn’t really on you. But it is on us. We have put ourselves into a position where the play-offs are not sealed and we have got seven games to put as many points on the board as we can for a spot within that. We are capable and it would be nice to start that this week.

He added: “They are a really good team. We can all talk about the depths of their pockets - they seem to sign quality player after quality player. That is the challenge for our blokes to go up against them and show our worth.

“We are more than capable of beating anyone in this league if we get it right on the day. We will give it our best shot to get those two points.”