Simon Grix does not want Halifax Panthers’ 2023 campaign to end up ‘stinking’ ahead of Barrow Raiders test

The game will be Fax’s first at home since their 60-0 thrashing of Whitehaven on May 14. Since then they have only won one of their previous four outings, a 46-8 victory at Swinton, and dropped a crucial point at Bradford last Sunday in the dramatic 22-22 draw.

And Grix has insisted the Panthers need to be better against a Barrow side who beat them to secure their first win of the Championship season at the end of March. He said:

“It is never an easy game. We lost up there in a game I felt we should have won. They were good and it kind of got them out of their rut. Then we did an alright job for 60 minutes at home (in the Challenge Cup). It was never in doubt but we did put ourselves in a pressure-finish again.

“I think they’re finding some form. They have had a few wins recently. We need to be good and we need to be better than what we were against Bradford. That was an attritional affair, whereas Barrow are like us and like to move the ball around, so there will be more challenges presented.

“It’s been a long while (since playing at home), our fans have travelled as loyal as ever all over the place to watch us. We need to start getting back into some home advantage and playing our way on our pitch and getting some results.”

He added: “This career you have is only short. People will look back on big wins but you also look on what might have been as well. If you reach a potential at the end of a season individually, collectively you can enjoy that one. But it’s a more stinging memory when you haven’t quite done it.

“I’ve done it numerous times throughout my career. I look back now and there are a couple of years in there where we should have done so much more as a team and it stings a bit and that’s what we’re in danger of doing.

“We need to fight a little bit harder and realise ours, otherwise a pretty season ends up being a stinking long one.”