Cup tie marks first half of quick-fire double with Fev
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“We’ve probably got the draw that everyone else didn’t want. We’ll just go and enjoy it really. I think it’s one of those games where there will be a lot of eyes on it. There will be a good crowd, but they’re a bit of a different beast so we’ll see how we go against them.”
This weekend’s clash with Featherstone will be the first of two games in as many weeks between the two clubs. A week on from their cup clash, both teams will meet in a league fixture away at the Millennium Stadium.
“It’s quite rare that it happens to be fair,” added Grix. “We’ll take it one game at a time. From game one we’ll learn a bit and we’ll probably have to adapt some things for game two. All we can do at the minute is focus on one [game] at hand.”
With a number of key players out on the sidelines, the Panthers boss also revealed he will be looking to rotate his squad saying: “Over the next few weeks we’re going to need to use our squad.
“A couple of the lads that we’re not going to play at Workington might need to play this week. Few challenges there, but whatever team we put out will be one that goes out to do a good job for Halifax.”
Meanwhile, Huddersfield Giants forward Ollie Roberts will not feature for Halifax in this
weekend’s Challenge Cup fixture.
The 27-year-old was named in the Panthers’ 21-man squad for last Sunday’s trip to Workington Town, but he didn’t play as the match was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.
Halifax head coach Simon Grix admitted that the Giants player will not take part against Featherstone.
He said: “With it being a Challenge Cup, if Ollie was to play as a dual reg or a loanee he would
be cup tied should his parent club want to use him later on.
“If I’m in their [Huddersfield] position, I’m probably not letting him play either, unless he’s really isn’t part of my plans but I’m sure Ollie is part of a future there at the Giants this year. We won’t be seeing him this week.”
Grix revealed his frustration after last week’s Championship clash at Workington was calledoff.
The fixture was cast into doubt with Storm Eunice battering
the country with winds up to 100mph. Despite weather warnings, Workington announced that the RFL had deemed the pitch playable at 7.45am. However, as Halifax began to make the trip across the country, the match was ultimately called off by the Ground Safety Officer just after 11am.
The Panthers team bus had got all the way to Cockermouth - seven miles away from Workington - when the news eventually reached the squad.
Grix believes the situation could have been handled better saying: “Farcical in the end but I do understand why they wanted the game on. They’ve got income to think about and the rest of it. But I thought it was pretty poor the way it transpired.
“We’d set off, a lot of fans had set off, some fans had stayed the night before. In the end, I think it could have been handled a lot better. But it is what it is and we get over it now and move on.”