So far ten new faces at the Shay for Halifax Panthers

 The Shay in Halifax is fast becoming a hot bed of signings in the past few weeks, Following their(some would say surprising)  third  place finish in the 2021 season, The Panthers have added depth to their squad for the 2022 season. SO FAR ten new recruits have signed up, each one have got fans excited for what could be.

The first signing came in the form of the experienced Half Back Joe Keyes joining from Hull Kr, The twenty six year old has had plenty of championship experience formally with London Broncos, York City Knights and the Bradford Bulls. During his time at Hull Kr he was often third or fourth choice for his position behind the likes of Mikey Lewis and Jordan Abdul, but when given his chance he showed his skill and caught the Eye of Simon Grix and the Panthers and will be massive asset for the upcoming season.

Second was the highly sought after Lachlan Walmsley, The Panthers fought off Super league and other Championship clubs to  sign the exciting twenty two year old Scottish international, he comes in on the back of an impressive season for Whitehaven where he scored fifteen tries and kicked seventy one goals and was awarded the Betfred Championship Entertainer of the year for some magic performances and phenomenal finishes! Definitely one to watch down at the Shay

Next was Brad Knowles From Sheffield Eagles who will add some growl and bite (pun intended) to the middle of the pitch, The twenty eight year old brings aggression, plenty of go forward and experience from his time at Featherstone Rovers and Sheffield. He can play a variety of positions in the middle of the pitch and at six feet two inches he is a force to be reckoned with.

Then along came Titus Gwaze, the twenty two year old has re-joined the panthers where he was part of the reserve squad until he joined Wakefield Trinity in 2019 and went onto to sign for London Broncos in 2021 following a loan spell. The young  prop, will compliment the already meaty pack with his explosive power. As a young forward he will continue to expand his game and learn from the experience of Panthers squad and unlock his potential.

The fifth signing came in the form of twenty six year old creative half back Cory Aston. He comes with Super league experience from Castleford Tigers and championship experience with Sheffield Eagles, Bradford Bulls, Featherstone Rovers and London Broncos. His organisation and game management and all round kicking game will bring plenty of competition and added depth to the Panthers squad.

The Panthers sixth signing was Matty Gee, at twenty six he comes to the Shay with super league experience with spells at Salford, London, Hull Kr and Championship experience with Leighcenturions. He is a strong back rower with enough power and ability to play in the middle, bringing versatility to his game. He defends as hard as he attacks making him a threat to the opposition.

Next came local boy Liam Whitton who made his way through the ranks at Siddal before joining the Leeds Rhinos academy, he then went onto Featherstone Rovers before going back to where it all began at Siddal where he caught the eye of Grix. At Fullback he has big boots to fill following the retirement of Scott Grix last season, but the twenty year old speedster has plenty of potential to set the championship alight!

Signing number eight came in the form of six feet 2 inch Joe Arundel, the thirty year old brings super league experience from Castleford Tigers, Hull Fc and Wakefield Trinity, he was also selected for the England Knight in 2011. Playing at centre, but with the ability to play at second row he backs up his experience with versatility. He is strong in both attack and defence so will be a handful wherever he is placed on the pitch.

The ninth signing brought the French connection – Louis Jouffret, and one of the most amusing social media reveal which featured Kevin Larroyer with an Oscar winning performance! 

He is the second former Whitehaven player to sign for the Panthers, the twenty six year old half back will bring Simon Grix a headache when picking a squad where he will be competing with new signings Keyes and Aston for the half back spot. Although, Jouffret is another versatile player that can slot in at a number of positions, solidifying a depth to the Panthers squad that was lacking last season.

Cole Oakley was next to sign bringing the Panthers into double digits, the twenty one year old is yet another centre that would not be out of place in the second row. He has worked his way up through Warrington with loan spells at Newcastle Thunder and Rochdale Hornet at six feet tall and over fifteen stone he adds bolster to the Panthers squad for next season.

 

There is a lot of excitement surrounding the Panthers camp with the new additions to the team, Under Simon Grix’s leadership and the remaining 2021 squad, on paper they have a squad that have potential to finish high again but can the addition of the ten new signings gel in time to put their stamp on the Championship in 2022?

 Either way, they now have a depth to the squad that would have given them the final boost at the end of last season when players were playing through injuries to finish the season which is no mean feat and can only be applauded. The Panthers are on the prowl in 2022!