The 14 Halifax Panthers free agents who could re-sign with the club
Halifax Panthers are set to return to action on Sunday with a newly formed club, following their liquidation last month. Formal approval is expected to be announced today, with plans in place for Fax to fulfill their Championship fixture against the London Broncos at The Shay on Sunday afternoon.
Kyle Eastmond will lead the team as head coach, after Love Rugby League reported on Monday evening that he had agreed to guide the club in the wake of its previous collapse.
The priority now is to assemble a squad capable of taking the field on Sunday, with many players who were contracted before liquidation having moved on in recent weeks. Departures include David Nofoaluma (York Knights), Tanguy Zenon (Huddersfield Giants), Charlie Graham (Hunslet), Jack Hansen (Rochdale Hornets), Tom Inman (Newcastle Thunder), Ronan Dixon (Batley Bulldogs), Bayley Liu (Hunslet), and Brad Day (Oldham). Loan players Myles Lawford and Leon Cowen have returned to their parent clubs.
That leaves 14 players still available: Ben Tibbs, Alfie Johnson, Jesse Soric, Will Calcott, Adam O’Brien, Dan Okoro, Ben Crooks, Owen McCarron, Jacob Fairbank, Connor Davies, Zack McComb, Vila Halafihi, Ben Forster, and Darius Carter. However, being free agents does not guarantee immediate signings with Fax, as the club will need to renegotiate contracts before any player can take the field.
Even if all 14 re-sign, the Panthers still might not have a complete squad for the weekend. Several Super League clubs have indicated willingness to loan players to Fax to help them meet the fixture requirements, and those arrangements are currently being processed.
All signs point to Fax clawing their way back onto the field in time for Sunday, albeit with a plan still taking shape in the days and weeks ahead.
