Halifax Panthers are set to play Wakefield Trinity in Reece Lyne’s testimonial match at Belle Vue on Sunday and they’ve named an incredibly strong side in what looks set to be a brilliant game.
The Panthers finished third in the Championship last season in a league that Leigh Centurions stormed with 26 wins from a possible 27, however with the absence of Leigh and their replacement being a relegated Toulouse that has lost many key players including Tony Gigot and Romain Navarette, the second division is set to be wide open for 2023.
That’s been seen with the wide array of talent that has been brought in to the division with the stand out name being Luke Gale but other former Super League players include Ben Crooks, Michael Lawrence, Jack Walker and Elijiah Taylor to name just a few.
For Halifax they’ve recruited very well too despite not quite having the highest calibre Super League names, instead they’ve opted for young talents and a focus on retaining the star power they do have.
One of the side’s stars is winger Lachlan Walmsley who was the Championship’s joint top try scorer in 2022 alongside new St Helens signing Tee Ritson, formerly of Barrow Raiders, with an incredible 28 tries.
The Panthers haven’t just kept Walmsley but they’ve offered him a World Cup international running mate to operate on the opposite flank and that man is Jake Maizen, with the Italian set to feature on Sunday.
SQUAD ANNOUNCEMENT | Simon Grix names a 25 man squad for Sunday's pre season opener against @WTrinityRL for @Reece__21's Testimonial
Close season signings Doro, Forster, Inman, King, Maizen and Morgan in line for debuts. Maher and Rawsthorne set for second debuts#FAX150 pic.twitter.com/DrVvmp4M7e
— Halifax Panthers 🐾 (@HalifaxPanthers) January 13, 2023
Halifax have announced a very strong squad and fans who travel to Belle Vue will get a chance to see their new signings with six slated to feature, and a further two set to mark the first appearance of their stint with Fax.
As for Wakefield they’ve already announced an incredibly strong line up, one that will likely be only one or two players away from their preferred starting 13 when the Super League season ticks around.
Trinity will be led out by testimonial man Reece Lyne but new signings Samisoni Langi and Kevin Proctor are set to debut, whilst Renouf Atoni who impressed on Boxing Day is also slated to start.
Their fourth signing, Morgan Smith, has been named among the interchanges and will play a Halifax side that he helped Featherstone defeat three times in 2022 with contributions of a try and a drop goal in two of those three games.
Brought to you by @BalmersSales. 🤝
Your Trinity team for @Reece__21's testimonial game on Sunday against Halifax, KO 2pm. 👇
🎫 https://t.co/UZP1g9hAzh#UpTheTrin ⚜️ pic.twitter.com/VtjsrD0yyr
— Wakefield Trinity (@WTrinityRL) January 12, 2023
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