Halifax batter Bradford in Challenge Cup

In the history of rugby league, there are few occasions bigger than a local derby in the Challenge Cup.

Tonight The Shay played host to a huge derby as rivals Halifax Panthers and Bradford Bulls, too of the top teams in the Championship collided in the Challenge Cup.

With the Super League sides coming in at the next round, that raised the stakes as does the fact Wembley beckons the Championship sides in the shape of the 1895 Cup.

Too tough to call before the game, the Panthers started brilliantly with Louis Jouffret sending Matty Gee through a gap before backing up to score.

After some back and forth, Jouffret collected a lovely offload to get his second.

The game stayed at 12-0 until the 30th minute and by halftime the Panthers had one foot in the next round as Jouffret kept causing havoc creating a try for James Saltonstall.

The Jouffret masterclass continued as he released Italian speedster Jake Maizen and he left his opposite number for dead as he scored.

Bradford needed to score the first try of the second half but that was a second try for Saltonstall as he took a looped ball and cut inside for his 100th career try.

That was where the points scoring ended as Halifax progressed to the next round.