Halifax egg man Jacob Fairbank aiming to crack it against St Helens

He will be relieved of such duties on Saturday, though, when he and his home-town club take on the might of Super League giants St Helens in the Coral Challenge Cup semi-final at Bolton.

It is the first time since 1988 that Halifax have reached this stage.

Back then, they were the holders, having famously beaten Saints at Wembley the year before.

They reached the final in ’88, too, when Karl Fairbank – one of Jacob’s uncles – was on the bench but they fell, like so many did, against a Wigan side including Ellery Hanley, Shaun Edwards and Andy Gregory just starting out on their domination in the competition.

Part-timers Halifax, eighth in the Championship and in poor form, are priced at 25-1 outsiders to beat Saints. The competition’s sponsors are offering them a 40-point start.

“It’ll be a good test for us, obviously,” Fairbank told The Yorkshire Post. “They’re the best at the minute and flying the flag 10 points clear in Super League.

“Personally, for me in the pack, I know they have the England front-row in (Alex) Walmsley and (Luke) Thompson and (James) Roby so it’s going to be as big a test as there is.

“But there’s no pressure on us boys. Nobody’s expecting us to do much really apart from ourselves in our own dressing room.

“Everyone is just looking forward to the occasion. We’ll be the underdog and everyone wants the underdog to do well.”

Loose-forward Fairbank, of course, comes from a famous rugby league family; rugged second-row Karl was a Bradford Northern legend and Great Britain Lion while grandad Jack won a championship with Leeds in 1961.

“Of the six brothers, four – my dad Mark, and uncles Dick, Karl and John – all played professionally,” he explained.

“One didn’t play at all and one couldn’t be bothered. The one that couldn’t be bothered was my uncle David. He preferred beer! But, apparently, he had as much talent as any of them.

“There’s a good amount of family coming on Saturday and the rest will be watching it on telly up at the farm.”

It is an interesting mix of duties for the 29-year-old.

“I work for the club in the community,” he said, with three nights spent training.

“There’s four of us who work a couple of days per week and then the rest of my spare time I’ll be up at the farm helping out.

“But there’s not loads to do at the minute. I’ve got my dogs and keep chickens. I supply the boys with all their eggs; I’m team egg man!

“It’s more leisure and pleasure rather than labour but I’m there willing to lend a hand if they ever need anything.”

It remains to be seen if he will end up on the family farm in those hills high above Halifax when he does retire from playing.

Fairbank – who started out in Super League with Huddersfield Giants before moving to The Shay in 2015 – admitted: “I don’t know. It’s not a proper full-time working farm like it used to be.

“They used to milk more than 120 cows and my dad, uncle John, Richard, my grandad, they all had milk rounds.

“But, obviously, with supermarkets that then started dying off so they’ve now gone on to beef. My dad’s actually an engineer, John, works in the school, Richard’s retired and my grandad’s passed away so there’s just my uncle Karl who runs it now.

“They calve 50 or 60 cows and I give them a hand doing that.

“That’s the busiest thing at the minute; going around and just checking them to see if any are starting and, if any are, we just have to hoick them out and get the hands in!

“I’ll not be there Saturday, though; it’s calving time at the farm but Challenge Cup time for me.”

Fairbank showed plenty of promise coming through the Academy ranks at Huddersfield and many of his 18 games were in Super League.

He never truly made a position his own, though, and after five years of various loan spells – Halifax (twice), Batley Bulldogs (twice), Bradford Bulls, Wakefield Trinity, London Broncos and Oldham – made the decision to drop down a division.

Fairbank admits he has never truly looked at getting back into the elite.

“Just before I left Huddersfield, I wasn’t really enjoying my rugby and I was getting a bit down about it,” he recalled. “Then I had a chance to come to Halifax. I came and enjoyed every single minute.

“I played most weeks, got good minutes and I’ve never really looked back if I’m honest.

“I thought I’m happy here and happiness goes a long way.

“Obviously, the money isn’t like Super League is but if I’m enjoying it I think that counts for most.

“I didn’t want to risk maybe going back – even if it was for more money – and end up playing one in four games. Id’ have got frustrated.

“I never even looked elsewhere. I just re-signed here each time. I have no regrets on what I did before or what I’m doing now.”