Halifax first to taste heartache of Super League’s radical play-off elimination

It is now 13 years since British rugby league boldly adopted the controversial system, ridding itself of the first-past-the-post formula by introducing a Grand Final as a decider to who won the league.

Halifax, with the likes of rugged ex-Great Britain forwards Kelvin Skerret, Martin Hall and Karl Harrison forming the backbone of a fearsome pack and a youthful Chris Chester and Australian scrum-half Gavin Clinch providing the creativity, had emerged as surprise hopefuls in 1998 finishing third behind only Wigan and Leeds.

They were seen as favourites to overcome St Helens on the first-ever play-off weekend, the 1996 champions having finished seven points behind them in fourth.

However, John Pendlebury’s Halifax side swiftly learned the ruthlessness of the new system when a 37-30 home loss meant their season was instantly over and any previous optimism for the format quickly dwindled.

As Harrison recalled to the Yorkshire Post: “As players, everyone was really excited.

“You knew even if you’d not had the best of seasons you still had a chance if you finished in the top five.

“We’d had a pretty good one and were confident against St Helens – they’d been poor – but Tommy Martyn was at his best that day and was a big part in them winning.

“He had a little of the X-factor at stand-off but was a good defender too which isn’t always the case with some of the flair players.

“We had a big, physical, raw-boned team. The season before we’d struggled and, to be fair to him, John Pendlebury recruited pretty well to sort that out.

“We bullied our way through the division and finished third which was a huge achievement but that Saints defeat was a disappointment.”

Saints, featuring luminaries like Paul Newlove, Keiron Cunningham, Chris Joynt and Sean Long, with Paul Sculthorpe equally as dynamic as Martyn, should have been more convincing winners; they had raced into a 28-2 lead after woeful Halifax had saved their worst performance of the season for their biggest night.

However, after ‘Fax winger Daio Powell had crossed, Shaun McRae’s side switched off in the final quarter to allow the hosts to run in four tries to make the score more respectable.

But with players of the calibre of livewire hooker Paul Rowley, ex-Kiwi second-row Gary Mercer, GB tourist Martin Pearson and the gifted loose forward Martin Moana, Halifax should have done more as their campaign ended in anti-climax.

“It was quite a formidable team,” admitted Harrison, the experienced prop and captain who played more than 200 matches for the West Yorkshire outfit since joining in a club record £100,000 deal from Hull in 1991, earning a place in its Hall of Fame last year.

“It was a little bit on the seasoned edge – a lot of players had been there and done it – but it was a good side.

“It was just disappointing we got knocked out that day playing like that.”

The late flourish which hinted at a fightback did not ease Halifax’s pain though and there was double reason for his misery.

“It was also my last game for Halifax,” says Harrison, 47, who returned to the club last week as their new head coach after a successful spell with Batley Bulldogs.

“I didn’t know it at the time – I thought I had a contract extension sorted but that’s rugby league for you!”

Harrison headed back to Hull to finish his playing career and, in recollecting this last ‘Fax appearance, said: “It seems a million years ago.

“It was also the first year we’d moved from Thrum Hall to The Shay.

“People were excited by that and now, finally, the stadium is nearly finished.

“But I’ve done a lot since I left Halifax; I was Karl Harrison the player back then and now I’m Karl Harrison the coach, a totally different person.”

He became an assistant to Brian Noble at Bradford Bulls before taking over as Keighley Cougars chief and then joined Salford City Reds in 2002, spending five years at The Willows during which time he also led England.

He will now, having signed a three-year deal, use such vast experience to try and guide Halifax’s return to Super League – they were relegated in 2003 – when the next round of licences are awarded in 2014.

“There’s a lot of hard work to be done but the board seem to be on the same wavelength as me,” said Harrison, who succeeds Matt Calland. “We’ve got to establish a youth policy and establish some links with the local amateur clubs; we need to break down barriers there and I want to get out and see their coaches. We can help each other and that’s important as we look to the future.”