Halifax Panthers 4 Catalans Dragons 40: Part-timers outclassed but Challenge Cup tie was more than just a game

Fax peaked in 1998 with a third-place finish in their first season at The Shay, seeing off big hitters Bradford Bulls and St Helens along the way with an all-international front row of Karl Harrison, Paul Rowley and Kelvin Skerrett.

Halifax came up short in the play-offs but they were threatening to become an established Super League club.

Fast forward to the present day and the door has effectively been shut on Halifax – now the Panthers – and some of their fellow founder clubs such as Batley Bulldogs, at least in the short to medium term.

Whereas previously they could cover their off-field shortcomings with a strong season on the pitch, now promotion is a pipedream.

IMG's bid to drag rugby league into the 21st century is merited but the new grading system undoubtedly takes away some of the magic.

For the foreseeable future, the likes of Halifax and Batley are relying on the Challenge Cup for a taste of Super League.

Catalans Dragons would have been towards the bottom of Fax's list of ideal sixth-round opponents: a glamour tie without the financial benefits.

The part-timers were the competition's last hope of an upset but there was little prospect of Liam Finn's side stunning the formidable Dragons, even with home advantage.

Catalans were too strong, too quick and too classy for the stunned hosts.

When Tom Davies completed a hat-trick inside the opening 14 minutes, it appeared as if a cricket score was on the cards.

That the Dragons only hit the 40-point mark late on was a little win for Fax on an afternoon when highlights were in short supply.

The home side did get on the board in the final minute through James Saltonstall but would already have had one eye on their Good Friday derby against Bradford by then.

Sunday's visit of Catalans was more than just a game for Halifax, as evidenced by the party atmosphere before kick-off and the clamour from young supporters for photos with Super League stars at full-time.

Into their 21st consecutive season in the second tier with no end in sight, Fax must savour these occasions as painful as they can be on the field.

Halifax went toe to toe with St Helens in a 26-6 defeat last year but were blown away early on by the Dragons as the visitors pushed any concerns over the pitch firmly to the back of their minds.

The surface was deemed unplayable only 24 hours earlier to the frustration of FC Halifax Town and Ebbsfleet United.

But in brighter weather, Catalans made hay.

The Dragons were celebrating at the end of their first set, Mike McMeeken finding Davies in support after racing into space from Matt Ikuvalu's offload.

By the fifth minute, the atmosphere inside The Shay had been killed stone dead by the 2023 Super League Grand Finalists.

Greg Eden gave Catalans a leg-up with a sloppy play the ball on his own line and he was duly punished in the next set when Davies finished a simple shift to the right.

It soon got worse for Fax as Davies completed his hat-trick with an acrobatic effort in the corner.

When Jordan Abdull knocked over the touchline conversion to maintain his perfect record, Fax were staring down the barrel of a crushing defeat.

The hosts belatedly settled into the contest and started to land a few blows of their own without truly rocking the Dragons.

After Eden was denied a breakaway try by an offside call, Halifax enjoyed a sustained period of pressure in Catalans' territory following an error by Davies coming out of backfield.

The Dragons held firm, though, Zach McComb coming closest when he was dragged down just short of the tryline.

Former England half-back Gareth Widdop was introduced after 25 minutes to provide a spark but Catalans were in no mood to budge.

The French side soaked up the pressure and demonstrated their clinical edge after benefiting from back-to-back penalties, Paul Seguier cutting back inside to score next to the posts.

Fax did not lack for effort – as evidenced by Saltonstall's try-saving tackle on Fouad Yaha – but were thoroughly outclassed in the opening 40 minutes.

If the Panthers were hoping for a drop in standards after the interval, they were left disappointed.

It took Catalans just two minutes to open their second-half account after catching Fax's right edge napping.

The Dragons worked the short side and Arthur Romano outfoxed the Halifax defenders with a classy dummy to finish in the corner.

Abdull blotted his copybook with a first miss of the afternoon but it mattered little in the end.

The on-loan Hull KR half-back finished with six goals from seven attempts after improving tries from Cesar Rouge and Chris Satae, the first coming straight from a scrum play before Jacob Fairbank was swatted aside.

Halifax kept going until the end and were rewarded for their efforts in the dying seconds when Saltonstall finished in the corner.

Halifax Panthers: Woodburn-Hall, Saltonstall, McComb, Tibbs, Eden, Jouffret, Keyes, Larroyer, Inman, Fairbank, Kavanagh, Gee, C Davies. Substitutes: Widdop, Tangata, Lannon, O Davies.

Tries: Saltonstall (80)

Goals: Widdop 0/1

Catalans Dragons: Rouge, Davies, Ikuvalu, Laguerre, Yaha, Abdull, Fages, Navarrete, McIlorum, Bousquet, McMeeken, Seguier, Garcia. Substitutes: Romano, Da Costa, Satae, Dezaria.

Tries: Davies (1, 5, 14), Seguier (31), Romano (42), Rouge (60), Satae (67)

Goals: Abdull 6/7

Referee: Liam Rush.