Halifax Panthers v Catalans Dragons: Joe Keyes ready to help hosts show Super League potential

Fax have spent the past 20 years in the second tier and have to go back to 1987 for their last cup success.

The five-time winners rolled back the years when St Helens came to town last May and were handed another plum tie at the same stage of this season's competition.

Keyes, who was forced off early on against Saints with a torn pectoral, is ready to help prove that Halifax is the perfect setting for top-level rugby.

"The Saints game was a great occasion with a big crowd," he said.

"We want to have more big nights at The Shay like that. The area is a rugby league hotbed with the players it's produced from clubs like Siddal and King Cross.

"It's a town that should be back in the top league. It would be great for the town if it was."

Fax's chances were damaged by the introduction of a grading system, with the club ranked 20th in the indicative phase of the rollout.

For Liam Finn's part-timers, it is a tricky balance between craving Super League rugby and keeping an eye on the bigger picture.

"It's definitely something that's in the back of your mind," said former London Broncos and Hull KR playmaker Keyes, who is still trying to find the right career after leaving the finance industry.

"It's probably a reason why a lot of players haven't pursued Super League a bit more.

"It's not like the Premier League where you earn life-changing money. If people are comfortable in a job and it's something that they can carry on doing after rugby, it's going to have to be something substantial for them to take a risk, especially those with families and commitments elsewhere.

"I wouldn't say it's something that's in the forefront of my mind but as a team we want to push to get back to Super League."

Whereas Catalans are taking their first steps in the 2024 Challenge Cup, Halifax have already beaten Whitehaven and two amateur teams in Hammersmith Hills Hoists and York Acorn.

Keyes insists motivation will not be a problem this weekend.

"It's a different challenge to what we've faced in the last couple of rounds," he said.

"It'll be good to test ourselves against a top Super League team again. With the way the weather is at the moment, it's probably a bit of a leveller.

"We'll give it our all. It was by no means a blowout scoreline when we played Saints. It's easy to get up for these games against top-end competition."