T'Other Side: Halifax Panthers

Head Coach: Kyle Eastmond

Liam Finn was the Halifax coach last season, but he left at the end of the year to take on the role of assistant coach at Huddersfield Giants. Halifax appointed Kyle Eastmond as head coach for 2025. It is his first appointment as a head coach.

As a player, Eastmond made his début with St. Helens in 2007. At the end of the 2011 season, he joined Bath rugby union. After playing for Bath for 5 years he joined Wasps and then, two years later he was signed by Leicester Tigers.

In 2021 he made the briefest of returns to rugby league, joining Leeds Rhinos but after playing just two games he retired.

He is a dual code international having played for England in both league and union.

 

Co-Captains: Adam O’Brien 

Joe Keyes and Adam O’Brien were Halifax co-captains in 2024 but, in 2025, Joe Keyes is now playing for Bradford Bulls and Adam O’Brien is the sole captain.

His first club was Bradford Bulls and he made his début in 2011. In 2017 he moved to Huddersfield Giants and had a loan spell with Halifax. He had a second loan spell with Halifax in 2023 and then signed for them in 2024.

 

Dual Registration

 

In 2025, Halifax have a dual registration agreement with St. Helens and, so far, four St. Helens players have appeared for Halifax: Leon Cowen (loose forward), Owen Dagnall (centre), Konrad Hurrell (centre) and George Whitby (halfback).

 

 

Signings since our previous match in March

 

Since Fev last played Halifax they have signed Maxime Jobe (forward) and David Nofoaluma (wing), both from Pia.

The Fev Connection

Amongst the 83 players we know of who have played for both clubs are Francis Jarvis, Danny Seal and Greg Worthington.

A Dewsbury lad, Dave Busfield (second row, loose forward) made his début for Fev as an 18-year-old in 1972. Over six seasons playing for Rovers (including the Championship winning year of 1976-77) he played at total of 86 games and scored 28 tries. That included a hat trick against Salford in 1974.

In 1978 he transferred to Halifax and in three seasons played 68 games, scored 22 ties and kicked 1 goal.

After his time at Halifax he played for Wakefield and Hull FC and retired in 1986 after two seasons with hometown club, Dewsbury, who he later coached. He also coached the RAF rugby league team.

 

Tommy Saxton (wing, centre and fullback) began his career with Castleford in 2002. He moved on to Hull FC (2005) and Wakefield (2006) before returning to Castleford in 2007 during which year he also played for Salford on loan.

He played for Fev from 2008 until 2014 making 162 appearances and scoring 70 tries, which included 5 hat tricks. He was a member of the Fev team which won the Championship League Leader’s Shield for 4 years in a row from 2010 to 2013 and was in the team that won the Championship Grand Final in 2011.

In 2014 he went on loan to Halifax and then signed for them. During his time at Fax he played 49 games and scored 21 tries. He scored one hat trick for Halifax … against Fev in 2015!

During 2015 he went to York on loan and then became a York player for 2017 and 2018 after which he retired.

Tommy is the nephew of Alan Banks who made his début for Fev when he was only 16 and was a member of Fev’s Challenge Cup winning team in 1983.

 

In our database of Fev players we have only one match played for Fev by Edgar Woolley (wing) but that is because the database only includes players since Fev entered the professional ranks in 1921. But we do know that he played for Fev in 1908 and 1909.

In 1910 he was signed by Halifax and after four seasons there he joined Wakefield in 1914, retiring in 1919.

During that 1921-22 season Fev had an injury crisis in the backs and he came out of retirement to play one game against Hull KR.

We don’t have any photos of Edgar Woolley although we do have one of his younger brother, Bert, who was also playing for Fev in 1921.