Simon Grix confirms absence for pre-season friendlies

Halifax Head Coach Simon Grix has confirmed new signing Matty Gee will not feature in any of the Panthers’ pre-season matches.

The Panthers are due to take on Wakefield and Salford before the start of the Championship season. They will face Batley on 30th January.

Gee arrived at the club after spending 2021 in the Super League with Leigh. He arrived at the club after having a shoulder operation.

Grix confirmed that whilst he was not far away from a return to action, he would not be risked in their pre-season matches.

Speaking to the club’s YouTube channel, Grix said: “Matty Gee is the only one at the minute who definitely won’t take part in any of the friendlies.

“He’s not a million miles off, he’s had shoulder surgery. But we’re not going to rush him anyway.”

Grix preparing for testimonial match

The Panthers will take on Wakefield on 16th January, in what will be their first game of pre-season. They were due to take on Bradford on Boxing Day, but the match was cancelled after heavy snowfall.

The match will also be a testimonial match for Grix’s brother Scott. He announced his retirement from the game at the end of the 2021 season.

When asked about whether or not the cancellation would change his plans for this game, Grix said he would be trimming the squad down.

He added: “We want to get something out of it, we are getting close to the start of the season. Sometimes playing big squads leads to a lot of changes and it takes away from what you are trying to do.

“There is a fair chance we will trim the squad down to 21/22 players. It’s not a big trim, it just means a couple of lads will miss out that week.

“But they will get an opportunity the following week at Salford.”

Read More: Halifax announce squad numbers for the 2022 season