It’s been a busy week in the Championship, none more so than for Halifax Panthers, who have announced a plethora of transfer news over the past week.
The club, who made the Championship semi-finals this year but exited that stage of the competition at the hands of York Knights, have announced that five players have extended their contracts, as well as confirming two new signings ahead of 2026.
The second tier next year will change in structure, and whilst we don’t fully know what that will look like, Halifax join clubs such as London Broncos, Sheffield Eagles and Midlands Hurricanes in getting a lot of their recruitment done early.
Starting with their leader, the first announcement from the Panthers came in the shape of captain Ben Crooks, who extends his stay at The Shay for a fourth season. A former Super League Young Player of the Year, Crooks has made 43 appearances since 2023, and has scored 19 tries.
Next, fellow centre Charlie Graham and Australian Owen McCarron committed their futures to the clubs, with both penning one year deals. Graham joined the from Keighley Cougars ahead of 2025, and is looking forward to his second season in Blue and White.
Meanwhile McCarron, who plays in the back-row, will be looking to add to his 18 appearances he racked up this year when he too goes again for a second season at Fax.
Winger Ben Tibbs is another that has signed up, and he has penned a two-year deal at the club, keeping him at The Shay until the end of 2027. Tibbs joined Fax after graduating from Huddersfield Giants’ academy, and after making his debut in 2021 has scored 38 tries in 77 appearances.
The latest contract extension came for hooker Vila Halafihi, who signed a 12-month contract. The 31-year-old initially announced that he would retire at the end of 2024, before putting the boots back on and making nine appearances for Fax at the end of last season. Now, he will go around again in what will be his 12th season in the professional game.
Halifax Panthers announce two new signings including Warrington Wolves man
It’s not just retention that has been the priority for Kyle Eastmond’s side, with them also bringing in two new faces to the squad in 2026.
First, the club brought in back-rower Bayley Liu following his exit from Bradford Bulls. A three-time international with Scotland, Liu has experience in the Queensland Cup, as well as 79 appearances in the UK, and will be a key squad player for the West Yorkshire outfit.
Finally, their latest addition sees them bring in Warrington Wolves youngster Alfie Johnson on a permanent deal, following eight games on dual registration with Halifax in 2025.
In that time, he scored four tries, including one in that semi-final defeat. Now, he is looking forward to continuing that form as he prepares for next year
Speaking to the club website, he said: “I’m delighted to be joining Halifax full time going into next year. This is a special club with great people everywhere, from the playing group to the coaching staff, and the fans. I absolutely loved my time here on loan last season and can’t wait to be back at the shay next year.”
As a final piece of recruitment business, this week Halifax also announced the departure of Louis Jouffret, who exits the club after four seasons. The two-time French international made 111 appearances in Blue and White, scoring 623 points.
Serious About Rugby League has launched a brand new podcast which can be watched in full on our YouTube channel here.
