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Halifax players celebrate their hard-fought win.
Halifax players celebrate their hard-fought win. Photograph: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com/REX/Shutterstock
Halifax players celebrate their hard-fought win. Photograph: Alex Whitehead/SWpix.com/REX/Shutterstock

James Woodburn-Hall downs Bradford to send Halifax part-timers into semis

This article is more than 4 years old

Bradford 16-20 Halifax
Simon Grix’s side to face St Helens in last four of Challenge Cup

Halifax became the first lower-league side in over a decade to reach the Challenge Cup semi-finals after the part-timers beat Bradford and set up a tie with the Super League leaders, St Helens, in a repeat of the 1987 final.

The second-tier club, who do not have a single full-time player and operate on a budget around seven times smaller than their semi-final opponents, have not reached this stage of the Challenge Cup for 31 years but were deserved winners against fellow Championship opposition.

Halifax, the first Championship side since Hull KR in 2006 to get this far, fell behind three times but James Woodburn-Hall’s try six minutes from time proved decisive.

Their squad are comprised largely of local talent and players who will return to their day jobs on Monday. Their coach, Simon Grix, Halifax-born and a former player with the club, said: “The lads will be up on buildings, fitting boilers and laying bricks again. It’s back to reality. I was still in nappies the last time we got to the semi-finals. Hopefully it convinces a few youngsters to pick up a ball in the town and talk about Halifax.”

Halifax trailed 6-0 at half-time after Rowan Milnes’ early try but Bradford’s momentum was stunted by the loss of the 19-year-old half-back to a broken fibula.

Six minutes after the restart Halifax went ahead when Steve Tyrer first scored what was judged to be a penalty try after an apparent foul from Jake Webster, then kicked both goals to make it 8-6. Bradford replied when Webster atoned for his error to put the Bulls back in front, before a fantastic move from the visitors ended with Scott Grix, the coach’s brother, darting through.

Matty Wildie scored a breakaway try to make the lead change hands for a fourth time but there was one more twist left. With the Bulls seemingly on top, Woodburn-Hall scythed through and fooled the Bulls full-back Ethan Ryan to spark pandemonium among the Halifax supporters.

Bradford Ryan; Foggin-Johnston, Oakes, Webster, Grant; Lilley, Milnes; Kirk, Wildie, Crossley, Minchella, Farrell, Hallas. Interchange Flanagan, Peltier, Wood, Storton.

Tries Milnes, Webster, Wildie. Goals Lilley 2.

Halifax Laulu-Toga’gae; Sharp, Butler, Tyrer, Saltonstall; Murrell, Grix; Tangata, Moore, Kavanagh, Barber, Cooper, Fairbank. Interchange Woodburn-Hall, Fleming, Larroyer, Morris.

Tries Tyrer, Grix, Woodburn-Hall. Goals Tyrer 4.

Referee S Mikaluaskas. Attendance 6,581.

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