Hunslet v Halifax Panthers: 13 new signings on show as Parksiders begin pre-season campaign

Coach Alan Kilshaw has named a 21-man squad, with Danny Barcoe, Jordan Bull, Joe Burton, Steve Crossley, Michael Knowles, Kieron Lawton, Dan McGrath, Nathan Newbound, Morgan Punchard, Adam Ryder, Sam Hallas, Tyler Walton and Aaron York all ready to make their first appearance for the Parksiders.

Also set to feature are Nathan Conroy, Jake Sweeting and Lewis Wray who have returned to Hunslet after a spell away.

Harvey Hallas, Josh Jordan-Roberts, Jack Render, Jordan Syme and Jimmy Watson are the only players included from the squad which ended last season.

“The whole group have been working very hard and we are now looking forward to a game, to enable us to put what we’ve been doing in training into practice in game conditions and under pressure,” Kilshaw said.

“We have identified a few areas we want to focus on - the result is not important, how we perform against a top-three Championship side is.”

Kilshaw reckons the game will be “a really good challenge for us”. He added: “Halifax are at a really good level and have some quality players.

It’s the first time this group will have played together so we naturally anticipate some teething problems. However, the fundamentals we want to base our game on and how we want to represent the club and our supporters will be evident throughout the match.”

The Parksiders play host to Batley Bulldogs a week on Sunday and Leeds Rhinos on February 12 before beginning their Betfred League One campaign away to Doncaster seven days later.

Hunslet (v Halifax): from Barcoe, Bull, Burton, Conroy, Crossley, H Hallas, Jordan-Roberts, Knowles, Lawton, McGrath, Newbound, Punchard, Render, Ryder, S Hallas, Sweeting, Syme, Walton, Watson, Wray, York.

Referee: James Jones (Wales).

Kick-off: Sunday, 3pm.