Kevin Larroyer tells St Helens they will be up against another, ambitious Halifax
KEVIN Larroyer believes St Helens will visit a very different Halifax than the one they defeated to reach the 2019 Challenge Cup final.
A Halifax club and city are determined to reclaim their status as rugby league powerhouses.
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This weekend is an exciting one for the West Yorkshire town. Tonight, the club’s world champions in rugby league meet at The Shay, while on Sunday the football team will play for the FA Trophy at Wembley Stadium.
But despite being French through and through, Larroyer believes the oval ball calls the shots and that Simon Grix’s club and Panthers are working towards showing they can live with the best, with local players looking to represent them.
He said: “In my first year here we played in the semi-finals. It’s my fifth club now and the club structure is completely different now than it was then.
“The work of the last few years has been phenomenal and if we want to get where we want to be, all year round and in the Super League, we have to show that the city can offer a huge crowd.”
“That would be a statement to everyone that Halifax is a rugby league city. A good presence is very important to us.
“And Simon has done a great job of making the club a bigger part of the city. He’s accomplished that by hiring Halifax-born players, which is so important to us.
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“People who care about the club and are proud to wear the shirt. So when players come from different places, they understand what it means to most.”
“In a way, it’s frustrating to see the likes of Gareth Widdop, Jake Connor and Tyler Dupree doing well elsewhere, but you can’t blame them.
“However, I am sure that as the club progresses further and competes in the Championship or makes it to the Super League, many Halifax-born players will want to be part of the adventure.”
Tonight the battle promises to be Walmsley vs Walmsley as Lachlan of Halifax takes on Alex of St Helens.
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But former France international Larroyer, who works for a company that supplies GPS systems for sports clubs, thinks many Grix players – young and old – should use this clash as a learning experience.
The 33-year-old added: “It’s a good challenge for players like me who have played in the Super League before and also for those who aspire to it.”
“We all have ambitions, but sometimes you have to know where you are compared to where you want to be.
“For the younger ones who want to go there, there’s no better test than going up against St Helens. The welcome of the world champion is a good test for the club and the city.”
