12 April 1924

UNHAPPY CHANGES

 Halifax Players Move Back Into Their Old Place

Lack of the orthodox has often been a grave fault of the Halifax team, but that charge could not be laid against the team selection committee of the club last week.  To meet Featherstone they placed Townend, the usual wing forward at scrum half, Milnes, the front row forward and hooker at wing forward, and moved Stacey to full back, bringing in Dewhirst, a newcomer, on the wing. Owing to illness, the latter was unable to play, but the other experiments were proved on Saturday to be absolute failures.

Try as he would, Townend could not fill the bill at scrum half, and despite plenty of possession from the scrums Halifax were five points down at half-time. At the interval, the side was reshuffled, and a change immediately came over the play, Halifax scoring twice in this half and Featherstone being pointless.  In his accustomed position in the second period Townend was a great success, and Stacey at out-half certainly an improvement. To replace Stacey, Sherwood was brought out of the pack, and though, lacking speed, showed such abounding determination to run straight that he scored once and helped Townend to another.

The try scored for Featherstone by Hirst followed a very pretty move. Cooper and Clements were two wonderfully agile forwards, and in game in which dribbling predominated they shone repeatedly. S. Denton was a more certain full back than Kitson, who replaced Stacey in that position at the last moment, but excepting Hirst, Taylor, and Murdison there was not much to enthuse over in the play of the backs.

Leeds Mercury 14 April 1924