We think.
He couldn't say that about a game that took place there eight years today though, on August 6, 2000.
That match against Bradford was littered with controversy from start to finish and much of it revolved around the Kiwi.
The bald result shows a 20-20 derby draw between the Blue Sox and the Bulls.
That simple scoreline doesn't show that Fax played for virtually 70 minutes understrength however.
It doesn't reveal that Andrew Dunemann had been sinbinned after seven minutes for obstruction and Paul Rowley spent 10 minutes in the dug out early in the second half for holding down.
But the most controversial moment came after 22 minutes when referee Steve Presley sent off prop Andy Hobson for apparently dropping on Hudson Smith with his knees.
When it came to review the game the RFL's disciplinary committee decided that Hobson also had a case to answer following the similar circumstances which had led to Paul having been carried off on a stretcher four minutes previously.
The halfback was taken to the BUPA hospital in Elland and detained overnight with a couple of broken ribs and a punctured lung.
Hobson was eventually suspended for two matches and fined £300 although the disciplinary committee did remark that "the offence did not warrant a ban but we recognise that someone was hurt" which was bizarre in itself.
And he was cleared of any wrongdoing for the incident with Smith which led many people to presume that Presley had sent him off with the first clash in mind, being unable to cope with the hothouse atmosphere as the sledging became intense.
The Halifax battling performance was as welcome as it was perhaps unexpected as their displays had been less than impressive in June and July of that season.
Out of nine games they had won only one - a 66-2 flogging of Huddersfield/Sheffield at the end of June - although only a surprise Martin Offiah drop goal prevented them from taking a point from Salford at the Willows.
And it has to be said that all four games in July were away from home as redevelopment work started at the Shay.
Mercer's proposed team of the future was starting to evolve though.
He had had to carry out major reconstruction work during the off season as John Pendlebury's team disintegrated and he was beginning to ease out some of the people who had been brought in and hadn't - for a variety of reasons - hit it off.
Mike Peters and Danny Ellison were shipped out early on.
Jamie Thackray, Casey Mayberry and Robert Roberts had been given a glimpse of the first team mid season and by the end of the campaign Danny Halliwell, Lee Greenwood, Danny Tickle, Sean Penkywicz and Ryan Clayton would all have made debuts.
Incidentally the Shay wasn't the happiest place for Robbie Paul the following year.
This time it was a crunching tackle from Phil Hassan that did the damage but Mercer had left by then.