Chris Atkin ready to change role again as Salford love ‘absolute chaos’
CHRIS Atkin is ready to be Salford’s Mr Versatile once more – only he is a jack of all trades, master of quite a few.
Same goes for many of his Red Devils team-mates, who can fill several positions.
Known as a half back, he has also been used as an interchange hooker this season and when Ryan Brierley went down in the warm up against Hull KR, he filled in brilliantly at full back.
Tonight is likely to see him face Wigan in the stand off role after Cade Cust failed a head injury assessment but being prepared for ‘absolute chaos’ is part of being a Salford player.
When asked if he knows where he will play, Atkin simply replied: “No!”
“I try not to predict too much. I prepare for any scenario – in the last three or four games, I’ve probably played three or four different positions. I lose track sometimes.
“Playing full back was an interesting one, I was told, ‘You might be going to full back,’ then it was, ‘Yeah, you’re at full back,’ and we went out to play.
“All our players try to fill in at two or three different positions. You could list us all as outside backs interchanging, which sometimes makes it difficult for teams to pick up.
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“We train in different positions. We back everyone to pass, run, catch and kick the ball as in rugby league, it’s not necessarily controlled, with set pieces to work off.
“Whatever happens on the field can sometimes cause absolute chaos – that’s what we thrive on.
“But I’m a small part of the cog that turns the wheel that makes us successful. I just get on with it and do the best job I can – ultimately, I’m playing rugby and that’s what I enjoy doing.”
Salford hoped the city council’s buyout of their stadium would be done by tonight but SunSport understands expectations are now looking towards the end of the month.
But that and the loss of Brodie Croft and Andy Ackers – after Tyler Dupree departed for Wigan – had outsiders looking at the Red Devils with concern.
However, on the inside things were never doom and gloom and the first win at St Helens for 44 years is showing why they were not.
Facing the current World Club champions will be another step up – but the history makers can get even better.
“From the outside looking in, the narrative was about players we’d lost and the stadium,” Atkin, 31, added. “We’re aware of what gets said.
“But the ones we’ve brought in have improved us as a squad and as a club. It’s not just about what we lost, it’s about what we’ve gained and strides we’ve taken to improve.
“We were happy with the Saints result – it’s part of history – but there are a lot of things to improve on, we missed a few opportunities through little bits of detail and maybe a bit of skill let us down. That’s another thing we can pride ourselves on.
“And there’s no point in being happy with that result if we can’t follow it up.
“Tests don’t come much bigger than tonight against the world champions but it’s a test we’ll thrive on.”