It beggars belief that Wire Yed (esteemed Forum Monitor) should return from the game and rush to add a comment on events by handing out the "absolute stinker" award. For that I hand out the "Totally Intact Richard" award to him. Couldn't you think of something positive to say about the game? Pathetic.

What was a shame, was that the two previous games we have looked dangerous as the ball is thrown out, with great lines being run by the centres and that did stop last night on his side. I thought Rhys a decent game on the other side and got through a lot of work. He is quality player and will score 15+ tries this season as he has done for most of is time at the Wolves. He will get back to his best with half backs like those two

A game and a half in and we've already got a thread having a go at Atkins. Thought he was fine last night other than the dropped ball. Some bellend in the South started giving him abuse after someone dropped the ball in the play after Ryan had been tackled?

The opinion i got from Atkins for dropping the walk in try was that Sandow was giving Wakey the run around but was running out of options of who to pass to & decided to throw the long pass to Ryan which went to ground, he was in a similar situation against HKR & threw out a similar pass to Lineham who scored off it.
I think in Sandow we have a player who was much better than some of us expected, very off the cuff with his passing & a good range of field kicks. Maybe it is just a case of the coach fine tuning the team to Sandow's style of play. I think we have signed a rare talent though who was a victim of bad Aussie press.
I know we dropped a lot of ball last night & put ourselves under unnecessary pressure but i thought it was a very enjoyable game to which Wakey made a good contribution too. Can't remember a ref giving so many penalties for not square though.

I'm not his biggest supporter but he does look to be trying hard, perhaps too hard to get right. A bit like Penny used to do.
I still think the centre isn't his position. I rather see Currie or Hughes at centre and roll Atkins into the back row for a stint. It wouldn't effect structure too much but would release some of the pressure put on him over his passing skill, which he looks like he is desperate to resolve.

So he had a good game, jebus this is a forum not a happy clapper site.

As for the game, if you can ever describe a win as awful then that was it.
If we had played anyone other than Wakefield we would probably have took a pasting last night.

Atkins at the moment is doing the simple things wrong.
I loved his enthusiasm at KR even though his first 2 carries resulted in dropped ball.
I asked a question in my OP too, i want him to do well, he isn't.

I was the first poster that openly slated Asotasi on here, and got grief for it, a lot of grief until it actually transpired i was right.
I have a right to an opinion as you do to call me out on it but i stick by it, he had a stinker, something upstairs isn't right with him, he needs to work on it.

As for positives.
Half backs are the best in SL, forwards 'arguably' the best collectively.
Team spirit seems spot on.

Plus i tend to do my main criticism of players after a win, it holds up more as an opinion.

The pass from Sandow hit Atkins on the hands, he should never drop such quality ball.

If he isn't playing well enough in his own position it is ludicrous to suggest his form would pick up by moving him into another position that he is blatantly isn't suited to and has never played before.

No-one has a right to a place in the team. If Atkins is not cutting it for whatever reason then that's what the reserves are for, simples.

For me, both centres last night were mediocre which is contributing to a disjointed attack despite the creativity of both half backs. Although I am admirer of Rhys Evans and appreciate he is a strong tackler, he seemed hesitant in defence and poor at reading the oppositions plays. Neither of them seem to run attacking lines and clean breaks are few.
The future for me is Ratchford and Toby King when fit in the centres. When Ratchford (and Gidley) return, Russell will probably move to the wing which will push out Kevin Penny which would be very harsh on present form.

Atkins will always divide opinion as he isn't a naturally gifted rugby player, he is however a naturally gifted athlete. As I said in the previous he scores a lot of tries, I would rather have a player not playing well but scores 15+ tries a season than one on top form scoring a few. He does set up Penny as he did last night, he may be frustrating as he should be doing more with his psychical presence, but for me he stays in the team and hope he gets even better.

Penny is a definite starter for me, he offers us an x factor and teams are scared when he gets the ball, also the way that Gidley and Sandow are starting cut through teams, he will always be on the shoulder waiting for the pass. Lineman's finishing is superb but doesn't seem to have the legs similar to Monaghan. Russell is exciting but I don't think he will have the same impact as Penny.

Certainly is harsh on present form, Penny was good again last night for me and I've been impressed with Russell too after the jitters he seemed to have following the pasting he got away at Widnes and subsequent injuries.

This is why I think that it is a relevant question that the OP posed re Atkins and it was a question not mindless bagging IMO, because when we've got a full squad of backs available including a fit Ratchford, T King and Johnson, then Atkins is clearly under threat on current form (yes I know that we're just starting out) but surely we all want a team ethic based on playing for the shirt and a meritocracy?

I think the only opinion Atkins splits is between those who believe his form of three seasons ago and physical stature should give earn him the benefit of the doubt and those who would drop him based purely on form. I don't think anyone is claiming he's fully justifying his inclusion at the moment.

The problem for Atkins is that for the first time in several seasons, he now has real competition for his place and TS has many permutations to choose from. Rhys Evans, Toby King, Julien, Ratch & Atkins are all vying for two places, and compared to the others I struggle to see what Atkins is bringing to the party. Ben Currie, who has started the season imperiously, also offers more at centre currently though I much prefer to see him in the backrow.

Gidley looks to have his place in the halves sewn up for the time being, which means Ratch slots in at 1-5 somewhere and the weakest link looks like dear old Ryan. With the likelihood that Gidley will be missing next week, and assuming Stef comes striaght in at stand-off, Atkins needs to produce a top-drawer performance at Salford or the decision should be a very easy one the week after.

Nonsense. Currie and Hughes are back-row forwards and should play out most their careers there. Currie can do a decent job at centre but this should be only when we don't have specialist centres available through injury/suspension.

Your there again spouting rubbish. Never once did I say they are not backrowers.
I said I would sooner see them play centre than Atkins, which is completely different to what you think I said.
Both have played centre and both would play it better than Atkins currently IMO.
It seems I'm not the only one that thinks it.
If you think Currie played centre a couple of weeks ago worse than Atkins these last two games, then your head has been clearly stuck in the sand.

The game has changed so much. Second rows hardly seem to be used to take the ball up now. The difference between left second row and left centre ... is about 6 yards. Currie/Hughes/Bateman/J Tomkins/Farrell ... are second rows/centres in the modern game. Atkins steps in six yards and Currie moves out ... so what? It's not like moving from full back to prop.

Smiffy always a considered voice of reason.

A good centre will help create some good tries and get a few himself, a specialist centre will make even the most average winger look like Brian Bevan

Unfortunately at this time Atkins is neither.

Exactly. As ever RD attributes assertions to other posters that are not contained in the text. Currie could become the 'next Sculthorpe' if he's allowed to stay in the back row. Asking him to learn the centre's craft to the point that he becomes 'a specialist' ( which won't happen ) means we will have wasted this potential. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to be polite.

Why do we seem totally incapable of having differing views without resorting to insults or criticism of each other. Depressing.

It beggars belief that people on here continually want players to be played out of position. It should only be the case when other players are injured or drastically out of form.

totally agree mate..they would`nt have the guts to say it face to face..hard as nails behind a key board

THE HEAD NAIL ON (anag)

Why should we play Atkins at second row? Shirley we have much better second rowers than a centre, who's not even in any kind of form. STRANGE, to say the least.

As I've said before, (bar Asotasi and Currier) I don't slag down Wire players, and I'm not here to slag off Atkins. I couldn't get to Friday's game, but, as it seems on here, he's not had a stormer. The lad should not be near the starting XIII and maybe even the bench, as we have people playing in a good moment. Why should current players be dropped, in favour of Atkins, who's not exactly covered himself in glory since Wembley 2012. He's simply gone through the motions, at best. His good/great performances can be counted on ther fingers of two hands, since then.

His next appearance should only be as a result of a drop of a centre's performance, or (God forbid) an injury.

Absolutely agree with you 100%. I like Ryan Atkins and over his time with us has put in some decent shifts. The hard facts of the matter are that on current form he does not warrant a starting place, or even a place on the bench. Why on earth would anybody also want him to play in the second row. We have plenty of better options available in the back row.

For me if Kurt "Man of Steel" Gidley is not fit for Thursday, then Dec Patton must come into the halves and Ratchford goes into left centre. We do not have to play anyone out of position and Dec has just had a blinder for the U23 according to reports, so i think he deserves a go. I think Ratchfords best position in the current team will be at Centre.