Lazier than a Scouser on dole day.

Get rid

I would have thought Scousers would be reasonably active on dole day? More active than Ryan anyway!

Atkins to second row? If ever there was a recurring theme on here that sends me groping for the Harvey's Bristol Cream that's it.

Let's suppose Richard Branson had a member of his cabin staff who persisted in dropping meals on passengers laps, giving the wrong drinks to the wrong people, pointing to the wrong emergency exits during the safety checks and insisted on singing "Always look on the bright side of life" every time they hit turbulence.

Would Mr Branson
a). Sack him?
b). Politely suggest he try a less demanding alternative career, such as a Build-a-bear Workshop model?
c). Let him have a crack at flying the plane or try engine maintenance to see if that worked out any better?

Please read my lips. If Atkins isn't good enough for centre, he isn't good enough for the team and should be escorted to the exit, and I mean escorted or he'll still be wandering round trying to get through the door in 2019.

Quite funny, but, as a matter of interest a change in position worked for Westwood and Monaghan in recent times and before you reach for that bottle of QC for solace, if Ryan was still wandering about in 2019 he would have done it with two years off contract

Westwood converted to second row early in his career, and his natural game was ideally suited to the second row - he wasn't particularly pacy, or had good hands but was a bustling type centre, similar to Gary Mercer.

Monaghan was playing predominantly as hooker in the NRL before he came here, not necessarily because it was a good fit but to accomodate others.

Atkins is lazy and apathetic. And we are trying to offload certain lazy, apathetic forwards not add to them thank-you.

But if we can't get rid of him (he has got two years left on his contract after this one) is it not worth a try? He's a waste of a shirt at centre and is only keeping the likes of Toby King and Rhys Evans from progressing (when they're fit anyway), he seems to have the right attributes for second row. The only question for is whether he has the engine/will to do so. In my opinion we might as well give it a shot, nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Maybe if we do end up having a few dead rubbers towards the end of the season we can see how he goes at second row then?

But we already have a second rower, (Currie) who, despite all his good qualities, doesn't exactly overexert himself, when it comes to tackling.

Should we have Atkins packing down next to him, we'll have 2 second rowers, dodging more work than a Scouser.

It's a no from me

Put him back out on the left wing then?

Yeah. We're very short on the wings for 2016, so it's another good idea

Atkins may be a poor distributer to his winger but he does score tries and is usually good for 10-15 tries a season I would guess. If he can do that from 2nd Row he would be playing for England in a season or 2.

I believe Rhys Evans is fit again and will be playing for North Wales.

Bloody hell currie now doesn't bother tacking as well as take the ball up...there's another one we can ship out. Pretty sure currie puts in a very good stint on the tackling front.

There's a good chance another club would be interested in Ryan , Leigh , Wakefield ? Bradford?

He used to play for England.....just goes to show how far he's fallen.

Although that makes perfect sense to assume that, as I recall it wasn't his slump in form that caused his exit.
Allegedly he told Steve Mac that he won't be available for selection for whatever reason and Mac saw his bottom.
I'm not SMc biggest admirer by a long shot but I have to back him on that decision.

Atkins tends to get caught out in those split second shall I shall I not pass moments a creative centre he's not, this season he has tried more passes something he must be working on though he'll never be a natural, the rest of his game he has good defence, footwork, strength, pace and a good team ethic during a very frustrating season.

Get the Wire back to something like and I think we will see a different Atkins.

Erm, McNamara U-turned on that original decision and picked him for the squad for the game against the Exiles. And the reason he wasn't available for selection was apparently due to a wrist injury.

Anyway, the point I am making (which you have missed) was that he is a former England international who is now light years away from getting back in the squad and he's on an awful run of form. And also as I've just remembered, he's also been a Dream Team inductee too.

Those were his salad days, and they are long gone now.

I wouldn't be surprised if the biggest part of Gene's try's if not all, come from a Currie pass or a hb pass/kick.

Thanks W111. I said I recall, I wasn't completely sure. I didn't know he got recalled. I don't remember that.
And I didn't miss your point as I fully backed it in my very 1st sentence.

I'm with rico here, but deleted the pace bit (which I think he has lost)

Whilst I'm not Atkins's greatest admirer I do cringe at some of the things spouted on this thread though.

His defence against Wigan was superb and saved 2 certain tries, so it's not all negative regardless of how some may think.

I'm not a fan of Atkins passing game but I think people are being harsh here. Much too harsh. He is one of a number of players who have put their hand up and is playing crocked. He is trying to manage recovery from leg and upper body injuries while playing and I know there are times this season when he should not have played but went through the pain barrier.

I'm not a fan of that Matt. I'd rather anyone not near 100% not play. It doesn't happen at Wigan. They blood a kid. Wane never takes chances on his love child's Lockers and Micky Mac.
I would have rested Ratchford last week regardless of his seniority.

Well RD thank you are, and never will be, in a position to do such a thing.

Not all decisions please everyone.

Ben Currie who only four of your players have made more tackles than this year?

I think Atkins is probably more suited to playing second row than centre now - strong with the ball, decent line runner, but not much in terms of decision making or passing, and he's getting slower. If you can't find someone to take him off your hands it'd probably be your best bet rather than keeping him at centre, but it would probably only be as cover rather than him being first choice

Should have been on the wing years ago when he had a bit more pace, he's never had a rugby brain and has got by due to being a superb athlete more than anything. There are still some impressive aspects of his game but he's definitely on the slide.