Cronulla Sharks utility Daniel Atkinson has declared he is ready to replicate his Round 10 heroics when the side returns to Melbourne for the first time since he sunk his former team in Saturday's finals clash.
Atkinson made a last-minute shift from five-eighth to halfback when Nicho Hynes went down in the captain's run and he didn't miss a beat, kicking the go-ahead field goal in the 73rd minute of his side's 25-18 victory at AAMI Park.
The playmaker again delivered at the death three months later when he slotted a field goal in golden point to sink the Knights in Round 24.
While he hopes Saturday's clash doesn't come down to a last-minute field goal, Atkinson said he's ready to step up if called upon in his return to Melbourne.
Atkinson puts the Sharks ahead
"We train for those scenarios and to be there in that scenario and execute it was pretty special," Atkinson told NRL.com. "I still hold on to seeing the boys faces after I kicked that field goal, which is really what got me over the line, seeing that raw emotion on their face was the most special moment.
"You don't want to get to that circumstance where you have to win by one point but knowing we can do it like that is really important. We showed we can win with a gritty performance, we had boys missing but we showed a lot of heart."
Match: Storm v Sharks
Finals Week 1 -
home Team
Storm
1st Position
away Team
Sharks
4th Position
Venue: AAMI Park, Melbourne
Match broadcasters:
- WatchNRL
The 23-year-old has been one of the breakout players of the NRL season, winning 12 of 17 in his second year at the Sharks.
Cronulla coach Craig Fitzgibbon signed the youngster after watching him in the Queensland Cup as a member of the Melbourne Storm system. A standout appearance for Italy in their 66-6 loss to Australia at the 2022 World Cup sealed the deal for the Sharks.
Atkinson played one game for the Storm in 2021 and has relished the opportunity to play a bigger role this season.
The youngster first stepped in when five-eighth Braydon Trindall was suspended for an off-field indiscretion.
Atkinson settling in nicely
Such was his form, he filled a number of positions in the weeks that followed before he was thrown back into the halves when Hynes fractured his leg. Atkinson didn't skip a beat, guiding the Sharks through a tough mid-season stretch with impressive composure.
Cronulla have taken plenty of confidence from their wins over Melbourne and Newcastle and winger Ronaldo Mulitalo said Atkinson has proven his ability to stand up when required.
"He's just a cool, calm, collected guy," Mulitalo told NRL.com. "Nothing really fazes him. He knows he gets to walk in and gets paid to play footy, which is his favourite thing.
"It's good to have guys like that who can produce in those big moments. You know when the time comes that Daniel Atkinson's going to deliver. He's a guy that hasn't really been given any hype. If you had asked who was going to kick some field goals to win games at the beginning of the year, no one would've known it would have been Daniel Atkinson.
"It's nice to see him get his flowers but he knows we've still got a job to get done this weekend."
Atkinson's role in the team has changed since Hynes returned in Round 26 and he has shifted to the bench utility position.
Like he's done all season, he's taken to it like a duck to water and has shown he can influence a match in a variety of ways.
He scored a try with his first touch last weekend, just 14 seconds after coming on to the field.
Daniel Atkinson Try
No matter the position, Atkinson is living out a childhood dream and there's only one thing left to do to cap a stunning season. Win a premiership.
"This is what kids dream of," he said. "This is the arena you want to be in. I still remember being a young fella with the old man and brother on the couch watching Origin and the NRL. All you want to do is play in that arena.
"You always get told that stat at rep footy carnivals that 1% make it [to the NRL]. You don't think you'll be in the 1% so being here is surreal."
