Rejected Atkins has final laugh on old team

TWO-TRY hero Ryan Atkins came back to haunt Leeds Rhinos and crush the Wembley dreams of his friends and family.

The 24-year-old Warrington Wolves centre was rejected as a youngster with his hometown club of Leeds – "They told me I was too small" shrugged Atkins – before being taken on by Bradford Bulls.

He established himself in Super League after four years at Wakefield Trinity Wildcats before joining Tony Smith's Warrington revolution last year.

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And on Saturday he showed Leeds what they had missed out on with two tries as the Wolves successfully defended their Carnegie Challenge Cup crown with a convincing 30-6 win over pre-match favourites Rhinos.

Not that his friends and family, including his mum and fianc who travelled down for the big game, will be celebrating too hard. They are all staunch Leeds supporters.

"It hasn't sunk in yet, it's unbelievable," said the 24-year-old. "Until I get home, or until we get on the open-top bus around Warrington, that's when I think it will actually hit home. That's when I will realise what we have done.

"I was lying in bed on Friday night imagining scoring a try, so to score two is a dream come true for me.

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"Against my hometown club and both my tries were at the Leeds Rhinos end, so that made it even better.

"I am Leeds, born and bred. A lot of my friends and family are Leeds fans, but I am sure they have got smiles on their faces knowing that I was on the winning side. A lot of friends came down, my mum and fianc also, I managed to pick them out and give them a wave. I'm sure they were delighted when I scored, but cringing at the same time as they are all Leeds fans."

Atkins even managed to rile the opposition with his try-scoring performance, including good friend Lee Smith.

"I am very good mates with Lee, and there was a lot of banter going on on the pitch, but he wasn't having any of it when we were 14-0 up," smiled Atkins. "I am sure whenever we meet up next there will be a bit more banter, but that's the good thing about rugby, off the pitch we are mates."

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Atkins was booed on his recent return to Belle Vue, with Trinity fans unhappy that he chose to join big-spending Warrington.

But he says the lure of success and silverware took him to Cheshire and Saturday's final more than justified his switch.

"I came to Warrington to win things and now we can aim for the league and cup double," he said. "I am enjoying every minute of it. I knew we would be getting to finals and that's the reason why I signed. I know it sounds arrogant, but I knew the squad's capabilities, so it's not that much of a shock.

"It's actually a shock being picked to play, more than winning it. To play at Wembley, to score and then to win at Wembley, it's what you dream about."

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Atkins says victory was earned by the superior forward strength of Warrington, picking out the giant figures of Adrian Morley and Garreth Carvell as key to lifting the trophy.

"I played okay, but that's down to the big lads in the middle," insisted Atkins. "You just have to look at Adrian Morley and Garreth Carvell, their bodies are all battered and bruised.

"Off the back of that it makes mine and Chris Hicks's job a lot easier to score tries. A lot of people notice you because your name is on the scoresheet but it's really down to the forwards.

"We were always confident as a team. We had a game plan and we stuck to it."

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Warrington hero Lee Briers also deflected personal praise to hail a magnificent team display.

Stand-off Briers was at his inspirational best as he won the Lance Todd Trophy as man of the match, but the 32-year-old did not want his team-mates to be forgotten.

"It is something I will probably look back on when I am finished and it will go down in history," he said. "That is really good but the main thing is that I have just won the Challenge Cup with a bunch of really special guys.

"I am really proud of what I have done but I am a team player, not an individual.

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"Richie Mathers stopped three tries over the line, Chris Hicks scored three tries, Ryan Atkins scored two."

Third-placed Warrington return to the capital on Friday evening for their final league game against Harlequins before embarking on the play-offs.

Repeat displays of their defensive strength during that end-of-season finale and Atkins could find himself being part of the team that denies the Rhinos the chance of a fourth-successive Grand Final victory.