Atkins’ debut hard to forget
First-gamer earns a place in NRL record books with four tries
JORDAN Atkins can’t kick the tag of being “that bloke who scored four tries on debut’’ but he’s not letting it get in the way of him helping the modern crop of NRL players.
Atkins booked his place in the record books with an incredible debut for Gold Coast in Round 1 of the 2008 season against North Queensland to spoil Johnathan Thurston’s injury comeback party.
A 25-year-old debutant, fans wondered where the winger had been all this time.
Atkins ended up playing another 29 games for the Titans – plus 12 for Parramatta – before finishing his footy career with a cherished season abroad as he and his battered body decided it was time for “a real job”.
Having already completed teaching and business degrees, it didn’t take long for the Stanthorpe product to land on his feet with a role at the Cronulla Sharks, where he is now head of wellbeing and education.
“It’s hard to explain what I do but I work closely with the NRL, the RLPA (Rugby League Players Association) and obviously the Cronulla Sharks just with player engagement, education and wellbeing,” Atkins said.
“So I work daily with the NRL squad and oversee the department including all squads (200-plus players).
“It’s an area that is growing … the NRL and the RLPA and each individual club have invested significantly in it in the past few years and that’s going to continue.
“It’s a job that I thoroughly enjoy. I find it very rewarding … it’s basically a 24/7 role but it’s something I am definitely passionate about.”
Reflecting on his debut heroics, Atkins says he more so remembers the people he met in footy rather than the tries he scored.
“I can’t kick that,” he laughs of the four-try tag, adding he hopes to one day return to the Gold Coast.
“But that’s all right, at the end of the day I dreamt of playing footy professionally as a kid and ... it’s just opened so many doors for me.”