 Atkins (left) joined Warrington from Wakefield and leads the Wolves' youngsters
By Julian Shea
BBC Sport at Wembley |
 The over-officious steward who urged the Warrington players to keep the noise down as they descended the Wembley steps after Saturday's emphatic Challenge Cup victory over Leeds clearly did not understand what had just happened. The resounding 30-6 win over the reigning Super League champions gave the Wolves their second consecutive victory in British rugby league's showpiece occasion and confirmed that the club - after years of underachievement - were finally, definitively, back. While it was veterans Adrian Morley and Lee Briers who lifted the Cup and Lance Todd Trophy respectively for Warrington, it was some of the youngsters on display - and those notable by their absence - who could keep the Wolves back in the big time for years to come.  | 606: DEBATE |
One of those stand-out youngsters was 24-year-old Ryan Atkins. A year ago, the then-Wakefield centre tried and failed to get a ticket to see Warrington beat Huddersfield in the 2009 final. Rewind 12 months and his two tries against his hometown team helped Wolves retain the trophy. Not that he was surprised by this - well, not totally. "Winning is not a surprise, the surprise is being picked to be in the team," Atkins said afterwards. "I knew we'd be in finals when I joined the club - I just looked at the team's capabilities." Atkins has formed an effective partnership this season with left winger Chris Riley, a 22-year-old local product who is loving Warrington's current success and dreaming of more. "I was on the terraces in the rough years, when we were fighting relegation, so to be a part of this at 22 - it can't get any better," Riley stated. | It's teed up to be a real dynasty here. Everything's successful - the recruitment's great, the attendances are up massively. It's all teed up to take off |
"Success breeds success - it just gives you more hunger. We've got a real bounce from last year's win. We made a shocking start in Super League but then we won the Cup and carried it into this year." As for Atkins, Riley has not been surprised by his impact. "He's always been a class outfit and he's going to get even better," Riley added. "It's going to be a pleasure to carry on playing alongside him." A masterly kicking display and his magnificent orchestration of the game earned Briers the man-of-the-match award by a landslide - but Atkins, who scored two of his side's six tries, was one of the few others in contention, as was Wolves full-back Richie Mathers. His remarkable defensive bravery produced two stunning try-saving tackles on Ryan Bailey and Brent Webb early in each half, laying the foundations for Warrington's victory. He may not be at the club in 2011, opting to join Castleford because he felt his place was under threat from new arrival Brett Hodgson, but Mathers knows he is leaving the team in good hands. "It's no secret I care a lot about these players and this club," Mathers said. "It's teed up to be a real dynasty here. Everything's successful - the recruitment's great, the attendances are up massively. It's all teed up to take off." One man who is sure to play an integral role in any future success at Warrington is 20-year-old Richie Myler. The former Salford youngster, who became a Wolves player at the end of the 2009 season, is tipped to be a real force but missed out on a place in coach Tony Smith's 17-man squad for Saturday's match. Under such circumstances, Myler could have been forgiven for being less than happy with his lot. But he, too, can see the bigger picture and senses he is in at the start of something big. "Obviously I was upset and tears were shed but I had to put on a brave face for the boys," he said. "I trust Tony Smith 100%, that's why I signed." | Look at who was on the bench or didn't even make it onto the pitch...there's a lot of kids who could have put on a shirt and done as good a job |
Having been a prodigiously talented youngster who often let his emotions get the better of him, Briers was full of praise for Myler's maturity. "He was told that he wasn't playing early in the week, so it's fantastic that he behaved the way he did," said Briers. "I've been in that position myself, when I was at St Helens in 1997. I spat my dummy out and left - he's dug in and stayed on. "Richie Myler's one of the best half-backs in the league, he'll be back here plenty of times." Like Briers, former Australia centre Matt King is one of the team's elder statesmen. Having enjoyed success in both Australia and England, King believes Warrington, who lie third in the Super League table ahead of the final round of regular-season matches, are ready to take centre stage. "The club's in great stead," said King. "Look at who was on the bench or didn't even make it onto the pitch - Scott Grix, Chris Bridge, Tyrone McCarthy, Richie Myler. There are a lot of kids who could have put on a shirt and done as good a job." The Wembley steward may not have found Warrington's noisy victory celebrations to his liking but the signs are that, in years to come, the refrain could remain the same, although the voices may change.
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