Daniel Atkinson (born 15 January 2001) is an Italy international rugby league footballer who plays as a halfback or centre for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL).
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 15 January 2001 Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 185 cm (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 89 kg (14 st 0 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Halfback, Five-eighth, Centre, Fullback | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: [1] As of 31 March 2024 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
He previously played for the Melbourne Storm in the NRL.
Early life edit
Atkinson was born in Brisbane, Queensland and was educated at St Joseph's College, Nudgee. Atkinson is of Italian descent.
He played junior rugby league for the Albany Creek Crushers, before signing with Norths Devils in the Queensland Cup Colts competition in 2019.[2]
Playing career edit
Early career edit
Ahead of the 2020 season, Atkinson was signed by the Melbourne Storm to a development contract and allocated to play for the Brisbane Tigers, making his Tigers' debut in the opening game of the 2021 Queensland Cup season.[3]
Atkinson also played a number of games for the Victorian Thunderbolts in the Jersey Flegg Cup.[4]
Melbourne Storm edit
In round 25 of the 2021 NRL season, Atkinson made his debut off the bench for Melbourne against Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks where they won 28–16. He had his Melbourne jersey (cap number 216) presented to him by Melbourne Storm teammate Dale Finucane[2] and Football Manager Frank Ponissi.
At the end of the 2021 NRL season, Atkinson was released by Melbourne. In November 2021 he signed to play with the Sunshine Coast Falcons in the Queensland Cup.[5][6] He would play the entire 2022 season with the Falcons.
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks edit
Atkinson signed a contract to join the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks squad for the 2023 NRL season,[7][2] later extending for two further years.[8] Atkinson’s first NRL appearance for Cronulla, and his first top-grade appearance in two years, came as he served as an injury replacement player during the final 3 minutes of the Sharks’ round 15 fixture.[9]
International career edit
Atkinson made his international rugby league debut for Italy at the 2021 Rugby League World Cup on 16 October 2022, playing in Italy's 28–4 win over Scotland.
Statistics edit
| Year | Team | Games | Tries | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 |  Melbourne Storm
|
1 | ||
| 2023 |  Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
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1 | ||
| 2024 | 1 | |||
| Totals | 3 |
References edit
- ^ "Daniel Atkinson - Career Stats & Summary". Rugby League Project.
- ^ a b c "Atkinson brings utility value to the Sharks". sharks.com.au. 6 February 2023. Retrieved 6 February 2023.
- ^ Tabet, Melissa. "Debutant's the new word". Brisbane Tigers. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "18th Man - Daniel Atkinson". 18thman.com. Retrieved 12 September 2021.
- ^ "SC Falcons - Dan Atkinson signed". facebook.com. Sunshine Coast Falcons. 8 November 2021. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ Edwards, Colleen (10 March 2022). "Sunshine Coast Falcons: Cup gains and losses for 2022". qrl.com.au. Queensland Rugby League. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
- ^ Pryde, Scott (3 February 2023). "Sharks set to add spine depth following injury troubles". Zero Tackle. Retrieved 5 February 2023.
- ^ Pryde, Scott (29 May 2023). "Sharks re-sign young back after impressive form". Zero Tackle. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
- ^ "Daniel Atkinson". Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks. 9 February 2023. Retrieved 11 June 2023.