Why Atkinson is ready to step up to the task to get the Dragons into the Top 8

St George Illawarra Dragons halfback Daniel Atkinson is tasked to be the man to lead the side into the Top 8 for the first time since 2018.

Despite being brought down to Wollongong to be the chief playmaker, the crafty half has yet to start an NRL game in the halfback position.

With 36 appearances in the NRL, they have mainly all come from five-eighth and utility value off the bench.

Despite this, coach Shane Flanagan, when speaking with Wide World of Sports, says he is backing the recruit to gel seamlessly with the playing roster to get them back playing finals football. 

"Daniel is a handy utility, and he played half in his junior days and also filled in there at times during games the last couple of years," Flanagan said.

"He will get them going - his strengths are his running game and kicking game and he has fitted in really well."

The Red V outfit was plagued with injuries last year, and was hit especially hard in their strong core of young junior talent who came through their pathways.

Having the crop of local juniors all fit and returning to play this year will benefit the side tremendously, where Atkinson can work off the back of the platform laid by the hardworking youngsters. 

The players who moved on to different clubs at the end of last year included David Klemmer, Francis Molo, and Jack de Belin, with Ben Murdoch-Masila and Tom Eisenhuth retiring. 

It is clear the direction Flanagan is headed with his side, opting for a youthful approach over experience in the forward department.

"We had a lot of injuries last year and brought in good young guys like Dylan Egan, Hamish Stewart and the Couchman brothers," he added.

"It always takes new players some time to adjust to the pace of the NRL but these guys are there now and have had a whole off-season with the top squad.

"We are looking in a much better position than 12 months ago and the feeling in the camp is very positive."

If the Dragons can hit the ground running early in the season, striking combinations between Atkinson and the rest of the spine, there is plenty of strike still in the side that teams will need to look out for. 

With it being reported that Luciano Leilua and Blake Lawrie have undergone intense body composition changes to keep up with the fast, dynamic nature of the modern game, it will see a vastly different side this year that can challenge for the Top 8.

The Dragons have a great opportunity to get off on the right foot when they take on the Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs in Las Vegas on Sunday, March 1 (AEST).