CHRIS Hankinson’s versatility and experience made signing him too good an opportunity to pass up, according to Leeds Rhinos assistant Scott Grix.
The 31-year-old, who can play in either the threequarters or halves and is a useful goalkicker, joined the playoff-chasing Rhinos from Salford Red Devils until the end of the season after Alfie Edgell suffered a foot injury in the Round 20 defeat away to Wakefield Trinity.
Leeds do have youngsters Riley Lumb, Ned McCormack and Max Simpson to call on as well, but Hankinson adds the experience of 230 senior appearances to the squad as they aim to make certain of a top-six finish with seven rounds of the Betfred Super League regular season remaining – starting with Thursday’s trip to third-placed Leigh Leopards.
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“He’s notched up a lot of games, so he’s got a lot of experience, and in the middle we weren’t sure what was going to happen with Alfie,” Grix told The Leeds Rhinos Podcast.
“The chance came up to bolster that outside back position and Chris can play a number of positions which will help us going into the back end whether it’s this week, the week after or right at the end.
“We’ve been flush with players at points this season and thought ‘how could we squeeze another one in?’, but you just never know.
“That’s not a slight on those boys who are coming in underneath him…so he just gives us another look at it and a bit of experience.”
Hankinson has had something of a journeyman career which has taken in stops at Barrow Raiders, Swinton Lions, Wigan Warriors, London Broncos, Toulouse Olympique and Featherstone Rovers before joining Salford, where he was initially a member of their youth set-up, ahead of last season.
He has proven a reliable performer and assured presence wherever he has been, though, and averages just over 89 metres made per game with an average gain of just under seven metres per carry, along with making 19 tackle busts and five clean breaks, plus two tries, in 12 Super League appearances so far this year.
Hankinson is the latest key player to depart the Red Devils as well during their ongoing financial crisis, with prop Chris Hill also moving to Betfred Championship side Bradford Bulls, and Grix revealed Leeds had to move quickly to bring him in.
“Clubs have done it this year, especially with what’s going on with Salford where players become available and if you wait too long they’ve probably gone somewhere else,” Grix said.
“In an ideal world we have no injuried and no problems, but going into this back end we need as much help as we can get, I reckon.”
