Grix: Consistency will be key to selection (From This Is Cheshire)

Warrington Wolves second row Simon Grix keen to pick up where he left off

12:00pm Friday 3rd February 2012 in Sport By Mike Parsons

CONSISTENCY is the key word for Simon Grix in 2012.

His form last year merited him more first-team appearances than in any of his previous five seasons, even with a niggling elbow injury that was fixed by an operation at the end of the 2011 campaign.

“I’d like to try and pick up where I left off,” said the Ireland international, a mainstay of Wolves’ back row last term who was hailed as the best player on the field by his boss Tony Smith when Wolves defeated South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia on Saturday.

“I want to improve all areas of my game but to be honest consistency was a good thing for me last year.

“I’ll be concentrating on staying fit and doing a good job when I do play.”

His form softened the blow when injuries occurred to other regular back rowers like Ben Westwood and Louis Anderson, who will be plying his trade with Catalan Dragons this season.

“I spent a lot of time playing in the second row, which I enjoyed,” said the Halifax-based 26-year-old, who has also been utilised at centre, stand off, loose forward and dummy half in his time at The Halliwell Jones Stadium.

“I’ve not always had the opportunity to stick in one position, whether that’s left or right, for a period like that and so it was good.”

But he is always willing to play wherever the team requires.

“We’ve got a really good squad,” he said.

“There’s a lot of competition and although it would be nice to be sat in one position all the time I also know that being versatile is going to help me and the team.

“In the Boxing Day friendly against Widnes, Richie Myler left the field injured and I switched from second row to the halves.

“That’s been my job for a while – filling in when there’s an injury – so it feels pretty normal when it happens.”

Smith’s troops are most people’s favourites to reach the Grand Final, as they were last year, so how does he look back on the fact that Wolves fell at the last hurdle at home to Leeds Rhinos in the 2011 play-offs.

“We definitely view it as an opportunity missed,” said Grix.

“That’s not to take anything away from Leeds because they deserved it on the night and well done to them for going on and winning it.

“But it was disappointing for it to end like that after the way we played all year.

“I think we’re all over it now but I suppose the only way to really get past it is to go one step further this year.”