DEON CROSS is hoping a step back can help him take another leap forward in his career.
The 27-year-old has enjoyed two stellar Super League campaigns with Salford since making the step up from Championship side Widnes, playing every match possible bar one.
But while his top-flight breakthrough has come at centre, Cross played mostly at winger before joining the Red Devils – and he is set to return to his old position this term.
Joe Burgess and Ken Sio have departed the club over the off-season, leaving only new signing Ethan Ryan – reportedly ruled out of the season opener against Leeds with a wrist injury – as an out-and-out winger.
“I’m rolling back the years from my Championship days,” smiled Cross, who scored 49 tries in 90 appearances for Rochdale, Barrow and Widnes and has taken Salford’s number-five shirt.
“I was originally signed by Salford as a winger. I was fourth-choice winger, then ended up starting at centre!
“I’m training there (on the wing) at the moment. I’m just trying to refresh my memory because I’ve not played there for two years. I’m dusting the cobwebs off and finding my feet again on the wing.
“Playing centre, you get an understanding of what the centre is thinking and what he’s doing, and that’ll make me a better winger.”
Over the past two years, Cross – who had a hernia operation in the off-season – has formed an effective partnership with prolific try-scorer Sio, who has returned to Australia on compassionate grounds.
Veteran Sio has been a mentor in that time to Cross, who also has Salford assistant coach Krisnan Inu to look to as another fine winger.
“When I first signed for the club, he brought me under his wing straight away,” he told League Express of Sio.
“I learned a lot from him. If I can be half as good as what he is, I’ll be doing the right thing.
“We had a good partnership on that right edge and we had a good understanding of each other.
“I reckon now, having a run on the wing this year will be good for me. I’m excited to see how I perform.”
As well as targeting club success with Salford, Cross has had an eye on making the England squad since playing for the second-string Knights in 2022.
He said: “I want to kick on and hopefully make that England squad if I can. I’ve just got to keep focusing on playing well for Salford and hopefully that other stuff will come off the back of it.
“A lot of the boys from the Knights progressed to the first team last year. Seeing that makes you want to kick on and try to get to where they are.”
