Salford Red Devils fullback Niall Evalds says he’s hoping to become less “one-dimensional” in 2016.
Evalds, who was on the bench for the Red Devils on Friday night during their loss to Hull, says he believes that even though 2015 was a fine year for him personally, there’s much more he can do in 2016 to develop his game even further.
The young fullback revealed he’s working hard with the Red Devils coaching team to ensure he gets better and better.
“I’m not resting on my laurels; I’m working really hard with Watto (Ian Watson) and Tim (Sheens) and I know there are plenty of areas where I can improve,” he told League Express.
“I’m ready to add a few more strings to my bow; I feel like I was a bit one-dimensional on occasions last year and I want to be more varied in the way I play.”
Evalds also admitted that despite being Salford’s standout performer last year, it “counts for nothing” in the new season.
“It was my breakthrough year last year, a really good year and a season I didn’t expect to pan out like that.
“At the start of the season I’d hoped to play in as many games as I could, but I surprised myself with the number I did play in.
“The opportunity came to be in there regularly and I feel like I took it. Last year counts for nothing though; I’ve got to keep getting better and keep improving.”
On the field, the Red Devils were well beaten at Hull on Friday, losing 42-20, and coach Ian Watson wants a change in mentality quickly, with St Helens due at the A J Bell Stadium on Thursday night.
“We gave Hull too much ball and made silly errors,” he said.
“Defensively, they were just running over us and it became a snowball effect. They were just playing too quick for us and we weren’t adapting to that. They played really well.
“We’re confident in our ability but we need to work hard on doing the little things really well for each other and working hard as a team.
“We need to come out against St Helens with the right mentality defensively. If you don’t defend, you’re not going to win anything.”
