Ryan Cross fires up Force

[tragic]

I'm trying to suss his motivation for saying this sort of thing.
Perhaps he's trying to blow smoke up the Tah's coaching staff's butts, in which case it's a bit lame.
Or, he's trying to rile his former team-mates, in which case it's a bit stupid.
Or, he's trying to distance himself from the Force, which he managed to do when he was in the team, in which case it's a bit redundant.
Or, he's trying to get publicity for himself, in which case it's a bit sad.

[travelling_gerry]

Some things are best left unsaid. Like...."your baby is ugly".

[beige]

Some things are best left unsaid. Like...."your baby is ugly".

Except in Hong Kong where apparently it's good luck...

Hey, let's put Ryan Cross in the Sevens side - he might be more use there!

[jargan83]

Whats wrong with a bit of sledging? (Shame he is actually correct though)

He will have a nice big bullseye on his chest because of it

[James]

Tahs nearly put fifty on the rebels who beat us......the tahs would have to be asleep with Hodgeo and bam sitting out.

Why don't you put your vcash on it then... ohh that's right, you don't have any.

[shasta]

I'm trying to suss his motivation for saying this sort of thing.

Well that's pretty easy.

Cross was responding to fears expressed by Force coach Richard Graham, who is concerned that a culture of losing close matches is developing at the club.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/un...405-1d2z9.html

The press grab probably went like this.

HACK: EWF Coach Richard Graham has said his team don't know how to close out close matches. What do you think Ryan and was it like that when you played there.....

CROSS: ''We had the same problem when I was there …

HACK: What about now you are at the Waratahs?

CROSS: ''I think it's the total opposite here....

It's very predictable and not something anyone should be concerned about. In fact if it fires our boys up, all the better.

I think some of us (& I'm not including Tragic who was simply questioning his motives) need to relax and show a bit of respect for ex-players who leave on good terms after fulfilling their contracts. Cross played well for all but the last few games for us and was our player of the year in 2008. IIRC he was also the first player to publicly support the coach when a couple of princesses who never did much for us were trying to undermine him.

[benny]

Cross is correct Force cant win the close matches, but the last time i remembered he has played with the Force since the 2nd year of our establisments and there was a majority of times he played in the games we lost by a small amount..

Reason is Cross we had you in the centres, and we had 14 players covering your ass majority of the time, and you were here waiting for an NRL or a UK Super League team to rescue you, but never happened.

I'll give anyone on TWF a free beer @ JBO's if he sticks around longer than this year. He will cry back to the 13 man code. He wouldn't be in the top 25 Warratahs players if they were all fit..

[todd4]

I really don't understand all the dislike for Ryan Cross. Sure, last year he had a below par season with the Force but prior to that he had played some good rugby for the us and was considered a good buy for the club.

The fact that he moved on last year was probably the best for him and the Force. His head seemed to be elsewhere and a new challenge at a different club was probably what he needed to freshen up his rugby.

This happens in professional sport and he wont be the last to go elsewhere. I dont remember him bad-mouthing the Force and those comments in the article are like Shasta says, he would have been answering prompts from the journo.

He is right that we have trouble winning the close ones and its something the coaching staff have to deal with..... maybe our next recruit should be a sports psychologist (and please don't tell me we already have one ... because if we do he/she should be on notice..).

[James]

He said he went to Sydney so that he could make the Wallabies again. I can't remember the exact words but it was basically backhander to his teammates: You will bring down my perfomance. Which I think is poor for anyone to say, but worse when you say it about the Force. Whatever he thinks he could have been tactful and said something like 'my wife misses her family' or 'I need to go back to Sydney for personal reasons'.

I agree with Benny. You won't see him in the Super 15 next year.

[kelv]

Its always the case when someone leaves, he was well liked when at the Force now there are a lot against him cause he has gone. Might of wanted a chance at winning something!

[zimeric]

Tahs nearly put fifty on the rebels who beat us......the tahs would have to be asleep with Hodgeo and bam sitting out.

not a realistic deduction there as we can also use that in the opposite sense.
Rebels got Pwned by the Reds but the reds only beat us by a point.

Look at the Blues we drew with them but they beat the Crusaders so by your deduction we should beat the Crusaders...

that would be nice.. but unlikely!

[James]

Kelv: If it is any consolation, I started to dislike him in his last season with the Force. It seemed pretty clear he was playing for himself and not for the team.

Zim: Not completely out of question- we beat them at home last year. Why can't we do it again? Pocock and Hodgson should be back by then and if everyone stays fit and healthy (ohh please god) we'll be a stronger side than we were then.

[slomo]

Why don't you put your vcash on it then... ohh that's right, you don't have any.

Gigsy!.....where did your v cash go?......you and and the force need a big weekend...

[GIGS20]

Gigsy!.....where did your v cash go?......you and and the force need a big weekend...

My cash went into the same black hole as a certain sure thing last Saturday


Didn't you realize my reason for being so pissed!

[James]

Thats why you never bet vcash or real cash on the Force. I'd pay $50 a week for a Force win (to relieve the crappy mood from a loss is worth it) and last weekend for example that would come out as $200 which provides some relief.