INJURIES FORCE DELAYING OF TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT - and YES including Cross out for the

[RugbyWA]

Emirates Western Force Coach John Mitchell has delayed naming his team for Friday night’s Investec Super 14 Week 13 clash with the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, NZ.

More...

[jono]

DAMMIT NOT CROSSY!!!

mabye mitch wont be as spoilt for choice as i first thought!

[zimeric]

News just out that scans have found he has broken his jaw in three places... reckon he will be out for 6 to 8 weeks

hope this doesnt scupper his wallaby aspirations!!!

Cross out for season - Rugby - Fox Sports

[pieter blackie]

Tuesday, 6 May 2008 7:27pm
RugbyWA Media Release

Ryan Cross will miss his first match for the Emirates Western Force with a fractured cheekbone

Emirates Western Force Coach John Mitchell has delayed naming his team for Friday night’s Investec Super 14 Week 13 clash with the Hurricanes at Westpac Stadium in Wellington, NZ.

The Perth-based side is facing more injury concerns ahead of the match with outside centre Ryan Cross today ruled out for the remainder of the season with a fractured cheekbone.

It is uncertain how long Cross will be confined to the sidelines, however he will require surgery.

Mitchell will assess his options at the key position at tonight’s training session before confirming his lineup prior to the team’s departure to Wellington tomorrow (Wednesday) morning.

Other players unavailable for the clash with the third-placed Hurricanes include flanker Scott Fava, prop Pek Cowan and winger Nick Cummins.

All three players appear to have had their 2008 campaign ended by injuries suffered during last Saturday’s epic one-point victory over the Chiefs at Subiaco Oval.

Fava has suffered a high ankle sprain, while Cowan suffered a badly dislocated thumb.

Cummins faces an extended period out of the game after fracturing the fibula in his left leg mid-way through the second half of the bruising encounter.

The Emirates Western Force team to take on the Hurricanes in Wellington this Friday night will be announced at the new time of 8.30am (WA) tomorrow.

[zimeric]

i wonder if Pelesasa will be fit to play? he was on the sidelines last week.
& im hoping Stanners will be fit to give us a little depth. i think Dane HP might find himself starting on the wing come Friday.

[Burgs]

WTF is a "high" ankle sprain???
It's either your ankle or it's not isn't it????

[Thequeerone]

What - how - OMG - can he talk

[AndyS]

It will be interesting to see how it compares with this then:

Western Force more western than ever

The Western Force will be more western than ever this weekend, with two products of WA's local rugby talent pool being named to take on the Hurricanes in Wellington on Friday.

Winger Dane Haylett-Petty will make his run on debut for the Perth-based side and prop Kieran Longbottom will be on the bench, after both featured in the stirring one-point win over the Chiefs last weekend.

But an already stretched Force backline has been further weakened with Ryan Cross to miss the one game tour to Wellington - and possibly longer - with a fractured cheekbone that requires surgery.

Having lost Cross, Nick Cummins, Pek Cowan and Scott Fava from last Saturday, Mitchell admitted his squad was now seriously stretched.

"I have just worked out there are ten people on the injury list, and the (latest injuries) certainly have all come at once," Mitchell said.

"But we always go out to play well, and we will certainly be looking to do that. You have got to adapt, you cannot cry over spilt milk and you have got to get on with it."

Former Wallaby John Welborn gave the Force their Perth roots in their inaugural season, although he moved to Sydney to force his way into Waratahs and Wallaby jerseys before moving back to WA in 2005.

With Longbottom already impressing coach John Mitchell in his 70 minute substitute stint against the Chiefs, Haylett-Petty's rapid progress this year has seen him given the nod after season ending injuries to Haig Sare and Cummins.

The 18 year-old became the first locally-based West Australian to win a place in the Force squad this year, having moved to Perth from his birthplace of Durban in 2000 aged 11.

A product of Hale School, the teenager captained last year's WA Schoolboys at the Division II Championships, going on to play for the Australia A Schools team against England.

And his Force selection capped a great personal day, after he also featured in the Australian under 20 Junior World Championships to travel to Wales in June.

"It is a really strong team, so I was pretty lucky to get selected. It is a big honour and hopefully everything goes well," Haylett-Petty said.

Mitchell said he could not afford to protect his youngsters with the injuries besetting the club.

"We have always accelerated youth in our program, and the factor behind that was it was always going to be the case at a new club," Mitchell said.

"We have never been afraid to expose our youngsters at the highest level."

But Cross, who has not missed a game since defecting from the NRL last season, will be a massive loss, and his injury could also threaten his probable Wallaby selection.

"He has got about three fractures there and some separation. It has to be screwed - all a bit gooey really," Mitchell said.

Following his eye-catching starting debut, James O'Connor maintains his place at inside centre, while prop Gareth Hardy returns for his first appearance in eight weeks after overcoming ankle ligament damage.

Western Force: Cameron Shepherd, Dane Haylett-Petty, Josh Tatupu/Lachlan Mackay, James O'Connor, Drew Mitchell, Matt Giteau, James Stannard, Richard Brown, David Pocock, Matt Hodgson, Nathan Sharpe (capt), David Pusey, Troy Takiari, Tai McIsaac, Gareth Hardy.

Res: Luke Holmes, Kieran Longbottom, Sitaleki Timani, Sam Wykes, Chris O'Young, Scott Daruda. (Tatupu or MacKay to come on to bench).

Western Force more western than ever - Rugby Heaven - Breaking News

[AndyS]

There is a big difference between jaw and cheekbone, but Mitchell's tendency to understatement has me thinking the worst when he says "He has got about three fractures there and some separation. It has to be screwed - all a bit gooey really,".

[.X.]

From FOXSPORTS

Cross out for season

By staff reporters
May 06, 2008

WESTERN Force back Ryan Cross will miss the rest of the Super 14 season, after the club confirmed the Australia star has fractured his cheekbone in three places.

The injury, which was inflicted during the Force's game against the Chiefs last Saturday, will require surgery.

The Force face the Hurricanes on Friday night, a game that should be a big test of the Perth side's depth.

More to follow.

[prop53]

Bummer

[KenyaQuin]

Oh dear...

Would love to see Josh get decent time..Josh to start and Lochie on bench for mine..

[James]

If Wykes and Timani came on for Sharpie and Pusey, Holmes for McIsaac and Longbottom for Takiari we would have an average age in the squad of 23. How cool is that?

[pieter blackie]

It just shows that they gave it all against the Chiefs. They actually placed there bodies on the line

I just cannot believe that Drew wasn't injured Must have been the hardest I have ever seen him play!!

[BaldCunus]

Oh dear...

Would love to see Josh get decent time..Josh to start and Lochie on bench for mine..

here here.... would like to see Keiran start aswell thought he has earnt it with his performance against the chiefs...