Ben Cross

[Newie is God's Country]

Wow! What a massive game for a guy with one fully functional hamstring. Brian Smith you have already ko'd the doubters who claimed that he was no better than Woolnough or Perry. He was the best forward on the ground by a mile. He smashed anything that moved. Crocker's hit on Stewart was for mine the hit of the year, although it has small legality question marks over it. Cross will again have the crowds on their feet at Energy oz next season. By all accounts Matty Hilder is bursting at the seams to pull on the blue and red as well. Bring on 2008.

 

[Bicey_18]

I'm very very confident about next year..... Ben Cross is a legend and is what we have needed at the club for many years, we have lacked that mongrel up front and he is the man that will provide it. He was outstanding tonight. Fa'aso was impressive today as well... his defense is brutal and I bet Smith cant wait to get him at Newy....

 

[roopy]

it's a pity we let Snowy go.
I could see snowy learning a lot off cross and giving us two big mean bastards.

 

[strewth_mate]

When did Cross emerge like this? I knew he was going around but it only seems kind of recently that he's gotten recognition, particularly from Channel 9 commentators - though I suppose Canberra are less than rarely televised. Now they're talking about him like he's been a Webcke figure for a decade.

Losing Snowden is definitely a shame, but I would have liked to keep Woolnough too for what it's worth. How much are we paying Cross and Wicks for next year? I get the impression that it's not a small amount.

 

[roopy]

Cross has only played just over 50 firstgrade games.
A bit like Parso who didn't play firstgrade till he was 26 and got the dally M prop of the year the next season.
Really big guys improve with age.
If we get as much out of him as we got out of Parso he will be a brilliant buy.

 

[Johns Magic]

When did Cross emerge like this? I knew he was going around but it only seems kind of recently that he's gotten recognition, particularly from Channel 9 commentators - though I suppose Canberra are less than rarely televised. Now they're talking about him like he's been a Webcke figure for a decade.

Not sure of the bloke's name, but I recall a certain poster calling for the Knights to sign Cross all the way back in April...

 

[strewth_mate]

One other thing about Cross, he seems a fairly passionate kind of guy, he gets pretty fired up and excited about his team. Good sight of him running over with the Gatorade to dump on Bellamy and Smith.

Now, it's folly and kind of ridiculous to make the comparison, because a) he hasn't played a game for us, and b) I can see how it can be misinterpreted as getting carried away, but we haven't really had someone to jump around and get so worked up since Kennedy, nobody why looks interested in crippling themselves to win.

Sure, Kidley will do it on occasion, but he's not a big unit. Paterson is showing glimpses, but with his cherubic face he doesn't look even close to sh*t-your-pants scary. Cross, however, is a behemoth of a man with an impressively rough head. Even if next year we just get him to sit on the bench and point menacingly at people he'll terrify the opposition. I think we'll like having him around.

 

[Frederick]

Sure, Kidley will do it on occasion, but he's not a big unit. Paterson is showing glimpses, but with his cherubic face he doesn't look even close to sh*t-your-pants scary. Cross, however, is a behemoth of a man with an impressively rough head. Even if next year we just get him to sit on the bench and point menacingly at people he'll terrify the opposition. I think we'll like having him around.

Impressively rough head :lol:

 

[perverse]

he'll look very good in red and blue next year.

 

[strewth_mate]

he'll look very good in red and blue next year.

I'd like to think so, but... from this

to this

He's probably improved between clubs, I'll say that much. A way to go though until he hits the Marquet stage of prettiness.

 

[Frederick]

Oh he's such a dreamboat :lol:

 

[Nuke]

He impressed me tonight with his hard-running. I love Adam Woolnough and a few of the props we've had in recent years, but we really haven't had a hard-running front-rower since Chief and Butts were leading us from up front. It was great to see!

 

[AdamT]

Wow! What a massive game for a guy with one fully functional hamstring. Brian Smith you have already ko'd the doubters who claimed that he was no better than Woolnough or Perry. He was the best forward on the ground by a mile. He smashed anything that moved. Crocker's hit on Stewart was for mine the hit of the year, although it has small legality question marks over it. Cross will again have the crowds on their feet at Energy oz next season. By all accounts Matty Hilder is bursting at the seams to pull on the blue and red as well. Bring on 2008.

Thats if the agro jerk stays on the paddock long enough in the season. He took a few cheap shots early in the game. I predict if he plays like he did yesterday he is bound to spend at least 8 weeks next season on the sidelines.

But yes - no comparison to Powder Puff Perry and Wooly Adam

Now they are trying to tell us we have already spent all of our Salary Cap for next season. How can this be if Wicks is our biggest signing? What happened to the $1M Joey was getting? How come we never seem to be able to get good players cause we always have spent all of our Salary Cap. The players we lost should have given us $1.5M or so free to spend. Less $200k for Danny Wicks - where did the other $1.3M go to?

 

[AdamT]

He impressed me tonight with his hard-running. I love Adam Woolnough and a few of the props we've had in recent years, but we really haven't had a hard-running front-rower since Chief and Butts were leading us from up front. It was great to see!

You must be impressed by players who like to give FACIALS too... AND he was lucky not to be SENT OFF in the first 10 mins for an attempted EYE GOUGE. The guy is a big CAT

 

[Spitty]

Cross was very impessive last night. He gave away a few penalties but he made the Manly forwards think twice before running at him or tackling him.

Let's hope he doesn't pull a Steve Turner at the last minute.

 

[julian87]

He will be spinding the first few weeks suspened, or well at least he should be.

Was back to his old ways of ill discipline and high tackles last night tgbh.

 

[philstorm]

He's an absolute champ.

Courageous beyond all measure and never takes a backwards step.

I reckon he'll play for NSW next year.

 

[Bicey_18]

He will be spinding the first few weeks suspened, or well at least he should be.

Was back to his old ways of ill discipline and high tackles last night tgbh.

He wont be suspended...

 

[KniGhTs BaTTLeR]

He will be spinding the first few weeks suspened, or well at least he should be.

Was back to his old ways of ill discipline and high tackles last night tgbh.

You can get away with alot more in a GF, no way he will be suspended.

His impressive though, hopefully he can get Tolar firing aswell, he has the potential to be a big brut, and he has 'Impressingly rough head' to go along with it.

 

[Johns Magic]

His impressive though, hopefully he can get Tolar firing aswell, he has the potential to be a big brut.

Except that he's probably the smallest prop in the competition.