Leaders of the pack: Cross and Tolar planning on making immediate impact for Newcastle
BY BRETT KEEBLE
10/03/2009 4:00:00 AM
A STRONG start to the NRL season will depend on a strong start to each game, starting with the Knights' trip to Skilled Park to tackle the Titans on Sunday.
So say Newcastle bookends Ben Cross and Dan Tolar, who have embraced the challenge of leading the pack against a Gold Coast team spearheaded by seasoned NSW and Australian hardman Luke Bailey and former Knight Matt White.
Cross is lining up for his first season-opener since 2004, when he was a largely unknown bench forward for the Raiders.
The premiership-winning former Storm enforcer has missed the jump every year since due to a string of injuries but is raring to go after an incident-free pre-season.
After playing a supporting role to the likes of Craig Smith, Matt Parsons, Josh Perry, Adam Woolnough and Jesse Royal in the past five seasons, Tolar has graduated from the ranks of fringe dweller to frontliner.
With 65 NRL games under his belt the same number Cross has amassed for the Raiders, Storm and Knights Tolar is Newcastle's fifth-most experienced player behind Steve Simpson, Adam MacDougall, Kurt Gidley and Matt Hilder.
Cross only played nine games last year, and of those he and Tolar started together just twice in a 34-22 loss to Brisbane on April 13 and a 38-24 victory over the Cowboys on August 23.
But they are the likely starters on Sunday, supported by Richie Fa'aoso and Chris Houston, and are keen to retain the No.8 and No.10 jerseys all season.
"I haven't started round one since 2004, with injuries and other stuff, so it's a little bit of new ground to me. I'm a little bit on edge about it, actually," Cross said.
"If we can get off to a good start . . . if I can play consistent footy, consistently good hit-ups and make good tackles, that will lead on to week-to-week and hopefully cause a flow-on for the rest of the season."
Tolar, who is unsigned beyond this season, has survived the prop purge of the past few years, but the 26-year-old Central Charlestown junior knows he needs to hit the ground running to convince coach Brian Smith he is worthy of a contract extension.
"We've lost a lot of front-rowers there's been a bit of a clean-out over the last couple of years but I've been lucky enough to keep my position," Tolar said.
"Hopefully I can secure a starting spot for that first round this Sunday, and it's a goal to keep that spot and be there at the end of the year. Hopefully I can be a leader for the forwards and set an example each week.
"Getting off to a good start to the season is vital. You don't want to be behind the eight ball and chasing points."
Cross suffered a head knock and Tolar followed soon after with a head gash in the early minutes of Newcastle's 14-10 loss to Cronulla in a pre-season trial at Cessnock 10 days ago.
But they returned to wreak havoc in the middle of the ruck, stinging the Sharks with some ruthless defence to send a message that the Knights will not be pushed around by anyone.
Smith said he had spent more time getting to know Cross this pre-season and hoped the 30-year-old NSW Origin representative was spared another injury-plagued NRL campaign.
"Crossy's been at great pains not to come across as a know-it-all, or someone who says, 'Do it my way', or whatever. He goes about his work pretty quietly and it's an example-type leadership that he has a bit like Simmo," Smith said.
"We lost Crossy and Tolar early against Cronulla, but when we put them both back on they were scary. Some of their defence was ruthless and the pair of them were hitting so hard and really filled that middle up.
"You can talk about that stuff but when you're out there and you can feel it, see it and play alongside it, it just builds confidence when you know it's there all the time."
