Wests Tigers in secrert talks to lure Waratah Ryan Cross back to Rugby League

[aids]

has utai signed for next year?

 

[westie]

I guess you didn't watch the same games as me.

The actual idea that that you should come on this board and be taken seriously is pure nonsense.

"Solid Firtst Grader" my ass. Cross was an excellent centre and anyone who says otherwise is full of shit.

And btw, where did you play Tiger Hawk?

Nowhere I'm guessing. Just another blowhard internet warrior without a clue.

You can probably take some comfort in that.

Jase

Having listened to 99% of ex-footballers talk absolute football rubbish, seen 99% of them embarrass themselves with any form of coaching and suffered through 99% of them having a crack at football administration... I'll gladly take into account the opinion of someone without that sort of association.

Footy players are good at playing football. If they were good at other football related things, there'd be more than two useful ex-footballer commentators (Gould and Sterling) and at least one ex-football administrator involved in league management.

 

[DanOz]

Having listened to 99% of ex-footballers talk absolute football rubbish, seen 99% of them embarrass themselves with any form of coaching and suffered through 99% of them having a crack at football administration... I'll gladly take into account the opinion of someone without that sort of association.

Footy players are good at playing football. If they were good at other football related things, there'd be more than two useful ex-footballer commentators (Gould and Sterling) and at least one ex-football administrator involved in league management.

Fair call.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

I guess you didn't watch the same games as me.

Obviously I don't. You're the same guy who once wrote a glowing ode to John Morris, despite 95% of rugby league fans questioning how he was still in first grade after 3 diabolical years at halfback.

The actual idea that that you should come on this board and be taken seriously is pure nonsense.

Who's idea is that? If you feel a need to be taken seriously on an internet message board, I'd suggest you need to look at other aspects of your life.

"Solid Firtst Grader" my ass. Cross was an excellent centre and anyone who says otherwise is full of shit.

He was a solid first grader who was fortunate to play outside of Fittler as well as Wing, Finch & Mini and behind a pack boasting Morley, Cayless, Crocker etc etc. To call him excellent is rubbish and you know it, if he was "excellent" he would have gained higher representative honours than just two City Origin selections. And anyway, what's wrong with being a solid first grader who played 100+ games? There would be thousands of players who would die to be referred to as that, and I suspect from the tone of the majority of your posts, you're one of them. At his best, he was an automatic first grade selection, there's no shame in that, but suggesting he was in any way shape or form something other than that is pure fantasy.

And btw, where did you play Tiger Hawk?

You mean junior club or position?

But seriously, what's that got to do with my opinion on a footy player? You play the same record every time somebody disagrees with you "ooooh you never played so you don't know anything".

Nowhere I'm guessing. Just another blowhard internet warrior without a clue.

You can probably take some comfort in that.

Jase

There's plenty of things I take comfort in, and being called a blowhard internet warrior by another anonymous blowhard internet warrior doesn't perturb me in the slightest. Thanks for stopping by Jase, no doubt we'll see you in another month or two fantasising about how "excellent" Paul Mellor was. Ta-ta for now.

 

[Tiger Hawk]

You dn'nt even know what you're talking about, he's still twice the player Lote is and you (along with several other tiger fans posting on this thread) have no doubt ever seen him play league or union.

You're right on one thing - I have never seen him play union. I don't watch that abortion of a sport unless it's the only thing on at the pub.

 

[madunit]

Dissagree with you on that MU.

Cross may be pushing 32 but he was a class act in the day.

Easts at the time fielded 11 internationals in their run on team and even with all of that talent around he still stood out.

Remember him breaking the Wests line almost at will.

Plus, comparing him to Tiquiri and Sailor is plain weird. Entirely a different type of player. Strange coming from you MU - you're normally pretty astute.

I didn't compare him them, someone else did. I commented on that.

 

[madunit]

If it helps TH and jase, I played as a centre, five-eighth and lock in Group 9 for a few years and I personally believe that If I played outside Fittler and Wing and behind that Roosters pack, they could have made me look pretty solid too.

Cross was a solid player, consistent and didn't do anything exciting or crazy. a bit like Colin Best - form and talent wise.

Not going to set the world on fire but good enough to hold down a first grade squad.

As it turns out, his time in Union has seen his ability suffer dramatically and he's nowhere near the player he was when he left.

He should be given a wide berth.

 

[super_coach]

Cross at his prime, was a fair nrl footballer who had some pretty good footballers inside and outside of him. About five years or so down the track I cant see him anywhere near the standard required. On a minimum contract he would be depth value but thats all. Just cant see him getting smashed for peanuts

 

[jasonl]

If it helps TH and jase, I played as a centre, five-eighth and lock in Group 9 for a few years and I personally believe that If I played outside Fittler and Wing and behind that Roosters pack, they could have made me look pretty solid too.

Cross was a solid player, consistent and didn't do anything exciting or crazy. a bit like Colin Best - form and talent wise.

Not going to set the world on fire but good enough to hold down a first grade squad.

As it turns out, his time in Union has seen his ability suffer dramatically and he's nowhere near the player he was when he left.

He should be given a wide berth.

C'mon MU, he was probably superior to Colin Best.

Good analogy though.

Haven't seen him play since he left but will take your word on it.

Why in the world this rumour has any kind of traction though is more to the point.

The absoute last thing WT need is this type of player (and that's nothing against Cross).

This club has begun to resemble a bad episode of Desperate Housewives with Benji Marshall as the romantic lead.

So his flatmate got traded to St George. Boo f**king hoo.

Last time I checked this was a professional sport.

Remember when John Dorahy, Les Boyd and Ray Brown got taken by Manly on individual 50K contracts?

Sure it hurt but at the end of the day it's simply about business.

The fact that the Blair signing has caused the knd of existential disruption that it has shows a club in crisis. Sheen's backflip on the small forward theory can only be interpreted in that he has no real answers (and yeah, if you're reading this Tim, give yourself an uppercut. Christ, putting useless utilities like Ryan on the bench for 78 minutes or ignoring Mitch Brown's obvious fullback potential or letting a warrior like CH look elsewhere plus a million other things besides should have you questioning your place). And as to Robert Lui? You gotta be kidding. Mediocre talent and no heart. If it were up to me I'd be showing him VHS tapes of Tom Raudonikis and Andrew Johns.

But that will probably not happen.

Am predicting at least another 5 years in the wilderness.

Farrah is clearly not the player he once was, Marshall is a slave to his own celebrity and the boom players in Lawrence and Tiquiri are dealing with potentially career threatening injuries.

And Sheens, as much as I love the man for assembling the mid 90s Canberra Raiders, really needs to take some time for reflection.

The days of pure footballers are over. St George will win again this year with their hopelesslly dull, grinding game. Honestly, how people actually pay money to watch Jamie Soward is beyond me.

But that seems to be where its at.

Selah.

Jase

 

[jasonl]

Obviously I don't. You're the same guy who once wrote a glowing ode to John Morris, despite 95% of rugby league fans questioning how he was still in first grade after 3 diabolical years at halfback.

Who's idea is that? If you feel a need to be taken seriously on an internet message board, I'd suggest you need to look at other aspects of your life.
He was a solid first grader who was fortunate to play outside of Fittler as well as Wing, Finch & Mini and behind a pack boasting Morley, Cayless, Crocker etc etc. To call him excellent is rubbish and you know it, if he was "excellent" he would have gained higher representative honours than just two City Origin selections. And anyway, what's wrong with being a solid first grader who played 100+ games? There would be thousands of players who would die to be referred to as that, and I suspect from the tone of the majority of your posts, you're one of them. At his best, he was an automatic first grade selection, there's no shame in that, but suggesting he was in any way shape or form something other than that is pure fantasy.
You mean junior club or position?

But seriously, what's that got to do with my opinion on a footy player? You play the same record every time somebody disagrees with you "ooooh you never played so you don't know anything".

There's plenty of things I take comfort in, and being called a blowhard internet warrior by another anonymous blowhard internet warrior doesn't perturb me in the slightest. Thanks for stopping by Jase, no doubt we'll see you in another month or two fantasising about how "excellent" Paul Mellor was. Ta-ta for now.

Touche bro. My apologies. Everything you said is actually correct.

As regards Mellor and Morris - these kind of Beta professionals - am not proud that I can relate to them and those days of permanent injury and shitty match payments.

The Morris thread was critical of Sheens not Morris.

At the end of the day he lacked ability but had heart and that probably should be worth something.

As to Ryan Cross, he was always fairly highly regarded. Even as a high school student at Waverly, Norths were looking at him quite seriously - not as a blockbuster centre ala Terry Hill but as a svelt line breaker (remember this was at the time Matt Seers and Bret Dallas held sway).

Sure, he never played Origin but so what. Shawn Timmins played Origin. What does that tell you.

Till later,

Jase

 

[hybrid_tiger]

Lawrence and Tiquiri are dealing with potentially career threatening injuries.

News to me? Both of them are fine, and judging by Lawrence's first match back, he has recovered better than everyone though. With a full off season, he will be back to 100 per cent next season.

 

[jasonl]

News to me? Both of them are fine, and judging by Lawrence's first match back, he has recovered better than everyone though. With a full off season, he will be back to 100 per cent next season.

How many games has Tiquiri played this season?

Coming back from serious injury he lasted 5 minutes in first grade.

He's not "fine".

 

[hybrid_tiger]

How many games has Tiquiri played this season?

Coming back from serious injury he lasted 5 minutes in first grade.

He's not "fine".

He had a broken arm, and then damaged his ankle.

Hardly career threatening, FFS!

 

[N.C.]

What a cracker of a thread. f**k me, it's good to have the internet on again...

Right. So... Ryan Cross. What the...?

As I've read it, he's approached us to see if we'll give him an opportunity, and we're 'looking into it'. Says he was a fan as a kid and there's the link with his dad there too. Thinks it would be a nice way to round out his career.

So - a "solid first grader" who has form on the board in the NRL (no matter how you couch it) wants to play for the Tigers. What's not to like about that?

But then... it is Ryan Cross. Always f**ken hated that guy. Perhaps mostly because he used to split our defense so easily almost every time we played the Rooters. As a player, he always knew how to find the line - and often at the crucial time. I seem to recall him as a bit of a match-winning finisher, albeit on the back of something special from some high class playmakers.

On balance, I'd be happy if he came to the Tigers, because we're not short of high class playmakers. We're not really short of finishers, either, but we could use some depth there. If he comes for the love of it, and not the money, then let him be a Tiger.

If he's after a cash-cow though, then f**k him off to Souths...

 

[TrigaTheTiger]

Hear hear NC