Daniel Cross

[Dogs 24/7]

Inspired by the Griffen's best position debate I thought I should ask if there is another position we can play Cross if his time in the middle gets eaten up by Cooney Giansiracusa Boyd and Griffen ?
He is a fine ruck rover but if he cant get enough time there can he be used on a wing or flank ?

[The Coon Dog]

No, in a word.

He needs to be the one to extract the pill & dish it off to those with the leg speed to break away.

He is one paced, admittedly it's still the same pace at the final siren as it is at the first bounce & his kicking lacks penetration & speed.

Crossy is great in & under & that's where I think we'll benefit most from him.

[Mantis]

How come then CD Cross spends a fair amount of his time outside the centre square often playing on a wing?

I agree with many of your thoughts, but already he spends too much time away from the engine room for my liking & I don't see his time in the middle increasing this year.

He simply must get better at using the ball by foot if he is to continue to spend time on the wing.

[The Coon Dog]

How come then CD Cross spends a fair amount of his time outside the centre square often playing on a wing?

No idea why he often isn't in the middle when the balls being bounced. I can only assume that there are others preferred because of their acceleration when it's not as congested as say a ball up around the ground.

[Twodogs]

How come then CD Cross spends a fair amount of his time outside the centre square often playing on a wing?

I agree with many of your thoughts, but already he spends too much time away from the engine room for my liking & I don't see his time in the middle increasing this year.

He simply must get better at using the ball by foot if he is to continue to spend time on the wing.



I think the idea is he will already be travelling at the right pace when he gathers the ball if he hits the contest from a distance away and it's better than him just kind of standing there and the ball dropping to his feet from the ruck contest.


His positioning at stoppages rather than centre bounces would give us a better idea I guess.

[mjp]

No idea why he often isn't in the middle when the balls being bounced. I can only assume that there are others preferred because of their acceleration when it's not as congested as say a ball up around the ground.

Yep.

Wing, centre-square...it really is all the same thing today. It is not as if when he is on a wing he plays as if there is an imaginary force-field straight down the middle of the ground!

[MrMahatma]

Cross has to play where he can use his hands. If he had to play on a flank he'd have to have good foot skills, which he clearly doesn't. Much better through the centre getting the hard ball and dishing it off.

I think the Griffen debate is interesting, cause he'd actually be good playing a variety of different roles - where as Cross really is a one-trick pony... albeit a very good trick.