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Cross happy as west meets east
By Bret Harris, c/o FoxSports
February 28, 2007
WESTERN Force outside centre Ryan Cross has not experienced a home win in Perth yet, but on Friday he returns to familiar surroundings where he savoured many victories.
Cross played 143 games for the Sydney Roosters over nine seasons in the NRL and about half were played at Aussie Stadium, the home ground of the Force's next opponent, the Waratahs.
It would be fair to say that Cross will feel more at home at Aussie Stadium than most of the Waratahs.
There are also several ex-Waratahs in the Force line-up - Brendan Cannon, Scott Staniforth, Cameron Shepherd, Gareth Hardy, Chris O'Young, Matt Hodgson and Troy Takiari - who are well-acquainted with the ground.
"I'm looking forward to it," Cross said. "I'm quite familiar with that ground. It's a good ground. It's one of the better grounds in Australia."
Cross said it would be strange getting ready for the game in the visiting team's dressing room.
"I'm used to being on the home team," he said. "I've never been in the other dressing room. But I'll have family and friends in the stand."
The Waratahs have built an imposing record at Aussie Stadium and are looking forward to playing their first game at home this season after losing two of three matches in South Africa.
They play seven of their remaining 10 games at home and will need to win most of them to figure in the play-offs.
Cross is certainly aware of the pressure involved in trying to win at home.
Force have failed to win at home in eight attempts since joining the Super series last year. Their one-point losses to the Highlanders and Lions this season have prompted suggestions they are suffering from a home-ground hoodoo.
"We should have won both of our home games," Cross said. "It was disappointing. It's hard to take, but you've got to move on ... maybe we are trying too hard."
An Australian Schoolboys representative at rugby, Cross has made a smooth transition to rugby at senior level, catching the eye of Australia coach John Connolly as a potential Test inside centre.
Meanwhile, a frustrated Staniforth said he would relish a move from the wing to the centres in time to prove something to his former Waratahs teammates.
After returning to Australia as the Force's final signing for last season, Staniforth was a revelation in the midfield, scoring a team-high nine tries and earning a recall to the Wallabies in the process.
But following the arrival of Cross and Reds flyer Drew Mitchell in the off-season, Staniforth has found himself on the wing, leading to less ball and a reduced impact - and no tries. I really don't know why all the articles today have lumped Mitchell into this, surely they mean Cross and Giteau?
"I don't make a secret of that fact, I would love to be back in the centres. But it is where I best fit the team at the moment, and that is on the wing," Staniforth said.
"It is not about where I want to play. I haven't had as much ball as I'd like.
"But it is one of those things, it is a team game and you can't be worried too much about that.
"Obviously I would like to get more ball, but half of that is up to me, and working a bit harder."
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