The Elephant in the room

[DJC]

When I started this thread it really wasn't because I thought Cripps was a 'magnificent beast'.

No the "Elephant in the room" is the fact we'd be pretty much f**ked without his presence at this stage of our development.

It's often said a player was a difference between winning and losing.
It's a bit of a throwaway line sometimes, as there are lots of factors in a game.

But I think that you would probably get general agreement that we wouldn't have won the game yesterday without Cripps.
Other players were great contributors...Walsh, Weitering, Ed Curnow, Kreuzer all had very good games.

But Cripps was colossal.

In  junior football you sometimes get that more mature kid who dominates a game.
It was a bit like that.
A man playing with and against a group of kids.

His play not only brought others into the game but enthused the playing group and the supporters.
The young kids developing around him could have no better example.

I agree entirely Lods.  I think that we could be competitive without him for a game or two, provided everyone else on our list was fit and firing, but Crippa is irreplaceable.  The team’s dismal performances when he had off days shows how reliant we are.

What I really liked about his game yesterday was how much he was enjoying himself.  After the burden he has shouldered, it was great to see him reaping the rewards of his efforts.