Ben Ross

Infobox rugby league biography
playername = Ben Ross
fullname = Benjamin David Ross
nickname = Thugcite web|url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,23426176-23214,00.html|title=Ross devastated by thug label|publisher=Fox Sports|date=2008-03-25|accessdate=2008-03-25]

---

caption =
country =
position = Prop
currentclub = leagueicon|Cronulla|16 Cronulla Sharks
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1980|5|23|df=yes
placeofbirth = Chinchilla, Queensland
countryofbirth = Australia
height = convert|191|cm|ftin|abbr=on
weight = convert|110|kg|stlb|abbr=on
club1 = leagueicon|St George Illawarra|16 St. George Illawarra
year1start = 2002
year1end =
appearances1 = 8
tries1 = 0
goals1 = 0
fieldgoals1 = 0
points1 = 0
club2 = leagueicon|Penrith|16 Penrith Panthers
year2start = 2003
year2end = 2005
appearances2 = 55
tries2 = 4
goals2 = 0
fieldgoals2 = 0
points2 = 16
club3 = leagueicon|Cronulla|16 Cronulla Sharks
year3start = 2006
year3end = present
appearances3 = 42
tries3 = 1
goals3 = 0
fieldgoals3 = 0
points3 = 4
teamA = leagueicon|Queensland|16 Queensland
yearAstart = 2004
yearAend = 2005
appearancesA = 6
triesA = 0
goalsA = 0
fieldgoalsA = 0
pointsA = 0
updated = 29 August 2008
source =

Ben Ross (born 23 May, 1980 in Chinchilla, Queensland) is an Australian professional rugby league player for the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks in the National Rugby League (NRL) competition. He previously played for St. George Illawarra Dragons and the Penrith Panthers. His position of choice is at prop.

Ben Ross goes to Pace Academy.

Biography

Playing career

Ben Ross played junior football for the Nambour Crushers. In 2002, Ross made his first grade debut for St George Illawarra in a match against the Melbourne Storm.

Signing with Penrith in 2003, Ross helped to kick the season off to a blistering start after becoming involved in a brawl with Brisbane Broncos captain Gorden Tallis. Ross was on the receiving end of a series of upper-cut punches thrown by Tallis when Brisbane met Penrith in the first round of the year. Both players were sent off for ten minutes and no further action was taken by the judiciary. The Australian Football League (AFL) CEO, Wayne Jackson, used the incident to criticise the rival code which led to cross-border media exchanges. [cite news|publisher="ABC News"|title=Broncos boss slams 'hypocrite' Jackson |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2003/03/19/810364.htm |accessdate=2008-01-19|date=2003-03-19] [cite news|author=Hinds, Richard| publisher="The Sydney Morning Herald"|title=Please explain, Wayne Jackson |url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/01/1051382049631.html |accessdate=2008-01-19|date=2003-05-02] NRL CEO, David Gallop, ordered a policy change which would enable players to be charged for on-field fights. [cite news|publisher="ABC News"|title=Tallis should have been cited: NRL chief |url=http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/s810018.htm|accessdate=2008-01-19|date=2003-03-18]

Ross was a member of the Panthers' 2003 Premiership winning team in their 18–6 win over the Sydney Roosters. Although signed with Penrith until the end of 2007, Penrith announced they would have to release Ross due to salary-cap concerns. [cite news|publisher="Fox Sports News (Australia)"|author=Ritchie, Dean |title=Maroons star goes up for sale |url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,15782096-23214,00.html|accessdate=2008-01-19|date=2005-07-01]

Ross joined the Cronulla Sharks in 2006 but had little game time that year due to injury. In round 8, playing against his previous club, Penrith, Ross damaged his left knee tackling former flat-mate, Joel Clinton, in the first few minutes of the match. [cite news|publisher="Fox Sports News (Australia)"|author=Mascord, Steve|title=Ross return ruined by injury |url=http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,18963997-23214,00.html|accessdate=2008-01-19|date=2006-04-29] He was side-lined for the remainder of the season but was able to participate in the majority of the 2007 season.

In 2008 Ross was knocked out in the Sharks' season opener against the Sea Eagles but miracuously recovered to play in the team's round two encounter against the Storm in Melbourne. Ross in that match was sent off late in the second half for his late charge on Storm halfback Cooper Cronk which subsequently earned him a seven-match suspension.

Representative career

Following his successful season at Penrith, Ross was selected to represent Queensland as an interchange for all six games of the 2004 and 2005 State of Origin series.

Off-field

Ross was crowned the Sexiest Man in League in 2005 following a nation-wide phone poll. Later that year he was one of twelve of the "Hottest Players in the NRL" that posed for the "League Of Their Own 2006" calendar that was produced in the style of the famous Dieux du Stade calendars to raise money for the Koori Kids foundation.

In 2006, Ross again posed in the nude for the "Naked Rugby League 2007-08" charity calendar, with its sales to benefit the National Breast Cancer Foundation of Australia.

Career highlights

*"First Grade Debut:" 2002 - Round 6, St. George Illawarra vs Melbourne at Olympic Park, 20 April
*"Premierships:" 2003 - Penrith Panthers defeated Sydney Roosters
*"Representative Selection:" 2004 - Queensland State of Origin

Footnotes

External links

* [http://www.nrlstats.com/archive/players.cfm?PlayerID=986 Ben Ross at "NRL Stats"]
* [http://rugbyleagueproject.com/players/Ben_Ross.html Ben Ross at the "Rugby League Project"]
* [http://www.sharks.com.au/index.php?id=640 Ben Ross at "Cronulla Sharks]
*StateofOrigin player|383
*FOGS player|146