Monday, April 30, 2012
Sunday, April 29, 2012
Tigers down Eels in one-point thriller
Parramatta's miserable start to the season continued on Sunday, despite falling by just one point to Wests Tigers as star recruit Chris Sandow watched on from the stands.
The Eels scored five converted tries in the last 13 minutes to roar home - but fell agonisingly short of the valuable two competition points, with Benji Marshall's first-half field goal the difference for the Tigers in the 31-30 victory.
Yet it was Tim Sheens who was the more ropeable coach after the match, admitting his men clocked off - and were lucky to get home.
"We were very disappointed - 31-0 with 14 minutes to go and you let them score and get within a point," Sheens said.
"It's just rubbish.
"The only positive is the win.
"... It was attitude, for sure. We just clocked off - there's no doubt."
For 67 minutes the Eels looked like a rabble while the Tigers were in cruise control, going ahead with first-half tries to Chris Lawrence, Beau Ryan and Liam Fulton, before a second-half double to bench forward Ben Murdoch-Masila looked to have ended the game with 20 minutes to play.
But the Eels mounted an unlikely fightback, started by unheralded prop Matt Ryan crashing over in the 67th minute.
His four-pointer was followed by tries to Willie Tonga, Ken Sio, Jarryd Hayne and an 80th-minute effort to Cheyse Blair to ensure the one-point full-time margin.
Sandow, lured to the Eels on a big money deal from South Sydney in the off-season, has been the focal point of criticism directed at Parramatta's horrendous form which has reaped just one victory in 2012.
The Tigers have also endured a sluggish start to the season but, despite never getting out of second gear, did more than enough to secure their third win of the year and move within two points of the top eight.
But Tigers five-eighth Marshall said his team should never have let such a commanding lead slip.
"I don't know, maybe it's attitude," Marshall told Grandstand about the lacklustre second-half performance.
"We let the foot off the pedal and they were unlucky in the end."
He also admitted Sheens was unlikely to be happy with the performance.
"We got the two points which is great and we definitely needed it.
"But that last 20 (minutes) is a bit of a wake-up call for us and I'm sure we'll get a carving in the shed."
Tigers captain Robbie Farah did his New South Wales State of Origin aspirations no harm, setting up centre Lawrence's soft try in the 11th minute.
Sandow's replacement at number seven, utility Casey McGuire, had a forgettable afternoon and was put on report twice - for high tackles on Tim Moltzen and Farah, while team-mate Mitchell Allgood was on report for a high shot on Benji Marshall.
Parramatta's attack twice descended into farce, firstly when five-eighth Ben Roberts threw a pass roughly 15 metres forward late in the first half - and then when prop Fuifui Moimoi committed one of the most blatant double movements while attempting to score in the second half.
Veteran winger Luke Burt admitted his team's late rally wasn't enough to salvage another disappointing display.
"It's a bit frustrating ... you can't give teams a 31 points head start," Burt said.
"We showed what we can do in the end but it's just not good enough."
Tigers: 31 (B Murdoch-Masila 2, C Lawrence, B Ryan, L Fulton tries; B Marshall 4/5 cons, field goal; T Moltzen 1/1 pens)
Eels: 30 (M Ryan, W Tonga, K Sio, J Hayne, C Blair tries; L Burt 5/5 cons)
ABC/AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, parramatta-2150, nsw, campbelltown-2560, australia First posted April 29, 2012 17:03:58Sharks circling after smashing Raiders
Competition surprise packet Cronulla racked up six straight wins for the first time since 2002, smashing the lowly Raiders 44-24 at Canberra Stadium on Sunday.
The Sharks piled on five tries in the first half to lead 28-12 at the break and did not relent in the second 40 minutes to stay outright third on the NRL ladder behind only Melbourne and Brisbane.
Cronulla's no-frills approach has hitherto won only a handful of plaudits but Shane Flanagan's men showed they are most definitely a force to be reckoned with in 2012 on the back of yet another disciplined display.
Five-eighth Todd Carney said his side's attack has really come together in recent weeks but still expressed concern over uncharacteristic lapses in defence.
"There were a lot of people doubting if we could score points, obviously we can defend good," he told Grandstand.
"But [to concede] 22 points is not good enough if we want to be a top four team going into Souths and Melbourne in the next two weeks.
"We can't defend like that or else they will be putting more points than that."
With Carney and halves partner Jeff Robson setting the tone with their exemplary kicking game, including forcing seven line dropouts, Cronulla applied consistent pressure to open up the porous Canberra defence at will.
"They obviously came with a game plan to wear us down and make us defend and they did that so well," Canberra forward Tom Learoyd-Lahrs told Grandstand.
"I can't remember how many times we dropped out today and had to defend our line.
"You can't afford to do it against anybody with the likes of Todd Carney in their team, they are going to score against anybody.
"They were more patient and played a more clinical game."
Carney continued to play himself into a New South Wales jersey with a commanding performance while Robson capped a great display by stepping his way through the tired Raiders line to nab himself a four-pointer.
The visitors averaged a try every eight minutes in the opening half with three coming courtesy of two pin-point Carney cross-field kicks and a deft Robson grubber.
One of Cronulla's two losses this season came in round two against Newcastle after a host of wasted chances cost them in a disappointing 18-6 home defeat.
There was no signs of such profligacy in the nation's capital, the Sharks clinical in the second half with their conversion rate barring one missed chance by Williams eight minutes after the restart.
The winger finished with two tries for the game, however, while Paul Gallen continued to show his insatiable hunger for hard work with 23 runs for 203 metres and 21 tackles.
The inspirational skipper also played a key role in the Sharks' fourth try, putting emerging forward Jason Bukuya through a lovely hole for John Morris to dot down and stretch the lead to 10 points.
Gallen's vision out of dummy half also setup the Sharks' last try to Colin Best in the 63rd minute with the contest all but over.
"He keeps lifting the benchmark," Carney said of his captain.
"The good thing about that is Jeremy Smith, Ben Ross and Bryce Gibbs are following him and helping him through his workload and it's just great the big blokes are doing that."
On a positive note for Canberra, sitting 12th with three wins, full-back Josh Dugan made a promising return from an AC joint injury to give the Raiders side an attacking edge with captain Terry Campese sidelines for the season.
Learoyd-Lahrs admitted the absence of Campese left a big hole in Canberra's ranks.
"It's noticeably different when he is not there," he said.
"Talk has to go up a couple of levels and couple of levels and cohesion as well.
"Once we start to play some patient footy and do what they did to us... we will start to win some games."
Cronulla: 44 (J Williams 2, B Pomeroy, J Bukuya, J Morris, S Mills, J Robson, C Best tries; T Carney 5/8 cons; 1/1 pen)
Canberra: 18 (J McCrone 2, J Dugan, R Robinson tries; J Croker 4/4 cons)
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, canberra-2600, cronulla-2230, nsw, australia, act First posted April 29, 2012 16:01:37Bunnies jump slow-starting Cowboys
South Sydney moved back into the top eight, punishing a slow-starting North Queensland to run out 20-16 winners at the Olympic stadium.
Daylight saving might have ended a month ago but the Cowboys looked like they were still an hour behind at the kick-off, allowing the Rabbitohs to surge to an early 20-0 lead that proved just enough.
The Cowboys scored three second-half tries, including a double to Ashley Graham, to give themselves a chance of a dramatic comeback, but South Sydney's start proved too big.
"The boys obviously had to work really hard in the second half," Rabbitohs coach Michael Maguire told Grandstand.
"We had some really good momentum in the first half but there's a quality team sitting across from us the road from us with the Johnathan Thurstons and the Bowens and all their forward pack.
"We knew they were going to come at us at some stage, and we're lucky that we got that start.
"But that's something that we need to learn as a team - how to hang on to that for 80 minutes."
The Rabbitohs kept pace with the clock over the opening quarter, the Cowboys paying dearly for a lack of discipline and soft goal-line defence.
The first two tries came directly on the back of offside penalties, while the efforts to stop Greg Inglis and Issac Luke from close range were dreadful.
Ray Thompson was out of his depth when he was left one-on-one facing up to Inglis after seven minutes, but even four defenders could not deny Luke in a trademark twisting effort from dummy half on 12 minutes.
Another penalty allowed the Rabbitohs to extend their advantage beyond two converted tries and they went within millimetres of going further in front when Nathan Merritt - playing his first game of 2012 after overcoming a toe injury - fumbled an athletic leap for a high ball.
It was a temporary moment of rest for the scoreboard attendant with Dave Taylor living up to his nickname as the "Coal Train" rumbled over from close range.
The Cowboys finally were awarded their first penalty in the 24th minute, but it only served to help keep Souths at bay until the break.
Their ears ringing from a dressing down from coach Neil Henry, the Cowboys had more spark to their play when they resumed, and there was sign of life when James Segeyaro dived over seven minutes after the restart.
Henry was left to rue the fact that his troops did not turn up until halfway through the contest.
"We certainly didn't start with the required intensity or commitment to hold them back," he told Grandstand.
"There was a couple of quite poor efforts in our own 20 that allowed them to get points."
A penalty once again provided the impetus for another try, this time the Cowboys the beneficiaries as Graham did brilliantly to get under the defence for his first.
The visitors were full of running and it appeared 20 points was not going to be enough for the Rabbitohs, but their excitement failed to match their execution as Matt Bowen's long ball for an unmarked Graham found the sideline advertising.
The winger eventually scored his ninth try in eight games four minutes from the finish, but the Cowboys ran out of time to reel in the home side.
"I think we got a bit excited about space on our edges and our execution was poor," Henry said.
"To their credit they were really coming up and in on their defensive line, and we threw a couple of passes over the top of the wingers' heads which is not good enough."
Rabbitohs: 20 (G Inglis, I Luke, D Taylor tries; A Reynolds 3/3 conversions, I Luke 1/1 penalty goals)
Cowboys: 16 (A Graham 2, J Segeyaro tries; J Thurston 2/3 conversions)
ABC/AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, redfern-2016, nsw, australia, townsville-4810, qld First posted April 28, 2012 21:28:00Foran stays with Sea Eagles
Manly has confirmed five-eighth Kieran Foran has re-signed to stay at the club until the end of 2015.
The 21-year-old Kiwi international was being headhunted by former Sea Eagles coach Des Hasler, but put pen to paper on a new three-year deal to maintain his premiership-winning partnership with Daly Cherry-Evans.
"This has been the toughest decision of my life, but I love playing with my mates and playing with a club that has such a great culture and strong values," he said.
"I'd like to thank everyone for their patience during this process."
Despite winning last season's grand final, Manly endured a rocky off-season.
But coach Geoff Toovey said Foran's signing was yet another boost for the Sea Eagles.
"Kieran has a fantastic future at this great club. Despite enormous outside pressure, he's handled this process very professionally and it's a great reflection of the club's spirit, culture and camaraderie that he has decided to stay," he said.
"Kieran is an important part of the Sea Eagles' future and his combination with Daly is one of the best in the game. We've always wanted to secure him for the long-term and we're glad he's decided to stay," added chief operating officer David Perry.
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, manly-2095, nsw, australia First posted April 28, 2012 23:15:24Saturday, April 28, 2012
Warriors sweep aside Titans
The Warriors extended Gold Coast's off- and on-field woes with a comfortable 26-6 victory at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.
The Titans, who according to the Australian Rugby League Commission are under financial stress, slumped to their third straight loss while the Warriors picked up just their second win of the season.
Three first-half tries had the hosts 14 clear at half-time and contest was over just 10 minutes after the break when New Zealand captain Simon Mannering crossed.
In a blow for the Warriors, full-back Kevin Locke limped off in the dying stages.
The Titans fought hard but, in conditions that made handling difficult, they produced too many mistakes to put real pressure on the Warriors.
It was a Shaun Johnson bomb that was the catalyst for the opening try.
Titans full-back William Zillman could not defuse the high kick and opposition second-rower Elijah Taylor picked up the scraps to barge over.
Another Johnson kick, across field to winger Manu Vatuvei, almost produced another try.
But in a tight decision, video ref Paul Mellor ruled that Vatuvei's forearm touched the sideline a split second before he got the ball down.
Vatuvei did get on the scoresheet nine minutes from the interval when the Warriors took advantage of good field position after another Titans mistake.
Down 10-0, Gold Coast should have hit back on the stroke of half-time when skipper Scott Prince made a big break and kicked deftly for winger Dominique Peyroux, who could not finish.
Instead, the Warriors gathered the loose ball and streaked downfield.
Vatuvei was pulled down five metres from the line, but Johnson pirouetted from dummy half to bamboozle the defence and dot down.
After Mannering crossed, Johnson extended the margin with an intercept try.
The Titans had the final word when a Kevin Gordon intercept resulted in Luke O'Dwyer getting a consolation score.
Warriors: 26 (S Johnson 2, S Mannering, E Taylor, M Vatuvei tries; J Maloney 3 goals)
Titans: 6 (L O'Dwyer try; S Prince goal)
ABC/AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, new-zealand, robina-4226, qld, australia First posted March 24, 2012 19:29:26Chinese tech firm signs deal with Canberra Raiders
The Chinese technology company that has been banned from tendering for Australia's National Broadband Network has announced a sponsorship deal with Canberra's NRL team.
The Federal Government blocked Huawei's plans to tender for the NBN because of cyber security concerns.
The company has now signed a two-year deal, worth a reported $1.7 million, to be major sponsor of the Canberra Raiders.
David Wang from Huawei says the deal is part of the company's strategy.
"We set up offices here a long time and also have a longer vision in this country, so this opportunity is in line with our strategy," he said.
Raiders chief executive Don Furner says it is a fantastic deal and the club had been in talks with Huawei for some time.
"We've been in conversation with them now on and off for probably six months," he said.
"They were re-evaluating a lot of what they did. They had a lot of proposals across their desk from all different sports and we were just very patient with them and we never put any deadlines on them and we just worked with them."
Huawei's founder used to work as an engineer with the People's Liberation Army, but the company has repeatedly denied any links with the Chinese military.
Huawei is China's largest privately owned company.
Tags: internet-technology, business-economics-and-finance, nrl, china First posted March 30, 2012 15:12:53Te'o to miss two matches
Brisbane's Ben Te'o will be sidelined for the Broncos' next two matches after being found guilty of a grade three dangerous contact charge, before successfully getting the offence downgraded to a grade two offence.
Te'o was initially hit with a four-match ban following a marathon judiciary hearing lasting almost two hours on Wednesday night in the wake of his shoulder charge on Wests Tigers prop Matt Groat, who was forced from the field with concussion last Friday night.
But immediately after the verdict was delivered by the three-man panel of Michael Buettner, Don McKinnon and Chris McKenna, the Broncos' counsel Peter Shields applied for a second hearing to fight the grading.
That lasted almost 45 minutes and saw video footage presented of incidents involving St George Illawarra's Leeson Ah Mau and Canberra's Joel Thompson, which Shield claimed were similar to Te'o's but were deemed to be grade one offences.
The panel took just over five minutes to make their second decision and the 25-year-old will now be free to return in round nine against the Warriors.
Broncos' chief executive Paul White says the verdict vindicates the club's decision to make the trip to Sydney.
"The decision has made it a worthwhile effort in what has been a long night for all concerned," White said.
"Our focus is now on facing Canberra this weekend."
The decision to find Te'o guilty places the future of the shoulder charge very much in doubt, in light of the one-match imposed on Canterbury's Frank Pritchard earlier in the season for a challenge to the head of Penrith's David Simmonds.
Shield earlier presented nine still shots of the incident and asked Te'o to explain in great detail what he was doing in each one in a bid to prove his innocence.
Footage of Groat leaving the field at Sydney Stadium was also presented, with Shield arguing that there were no lacerations to his face and little evidence to suggest Te'o had caught him on the head and not the upper body.
Te'o and NRL counsel Peter Kite then had a verbal sparring match, with the player claiming the challenge was fair, with Kite arguing that there was no evidence to suggest he had not hit Groat in the head.
"I could see he had no footwork as he is a front rower, and I had watched video of him all week," Te'o said.
"I knew he would take off straight up so I shortened my step to get my timing right and hit him above the ball and into the shoulder. I was hard and fast and he was hard and fast."
But Kite's argument proved to be successful and a decision was made by the panel in less than 10 minutes to find Te'o guilty.
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, brisbane-4000 First posted April 11, 2012 21:16:46Yow Yeh goes under the knife
Brisbane coach Anthony Griffin has praised injured NRL winger Jharal Yow Yeh for his mental resolve in battling several setbacks before finally undergoing surgery on his broken leg on Tuesday.
Before being wheeled into the operating theatre of leading orthopaedic specialist Dr Peter Myers at Brisbane's St Andrews Private hospital, the 22-year-old representative star posted on Twitter "heading into theatre now ... can't wait for it all to be over."
Yow Yeh suffered one of the worst injuries seen in rugby league in recent years at Perth Oval last month, when the bone pierced through his skin as he dislocated his ankle.
He has spent the past 32 days in hospital undergoing multiple skin grafts and warding off infection.
His major operation has had to be cancelled several times, but each time he has remained as positive as he can.
"I've got so much admiration for Jharal the way he's handle everything," Griffin said as Yow Yeh was having his surgery.
"I've really felt for him this past month, he hasn't been out of hospital since that night in Perth (March 8).
"I have to give him a rap for his state of mind and the way he's stayed so positive.
"We're all really looking forward to him getting out of hospital, starting his rehab and seeing him around the place again."
Griffin has kept in regular contact with Yow Yeh and said he has shown tremendous character to stay positive and believing he can make it back to the NRL.
"As disappointing as all this would be for him he's really kept positive," he said.
"He's had this big operation and procedure delayed nearly every three or four days as plans kept changing and they kept pushing it back.
"It would have been terribly frustrating for him but he's always had a smile on his face and talked about getting back to training and back on the field."
The club was still awaiting an update on Yow Yeh's condition from Myers.
"Dr Myers can often be in the operating theatre until 10pm at night on surgery days," Brisbane football manager Andrew Gee said.
"We're all hoping it went well for Jharal."
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, brisbane-4000, qld, australia First posted April 24, 2012 20:21:46Parramatta pitch approved for Manly visit
The ARL Commission conducted a final inspection of Parramatta Stadium's playing surface on Friday and cleared the venue to host Saturday night's NRL clash.
The stadium re-laid 2,000 square metres of turf prior to the match between Manly and Parramatta after complaints from Penrith coach Ivan Cleary.
Cleary suggested the "disgraceful" surface played a role in the broken leg suffered by Nathan Smith in last Friday's win over the Eels.
The Commission's general manager of football operations Nathan McGuirk is happy the stadium will be up to scratch on Saturday.
"The Parramatta Stadium Trust has done an excellent job to repair the playing surface and all parties are 100 per cent satisfied it is suitable for play tomorrow night," McGuirk said after meeting with representatives from both clubs and the Rugby League Players Association.
"Part of the inspection process today involved players from Parramatta's Toyota Cup squad undertaking training drills on the new turf and the feedback from them was nothing but positive."
However, the Commission moved the curtain-raiser under-20s match between the Eels and Sea Eagles to Wentworthville on Sunday.
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, parramatta-2150 First posted March 30, 2012 18:53:32Origin speculation nothing new for Pearce
Mitchell Pearce says he has learned to deal with the constant speculation surrounding his New South Wales position ahead of next month's State of Origin series opener in Melbourne.
Despite being the incumbent half-back for the Blues and performing well in last year's 2-1 series defeat, Pearce is not certain to keep his number seven shirt, with Newcastle's Jarrod Mullen and Brisbane's Peter Wallace breathing down his neck.
Former Sydney Roosters team-mate Todd Carney is also in the running, with the pair to face off in Sunday's City-Country match in Mudgee.
Pearce is pleased to see the Cronulla man back to his best after a controversy-filled 2011.
"Toddy is a great player and he's been real good this year and I am real pleased for him," Pearce said.
"Around this time of year, there is always talk about who'll make Origin and who'll miss out and this year's no different.
"I genuinely have no idea who Sticky (coach Ricky Stuart) is going to pick.
"I hope it's me, and there are three or four others probably thinking the same. But I can't do anything about the speculation. It is what it is - I just ignore it."
The City squad arrived in Mudgee on Wednesday night and were able to train in dry conditions on Thursday for the first time since linking up in camp in rain-soaked Sydney on Monday.
The session gave Pearce another chance to watch Jarryd Hayne at close quarters in the five-eighth role and the 22-year-old has been impressed with what he has seen from the versatile Parramatta superstar in what could potentially be yet another New South Wales halves combination.
"I think he will go real good," he said.
"He plays like a ball player when he's played at five-eighth for Parramatta and, the year he won the Dally M in 2009, he also played that way from full-back.
"He's a threat when he runs out the back of block plays and he's got ability to run with the ball.
"I honestly don't know what Sticky is thinking about, but he must like him as a five-eighth, which is why he's got him here and I'm looking forward to playing with him."
AAP
Tags: state-of-origin, rugby-league, sport, nsw, australia First posted April 19, 2012 15:57:51Mason set to face Panthers
Willie Mason says he has not dwelled on Wests Tigers' decision not to sign him and the former New South Wales and Test forward insists he can help turn around Newcastle's indifferent start to the NRL season.
Mason, who has signed with the Knights until the end of the season, was named on the bench by coach Wayne Bennett for Monday's clash with Penrith in what will be his first NRL match since 2010.
The 32-year-old has spent time playing rugby in France following a six-game Super League stint with Hull KR, and last played in Australia for North Queensland.
Mason almost joined the Tigers earlier this month, only for the joint venture to get cold feet at the prospect of signing the controversial star, allowing Bennett to sign him.
"There was a few mixed emotions when I heard the Tigers thing wasn't going to happen," Mason said.
"They're a great club and Tim Sheens is a great coach and a good man.
"I wasn't over the moon. I was in the best state of my life, but I believe things happen for a reason.
"I was disheartened for about 10 seconds, I don't dwell on things too much.
"About a week later I got a call from Wayne and I was stoked."
Mason played 60 minutes in a NSW Cup game for the Knights last weekend, and feels he has still got something to offer in the NRL.
And the former Canterbury and Sydney Roosters star is not concerned about his critics.
"I don't really care what a lot of people say," he said.
"It's about proving it to Wayne, my team-mates, my family and myself. Not anyone else.
"I've got the ability to play at the highest level, I've done it before and I am quietly confident I can do it again."
Manly welcome back Glenn and Brett Stewart for their grudge match against former coach Des Hasler's Canterbury, with Kieran Foran also back from a hamstring injury for the premiers' clash with the Bulldogs at the Olympic stadium.
South Sydney coach Michael Maguire says he will give Nathan Merritt until the last minute to prove his fitness ahead of Saturday's clash with the Cowboys.
Merritt has not played this season due to a foot injury, but is named on an extended bench.
Canberra will once again have the services of tackling machine Shaun Fensom for its encounter with in-form Cronulla on Sunday.
Fensom tore his bicep in the round three clash with Sydney Roosters, but has passed a fitness test and returns.
Young hooker Nathan McIlwrick could make his debut off an extended bench in favour of Travis Waddell.
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, newcastle-2300, penrith-2750, nsw, australia First posted April 24, 2012 16:28:16Mead, Idris return for Titans
The Titans received some rare good news on Tuesday, with star duo David Mead and Jamal Idris set to return from injury while Greg Bird's foot injury is not as bad as first thought.
Bird injured his foot while attempting a kick in Sunday's loss to Canterbury, with fears he faced a lengthy stint on the sideline.
And while scans revealed he had suffered a torn ankle ligament, the Titans are hopeful the New South Wales representative could miss as few as two matches.
The Titans are resigned to losing Bird for their upcoming games against Sydney Roosters and Manly, and have eyed their round eight clash with Brisbane, after the representative round bye, for his potential return.
"He's got a tear in a ligament in his ankle - so it's around the 4-6 week mark but hopefully we'll get him back after the bye," coach John Cartwright said.
The news is better for Mead, Idris and back-rower Mark Minichiello, who will all face fitness tests but have been named to face the Roosters at Skilled Park on Sunday.
Both Mead (broken jaw) and Idris (hamstring) have not played since round two, while Minichiello suffered an ankle injury against the Bulldogs.
"We're hopeful," Cartwright said.
"We won't really know until closer to the weekend but if those guys get through the rest of the week, that's the side we'll run with."
With Bird sidelined, Jordan Rankin returns at five-eighth while bench hooker Kayne Lawton will miss up to six weeks after injuring his hamstring.
Storm keeping tabs on Slater
Meanwhile, Melbourne Storm will take no risks with Billy Slater's sore foot with the busy representative season fast approaching.
But the flying full-back is still expected to play in Sunday night's clash with North Queensland, even though he has spent several days recently wearing a moonboot.
Slater, the Test and Queensland Origin full-back, has been even more dynamic than usual early in the year, scoring nine tries in five matches - all of which resulted in wins for the table-topping Storm.
"The rep period is just around the corner so we want to try and restrict his training as much as possible without harming what he needs to do for the team each week as well," Storm coach Craig Bellamy said on Tuesday.
"The medical staff thought it was a good idea to keep him in a boot over the weekend.
"... I think it's more of a tendinitis-type issue and, if he does too much on it, it can turn into a stress fracture.
"It's far from a stress fracture at the moment but, if he does over-use it, he could end up in that situation.
"I'm pretty much sure he'll be playing this week.
"But if our medical department come to me and say he needs a week off this week, we'll consider it."
The news is much worse for the Storm's Kiwi international second-rower Sika Manu, who will be sidelined for six to 10 weeks with an ankle injury suffered in last weekend's win over Newcastle.
"That's not good for us," said Bellamy.
"Sika was just starting to hit some really good form.
"Sometimes he starts the season a little slowly but he's been pretty good this year and the last couple of weeks he has been outstanding."
Bellamy said Melbourne had several players who could step up and cover for Manu including Kevin Proctor, Todd Lowrie and Kenny Bromwich.
Young New Zealander Tohu Harris could also have come into calculations to make his NRL debut, had he not hurt his knee last weekend.
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, robina-4226, qld, australia First posted April 03, 2012 16:38:59Baby Blues win under-20s Origin clash
New South Wales may have finally found a group of players capable of ending Queensland's six-year State of Origin reign, although it might be another five years before any of them graduate to that level.
The Blues took out the inaugural under-20s State of Origin clash with a gripping 18-14 victory at Panthers Stadium on Saturday night after surviving a tense final 10 minutes as Queensland attacked the tryline looking to steal the win.
But as the Baby Blues clung on to victory with desperate defence, they also looked to have unearthed a number of future NRL stars and perhaps an Origin saviour or two.
Most of them have not yet played first grade and can only dream of taking on Johnathan Thurston, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith at Lang Park.
But their impressive performance would have tempted Blues coach Ricky Stuart, who was an interested onlooker, to crack a smile.
Sydney Roosters prop Kane Evans was immense for the Blues and scored the try of the match in the 24th minute.
The 192cm forward side-stepped his way through the Maroons defence before sprinting past full-back Lachlan Maranta on a 42m run to the tryline.
Queensland was best served by centres Edrick Lee, who scored a double, and Tautau Moga.
The first of Lee's double came from an 80m bust in the first half, while a powerful run from Moga set up his second.
Earlier, Brisbane winger Aaron Whitchurch showed great composure to open the scoring for the Maroons in the ninth minute off an excellent stabbing grubber from Ben Hampton.
But it was New South Wales which took a 12-8 half-time lead thanks to a well-worked try to Chanel Mata'utia, who had endured a forgetful evening for most of the first half.
The Newcastle winger had spilled the ball twice, the first leading to Queensland's opening try, but hit back just before the break when he accepted a short ball from centre Cheyse Blair and managed to get the ball down in the corner before crossing the sideline.
Blues halves Jacob Miller and Harry Siejka, who beat three players on the way to an excellent solo try to start the second half, controlled the match confidently.
Both sides had to be spoken to by referee Dave Munro on several occasions as tensions built in an at-times spiteful clash.
Blues coach Dean Pay drafted former Origin greats in to speak to the players during the week, with Stuart trying to instil the feeling that Origin football is still alive in NSW despite Queensland's dominance.
"He was very passionate about us being the next generation and the future of Origin," New South Wales skipper Boyd Cordner said after the match.
"I think we got a lot out of that."
Pay admitted to a few nervous moments watching his team defending the final plays, saying he, like most of the 5,105-strong crowd, was expecting Queensland to have one final play up its sleeve.
"We've seen that in the past, them being four points behind and coming back to get us in the death," he said.
Maroons coach Kevin Walters said the efforts of his team were "Queensland-like" despite the loss.
"It's a disappointing result, but certainly the effort from the players was very Queensland-like. I thought the performance was very Queensland-like," he said.
"And that's what we wanted to get out of the game - be a Queensland team.
"We had a couple of chances there that we just couldn't quite capitalise on in that second half.
"(New South Wales') defence was really strong on the line. They came up with a couple of big plays to shut us down which kept us out of the match."
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, sydney-2000 First posted April 21, 2012 22:09:16Sharks confident of Gibbs return
Cronulla has received a boost ahead of this weekend's game with Penrith, with prop Bryce Gibbs set to return to action on Saturday.
However the news is not all good for the Sharks, who are faced with the prospect of losing second rower Anthony Tupou to a knee injury for six weeks.
Gibbs, who is recovering from a broken thumb, has been named to play for the past two weeks before being a late withdrawal each time.
However skipper Paul Gallen is confident the former Wests Tiger will line up against the Panthers.
In contrast, Tupou will not play this weekend and will undergo scans on Friday to determine the extent of damage from a meniscus injury in his knee that could rule him out until round 11.
"Unfortunately it's a bit of a knee injury (for Tupou)," Gallen said.
"It's a pretty fair replacement being able to bring Bryce Gibbs back into the team though.
"(Gibbs) just adds to the depth in the front row and it will be really good to have him back on the field."
The move will see Gallen, who has slotted in at prop in Gibbs' absence, shift back to his preferred position of lock, while also playing stints in the second row.
"I imagine Gibbsy will come straight back into the front-row and I'll take Toops' (Tupou) spot," Gallen said.
"It's a pretty easy shuffle around, I've done it before and I don't think it's going to change the way we play too much."
The Sharks are also likely to lose winger Stewart Mills to a hamstring injury he has struggled with for a fortnight.
Matthew Wright is his likely replacement.
AAP
Tags: rugby-league, sport, nrl, australia, nsw, cronulla-2230 First posted March 28, 2012 13:23:03Storm's Blair charged with assault
Melbourne Storm back Maurice Blair has been charged with unlawful assault after an alleged incident on the Gold Coast on Saturday night.
The Storm were in the south-east Queensland tourist strip after having thrashed the Titans 30-6 at Skilled Park earlier on Saturday afternoon.
The club confirmed in a statement that it will conduct its own investigation into the matter and the NRL has been informed of the incident.
"Melbourne Storm is treating the matter very seriously and is cooperating fully with the authorities as they conduct their investigations," it said.
"Due to official investigations still being underway, Melbourne Storm is not in a position to provide any further comment at this stage."
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, australia First posted March 18, 2012 18:30:22When coaches get it right
We read a lot about the influence of coaches, especially during the times a team is performing well and results are positive.
Conversely, when times are tough coaches will wear the brunt of the criticism.
If the criticism is felt to be unjust, players will defend their coach with quotes such as "he doesn't make the tackles".
These comments are partially true.
Coaches do deserve criticism for bad performances and results but players must shoulder some responsibility, too.
Let's look at some first class coaching decisions from round three.
Faced with the ignominy of a 0-3 start to the year, 'Madge' decided that his star marquee player, Greg Inglis (who plays left centre) should change positions and get more touches.
Moved to full-back, GI had 28 touches, 19 carries for 193m, five tackle breaks, one off-load, two line breaks and a try.
Stats do not always do players justice even though there is plenty to absorb.
When GI is near the ball, anticipation of his involvement causes anxiety in the defending team as eyes are fixated on him, thereby space is created for halves Adam Reynolds or John Sutton.
If he actually carries the ball then you need two to three players to control a 6' 5", 105 kilogram full-back.
Ask Lachlan Coote how difficult it is to stop Greg Inglis one on one.
Madge also changed the position of Sam Burgess from a middle player to an edge player - playing wide, near the 20m lines down the field.
Add Issac Luke into the starting side instead of off the bench and these three decisions transformed a good Rabbitohs team into a lethal attacking unit.
Three decisions by the coach influenced the confidence and conviction of the team.
Steve Price is in his first year as an NRL coach following in the footsteps of arguably the best coach of all time, Wayne Bennett.
Pricey has inherited a team that has been in the finals three consecutive years and won a premiership in 2011.
The Dragons after two weeks were showing the signs of an established team that had run their race and were destined to assume the labels of inconsistent or erratic.
They enjoyed a great team win in round one on the road, and an embarrassing defeat against a rival in round two.
Facing the Wests Tigers, Pricey moved Brett Morris (NSW and Australian winger) to full-back.
I enjoy seeing a full-back return the ball from a kick back into the teeth of the kick chase team as quick as they can.
Normally a six-man kick chase team has the seconds to look over their shoulders to organise a straight line, add a few fresh chasers to make it a nine-man line and corral the full-back to any position they want to make the three-man tackle.
Brett Morris terrified the kick chase team, especially the big men in the middle of the field, into slowing and waiting for troops to arrive and assist so as to not to get isolated in a tackle situation.
Add tremendous strength to his repertoire and the Dragons forwards rarely had to run more than 10m to get back behind the ball because of his powerful kick returns.
In addition, Price switched Kyle Stanley from full-back to centre (and he excelled in both attack but more so defence) and introduced a new debutant for the club Daniel Vidot onto the wing.
Once again, a coach made three moves or decisions that altered the confidence and conviction of his team.
Daniel Anderson is a former Warriors and Eels NRL coach and is an ABC Grandstand rugby league commentator. Daniel is on Twitter @ABCLeagueCoach
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia, sydney-2000 First posted March 22, 2012 11:57:58Tigers arrest slide in Penrith
An injury-ravaged Wests Tigers ended a run of five successive defeats with a comfortable 30-0 away win over Penrith in a low-key clash on Sunday.
First-half tries from Adam Blair, Tim Moltzen and Ray Cashmere laid the foundations for the win against a woeful Panthers side, who failed to trouble the scorers for a second successive week, in front of a crowd of 15,759.
The Tigers went into the game without influential back-rowers Gareth Ellis and Chris Heighington and lost skipper Robbie Farah for the game after 13 minutes when he was helped off the field with concussion.
However, it made little difference as Tim Sheens' side dominated the first period with Blair going over in the fifth minute after Sandor Earl knocked on in front of his own posts to give the visitors excellent field position.
"We put a big effort in today and we've been training hard for the last five to six weeks and it's finally paid off," Blair told Grandstand.
"We're still working on combinations and trying to find some consistency there but happy with how I'm going so far."
Farah joined the Tigers' walking wounded list when he put his head in the wrong position when tackling Dayne Weston and was pole-axed by the hip of the big front-rower.
The setback failed to ruffle the Tigers and they extended their lead when Moltzen put the finishing touches to a fine move started by a powerful run from prop Aaron Woods.
Cashmere added a third four-pointer from close range on the half-hour mark after latching onto a no-look pass from Benji Marshall and rumbling his way to the line.
At the start of the second period, the Panthers lost five-eighth Travis Burns, also to concussion, and with it any efficiency in attack, as they failed to score for the second successive week following Monday's 30-0 loss to Manly.
An obviously frustrated Luke Lewis rued his side's impotent attack over the last two rounds.
"It's disappointing coming out here in front of a pretty decent crowd and not being able to get the win is just ... burning me inside," he said.
"I think we're just getting scared across the line.
"We get there, we make a couple of breaks and we just can't finish them off.
"It just comes back to the way we're training I suppose.
"You've just got to keep working hard and eventually it'll come for us, as long as we don't put our heads down.
"Otherwise the season will take off [on] us."
Young five-eighth Blake Austin butchered the best chance of the game for the hosts midway through the second half but, with the try at his mercy, he inexplicably slipped over, centimetres from the line and lost the ball.
The Tigers made them pay for the error when Tom Humble lunged over from close range after a good run from Joel Reddy with Marshall adding his fourth goal of the day.
The joint venture saved the best until last three minutes from time when Marshall, who was largely subdued for most of the game, broke free and released Moltzen who raced over for his second try.
Tigers: 30 (T Moltzen 2, A Blair, R Cashmere, T Humble tries; B Marshall 5 cons)
Panthers: 0
ABC/AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, penrith-2750 First posted April 15, 2012 16:56:45Wests hoping for double boost
After losing second-rower Gareth Ellis for three months to a foot injury, Wests Tigers look set to receive a rare boost with the return of a key duo for Friday night's crucial clash with Brisbane.
The Tigers have had a horror start to the year, losing four straight games to be sitting in equal last place while injuries and suspension tested their thin depth.
Hooker and captain Robbie Farah will be a welcome sight for coach Tim Sheens, having served a two-game suspension for a dangerous throw, but the Tigers could also see giant prop Keith Galloway (foot) join the side.
Tim Moltzen also appears a certain starter despite speculation he was feeling the effects of concussion after he was collected high by South Sydney captain Michael Crocker after taking a bomb in Sunday's loss to the Rabbitohs.
Both Moltzen and Galloway joined the main group for training on Tuesday, allaying fears that the fullback was in doubt and strengthening the Test prop's chances of lining up for the first time since round one.
And while admitting the loss of Ellis was a devastating blow to the Tigers, centre Chris Lawrence was excited about having Farah and Galloway back on the park.
"That's a massive loss, I think he's one of the best back-rowers and players in the game," Lawrence said on Tuesday.
"His work ethic, his line speed and his defence is just awesome. He's going to be a massive loss.
"(But) it will be good having Robbie back, especially the direction around the ruck and the decision-making around there.
"And if we get big Keithy back, and we'll find that out at the end of the week, that will be a great boost for us.
"Especially as a senior player up in the middle, he'll definitely help the young props."
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, sydney-2000 First posted April 03, 2012 12:43:32Cowboys turn it on in Top End
The Sydney Roosters' decision to play their home match against North Queensland in Darwin proved a disaster Saturday night as the Cowboys ran in nine tries to embarrass the tricolours 50-12.
Played in hot and humid tropical conditions more suited to the Cowboys, the Roosters looked flat from the opening whistle.
Cowboys Jason Taumalolo, Antonio Winterstein and Matt Bowen all scored doubles to inflict the 11th loss from as many home games the Roosters have taken away from their Sydney base since 2006.
North Queensland ran in five tries to take a 28-0 half-time lead in the match played in close to 80 per cent humidity and nearly 30 degrees.
The Roosters were on the back foot from the opening minute when they conceded a ruck penalty before Cowboys centre Winterstein scored in the eighth minute, strolling through some feeble defence to score under the posts.
Winterstein had a double three minutes later when he scored on the left edge and Johnathan Thurston added the extras to make it 12-0.
The Roosters continued to backpedal and struggle in the conditions before winger Ashley Graham finished off a nice backline move to score in the right corner to make it 16-0.
Three minutes later, the Cowboys produced another sweeping backline play with Kalifa Faifai Loa diving over in the corner which Thurston converted to make it 22-0.
A drinks break stemmed the flow of points for the Roosters but, soon after the resumption, Thurston produced a brilliant banana kick that full-back Bowen pounced on to score next to the posts.
The Roosters sat in a coolroom at half-time and it looked to have brought them to life with centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall spectacularly climbing above the pack to snare a Mitchell Pearce cross-field kick to score six minutes after the break.
Braith Anasta put a towering cross-field kick up with centre Joseph Leilua bringing it down close to the posts to score a converted try and there was a faint hope of a comeback at 28-12.
But the Cowboys killed off any hope the Roosters had when powerful interchange forward Taumalolo burst through from close range to score on the back of a penalty to score under the posts to make it 34-12.
The Cowboys dominated the final 12 minutes with soft tries to Ray Thompson, Taumalolo and Bowen.
North Queensland front-rower Ashton Sims was placed on report for a high shot on Roosters back-rower Jack Bosden in the second half.
Cowboys: 50 (M Bowen 2, J Taumalolo 2, A Winterstein 2, K Faifai Loa, A Graham, R Thompson tries; J Thurston 6/8 conversions, M Bowen 1/1 conversions)
Roosters: 12 (S Kenny-Dowall, J Leilua tries; B Anasta 2/2 conversions)
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, darwin-0800, nt, townsville-4810, qld, bondi-junction-2022, nsw, australia First posted April 14, 2012 21:35:11Rooster Anasta crosses road to Wests
Braith Anasta will leave the Roosters at the end of the 2012 season and join the Tigers on a two-year deal.
Anasta will end a seven-season stint with the Roosters and link up with Tim Sheens' side desperate to bolsters its premiership credentials.
The Roosters were reportedly hesitant to offer the 30-year-old a contract extension before assessing his performance in 2012, and have already signed Warriors five-eighth James Maloney from 2013.
In confirming his new deal with the Tigers, Anasta said he looked forward to the challenge but spoke fondly of his time with the Roosters.
"I am incredibly proud to have captained such a special club," Anasta said in a statement.
"From the ball boys to the chairman, the players, coaches, staff, sponsors and members - I've made so many friends here and learnt so much from everyone associated with the club."
Anasta's manager Greg Willett said he had been in talks with the Tigers for a couple of weeks, with the former Origin and Test representative a possible replacement for departing back rower Gareth Ellis.
The versatile veteran could play in the halves or the back row and is enthusiastic about the depth of talent at the Wests Tigers.
"I look forward to making a big contribution to an already strong and talented playing group under Tim Sheens over the next two years ,'' Anasta said.
Anasta has played 238 NRL matches, 128 for the Roosters, after making his debut for the Bulldogs in 2001. He has represented the Blues in State of Origin on 10 occasions and has played four test for Australia.
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, sydney-2000, nsw, australia, leichhardt-2040 First posted March 30, 2012 13:16:49Footy codes hail Optus decision
AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says the Federal Court's ruling that Optus has breached copyright law in broadcasting near live AFL and NRL matches is a victory for Australian sport.
The full bench of the Federal Court of Appeal granted an appeal this morning launched by the AFL, NRL and Telstra against a previous decision that had allowed Optus to broadcast near live matches on its TV Now service.
The Federal Court ruling, handed down in February, had allowed Optus users to watch AFL and NRL fixtures via video streams on mobile devices as close to two minutes behind the live TV broadcast.
The court had ruled that it was the user, as the subscriber, and not Optus who was responsible for streaming the coverage.
The AFL and NRL appealed the decision, arguing it devalued their broadcast rights details. Telstra also appealed, in light of the fact it paid more than $150 million for the right to stream AFL matches on the internet.
The Federal Court of Appeal stated today it was Optus, as well as the user, who was responsible for the recording of matches and therefore it had breached copyright law.
Demetriou says it is not just the AFL who has walked away as a winner following the Federal Court's decision.
"The decision was unanimous, it was clear-cut," he said.
"It was a relief, not just for the AFL but I'm sure for all sporting codes, who rely heavily on these rights and the revenue which come from these rights, which we all plough back into our codes.
"Whether that [is] through the codes itself, facilities, grassroots programs, development. These are significant revenues, which we all rely on and I think today's decision is certainly a win for all sports in this country."
Demetriou feels the AFL is vindicated by today's decision, although he admits the league had experienced some anxious moments.
"The fact we've had to go through two court cases with considerable expense hasn't been a pleasant time," he said.
"The uncertainty hasn't been pleasant, but we were always confident that this decision would come down today because we believe we were right.
"We believe it protects content holders, we believe the copyright act has now withstood this action by Optus and I think we can all move forward and continue to invest in our codes."
Demetriou says Optus' behaviour was "reprehensible" and he has called on the telecommunications rival to "concentrate on their core business".
"I've said previously that I thought Optus' behaviour was unethical, I thought it was improper, inappropriate," he said.
"They've never engaged with the AFL in relation to our rights. I don't plan in the future that they would and it will be a long time before we speak to Optus."
Demetriou says Optus will have think "very carefully about challenging the decision", suggesting an appeal will prove "costly".
Optus spokeswoman Clare Gill says her organisation may proceed with an appeal to the High Court.
"We have to look at all our options, which will include an appeal," she said.
The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) has also welcomed today's ruling, as it looks to negotiate its next broadcast deal and take advantage of its solid TV ratings.
"We have always believed there was a clear principle in play here: that the sports are entitled to control who shows their events and who profits from those events," ARLC chief executive David Gallop said in a statement.
"Companies should not be able to profit from our content without investing in the sport itself."
Tags: australian-football-league, sport, rugby-league, nrl, australia First posted April 27, 2012 13:29:06Eels dump Sandow to NSW Cup
Parramatta half-back Chris Sandow's fall from grace continued on Tuesday when the man touted as the Eels' saviour was ordered to play in the NSW Cup.
The Eels had hoped Sandow, lured to the struggling club on a deal reportedly worth $550,000, would be the perfect foil to star full-back Jarryd Hayne and the key ingredient that would help return them to the finals in 2012.
But Sandow has come under fire for his weight and form, with Eels great Peter Sterling suggesting the Queensland hopeful was "four to five kilos overweight".
As a result Parramatta coach Stephen Kearney, who is in New Zealand with the Kiwi team preparing for Friday's Test with Australia, made the decision to name Sandow at half-back for Wentworthville to face Canterbury this week.
It is understood that with the Eels enjoying a bye this week, Kearney wants Sandow to play for the Magpies to maintain match fitness and gain some confidence rather than return to his home town of Cherbourg.
The final straw for Kearney that caused him to lose patience with Sandow came in Sunday's narrow loss to Cronulla.
With the Eels trailing by six, Sandow, struggling with a shoulder injury, was hooked by Kearney with 10 minutes to play.
It happened minutes after the half-back had been put into a gap by Hayne, but failed to skip away for a potentially match-tying try.
After the match Kearney admitted his frustrations over his young star.
"Obviously he was going down a fair bit in the back end of that second half, and with the game in the balance or with the situation that it was, I made the call to pull him off," Kearney said after the match.
"I am disappointed at how the whole team is going at the moment, and obviously Chris is a part of it.
"He can certainly contribute a lot more to the team than he is at the moment."
Wentworthville coach Brett Cook usually discusses potential team changes with Kearney early in the week, which has seen him gain Parramatta veteran Luke Burt and forward Justin Horo for the bulk of this season.
But he only found out about Sandow's availability for their clash with Canterbury late on Tuesday afternoon.
And this time it was Eels' media manager Doug MacDougall who had to relay Kearney's message to Cook.
"The position I'm in I never really know until the end if he is playing or if he's not, but anyone who comes back with (Sandow's) experience is a bonus to our guys," Cook told said.
"It's usually done for a reason to get blokes a bit more footy and a bit of a run in most cases."
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, parramatta-2150, nsw, australia First posted April 17, 2012 18:27:43Wallace's Origin hopes fade
Peter Wallace's hopes of breaking back into State of Origin have taken a blow with Brisbane's in-form half battling a groin injury likely to rule him out of next week's annual City-Country Origin trial.
Wallace has a grade one groin tear, forcing him to withdraw from Friday night's clash with Canberra at Lang Park.
It flared up at training on Tuesday and is likely to prevent him playing for City alongside likely New South Wales half-back Mitchell Pearce which would have given Blues coach Ricky Stuart a chance to look at them as his possible Origin halves.
"It's a tear, it's only a small one but the risk of further injury is there," Wallace said after Ben Hunt was confirmed as his replacement for the Raiders match by coach Anthony Griffin.
Wallace has been in career-best form this season, taking control of the key decisions and getting his forwards firing following the retirement of captain Darren Lockyer.
"We're just taking a precaution with Pete," said Griffin who has faith in Hunt and five-eighth Corey Norman to do the job.
"They've both been trying to get into the halves, now they're going to get a run there together.
"Ben's done the job there for us before and he gets another chance and he needs to be ruthless and get us around the park like Pete Wallace would.
"He's a different player to Pete and he won't be going out there to play a Peter Wallace-type of game.
"The important thing for him is that he is strong (defensively) on the edge which is the one thing Wal did for us."
Young prop Dunamis Lui and back-up hooker Kurt Baptiste come onto the bench with Hunt starting.
Griffin conceded Canberra's size up front would be a real challenge for his forwards but said he would not be instructing his players to ditch the controversial shoulder charge which has cost forward Ben Te'o two games on the sidelines.
"I don't have an opinion on it (shoulder charge) other than we're trying to beat the Raiders," he said.
"We haven't had a real problem with the judiciary.
"I don't think we're going to have one any more than any other team so they (players) don't need any direction."
With forward giants Dave Shillington (114kg), Dane Tilse (113kg) and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs (110kg) pouring through the middle, Canberra boasts the biggest pack in the competition.
"Whenever you play Canberra you have to meet that physical challenge first with Shillington, Learoyd-Lahrs, (Josh) Papalii and (Bronson) Harrison are all big blokes," Griffin said.
"If you don't meet that physical challenge in the middle you know you're in big trouble.
"What's important for us is we're a few men down from our starting side and we have to be strong enough to show a bit of character, no matter who is in the side."
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, brisbane-4000, qld, canberra-2600, australia First posted April 12, 2012 11:41:20Blues 'must find room' for Hayne
City Origin coach Brad Fittler says there has to be a place in the New South Wales side for Jarryd Hayne even if Todd Carney wins the race for the Blues five-eighth spot.
Hayne and Carney will go head to head on Sunday in Mudgee, but the Cronulla star is believed to be in the driving seat for the number six shirt following his fine start to the season for the rejuvenated Sharks.
Despite Hayne being one of the premier full-backs in the NRL, Blues coach Ricky Stuart believes it is not the Parramatta superstar's best position and is keen to see how he handles himself in the halves at representative level.
And should Hayne get the nod to play five-eighth in the State of Origin opener in Melbourne next month, it will be the fourth different position he would have played for New South Wales, having filled in on the wing and also at centre.
And Fittler believes the Blues are blessed to have the versatility of Hayne available to them.
"Just look at the size of him - he could play lock if he had to," Fittler said.
"People have been saying that he's not playing well, but he has scored four tries in two games.
"There's not many players in the comp that have done that. I can't understand the criticism he gets.
"I am not sure what way Ricky is leaning in terms of who will play Origin, but there has to be a place for Haynesy in the side.
Stuart left Hayne out for the first game last year in Brisbane, but recalled him for the second and third matches.
And Fittler said he would be surprised if he is snubbed again this year.
"He is an Origin player and a player who plays well on the big stage," he said.
"I am really looking forward to seeing how he goes in Mudgee at five-eighth and the whole Carney against Hayne thing adds a bit of spice to the game."
AAP
Tags: state-of-origin, rugby-league, sport, nrl, nsw, australia First posted April 18, 2012 16:37:02Cronk deserves first Origin crack, says Smith
Cameron Smith admits to being be a fan of Manly half-back Daly Cherry-Evans but says Melbourne team-mate Cooper Cronk deserves the Queensland number seven State of Origin jumper.
Smith, tipped to take over captaincy of the Maroons following Darren Lockyer's retirement, made the comments after he, Cronk and Billy Slater continued the Storm's unbeaten start to the season with a resounding 30-6 win over Gold Coast on Saturday.
Cherry-Evans, who made his representative debut for Australia against Wales in last year's Four Nations series, has been mounting a case for selection in a new-look Queensland halves pairing since longstanding half-back Johnathan Thurston declared he wanted to take over Lockyer's five-eighth duties this season.
Named the International Rugby League Federation's half-back of the year after guiding Manly to the 2011 premiership as a rookie, Cherry-Evans has started the new season where he left off.
"Cherry-Evans is a great player and I am big fan of his," Smith said after helping Cronk and a sublime Slater tear the Titans to shreds in the second half at Skilled Park.
"But Cooper's got the runs on the board and should be Queensland's number seven inside JT (Thurston)."
Smith said he had been impressed with Cherry-Evans on last year's Four Nations tour.
"He's a great young kid, very impressive and an exceptionally good talent," he said.
"But Cooper has been there - he knows what Origin is all about.
"He understands the pressure and atmosphere of Origin and what is required to play it.
"He's super competitive. He does his homework on his opposition better than anyone I know and he never lets you down."
Smith said it was a great position for the Queensland selectors to be in after losing Lockyer, the mainstay of their record six straight Origin series wins.
"Even when Locky was there with JT, we had the luxury of having Cooper as a back-up," he said.
"Now Locky's gone, we've got Cherry-Evans, who is a great prospect."
Smith said Cronk's knowledge of his and Slater's game as Storm team-mates would count in his favour when selectors named the squad for the interstate series against New South Wales with the opening game in Melbourne in May.
"We play together every week and have developed an understanding of each other's game," he said.
AAP
Tags: state-of-origin, nrl, rugby-league, sport, qld, australia First posted March 18, 2012 16:27:03Raiders lose Campese for season
Canberra skipper Terry Campese will miss the remainder of the season after surgery confirmed he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament.
It is a similar injury to what ruled Campese out of much of the 2011 season.
Campese sustained the injury during the Raiders' 30-6 loss to Brisbane at Lang Park last Friday night but scans earlier this week suggested he had only suffered damage to his medial meniscus.
This would have meant a short time on the sidelines for the 27-year-old, but Tuesday's surgery revealed the full extent of the injury.
The Raiders have ruled out Campese undergoing Ligament Augmentation and Reconstruction System (LARS) surgery, meaning he will not return to playing duties until 2013.
"It's terrible that he's facing the same injury twice within two years, but he will be given the full amount of time to rehabilitate," Raiders chief executive Don Furner said in a statement.
"We did discuss the LARS surgery, however, Terry's long-term health is of the utmost importance, and for that reason the traditional ACL surgery was agreed as the best option."
Furner says the Raiders did not take a risk by playing Campese in Brisbane after he had sustained swelling on the knee the previous weekend against the Warriors.
Scans following the Warriors match showed Campese had not sustained any structural damage.
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, canberra-2600 First posted April 18, 2012 09:08:04NRL's Lui pleads guilty to girlfriend assault
National Rugby League player Robert Lui has been given a two-year good behaviour bond and fined $2,000 for assaulting his former girlfriend.
After previously denying the assault Lui faced Burwood Local Court today to change his plea to guilty.
The NRL player was charged with assaulting Taleah Rae Backo in their home in Sydney's inner west at North Strathfield in September last year.
Police say Ms Backo suffered bruising to her face.
The attack took place three days after Lui's former team, Wests Tigers, were eliminated from the finals.
Ms Backo told the court Lui kicked her in the temple and headbutted her on the night of the Tigers' mad Monday celebrations.
She said Lui entered the apartment via a balcony, pushed her in the chest, then dragged her by her hair to a mattress where he kicked her a number of times.
"He was trying to kick into the sides of me," she told the court during sentencing submissions before Magistrate Glenn Walsh.
"I was trying to cover myself, that's when he kicked me in the head.
"I was curled up trying to cover myself."
In his initial evidence, Lui denied kicking Ms Backo and said he could not remember if he headbutted her.
"I know in my heart I didn't kick her," he said.
During cross-examination, Lui admitted he had been drinking before the incident but said that had not affected his memory.
"I do remember because I wasn't really drunk," he told the court.
Lui said he admitted headbutting Ms Backo only because he was scared of being "locked up".
He was released by the Tigers after he was charged and now plays for the North Queensland Cowboys.
ABC/AAP
Tags: courts-and-trials, assault, domestic-violence, nrl, sydney-2000, townsville-4810 First posted March 21, 2012 13:18:24Struggling Eels not rushing Hayne's return
Parramatta superstar Jarryd Hayne denies the Eels' dire start to the NRL season is hastening his return from injury, but admits he will not be 100 per cent fit when he lines up against Manly on Saturday night.
Hayne's stop-start 2012 will get underway again on the weekend, when the winless Eels attempt to get their year going too.
When Hayne re-injured his knee just 15 minutes in his comeback in round two against the Warriors, he said he would allow his leg to completely heal before returning to action.
But with the Eels 0-4 after an embarrassing home loss to Penrith, Hayne said his knee would be good enough for him to play against the Sea Eagles, the representative star claiming his recovery was well ahead of where it was last time around.
"If I had the same mentality I had in round two I would have played on the weekend (against Penrith) - a 50-50 chance not knowing if I'd go down again," Hayne said.
"I just said 'one more week, it's not going to hurt anyone just to get it right and make sure it's not going to stuff up again'.
"Obviously it won't be 100 per cent for a while but it's runnable, playable.
"I've done two very tough sessions and did my longest session on Saturday (lasting) 75 minutes.
"It pulled up sore but not as bad as I thought it'd be."
Hayne dismissed suggestions he was under pressure to lead the team out of the hole it finds itself in, saying the expectation on him to perform was always there.
"If you look at the past two or three seasons I've had all the pressure I can think of," Hayne said.
"I've just got to go out there and play footy and do my best for the team."
The player set to benefit most from Hayne's return is half-back Chris Sandow, who has been heavily marked by opposition defences without Hayne to ease the playmaking load.
Hayne said he spoke to Sandow after the loss to the Panthers in a bid to ensure his confidence had not been dented by the slow start to the year.
"I'm sure he's not used to this type of pressure and what comes with it," Hayne said of Sandow.
"We just had a little talk after the game, it wasn't anything dramatic.
"He understands, he's got a good mentality and he's been around the game for a long time and he knows it's going to come - we've just got to stick together."
Sandow said he was looking forward to finally getting his partnership with Hayne underway, with their brief time together in the trial against Penrith and opening minutes against Warriors giving Eels fans some hope the season can still be salvaged.
"Everyone wants to play with Jarryd, when he does his thing everyone wants to be on board," Sandow said.
"I think that's what we've been missing at the moment - hopefully he's 100 per cent for Saturday night."
Meanwhile, the middle third of the Parramatta Stadium playing surface will need to be replaced before Saturday night's clash is allowed to go ahead.
The move comes as a result of complaints from Penrith coach Ivan Cleary, who suggested the "disgraceful" surface played a role in the broken leg suffered by Nathan Smith in last Friday's win over the Eels.
ARL Commission general manager of football operations Nathan McGuirk inspected the pitch along with RLPA boss David Garnsey and representatives from both Parramatta and Manly, where the remedial measures were agreed upon.
More than 2,000 square metres of turf will be re-laid.
"The problem with the surface has been caused largely by weather and it has affected the ground's ability to recover from the matches earlier this year," McGuirk said in a statement.
"It wasn't really until Friday night that it became apparent that the surface was not holding up as it would in normal circumstances.
"Given that there was no way we could see it recovering in time for this week's game it was important that action was taken."
McGuirk said the situation was not unique, and did not anticipate any problems with the the new surface being able to withstand the rigours of a match so soon after being laid.
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, parramatta-2150, nsw, manly-2095, brookvale-2100, australia First posted March 26, 2012 13:48:19Sheens to meet with Test referee
Australian coach Tim Sheens will meet with English referee Richard Silverwood in a bid to get clarification on several rule interpretations ahead of Friday night's Test against New Zealand.
Silverwood will officiate in his fourth straight mid-year Test between the trans-Tasman rivals.
Sheens is wary of his impact on the game, which will be governed by international rules rather than the NRL rules all the players who will take part in the Eden Park clash have become accustomed to.
The most obvious difference between NRL and international games is having one referee instead of two, which can have a profound effect on the latitude given to defenders in the ruck.
But there are also several other rules which differ, such as a tryscorer not being allowed to touch the corner post in an attempt to score - as is now allowed in the NRL.
"The rule interpretations, there's been some changes - there were 13 last year in the Four Nations and I've received 10 so far and there are some amendments there that I'm a bit concerned about," Sheens said on Thursday.
"There's also his interpretation from Super League in England - I just want to be sure where we're at with the interpretations."
Kiwi coach Stephen Kearney said he saw no need to meet with Silverwood, and claimed to have no problem with his Australian counterpart doing so.
Both sides are having their final training run at a sun-drenched Eden Park on Thursday, with Kearney saying his side would run out as selected.
AAP
Tags: rugby-league, sport, nrl, australia, new-zealand First posted April 19, 2012 12:05:32Cronk set to reveal NRL future
Cooper Cronk's days at Melbourne could be numbered with the Storm half-back calling a media conference for Thursday to announce his NRL future.
Cronk's future has been the subject of much speculation, with the likely Queensland and Australia Test number seven the hottest commodity coming off contract at the end of this season.
He has been heavily linked to a reported four-year $3.2 million deal with financially troubled Gold Coast, while St George Illawarra and South Sydney have also been strong suitors.
Given the bizarre wording of the media release announcing the media conference, it appears the Storm are no chance of holding onto the 28-year-old.
"Cooper Cronk has requested of Melbourne Storm a media conference tomorrow, Thursday 29 March, at 10.30am sharp," the release said.
"No other comments will be made by Cooper or the club prior to that time."
Speculation over Cronk's future has had little impact on the Storm's start to the season, with Melbourne the only unbeaten side over the opening four rounds.
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, melbourne-3000 First posted March 28, 2012 14:43:56Dragons' Young to retire at season end
St George Illawarra lock Dean Young has announced he will retire from rugby league at the end of the 2012 season.
Young said at the age of 28 his body simply was not capable of turning out for the Dragons anymore, despite having a year to run on his current contract.
The versatile forward has battled chronic knee injuries throughout his career and admitted he had not been able to play without pain in his left knee since 2006.
Young said his modified training schedule had helped him extend his career, which included helping the Dragons to a memorable premiership win in 2010.
Young contemplated retiring at the end of last year, only to be talked out of it by the Dragons before coming to the decision to hang up the boots after their round three victory over Wests Tigers.
"After playing a couple of games I knew with myself that my knee wasn't up to it," Young told reporters on Tuesday.
"I wanted to move on.
"I've been playing in a fair bit of pain for the last six years.
"I think I've had enough now. I'm glad I made the decision. I'm happy with it. And relieved more than anything.
"I'm really looking forward to finishing off the year with the boys."
Dragons chief executive Peter Doust said Young was an invaluable member of the squad who would be hard to replace and revealed the club had been in talks to extend his time at the joint-venture club beyond his current deal.
"We were on the verge of talking about the future," Doust said.
"But he believes he should call an end to his career and his time at the Dragons."
Skipper Ben Hornby said Young would be remembered as one of the club's great players.
"He gave everything he had to the club," Hornby said.
"He put a lot of dedication off the field to get on the field each week and I think a lot of our blokes can take a lot of inspiration from what he does on the field and the way he conducts himself off it.
"He's our forward leader for the last couple of years and he's going to be sorely missed."
AAP
Tags: sport, rugby-league, nrl, wollongong-2500 First posted April 10, 2012 12:35:40Injuries add to Titans' woes
The financially embattled Gold Coast has more than just $30 million of debt to worry about with three players, including representative star Greg Bird, booked for scans following a costly 30-20 loss to Canterbury.
Bird was assisted from the field in agony after an attempted last-play bomb went horribly wrong in the 65th minute at Skilled Park on Sunday.
Early indications were he had sustained a bad ankle sprain but no break.
Titans backrower Mark Minichiello was wearing a moon boot and walking with the aid of a stick after the match, while Kayne Lawton pulled up like he had been shot when he felt his hamstring go late in the second half.
All three players will have scans on Monday.
With marquee buy Jamal Idris (hamstring) no certainty to be back for next week's home clash with the Roosters, Titans coach John Cartwright faces another tough week.
The Titans, in the headlines all week for the club's financial crisis, jumped out to a 10-0 lead but trailed 18-14 at half-time following an amazing piece of play from Bulldogs full-back Ben Barba that led to centre Josh Morris finishing a 105-metre try.
Even more incredible was Barba's 74th minute try save on 107-kilogram Titans prop Luke Bailey, who appeared certain to score as he charged over the try line with Barba desperately hanging onto him.
Bailey looked to have scored to the naked eye but replays showed Barba got his hand underneath the football and then ripped it off the veteran prop.
A converted try would have made the score 30-26 and set up a grandstand finish for the crowd of 14,344.
Titans half-back Scott Prince, a late call-up for the match, admits Barba is something special.
"That's the kind of player he is, he's a game breaker, give him a chance and he can hurt you," Prince said.
Bulldogs coach Des Hasler says he has told Barba he needed to work harder on his defence and he is pleased with the results.
"He came up with two two try saves today, that was the most pleasing part of his game for me," he said.
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, robina-4226 First posted April 02, 2012 07:33:43NRL, buyers give hope to Titans
Senior Gold Coast players and their fans are confident Michael Searle's crippling debts will not be the death of the embattled club.
Former Brisbane Broncos chief executive Bruno Cullen confirmed over the weekend he had been sounded out by NRL boss David Gallop to take on an advisory role on the club's board as the Titans battle their way through mountainous debts.
Two cashed-up consortiums, one headed by wealthy businessman Bill Rae, are ready to take control of the club after meeting with Gallop and submitting their plans to the NRL last week.
Fans rallied behind their financially-stricken side at Skilled Park on Sunday and the players responded with a spirited 30-20 loss to Canterbury.
The game was played amid the backdrop of reports that creditors were closing in on Searle's Titans property arm which reportedly has debts of up to $30 million under a myriad of companies.
Captain Scott Prince admitted publicly the club's financial woes were a "distraction" but added the players and staff had all been assured everything would be "fine".
"It's a distraction. Don't get me wrong, I will be honest," he said.
"But at the end of the day we've been reassured as players and as staff that everything is fine. We get paid to play footy and that's our profession and we have to do that week in, week out.
"I don't think it's an issue as to why we are losing games, no way."
Prop Luke Douglas backed his skipper after going through a rough time at his former club Cronulla before moving to the Gold Coast.
"I went through some pretty tough times with Cronulla and you get to the stage where you don't pick up a paper or worry what's being said," Douglas said.
"People will ask you what the go is and I just tell them I honestly don't know and that my job is to play footy.
"Our one focus as players is to get a win and hopefully it rolls on from that.
"I honestly think it will be all sweet.
"I'm not worried, I've got full confidence in everyone here."
Things could get worse for the Titans on the field this weekend with stars Greg Bird (ankle), Mark Minichiello (ankle) and back-up hooker Kayne Lawton (hamstring) all undergoing scans on Monday.
Fans attending Sunday's game expressed mixed feelings.
"The Gold Coast needs a rugby league team. If we lose another one, I don't think we'll get one back again," said Randall, a Titans member who attends every home game.
Keith from Robina said he was fairly confident the Titans would remain in the NRL.
"I think the footy club will survive under a different management," he said.
The NRL is desperate for Titans to survive as well after the collapse of three previous teams based on the Gold Coast.
AAP
Tags: nrl, rugby-league, sport, robina-4226, qld, australia First posted April 02, 2012 16:05:08