Wallabies can't escape Sydney mistakes

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

WALLABIES coach Ewen McKenzie has forced his players to watch continuous replays of last week's embarrassing loss to the All Blacks in camp this week.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

After keeping faith with the same starting players who lost 47-29 – bar introducing backrower Scott Fardy for the injured Hugh McMeniman - McKenzie revealed that he'd put the replay on a constant loop in the team room in their Wellington hotel.

The players, on notice to perform or face the axe, have not been able to escape footage of themselves being hammered by their Tasman rivals.

McKenzie said he was "angry" about the result in Sydney, and is using the tactic to fire up his side as they attempt to become the first Wallaby team to win a Bledisloe Test in New Zealand since 2001.

"The game is actually rolling on continuous video right now in the team room," McKenzie said on Thursday.

"I put it on today, and they're all in there sitting and watching it, having lunch and watching.

"It's on repeat.

"You've got to live in the real world.

"I've worked out when you travel around and you're in hotel rooms, you live in this detached world where you play and you go back, you're in the training environment and preparing, but the real world is out there.

"The real world is talking about us and saying things. We've got to make sure we live in the real world.

"And the shop front of the real world is the game, that's where millions of people are watching, that's your best chance to make a statement.

"That shop front has got to be how you want to be represented."

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Asked what he hoped the players would take from watching replays of the game, McKenzie replied: "You've got to take ownership out of your own performance, your own contribution.

"You've got to aim that technically and emotionally.

"We'll do whatever we can around the edges to make sure they're prepared. In the end, when they're in the shop front, that's what everyone's got left to reference us by.

"We're trusting them to showcase us in the right way."

McKenzie wants his team to play with the hurt of that result lingering fresh in mind.

"There's the technical piece, then there is the emotional piece," he said.

"We can't just sit here and think last week is done and dusted, last week sits there and we were all part of it.

"We need to own that scoreline and do something about it this week. There is an emotional game plan there as well."

McKenzie has shown faith in his young team, but said the players are well aware of the consequences should they fail again at Westpac Stadium.

"They know, I'm trying to keep it fairly logical and pragmatic, we're in a highly competitive performance business and it's about performing," he said.

"I'm not offering up a three-year plan or a one-year plan, you've got to get on with it.

"They've got experience at elite level rugby and they've all played a fair bit of footy in the last couple of years and done well in a pretty competitive environment. You can't just fall back and say 'that's it'.

"We're playing the best team in the world, it doesn't get any tougher than right now.

"That's how they've got to benchmark themselves. They've got to want to be competitive in that environment.

"You need people that have got that mentality and want to step up."

Fullback Jesse Mogg is one player in particular who needs to step up after a relatively poor outing in Sydney.

"He's done well all year and he's got some really good tools there, if you don't show faith in players then you end up in no man's land," McKenzie explained.

"You'll have a whole heap of players who don't have any confidence and you don't know what your depth is.

"You've got to try to give depth time to build. We'll be at our best if we've got two or three really good options in each position.

"So you've got to give them time to develop, but you haven't got forever. I understand everyone's expectations and the urgency to get on with things.

"We don't have three years to do it, we're always looking for players to bring through."

18.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Beale signs off on Waratahs return

Beale debuted for the Tahs in 2007. Source: News Limited

INJURED Wallabies star Kurtley Beale has signed a one-year deal with NSW Waratahs and the Australian Rugby Union.

Beale had long been linked with a move back to his original Super Rugby franchise even before Melbourne Rebels decided not to offer him a new deal.

"I feel at home in Sydney, it's where my family is," Beale said.

"I'm really looking forward to playing some good, consistent rugby.

"I've made the decision to get my shoulder right, I hope next year will be a big one for me. I'm excited by the Rugby World Cup on the horizon and I'm just looking forward to getting back to playing really good Rugby, having a big year for the Waratahs and hopefully getting selected for the Wallabies."

The schoolboy prodigy will not play again this season after undergoing surgery on a shoulder injury, but it will allow him the chance to put in a solid pre-season in Sydney.

Beale will play either fly half or fullback with the Waratahs, with the decision likely to rest on whether Israel Folau decides to stick with rugby.

Folau has agreed to terms with the Waratahs but is yet to reach a deal with the Australian Rugby Union.

18.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Finch to retire for Nine role

Brett Finch of the Storm runs with the ball. Source: Tony Feder / Getty Images

MELBOURNE Storm veteran Brett Finch will retire at the end of the season.

The popular five-eighth made the announcement on Channel Nine's The Footy Show on Thursday night, closing the curtain on an illustrious and colourful 15-year career.

"The time has come for me to enter a new phase of my life," Finch said.

"I've had a great run and I just know the time is right.

"Rugby league has been very good to me and I feel very lucky to have enjoyed such a long and enjoyable career."

Finch will enter the media next year after signing a deal with Channel Nine.

But he has also expressed interest in getting into coaching.

"It hasn't been an easy decision but I now have an opportunity to step into the media going forward and will be joining Channel 9 next season," he said.

"I'll still be around the game I love and I still hope to be able to get involved with coaching in some way, shape or form."

There is not much Finch hasn't done in the game.

One of the game's great characters, he has played in grand finals, experienced representative football with New South Wales and also enjoyed a stint playing overseas for Wigan.

Arguably Finch's greatest achievement has been playing 50 games for five clubs in Newcastle, Parramatta, Sydney Roosters, Wigan and Melbourne.

"I've had some great times," Finch said.

"And while all those clubs have been fantastic to me, it's no secret that Melbourne holds a special place in my heart."

The long-term injury to Gareth Widdop this year has opened the door for Finch, who will get the chance to finish his career on the highest possible note.

The 32-year-old, who played in Storm's 2009 stripped premiership, will be doing everything possible to help Melbourne to back-to-back titles.

"It would be a dream come true to go out a winner, but I'm certainly not getting ahead of myself," he said.

"There are still three club games to go and then the semi-final series.

"We're in with a chance but there are three or four other super sides this year and we're going to have to play well to get the job done."

Meanwhile, Storm will have little problems filling its vacant assistant coaching position following David Kidwell's decision to depart the club.

It is believed there has been an influx of interest in the position, which is expected to be filled within the next fortnight.

Kidwell will leave at the season's end for family reasons, just weeks after Kevin Walters announced his departure for the same reason.

Club development coach Adam O'Brien will replace Walters, but Storm will look outside to replace Kidwell.

Storm will also appoint a new development coach to replace O'Brien. 

18.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Live: fifth Ashes Test, day two

Reserve umpire Richard Kettleborough keeps an eye on proceedings at the Oval. Source: Getty Images

AFTER Shane Watson dominated the headlines on day one, Australia will be hoping one of their lesser lights can stand up and be counted on day two of the fifth Ashes Test at the Oval.

A big total could put Australia in an almost-unbeatable position, but a few quick wickets for England could turn the match in their favour.

Stick with us throughout the evening as we bring you all the best updates, reaction and analysis from the ground and around the world via social media in our live blog.

Join the conversation by leaving a comment in the blog below, or let us know what you think by getting in touch on Twitter, @FoxCricketLive.

If using the comment box in the blog, you can just enter a name where it says 'Display Name', or you can log in using one of your social media accounts. Get involved now!

18.48 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hird suffered drug 'side effects'

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

JAMES Hird injected himself with Melanotan II, suffered ''significant'' side effects and continued to allow the man who gave him the drug and instructions on how to use it to run his high performance department.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

The allegation is made as part of the detailed and damning summary of charges against Essendon, Hird and three other officials released by the AFL on Wednesday.

The incident allegedly happened in or about October 2011 and the exact nature of the side effects are redacted.

Hird hit back after the charge sheet was widely disseminated.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

He said he had been denied natural justice after the AFL, which he said was attempting to try him by media.

"The AFL today continued its trial by media of me with the release of the charges against Essendon,'' Hird said.

The Essendon coach also accused the AFL of a breach of due process by releasing a letter that club doctor Bruce Reid sent to him.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

"The letter, released in isolation, is designed to damage my reputation,'' Hird said.

Hird said the Bombers only received notice from the AFL that the charges were being released ``minutes'' before it happened.

"Courtesy would dictate that the AFL would have given adequate notification of the release of the charges so I could prepare,'' he said.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Essendon chairman Paul Little also sharply criticised the league's decision to make public the 34-page document which outlines its case against the Bombers.

In and of itself, Hird's use of Melanotan II given to him by fitness boss Dean Robinson does not contravene any AFL or WADA code anti-doping rules, but the next aspect of the charges goes to the heart of what the AFL alleges were alarming breaches of good governance that led to the charge of conduct unbecoming, prejudicial to the interests of the AFL or to bring the game into disrepute.

"Notwithstanding his first-hand experience of the unsatisfactory manner in which Robinson supplied substances to be injected at the club, including the fact that he had suffered side effects about which he had not been warned, Hird did not recognise or respond to the indication that the supplements program potentially posed a risk to the players' health, welfare and safety,'' the charges say.

The charge sheet also alleges that Hird was warned off the use peptides by an AFL integrity officer in August 2011 - well before sports scientist Stephen Dank joined the club in November that year - after making an "informal inquiry of an ASADA representative as to whether any AFL clubs were using peptides''.

Hird was told by the integrity officer that "peptides were a serious risk to the integrity of the AFL, in the same category as steroids and HGH and implored Hird to report to the AFL if he came across any information relating to peptides''.

The charges also include the full text of a letter, addressed to Hird and then football manager Paul Hamilton from club doctor Bruce Reid in January last year in which he expressed his strong concerns about the supplements program.

Later that month, Hird sent a text message to football department boss Danny Corcoran saying: "No stress but need to organise a meeting with you me Reidy, Danksy and Weapon (Robinson) the day you get back. Reidy has stopped everything which is getting a little frustrating. Need to get your United Nations skills back into action''.

The extensive charge sheet also alleges Hird:

SUPPORTED the appointment of Robinson notwithstanding the fact that Hird knew or believed that there were significant concerns about the manner in which Robinson had conducted himself.

TOOK no adequate steps to ensure that Robinson was subjected to appropriate employment history checks or that Robinson was appropriately supervised and managed.

TOOK no adequate steps to ensure that Dank was subjected to appropriate employment history checks or that Dank was appropriately supervised and managed, despite being aware of the importance of, and risks associated with, the position of sports scientist for the program the club was proposing to implement.

WAS aware that he had advocated to Robinson and Dank that they devise and implement a supplements program that was to push the legal limit but not to cross the line.

The charge sheet alleges Hird failed to:

INQUIRE as to whether the players were receiving peptides;

INQUIRE of the AFL or ASADA as to whether the supplements program was compliant with the AFL Anti-Doping Code;

TAKE any or any adequate steps to ensure that an adequate system and regulatory process was established in relation to the supplements program.

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

World Cup payday for SBW and Benji

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

SONNY Bill Williams and Benji Marshall will each pocket a cool $150,000 if they help the All Blacks retain the World Cup in 2015.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

As part of a new players' enterprise agreement announced on Wednesday by the NZRU, All Blacks players will receive individual bonuses of $150,000 if they become the first team in history to win back-to-back World Cups in England.

The handsome sum would be a top-up to annual salaries and match payments, which for the highest-paid players already reaches up to $NZ2 million.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Williams is a certainty to be in the All Blacks side if fit, given he was the best centre in the game when he returned to the NRL this year.

Williams is being tipped to rejoin New Zealand rugby and the Chiefs following this season with the Sydney Roosters.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Marshall will have his work cut out. The 28-year-old is joining the Blues next season but has not played a professional game of rugby.

There is a long line of capable playmakers and utilities in New Zealand that Marshall must out-do to stake his claim for the 2015 campaign.

However, as witnessed in the 2011 World Cup and again this week, playmaking stocks can fall rapidly in New Zealand.

To claim the William Webb Ellis trophy 8-7 against France in the 2011 decider, the All Blacks relied on the boot of fourth-choice five-eighth Stephen Donald whose 46th minute penalty turned out to be the winning play.

Donald was on a fishing holiday when called into the squad after Dan Carter and Colin Slade were injured, and then took the field when Aaron Cruden went down with injury in the final.

On Thursday, the All Blacks will name their squad to face the Wallabies in the second Bledisloe Cup Test and will again be without their first three choices, with Carter, Cruden and Beauden Barrett sidelined with injury.

Cruden and Barrett both sustained their injuries in last week's demolition of the Wallabies in Sydney.

New Zealand coach Steve Hansen will go with the previously tried Slade, or the untested but exciting Tom Taylor, 24-year-old son of former All Black Warwick Taylor.

Whoever they go with, the Kiwis will start as raging $1.18 favourites with the bookies, with Australia out to $4.75.

For Marshall, the selection will be a reminder that even if he starts at the bottom of the pecking order, things can change quickly.

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

FFA stop Penrith bid for Wanderers

Shinji Ono and the Wanderers are an attractive side. Picture: Philip Hillyard Source: Philip Hillyard / DailyTelegraph

PHIL Gould and his Penrith Panthers have failed in a secret bid to buy A-League super club, the Western Sydney Wanderers.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Panthers recently lodged an expression of interest with UBS, the global financial services firm in charge of selling the club for up to $15 million.

A-League boss David Gallop immediately rejected the Panthers' interest, shutting down the potential for more conflict with his old rugby league arch-rival.

"Why would we contemplate selling the Wanderers to a club from another code?" Gallop said Wednesday night.

"And while we are posing these questions, why would a club from another code want to invest their money and build up a rival?"

Being the face of rugby league in Sydney's West, Gould and his venture into enemy ranks will stun NRL bosses and diehard footy fans in the code's heartland.

League, soccer and AFL are involved in a fierce rivalry in the western Suburbs in junior development.

"Personally I can't believe soccer was silly enough to say no to us," said Panthers supremo Warren Wilson, who confirmed the club's interest.

"They should have at least let us in the door and put a price on the table. We might have been the biggest bidder yet they've shut it down."

But Gallop is firm in his view that the Panthers have no right to be involved with Australia's hottest sporting franchise, currently owned by FFA.

The company UBS was appointed to appraise the market and potential buyers in Australia, Asia and Europe for last year's grand finalists.

A 50-page information document, titled Project Ono, was developed to provide prospective buyers with full insight of WSW financials, business plans, membership, sponsorship, playing roster and community engagement plans.

For prospective buyers to receive the document, FFA needed to approve its release and have interested parties sign a confidentiality deed.

Gallop refused to pass it on to the Panthers.

"The Wanderers sales process needs to not only achieve the right price, but the right owners," Gallop said.

"The community engagement remains a fundamental element of the club and we have given assurances to the fans that the name, colours and culture of the Wanderers will be protected in this process.

"We have to make decisions in the best interests of Australian football, the A-League competition and the Wanderers.

"We won't contemplate a sale to anyone who we believe can't align the community interests with the business interests."

Not that the Panthers would have been the first NRL club to dabble into the round ball game.

The Newcastle Knights and the Jets are a joint venture under the ownership of Nathan Tinkler. The Eels also once owned Parramatta Power in the National Soccer League.

Wilson says the Panthers were disappointed to be rejected without getting to a bidding stage.

"The simple scenario is that the Panthers Group is running a business and we look at all opportunities," he said.

"We're the tenant of a football field that gets used 12 times a year. If I could get it used 24 times a year, it's a more logical proposition to us."

Wilson insists the Panthers could have successfully run rugby league and A-League teams without clashing.

"It's no different to us owning Panthers Leagues Club and Glenbrook Bowling Club five minutes up the road," he said.

"I just thought, there's a business, does it make sense, can I make money out of it and would it add value to all our other assets?

"This wouldn't have affected our rugby league commitment at all. If I could find a baseball team that made a good profit I'd buy them.

"If I could find an ice-cream shop, and it made sense, I'd buy it.

"Would it have made money going forward? Who knows? Unfortunately I wasn't afforded the opportunity to look at their financial records." 

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Australia suffers early damage

David Warner was removed by James Anderson early on day one at the Oval. Source: Getty Images

AUSTRALIA suffered the now customary top order damage after winning the toss and batting on the first day of the fifth Test at The Oval.

David Warner was caught behind for six fending at a perfectly pitched out-swinger from James Anderson with Australia on 11.

Chris Rogers (9) and Shane Watson (18) had taken Australia to 1-37 midway through the first session, although not before both had survived confident LBW appeals.

In both cases, England wisely chose not to refer the decisions with the replay supporting the "umpire's call".

On another dry, brown pitch at a ground that traditionally favours the spinners, Michael Clarke's correct call should have provided a considerable advantage. Particularly with England naming a dual spin attack.

---

Follow the fifth Test LIVE with our Match Centre, featuring video of every wicket and boundary, and check out all the reaction in our live and interactive blog.

---

England has won each of the three Tests in which it won the toss in this series and Australia was poised for victory at Old Trafford, when rain caused an abandonment.

Australian debutant James Faulkner received his baggy green cap from Shane Warne, an appropriate gesture given Warne has championed the Tasmanian all-rounders cause in the media.

In Warne's self-published ''manifesto'' on Australian cricket, he named Faulkner in his notional Test, one day and  Twenty20 teams. The pair were teammates with the Melbourne Stars.

Faulkner and Mitchell Starc came into the Australian team for the Usman Khawaja and Jackson Bird.

In anticipation of spin-friendly conditions, England named the 24 year-old Lancashire left-armer Simon Kerrigan for his debut at the expense of middle order batsman Jonny Bairstow.

Kerrigan is seen as the likely No.2 spinner for tour of Australia behind Graeme Swann given the off-field problems of Monty Panesar, who recently left Sussex after being fined for urinating on a bouncer at a Brighton nightclub.

Paceman Chris Woakes, also on debut, took the place of the injured Tim Bresnan.

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Breakthrough for Bombers in drug case

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

A FORMER member of the AFL's Anti-Doping Tribunal claims he was told in February that AOD-9604 was safe and not prohibited.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Dr Andrew Garnham, currently working as a consultant for the Essendon Football Club, said scientific evidence showed AOD-9604, the substance at the centre of the Bombers' supplements saga, had minimal side effects.

"Like all drugs, there are some side effects, but we know that those side effects are minimal," Garnham told AFL 360.

"The advice that I had at that time was that AOD-9604 was considered under section S2 of the anti-doping code and was regarded as not prohibited."

Garnham said "preliminary laboratory work" suggested that AOD-9604 could repair injured cartilage, muscle and bone.

"(AOD-9604) may assist in the recovery of footballers where they obviously get fairly heavily knocked around in the course of the game, so it may just bring them up a day or two quicker," he said.

"I understand it was on the basis of that possibility that it may have been used by football clubs, but at this stage, from scientific perspective we could really say that evidence is way way too early to give it any credence."

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Hypocritical' Raiders got it wrong

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

RAIDERS champion Gary Belcher has slammed the club's decision to axe David Furner as "hypocritical" and raised concerns about player power.

Did the Raiders make the right call by sacking David Furner?

Furner was dumped on Tuesday afternoon after a revolt led by senior players forced the board to act, calling time on their coach's five-year stint at the club after an extraordinary meeting was called.

The sacking comes at a time when the headlines have been dominated by talk that troubled Raiders centre Blake Ferguson was agitating for a release.

Furner and the Raiders have supported Ferguson throughout this season despite constant behavioural issues, which have led to two club-imposed suspensions.

It is understood that Furner's determination to keep Ferguson is one of the reasons senior players pushed to have their coach removed.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Raiders CEO Don Furner, David's brother, last week told Fox Sports show NRL 360 that Ferguson would not be released by the club, whether or not a request was made, because he is a contracted player.

And it was this stance on the sanctity of a contract that made it difficult for Belcher to fathom Furner's axing.

"Yes it does seem hypocritical," Belcher told a foxsports.com.au live blog on Tuesday afternoon, in response to a question on binding contracts.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

"I'm very disappointed for Dave and I think he deserved better from a club that he's given his heart and soul to.

"It is a sad day. I was coached by David's father, Don (Snr), and the Furners have a long and proud history with the Raiders.

"I'd hope that Mal Meninga is going to stay involved with the club in some way and he's already done some great work with David and the players with regard to team culture."

But when it comes to keeping players' egos in check, Belcher believes there's still more work to be done.

"I think some players, not all, can get a bit ahead of themselves," Belcher said.

"I certainly saw that with Tim Sheens's sacking from the Wests Tigers last year and I hope the players' feelings about the coach weren't the only consideration when the board made this decision.

---

See how Gary Belcher answered all your questions on the Furner sacking, as well as social media reaction, in the blog below.

---

"I feel players don't take enough responsibility for poor performances and it's easy to blame the coach - (that's the) soft option."

But despite the instability at Canberra, Belcher still believes the Raiders can be liberated by the coaching change and make a late run to the finals.

"If they're anything like the Cowboys the shackles will be off and they'll win the next three games," Belcher said.

"Thirty points will definitely get them a spot in the eight." 

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

If Aussies don't laugh, they'll cry

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

A captain is responsible for team morale. Which, on this Ashes tour, is like taking responsibility for world hunger, global warming and the congealed baked beans at the breakfast buffet.

Still, dutifully, Michael Clarke scoured the bottom of the wheelie bin and came up with a half-convincing reason why his badly beaten team would do more than just go through the motions during the fifth Test.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Australia still has a lot of cricket to play against England, Clarke ventured. "So we want to turn things around. And it's a good place to start, The Oval."

As substance for Clarke's motivational speech at Monday night's team meeting goes, this was marginally more stirring than the other possibilities: Avoiding being the first Australian team to lose 4-0 in England, playing for your career or raining on England's victory parade.

Still, even as Clarke gathered the senior pros around him during a practice session and asked them to lead by example, it was hard to escape the feeling this team is serving the final days of a long sentence.

Whatever glory that can be achieved at The Oval will only highlight the dismal showings that preceded it.

Inevitably, when a team is limping to the end of such a dismal campaign, you have to laugh or you will cry.

The latest knee-slapper was the news batsman Usman Khawaja's Cricket Australia contract had been upgraded because he had played three Tests since June 1. Oddly, the fact Khawaja had scored 114 runs at 19 in those three Tests, or that his career Test average sits at 25.13, did not militate against a pay rise.

---

Watch the fifth Ashes Test LIVE and in HIGH DEFINITION from 7.30pm (EST) Wednesday on Fox Sports 2, and get the ultimate match companion with our Ashes Match Centre, featuring ball-by-ball commentary, Hawkeye, and videos of every wicket and boundary.

---

Singling out Khawaja among Australia's underperforming batsmen is like nominating the worst member of One Direction. But this contractual quirk is symbolic of a malady that - even in this bold post-Argus Report era - has gripped Australian cricket.

The sort of thing, you suspect, sacked coach Mickey Arthur eluded to when he told The Daily Telegraph he had tried to be "cruel to be kind" to an over-indulged underachieving team.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

Equally absurd, the gagging of Cricket Australia's high performance manager Pat Howard when he was asked about his pursuit of a potential batting solution - Australian-born opener Sam Robson, who is starring for Middlesex.

As the Australians trained, Howard talked about young fast bowler Pat Cummins' latest injury problem, which cast yet another shadow on an already pitch-black tour.

"We expect to get injuries but we need to manage them," said Howard. Which seems a sensible plan.

Howard was then asked for an update about the hunt for Robson, who is the subject of a tug-of-war between Australia and England.

But, before Howard could speak, a junior communications manager brusquely declared this innocuous subject off limits. This despite Cricket Australia having recently changed its foreign player rules to allow Robson to play Sheffield Shield this summer - apparently, Howard's idea.

Untying himself and removing his media gag, Howard said he would not talk about Robson until he was briefed by the board. Which, given Howard is the man working behind the scenes to try secure Robson, presumably means he needs to be briefed by the board about his own briefing.

If this kind of mind-numbing thought process is also taking place in the sheds, no wonder Australian batsmen are walking to the crease uncertain if they are supposed to play a matchwinning innings or doing an aerobics class.

Who knows. Perhaps Clarke's words can inspire a momentum changing victory. But the smart money is on the Australians batting in pink leotards.

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Flanagan had 'secret' account

Cronulla Sharks coach Shane Flanagan. Source: DailyTelegraph

CRONULLA was tonight hit with more controversy following revelations that coach Shane Flanagan operated a 'High Performance Unit' bank account against the club's wishes.

The development came as Sharks skipper Paul Gallen was also identified as the player involved in a mis-managed third party deal that earned Cronulla a $150,000 salary cap breach in July.

Flanagan's account was discovered after its details were included on an e-mail inviting directors and sponsors to a coaching luncheon at the Royal Motor Yacht Club in early February.

The coach was insulted when asked to justify the account and claimed he shut it down at the direction of former CEO Bruno Cullen.

But Cullen last night denied any knowledge of the account, telling ABC's 7:30: "You just don't do things that way."

Flanagan argued the account was necessary to raise funds for gym equipment – through functions and golf days - because the club did not provide enough money for the football department to compete with other teams.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal it was the second private account used at the club in recent years, with former coach Ricky Stuart operating the first version to fund team camps and equipment in 2009.

Cronulla's board expressed its disapproval around the time Flanagan took over in 2010, wanting all transactions to be run through the club's official St. George account.

But the Sharks have no record of paying for the services – or expensive supplements – incurred by sports scientist Steve Dank in early 2011, the period which has subjected Cronulla to ASADA investigation.

Flanagan last night denied any of Dank's expenses have been met by his Westpac account, which was opened almost a year after the sports scientist's departure.

He could not say when the first account was shut down, but understood Dank was willing to work free of charge.

Gallen's deal was with former security provider E-Group, which paid the captain about $120,000 over three years.

Upon discovering E-Group had threatened to make the payments public amid a dispute over its service contract, Flanagan wrote a frantic e-mail to the club that was aired on last night's program.

"Everyone needs to be aware that if Paul is exposed any form of inspection or scrutiny due to E-Group contract details, the club arranged all details of past contracts not Paul," Flanagan's e-mail read.
 

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Super Saturday beckons

Clash ... Geelong take on Sydney at Simonds Stadium in Round 22. Source: Paul Kane / Getty Images

WE'VE had more Super Supplements days than Super Saturdays this season, but surely the Essendon drugs scandal cannot detract from the significance, and anticipation, of Round 22.

Round 21 was about the assertion of dominance by Hawthorn, Geelong, Sydney and Fremantle as they put daylight between themselves and the bottom four of the top eight.

Their winning margins were 35, 66, 59 and 95 points.

Talk about gearing themselves towards their September campaigns.

The top four is 10 points clear of stumbling Collingwood and Richmond, a free-falling Essendon, and a Port Adelaide team that is in a battle royale with Carlton for the eighth spot.

Port plays Fremantle (away) and then Carlton (home) in what will be a last-man standing affair, the kind of game Ken Hinkley's boys have thrived upon.

After disposing of the Tigers, Carlton can fairly argue its resolve isn't shot, either.

It was said that after the loss to the Western Bulldogs, Carlton coach Mick Malthouse told his players it was one of the worst defeats in which he had been involved in 29 years as a coach.

The win against the Tigers wasn't one of the best in the same period, but it was one in which the Blues regained respect.

But first things first - Super Saturday.

The results of four of the five games on Saturday will have a massive influence on ladder positions - North Melbourne versus Hawthorn at Etihad, 2.10pm; Geelong versus Sydney at Simonds Stadium, 4.40pm; Carlton versus Essendon at the MCG, 7.40pm; and Fremantle versus Port Adelaide at Patersons Stadium, 7.40pm.

The permutations are many and clearly the team with the most difficult assignment is the Swans.

They meet Geelong and Hawthorn in the final two rounds and would need to win both to be assured of a top two-finish. A one-one split would probably not be enough.

The Dockers have Port and then St Kilda (Etihad), so second is not beyond them.

If the Hawks lose to North Melbourne and then the Swans, they would almost certainly lose top spot, and perhaps a top-two position.

Clearly, the Kangas at Etihad isn't a walk in the park. Equally, playing the Hawks isn't a pleasant walk anywhere.

On Friday night, the Hawks reminded Collingwood just who are the men and who are the boys.

As Round 22 approaches, predicting the result of a single match will be difficult, so forecasting how the top four will settle is close to impossible.

The Bombers-Blues game at the 'G shapes, for Essendon, as the fifth instalment of the bloody blockbuster franchise, Halloween.

The Bombers have lost their past four matches in horror results. They have been sliced and diced and are mentally scarred as September looms.

Malthouse has been kicking the club to death in recent weeks and he will want to do the same on Saturday.

In turn, the Bombers are non-too impressed with Malthouse opening his mouth about their issues. If anything, it's a scene setter.

And then there's Geelong.

It was a systematic kill of West Coast. The Cats had 27 shots at goal to 11, they won the inside 50s 58-36, had close to 100 more possessions and skipper Joel Selwood might have helped himself to another three Brownlow Medal votes.

He, Travis Boak at Port Adelaide and Kieren Jack at Sydney have led their clubs superbly this season, and although Gary Ablett is the favourite to be the All Australian captain, that trio all have solid claims to the position.

Boak, in his first season as skipper, has been nothing short of sensational for a team that deserves the same accolade.

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Doubting Kiwis fired up All Blacks

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

AS if the Wallabies needed another hurdle last Saturday, it has emerged that a sceptical New Zealand public has emerged as the driving force behind the All Blacks' thumping victory in the Bledisloe Cup opener.

Following the 47-29 thrashing at ANZ Stadium, All Blacks coach Steve Hansen took the unusual step of making his own statement before fielding questions from reporters.

"I want to mention a few people," Hansen said, before turning to All Black captain Richie McCaw, seated next to him.

"To come back after having a break and everyone doubted him, to get through the 70 minutes like he did, shows the character of the bloke once again," Hansen said.

"So hopefully there won't be any more doubters.

"I want to talk a little bit about Aaron Cruden too. There's people that question-marked him at times at this level.

"I think he showed tonight that he is a true international player of world-class ability and he led the team very well.

"Ma'a Nonu is another person I'd like to mention, struggled all week with an ankle injury and probably played one of his better games for the All Blacks – and he's had some very good ones.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

"And last but not least, a young man who came into the side with five minutes to go in training on Thursday, and played his first full international, Steve Luatua.

"I thought he was quite outstanding in his performance."

Before the Test, the cautious Wallabies had tip-toed around any suggestive questions from journalists that opened the door for criticism or questioning of any perceived Kiwis vulnerability.

But radio and internet commentary in New Zealand ran hot with fears that McCaw, starting his first professional game in eight months, was underdone and would be exposed.

There were doubts that Cruden would hold up to the pressure of replacing Dan Carter, and whether centre Nonu – unwanted by Super Rugby franchises – was still capable of delivering in the Test arena.

And when raging backrower Liam Messam was ruled out with a hamstring injury two days before the game, there was near panic at the thought of Luatua making his starting Test debut alongside McCaw in what could have literally been a very loose forward trio.

Luatua even admitted surprise that people would question McCaw's readiness for the game, which came on the back of less than 80 minutes of game-time for the Crusaders and in All Black trials.

"To be honest, yes (I was surprised)," Luatua said. "I think people don't see the work he does behind the scenes, and we see him around the track and at training, and he hasn't played a lot of footy but he's still gassing me."

It was no coincidence Hansen singled out those four after the game. It gave great insight into how his team - world champions, the undisputed best team in the game, on a decade-long Bledisloe Cup winning streak - finds any little tool of motivation to remain kings of the rugby jungle.

By Sunday afternoon Hansen was already pointing out weaknesses in his team's armoury and the danger of a wounded Wallabies side heading to Wellington to claim their first win in New Zealand since 2001.

"We did a number of things pretty effectively but there's a lot of stuff we have to get better at," Hansen said.

"We weren't overly happy with our set piece and the connection from our set piece to our backs at times wasn't great either.

"We'll work hard and see if we can create some more opportunities next week.

"We'll make sure our preparation's right and honest.

"There's been plenty of incidences where teams have lost by a big margins and then come and won the next week, we've done it ourselves the last time we lost here (2008) and turned it around the next week.

"It's all about keeping your attitude right, not getting ahead of yourself and keeping your feet firmly on the ground."

Meanwhile, Hansen said the scrum would be a major focus at training this week after a shoddy debut of the new "crouch, bind, set" system on the international stage.

Both teams were penalised by referee Craig Joubert for crooked feeds and illegal scrummaging, despite the new rules designed to cut the number of scrum re-starts and penalties.

"Obviously that's a major concern for both sides, both halfbacks from both sides were on yellow card warnings," Hansen said.

"The referees have shown their hand. We've just got to get it right."

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Penthouse and Outhouse: Great Grima

Nathan Grima celebrates his first goal. Source: Quinn Rooney / HeraldSun

FOX FOOTY expert Julian de Stoop casts his eye over another action-packed round of the AFL season.

In The Penthouse

Fearless Leaders
The top two teams Hawthorn and Geelong flexed their muscles this weekend and it was on the back of their fearless leaders Luke Hodge and Joel Selwood.

For the second time against the Magpies this year Hodge was the most influential player on the ground and if he can replicate that form in September the Hawks will be hard to beat.

Remember he missed the preliminary final through illness last year and wasn't at his best in the Grand Final as a result.

Selwood has been magnificent all year but in the last fortnight he has really done some damage on the scoreboard with two bags of four goals.

Seeing these two bulls going head to head in September is a mouth-watering prospect.

Carlton
It had been a tough week for Carlton following their loss to the Bulldogs and things only got worse when they conceded eight goals in the first quarter against Richmond.

But in the absence of Chris Judd some of the Blues other leaders finally stood up.

Bryce Gibbs had a real influence while Brock McLean and Kade Simpson also led from the front.

The contribution from young forwards Levi Casboult and Troy Menzel (5 goals between them) made it a memorable 60th birthday for Mick Malthouse.

Daniel Wells
Wells has had an excellent season but in the absence of injured captain Andrew Swallow in the past month he seems to have thrived on the added responsibility.

Heath Hocking kept Brent Harvey in check but the Bombers couldn't stop Wells who set up the Roos 45-point win with four crucial goals.

Travis Boak
The Port Adelaide skipper has had an outstanding season and on a day when many of his teammates struggled Boak dragged his team across the line against a plucky Gold Coast outfit.

The skipper kicked three vital goals, collected 35 disposals and recorded a game-high 27 pressure acts to lead his team one step closer to a finals berth.

Port once again came from behind at the final change and they have won 15 final quarters this season, the most of any side alongside Hawthorn.

Nathan Grima's first goal
In a year dominated by negatives, Nathan Grima's first AFL goal in his fifth season and 72nd game was a moment to cherish.

The Kangaroos defender is one of the most popular players at the club, which was clear when all of his teammates ran to embrace him after his drought-breaking goal.

And it may never have happened given Grima was nearly subbed out of the game at three-quarter time!

In The Outhouse

Dustin Martin
In the lead up to their first finals appearance in 12 years the Tigers don't need any unwelcome distractions but Martin's protracted contract negotiations are starting to become an issue.

Like he did with Travis Cloke, Martin's manager Ralph Carr is holding out for money but Richmond's offer is more than reasonable.

The Tigers have been very good to Martin who has had his share of off-field dramas and if it's good enough for Jack Riewoldt to sign for less than he could get elsewhere it's good enough for Martin.

It will become an even bigger issue if his form suffers and on Saturday he was poor against Carlton managing just 12 disposals.

Brisbane's sacking of Michael Voss
The decision to sack Michael Voss isn't the issue but the way it was handled by the Lions was poor.

To jump three weeks before the end of the season seems odd particularly when No.1 target Paul Roos appears extremely unlikely to head north.

It was also poor form by the chairman Angus Johnson to sit there and answer a series of questions about Roos and other potential replacements when Voss is sitting right next to him.

A club great like Voss deserves better and if the Lions don't secure a big name like Roos I fear for the future of the board.

Dale Thomas
I fear we may have seen the last of Thomas in a Collingwood jumper.

The star midfielder re-injured his ankle in his VFL return and it appears unlikely he will play any part in the Magpies finals campaign.

Indications are he will seek a move at season's end with Carlton and reunion with former coach Mick Malthouse his preferred destination.

Aaron Sandilands
The biggest man in the game is in short supply when it comes to luck.

The Giant Docker has managed just 33 games in the past three seasons due to a serious foot injury and a problem with his hamstring tendon.

Now his short-term future is in doubt due to a suspected fractured cheekbone.

Zac Clarke is emerging as a ruckman but if Sandilands isn't there in September the Dockers will be missing a major weapon in their premiership assault.

Essendon's month from hell
The wheels have officially fallen off at Windy Hill.

The Bombers have lost their last four matches by an average of 58 points and after conceding just 81 points per game in the opening 17 rounds in the past month that figure has ballooned to 127.

To make matters worse young star Dyson Heppell suffered a foot injury against the Kangaroos.

Essendon lost their last seven matches last season and are in danger of doing so again with matches against Carlton and Richmond to come before a knockout final against either Collingwood or Richmond (presuming their points aren't stripped).

But once again the week will be dominated by the drugs scandal which gets uglier by the day.

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More

Don't blame Howard, T20: CA boss

James Sutherland (L) and Pat Howard after confirming the sacking of Mickey Arthur. Picture: Ella Pellegrini. Source: News Limited

AUSTRALIAN cricket was asleep at the wheel during its golden era. Now it is paying the price for complacency.

Unless this team can find something special and avoid defeat during the last Test at The Oval, beginning on Wednesday, it will become the first side in the 133-year history of England tours to lose four Tests.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

The gloating local media are in danger of being proved right. This could be the worst Australian side ever to tour England.

For too long an over emphasis on winning state titles instead of producing Australian players has seen other major cricket nations steal a march.

Now state teams doctoring wickets for results is being blamed as a major reason for the failure to produce quality batsmen.

Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland was appointed at the peak of the team's powers in 2001 and is under increasing scrutiny as Australian cricket has tumbled.

Questions were raised about why Sutherland was on the board of the Argus Review following the previous Ashes failure instead of being reviewed himself.

Sutherland claims that he was only on the review board as an administrator, he had been reviewed, and was at business school in the US when the Argus Report was produced.

The coach and selectors were changed and the new position of high performance manager was created and filled by former Wallaby Pat Howard, who is most under pressure as the performance of the Test team continues to slide.

In the face of widespread discontent Cricket Australian chairman Wally Edwards recently told Sutherland that he had the CA board's full support.

"We're all impatient for success, everyone involved in Australian cricket," Sutherland said, but warned there were no simple answers.

PITCHES

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

"We're developing a system where we can improve pitches. In the past there hasn't been the chance to talk about that as openly.

"There were steps taken last summer to do that and we'll continue to work on that.

"We want Shield cricket to be the best possible preparation for Test cricket so Shield pitches should be very similar to Test pitches.

"That means they need to be drier at the start and be wearing later to bring spinners into play, as well as batsmen having a bit more of a chance, certainly on the first day of a game.

"I have a high level of expectation that we will see (Shield) pitches that are more developed.

"I would expect curators to be preparing pitches that are the equivalent of a day one, one and a half, day two Test pitch for the start of a shield game."

SPINNERS

"What we have seen is that people are preparing pitches to play against Australia that are dry, without a blade of grass and breaking up or taking spin.

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

"I don't think you have to be Einstein to see that people are preparing pitches to suit themselves.

"I'm not making excuses here, they're entitled to.

"We need to get better at playing in these conditions.

"We've got to give spinners more opportunities to bowl in Shield cricket.

"At times they're not getting selected let alone playing a significant part in the game."

SLOW TO ADAPT

"When you have a successful team it papers over deficiencies in your pipeline.

"It's easy for people to say we should have done something about that.

"To some extent people were trying to do things but there is always a resistance to change when people say if it's not broken don't fix it.

"Perhaps in the past there has been too much of a focus on winning trophies (at state level).

"The focus now is not just getting more people to play the game but getting genuine cricketers, identifying that talent at 14, 15, 16, keeping it, and getting more sharply focused on that.

"In the past we haven't had the resources to invest in that area.

"Some of our competitors have invested huge amounts of money in their high performance systems."

NO QUICK FIX

"The reality is that the Performance Review (Argus report) made clear people shouldn't have premature expectations about a rebuilding phase.

"There have been some great things that have happened with our fast bowling stocks over the last couple of years.

"We've still got challenges with the batting but there's a lot of work that's being done there.

"There is a lot of work being done with the spinners and we're starting to see some of them come through."

PAT HOWARD

Hello, you either have JavaScript turned off or an old version of Adobe's Flash Player.

"The shop front window for us is very much the Australian cricket team but in terms of his role it's much broader than the national team.

"Those who are critical of him don't necessarily understand the depth and breadth of his role.

"A very significant part of that role is the men's team, but he also overseas the women's team, our elite underage competitions, Australia A.

"We have invested a lot in our under 19s and Pat has been organising Australia A tours to compliment the men's team.

"Pat is on a contract. Most people in high performance are on contracts until after the 2015 World Cup.

"That's the sort of time frame the Player Review (Argus report) talked about in terms of having expectations."

MICKEY ARTHUR

"Mickey Arthur's appointment didn't work out, that's what happens.

"I sat on a panel with Mark Taylor and Pat Howard and Mickey was by far the most credentialed candidate.

"We made a unanimous recommendation to the board and received the unanimous support of the board.

"We take responsibility for that but sometimes things don't work out and that wasn't foreseeable."

BIG BASH V SHIELD

"All that is a balancing act but it shouldn't be seen in isolation.

"Around the world it's not inconsistent for there to be a period in South Africa or England or India where they play a T20 competition in isolation from their first class system. This is not unique to Australia.

"It amuses me when people sometimes say the reason why Australia is not batting well is because we're playing T20 cricket.

"Every cricket nation in the world plays T20 cricket. India plays more of it than anyone. Every Indian cricketer plays in the IPL and yet they seem to have a plethora of talent at the moment."

18.49 | 0 komentar | Read More