Roosters keep Sharks scoreless

Sydney Roosters Mitchell Pearce makes a run. Source: Sam Ruttyn / News Limited

MITCHELL Pearce has rebounded from his State of Origin flop to pilot the Sydney Roosters to a crushing 40-0 NRL win over Cronulla at Allianz Stadium.

7 Tries 0
Boyd Cordner 3'
Jake Friend 8'
Daniel Tupou 16'
Shaun Kenny-Dowall 20'
Boyd Cordner 39'
Sam Moa 50'
Mitchell Aubusson 60'
6 Conversions 0
James Maloney 4'
James Maloney 9'
James Maloney 18'
James Maloney 40'
James Maloney 51'
James Maloney 61'

The maligned halfback set up three tries and had a hand in another as the Roosters made light of Sonny Bill Williams' absence to pile on seven unanswered four-pointers on Saturday night.

Running off Pearce, NSW back-rower Boyd Cordner bagged a double, while fellow Blues teammates James Maloney and Michael Jennings also stood up as the Roosters consolidated their position in the top two with a record-equalling fifth shut-out of the season.

The Roosters' class of 1977 also recorded five whitewash wins and Trent Robinson's 2013 outfit joins them as the only other team in premiership history to have kept opposition sides scoreless on as many occasions during a single season.

Sidelined with a hamstring injury, Williams missed his first match since returning to the NRL this season following his four-year stint in rugby union.

But with Pearce on a mission from the outset, the Roosters utterly dominated the Sharks, who sorely missed injured NSW captain Paul Gallen and Blues back-rower Luke Lewis among eight unavailable regular first graders.

Pearce put Cordner over for the first try of the night after just two minutes before hooker Jake Friend scored the softest of tries from dummy-half in the eighth minute.

It was 18-0 after 17 minutes when Jennings' delightful inside ball sent winger Daniel Tupou over.

Pearce's sweet pass for centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall made it 22-0 before he sent Cordner over again on the stroke of halftime to have the Roosters in total control at the break.

Second-half tries to interchange forwards Sam Moa and Mitchell Aubusson completed the rout, with Maloney slotting six conversions from seven attempts.

Jennings limped off with 20 minutes remaining and received treatment for an ankle problem, but the injury didn't appear serious.

But compounding the Sharks' woes, halfback Chad Townsend was placed on report for a dangerous throw on Roosters captain Anthony Minichiello, while Blues enforcer Andrew Fifita ended the match with a pinched hip. 

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Eels suffer eighth straight loss

David Shillington of the Raiders is tackled during the Canberra Raiders and the Parramatta Eels. Source: Stefan Postles / Getty Images

PARRAMATTA have equalled their worst losing streak in almost two decades with a tough 14-0 loss in Canberra.

2 Tries 0
Jarrod Croker 6'
Sami Sauiluma 29'
2 Conversions 0
Jarrod Croker 7'
Jarrod Croker 30'
1 Penalties 0
Jarrod Croker 75'

The two sides duked out a tryless second half in woeful conditions, with sleet lashing the surface throughout the 80 minutes.

But while the lowly Eels battled admirably in the frigid damp, they never looked like wrestling control after the Raiders posted converted tries in the sixth and 32nd minutes.

Parramatta also finished the game with 12 men after Joseph Paulo was sin-binned in the 74th minute, his indiscretion leading to the lone points of the second stanza - a Jarrod Croker penalty goal.

By the greatest indignity for the visitors was their eight straight loss, an wanted feat not matched by any Eels side since their coach Ricky Stuart was playing for the Raiders in 1995.

While their potency in attack was lacking, Parramatta were unlucky to leave the venue scoreless after having two suspected tries overturned by the video referees.

The second came with 12 minutes remaining, when Ryan Morgan appeared to have scraped across following a slick movement that featured a chip kick for fullback Jake Mullaney.

But despite the on-field referee signalling a try, the upstairs men ruled that Croker had carried Morgan into touch. 

Eels captain Tim Mannah admitted the chilly four degree celsius temperatures took its toll.

"It's a nice place to come to, but it's also a nice place to leave," Mannah said.

Despite the loss, Eels coach Ricky Stuart said he was proud of his side's performance, pointing out they had two video referee calls narrowly go against them.

"If they went our way we probably would have won the game,'' Stuart said.

"Everything I asked them to do they did tonight.

"You're not going to play in much tougher conditions."

Young Raiders fullback Anthony Milford was classy at the back, his handling skills tested by Eels halfback Kelly's kicking game on countless occasions.

"Is Kevin Rudd renting over at Yarralumla still? Because I'd be buying the Lodge and giving it to young Milford to keep him here," Stuart said.

"He's a real talent."

The win puts the Raiders one step closer to the club's home winning streak record of 17, which was posted between 1993 and 1995.

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England dig in on day three

Tim Bresnan was a thorn in Australia's side early on day three at Lord's. Source: Kirsty Wigglesworth / AP

THE early wickets Australia desperately needed to keep its remote chances alive in the second Test at Lords have not been forthcoming early on day three.

After a horror day two with the bat left them trailing by 233 runs on the first innings, Peter  Siddle briefly revived spirits with a stunning spell of 3-4 late yesterday afternoon.

But Australia's attack needed to make further inroads this morning but were unable to  strike under heavy cloud cover as both the Test and Ashes series slips further away.

England resumed at 3-31, and has moved to 3-70 at drinks, holding an already commanding 303 run lead.

Given Australia folded meekly for just 128 in 55 overs yesterday, the total already appears beyond achievable as the home side continues to grind its opponent into the hallowed MCC turf.

The highest successful run chase at Lords is 1-344 by the mighty West Indies back in 1984.

Joe Root is 36 not out, while nightwatchman Tim Bresnan (17) is proving a real nuisance.

Root set the tone on the first ball of the day, whipping Siddle through mid wicket for a boundary.

It was in stark contrast to yesterday, where Bresnan was caught behind off Ryan Harris on the opening delivery, the first of 16 wickets which fell in the day.

Root has looked untroubled by the Aussie attack, producing a couple of impressive cover drives and punches through point off the back foot.

It took Bresnan 30 balls to get off the mark - an unconvincing hook to fine leg got him away _ but from there the runs flowed more freely.

The only half chance of the morning came when Siddle found the edge of Bresnan's bat, but it dropped just short of Phil Hughes at third slip before racing to the fence.

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Carter-led crusade crushes Reds

Reds ... are bundled out of the Super Rugby finals by the Crusaders. Source: Joseph Johnson / Getty Images

DEVASTATED captain James Horwill bluntly admitted the Reds had badly let down departing coach Ewen McKenzie with a shabby play-offs exit in Christchurch that was not worthy of being his farewell game.

4 Tries 0
Ryan Crotty 10'
Daniel Carter 30'
Tom Marshall 52'
Ryan Crotty 67'
3 Conversions 0
Daniel Carter 11'
Daniel Carter 53'
Daniel Carter 68'
4 Penalties 3
Daniel Carter 4'	Quade Cooper 15'
Daniel Carter 26'	Quade Cooper 28'
Daniel Carter 40'	Quade Cooper 47'
Tom Taylor 73'

It wasn't just that the Reds were ruthlessly dismembered 38-9 by Dan Carter and a hot Crusaders outfit but the way the season unravelled.

A side which had backed its superb defence all season conceded four tries for the first time in 2013.

It started with the poor one-on-one tackle missed by centre Jono Lance with gave up an early 10-0 deficit and ceded any chance of the fast start plan that might have thrown a doubt in the minds of Kiwis.

McKenzie's go-to men Will Genia and Quade Cooper were blotted out of the qualifying final, as the Queenslanders were en masse, by an All Blacks-laden opposition which was too powerful up front, too skilled and too poised when the big scoring chances arose.

When the key one-percenters needed to be clinically dealt with, wingers Dom Shipperley and Luke Morahan both failed to dive on a dangerously bouncing ball in the lead-up to the final try.

The season was already gone at that stage but it was emblematic of being beaten by a far more clinical side.

"It's extremely disappointing not to play to the level we know we can, especially when we spoke that we didn't want this to be the last time some guys pulled on the Reds jersey," Horwill said with reference to departing trio Radike Samo, Lance and Morahan.

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Re-live all the action in Match Centre, featuring video highlights!

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"The coach has been a massive part of what this team has been about for the past four seasons and he deserved far better than that as a send-off."

It was a crushing end to four superb seasons at the helm for McKenzie. He departs for the Wallabies job with the 2011 Super Rugby title and a superb 68 per cent winning rate to show for it but that was no salve in a cold, desolate corner of New Zealand on Saturday night.

The Park Lane Retirement Home borders AMI Stadium. The ageless Samo, 37, showed no reason to check-in. He provided one of the few attacking sparks for the Reds with a 30m run in his second half farewell.

Young flanker Liam Gill was excellent and only the TMO denied him a second half try. While Crusaders big guns Kieran Read, Sam Whitelock and Carter fired on all turbos, the Reds big cannons were quiet.

Crusaders schemer Dan Carter was excellent but he had the storming forward platform ahead of him to dictate. He scored a fine try, threw the final pass for centre Ryan Crotty's second try and banged over six-from-eight with the boot.

Another Reds missed tackle between forwards Saia Faingaa and Jake Schatz let the rampaging Sam Whitelock ignite the superb crossing for Carter and the dire position.

The Crusaders only called on 116-Test warrior Richie McCaw for the final 15 minutes, a virtual victory lap because the sudden-death final had already been comprehensively decided.

Cooper was accomplished enough with the little he had to do in the opening 40 minutes. He rescued one tricky situation when he swooped on a kick in defence, he tackled, he kicked two-from-two and his general kicking was spot on. It was only when he had to run to chase the game from desperate situations that he got barrelled.

The crowd booed Cooper and did it with wicked relish when he was caught after the strongest Reds attacking period late in the game. The ball was hacked downfield and Carter and Crotty finished off.

The only real Cooper-Genia passing interchange in the 6C chill did not flicker until the 55th-minute and it was scuttled by a forward pass..

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Live: second Ashes Test, day two

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Ryan Harris finished with bowling figures of 5-72. Source:AFP

AUSTRALIA will look to take advantage of their good start to the second Test as day two gets underway at Lord's.

Follow the action and get all the best analysis and reaction from the ground and around the world with our live blog.

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Not bowling behind Smith's success

The remarkable secret to Smith's Ashes bowling success: not bowling. Source: Gareth Copley / Getty Images

THE secret to Steve Smith's success as a bowler appears to be a lack of bowling.

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The occasional leg-spinner revealed he had not bowled in the nets for a week and a half leading into the second Test at Lord's because of a quad muscle injury.

Yet Smith, 24, changed the game late on day one by claiming three wickets, dragging Australia back into a match that was rapidly getting away.

"I was nice and fresh and it came out naturally. It worked for me," Smith said before play on the second day.

"I was actually really keen to have a bowl yesterday. I was actually warming up an hour before hand but he (captain Michael Clarke) wasn't watching," Smith joked.

"I was happy to have a bowl. It was probably that sort of period where we had to try something different. I guess it paid off in the end."

Smith debuted as Australia's spinner at Lord's three year's ago in Australia's long-forgotten two-Test series against Pakistan, batting at number eight.

However he has always considered himself a batsman who bowls.

"I probably wasn't ever an actual spinner. I was lucky to get that role at that time," Smith said.

"I've always seen myself as more of a batter than a bowler so I'm obviously grateful to have played out here as a spinner and taking a few wickets at the same time."

Playing his ninth Test, Smith now had seven wickets at an average of 43 but six of them have come during his two Tests at Lord's at an average of just 11.5.

He has deliberately reduced the emphasis on his bowling recently to concentrate on his batting and it has paid dividends.

After two good Tests at the end of a generally disastrous tour of India earlier this year and a half-century in the first Test at Edgbaston, Smith is becoming an increasingly permanent member of a fluid Australian batting line-up.  

"I'm batting in the top six and I feel like I'm batting pretty well. Hopefully a big score is just around the corner," Smith said.

"I've changed a few things in my batting. I've tightened up my technique a bit, I feel as if I'm heading in the right direction."

New coach Darren Lehmann has been encouraging Smith to bowl more.

"Every time he walks past me he says keep bowling at the stumps. That's a pretty simple plan for a spinner. Just try and hit the stumps and let natural variation play its part," said Smith.

"You obviously have to keep working at it and if required like that hopefully I can come up with similar figures when it's needed."

The ball that Smith bowled to dismiss centurion Ian Bell was a beauty, spinning across the fight hander and taking the edge to finish with Clarke at slip.

"That's probably the best ball you can bowl as a leg-spinner, that little nick to slip," said Smith. "It would be nice to replicate that a few times."

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Aussies struggle on day two at Open

Adam Scott tees off during the second round of the the Open Championship at Muirfield. Source: ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP

AUSTRALIA'S British Open hopes took a hit as Adam Scott lost ground with an underwhelming start to his second round at Muirfield.

Scott, who led a 12-strong Australian contingent into day two after an even-par opening round, dropped two shots through the front nine of his second round.

In failing to make the most of favourable morning conditions, it put Scott seven shots behind overnight leader Zach Johnson, who was due to commence his round later on Friday.

Another Australian, Marcus Fraser, had stormed into contention earlier on Friday by getting to three-under par for the day and one under overall.

However the Victorian suffered a dramatic back nine collapse, losing six shots in the last six holes, to finish with a disappointing 74 and facing a nervous wait to make the cut at four over.

Scott and Fraser were among a host of players who had to contend with brutally quick conditions on a sun-baked Muirfield course on Thursday afternoon.

They had been hoping to make the most of calmer conditions and softer greens, which had been watered overnight.

Under sunny Scottish skies, Masters champion Scott looked strong early on Friday, getting up and down for par on the first hole with a sublime chip.

However bogeys at the fourth and sixth holes saw him drop back through the pack.

Scott is looking to make amends for his dramatic late collapse at the 2012 event, where he effectively handed victory to South African Ernie Els.

Having since captured his first major title at Augusta in April, Scott stepped on to the first tee on Thursday already feeling like a weight had lifted off his shoulders.

However he still remains hungry to lift the Claret Jug and atone for last year's disaster.

"It's a little easier to perform having won a major now but I still haven't won the Open and I'd dearly love to," Scott said after his opening round.

Fraser was gutted after his second round, feeling he had played some of his best golf but had been cruelled by several instances of bad luck.

"I felt like I played pretty well all day and then just got completely shafted a few times," Fraser said.

"Now we'll wait and see if it gets through to the weekend."

Australians Jason Day (two over), Peter Senior and John Wade (both three over) were to commence their second rounds on Friday afternoon.

Geoff Ogilvy and Marc Leishman were struggling early on Friday and looked likely to miss the cut.

With American leader Johnson teeing off in the afternoon, England's Lee Westwood was the big mover of the morning, with a four-under front nine moving him to within a shot of the lead.

Tiger Woods remained in the hunt at two-under midway through his round.

AAP lf/gc

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Magic Johnson mesmerizes Tigers

Johnson (C) had one of his best games of the season at Leichhardt Oval. Source: Getty Images

Shaun Johnson scored two tries in a classy performance as the Warriors came from behind to down Wests Tigers 24-14 at Leichardt Oval on Friday night.

3 Tries 4
David Nofoaluma 6'	Shaun Johnson 32'
Chris Lawrence 13'	Konrad Hurrell 42'
Tim Simona 40'	Shaun Johnson 55'
	Simon Mannering 67'
1 Conversions 4
Benji Marshall 40'	Shaun Johnson 33'
	Shaun Johnson 42'
	Shaun Johnson 57'
	Shaun Johnson 69'

The Tigers opened up an early 8-0 lead through David Nofoaluma and Chris Lawrence who scored in the fourth and 13th minutes, respectively.

Benji Marshall, playing what was his final game at the Tigers' spiritual home, was unable to convert either try and the Tigers were left to rue those four points when Johnson scored the first of his two tries in the 32nd minute.

The Tigers extended their lead just before the break with a four-pointer  to Tim Simona in the shadows of half-time, allowing the hosts to go in 14-6 up.

The visitors wasted little time closing the deficit upon the resumption with Konrad Hurrell finishing off some classic Warriors football two minutes into the second stanza.

Johnson then pounced on a loose ball following a Tigers cross-kick and sprinted 95 metres to put the visitors in front for the first time.

The classy halfback wasn't done there either and rounded out a brilliant showing by laying on a deft kick for Simon Mannering to grab the game's final four-pointer in the 67th minute.

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Victory not scared to attack Reds

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Midfielder ... Leigh Broxham trains ahead of the clash with Liverpool. Source: Hamish Blair / News Limited

MELBOURNE Victory will aim to please an expected crowd of 95,000 at the MCG for Wednesday's clash with Liverpool.

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Leigh Broxham said an undermanned Victory will not "park the bus'' in hope of limiting the damage against the European giants.

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Instead it will play it's normal passing game combined with a more compact style when in defence, as Broxham said it demonstrated throughout the 1-0 friendly win against Victorian Premier League side Port Melbourne on Tuesday night.

"It was a step in the right direction,'' midfielder Broxham said.

"We tweaked our game plan slightly for the game against Liverpool and we obviously need to do that with the personnel we've got with the boys being away with the national team.

"We changed a few things which seemed to work well.

"Our game plan will be similar in terms of attacking the way that we want to, it'll just be tweaked a little bit defensively, to be a bit more compact.

"We've just got to pick our times about when is best to press and things like that.''

Jason Geria scored the first half winner against Port Melbourne for a Victory side already missing Socceroos Archie Thompson, Mark Milligan, Mitch Nichols, Nathan Coe and Connor Pain.

The only major addition Victory will have for the Reds game will be Billy Celeski, who returns from A-League All Stars duty on Sunday.

Absentees notwithstanding, Broxham said Victory will attack the game in the right way.

"With such good coverage you want to give a good name to the Australian game and obviously Melbourne Victory as well,'' he said.

"So we do want to stick to what we want to do and not just park the bus to grind out a 0-0 result in front of 95,000 people, that's probably not an ideal result.''

Liverpool has named a full strength squad featuring the likes of Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Kolo Toure.

Broxham expressed confidence in his younger teammates' ability to perform on the big stage.

"Ange (Postecoglou), he does put pressure on the young boys to perform week in week out,'' he said.

"Whether you're 18 or 28 - he understand the inconsistency at times of younger players - he expects the same things from them.

"This pre-season we have been missing players so younger boys have had to step up and perform and that's part of growing up as well.

"You'd imagine in the first 10 minutes they're going to be nervous, anyone would be in front of a big crowd against good opposition, but everyone believes in the players that we've got.''

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Ashes frenzy as tickets go on sale

Ashes ... tickets to the Australian Tests went on sale on Wednesday. Source: Laurence Griffiths / Getty Images

VICTORIANS with Ashton Agar fever have rushed to snap up tickets to the return Ashes series in the hope of seeing Australia snatch back the urn on home soil.

Thousands of seats for Melbourne's Boxing Day Test in the first back-to-back Ashes in 38 years sold within minutes of going on sale on Wednesday.

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Almost half public tickets to the MCG opening day were sold within hours of general with more sold between noon and 2pm than in the first 24 hours of sales when England last toured four years ago.

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By the close of business yesterday a national ticket frenzy saw about 200,000 tickets sold to international cricket matches around Australia -more than 50,000 in the first hour.

It is believed the first three days of the Sydney and Adelaide Tests are already sold out.

More than 30,000 of about 60,000 public seats to day one of the Boxing Day Test had sold last night with the remainder to be shared between MCC members and corporates.

With more than five months until it is played, Cricket Australia spokesman Matthew Slade said Boxing Day loomed bigger than ever at the MCG.

``For Boxing Day to be half sold out already is a fantastic result,'' he said.

``We're tracking much stronger than we were for the same time in 2010-11 when the Ashes were last held in Australia,''

MCG events general manager Trevor Dohnt said some tickets were likely to still be available for Boxing Day but yesterday's outstanding ticket sent a message to fans to get in early.

"Boxing Day has always been significant but these are really strong sales,'' he said.

"Ashton Agar and the team's performance in England certainly haven't hurt.''

Fast bowler Mitchell Starc said Agar's arrival had also fired up the team.

"He's been awesome.

He's got such a mature head on his shoulders for a 19-year-old,'' he said.

"To play in his first Test match the way he did was outstanding to see and he did it with a smile on his face the whole time so it shows how cool he is under pressure.''

The second English Test starts at Lords on Thursday night (EST).

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