NRL Table

Braith Anasta Roosters 2009

2009-03-10T22:30:00.001-07:00

Braith's switch a signal of intent

Sydney Roosters coach Brad Fittler has signaled his will to win by moving captain Braith Anasta from lock forward to five eighth for the season opener on Sunday 15 March.

Anasta will continue his successful NRL combination with Mitchell Pearce in a bid to extinguish the chances of bitter rivals South Sydney Rabbbitohs spoiling the party.

NRL Semi Finals 2008

2008-09-17T03:43:00.001-07:00

[17 SEPTEMBER, 2008]

NRL Semi-final v Broncos Game Notes

WHO: Melbourne Storm v Brisbane Broncos
WHAT: Semi-Final of the 2008 Telstra Premiership season
WHERE: Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
WHEN: Saturday, September 20^th @ 7.45pm
ON TV: Channel 9 from 11.25pm into Melbourne, Fox Sports One from 10.00pm
CHECK IT OUT: Melbourne Storm’s website with all the latest stats, profiles, updates, schedule and training times, alerts, news etc…. www.melbournestorm.com.au

IN BRIEF
Melbourne suffered a shock 18-15 loss to the New Zealand Warriors at home in last week’s qualifying final. A win would have given the Storm safe passage into next week’s preliminary final.

The Brisbane Broncos scored an impressive 24-16 win over the Sydney Roosters at the Sydney Football Stadium. The win earned them the right to a home semi-final at Suncorp Stadium.

FAST FACTS
• Brisbane has lost all five finals matches they’ve played at Suncorp Stadium
• Melbourne has won seven of their past eight games against Brisbane
• Brisbane has scored first points in their past six home games
• Melbourne has won eight of their past nine night matches

DID YOU KNOW?
This week’s semi-final against the Broncos at Suncorp Stadium will be teenage superstar Israel Folau’s 50^th NRL game.

In just his second season of NRL, Folau has already scored 35 tries and kicked five goals in his 49 games so far.

He’s also won a premiership, was named in the 2007 World XIII, played for both Queensland and Australia (the youngest player in Test history to do so), and won the Dally M Rookie-of-the-Year Award in 2007.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Total: Played: 23, Storm: 13, Broncos: 9, Drawn: 1
At Suncorp Stadium: Played: 6, Storm: 4, Broncos: 2

FOR AND AGAINST 2008
Points for: Storm: 599, Broncos: 584
Points against: Storm: 300, Broncos: 468
Points differential: Storm: +299, Broncos: +116

LAST ROUND MATCHES
Storm def. by Warriors 18-15 @ Olympic Park, Melbourne
Broncos def. Roosters 24-16 @ Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney

LAST EIGHT CLASHES

YEAR	RESULT	VENUE
2008	Storm def. Broncos 28-8 @	Olympic Park
2007	Storm def. Broncos 40-0 @	Olympic Park
2007	Storm def. Broncos 14-6 @	Olympic Park
2007	Storm def. Broncos 28-18 @	Suncorp Stadium
2006	Broncos def. Storm 15-8 @	Telstra Stadium
2006	Storm def. Broncos 18-12 @	Suncorp Stadium
2006	Storm def. Broncos 10-4 @	Olympic Park
2005	Storm def. Broncos 24-18 @	Suncorp Stadium

THE STORM STORY SO FAR
WORLD CLUB CHALLENGE: STORM 4 (Try: Hoffman) def. by RHINOS 11 (Try: Donald; Goals: Sinfield 3; Field Goal: Sinfield) at Elland Road, Leeds
ROUND 1: STORM 32 (Tries: Slater 3, Johnson, Tagataese; Goals: C. Smith 5, Turner) def. WARRIORS 18 (Tries: Vatuvei 2, Ropati; Goals: Witt 3) at Telstra Dome, Melbourne
ROUND 2: STORM 16 (Tries: Aitken, White, Falou; Goals: C. Smith 2) def. by SHARKS 17 (Tries: Kearney, Gallen, Simmons; Goals: Covell 2; Field Goals: Kimmorley) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 3: Storm (Try: Slater; Goal: C. Smith) def. by ROOSTERS (Try: Kenny-Dowell; Goals: FitzGibbon 3) at Sydney Football Stadium
ROUND 4: STORM 28 (Tries: Quinn 3, Folau, Hoffman; Goals: Smith 4) def. BRONCOS 8 (Tries: Robinson, Stagg) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 5: STORM 26 (Tries: Slater 2, Inglis, Quinn, Hoffman; Goals: Smith 3) def. SEA EAGLES 4 (Try: Barney) at Olympic Park
ROUND 6: STORM 23 (Tries: Chambers, Turner, Slater, Folau; Goals: C. Smith 3; Field Goal: Cronk) def. RAIDERS 16 (Tries: Best, Plum, Purtell; Goals: Carney 2) at Canberra Stadium
ROUND 7: STORM 12 (Tries: Inglis, Folau; Goals: C. Smith 2) def. COWBOYS 10 (Tries: Williams 2; Goals: Thurston) at Dairy Farmer’s Stadium
ROUND 8: BYE
ROUND 9: STORM 18 (Tries: Folau 2, Quinn; Goals: C. Smith 3) def. KNIGHTS 4 (Try: Mullen) at Olympic Park, Melbourne
ROUND 10: STORM 12 (Tries: Chambers, Manu; Goals: Smith, Turner) def. by DRAGONS 36 (Tries: Nightingale 2, B. Morris, J Morris, Lett, Soward; Goals: Soward 6) at ANZ Stadium
ROUND 11: STORM 15 (Tries: Chambers, J. Smith; Goals: C. Smith 2, Field Goals: Cronk) def. RABBITOHS 12 (Tries: Vagana 2; Goals: Luke) at Bluetongue Stadium, Gosford
ROUND 12: STORM 46 (Tries: Geyer 2, C. Smith, Folau, Turner, J. Smith, Crocker, Cronk; Goals: C. Smith 7) def. BULLDOGS 0 at Olympic Park
ROUND 13: STORM 0 def. by TITANS 18 (Tries: Delaney, Meyers, Jeffrey; Goals: Rogers 3) at Skilled Park
ROUND 14: BYE
ROUND 15: STORM 48 (Tries: Inglis 3, Turner 2, J Smith, Slater, Geyer, Folau; Goals: C Smith 6) def. COWBOYS 20 (Tries: Henry, Williams, Webb, Cashmere; Goals: Thurston 2) at Olympic Park
ROUND 16: STORM 22 (Tries: Manu 2, Tomane, Cronk; Goals: Turner 2, Cronk) def. by EELS 24 (Tries: Tautai, Williams, Reddy, Inu; Goals: Burt 4) at Parramatta Stadium
ROUND 17: STORM 30 (Tries: Inglis 2, Slater, Manu, Quinn, Turner; Goals: Smith 3) def. RAIDERS 14 (Tries: Monaghan, Carney, Chalk; Goals: Carney) at Olympic Park
ROUND 18: STORM 30 (Tries: Inglis 3, Slater, Manu; Goals: C. Smith 5) def. TIGERS 18 (Tries: Tuiaki, Hodgson, Ryan; Goals: Hodgson 3) at Campbelltown Sports Stadium
ROUND 19: STORM 26 (Tries: J Smith, Lima, Geyer, Turner, Folau; Goals: C Smith 3) def. DRAGONS 0 at Olympic Park
ROUND 20: STORM 6 (Try: Manu; Goal: C Smith) def. by WARRIORS 8 (Try: Fai; Goals: Hohaia 2) at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland
ROUND 21: STORM 44 (Tries: Folau 2, Inglis 2, Turner, Quinn, Hoffman, Geyer, J Smith; Goals: Cam Smith 4) def. TITANS 4 (Try: Ropana) at Olympic Park
ROUND 22: STORM 16 (Tries: Geyer, Folau, Cronk; Goals: C Smith 2) def. SEA EAGLES 10 (Tries: Hall, Williams; Goals: Matai) at Brookvale Oval
ROUND 23: STORM 30 (Tries: Quinn 2, C Smith, Cronk, Slater; Goals: Smith 5) def. ROOSTERS 6 (Try: M Aubusson; Goal: Roberts 1) at Olympic Park
ROUND 24: STORM 40 (Tries: Inglis 3, Turner 2, Quinn, C Smith, Lima; Goals: C Smith 4) def. PANTHERS 6 (Try: N Smith; Goal: Gordon) at CUA Stadium, Penrith
ROUND 25: STORM 16 (Tries: Inglis, Folau, Manu; Goals: C Smith 2) def. by KNIGHTS 17 (Tries: Hilder, Royal; Goals: Gidley 4, Field Goal: Hilder) at EnergyAustralia Stadium
ROUND 26: STORM 42 (Tries: Slater 2, Geyer, Quinn, C Smith, Hoffman, Anderson, J Smith; Goals: C Smith 4, Geyer: 1) def. RABBITOHS 4 (Try: Merritt) at Olympic Park
QUALIFYING FINAL: Storm 15 (Tries: Quinn, Folau; Goals: C Smith 3; Field Goal: Inglis) def. by Warriors 18 (Tries: Roparti, Vatuvei, Witt; Goals: Witt 3) at Olympic Park

2008 TRY SCORERS (STORM)
Inglis 16, Folau 14, Slater 13, Quinn 12, Turner 9, Manu 7, Geyer 7, J. Smith 6, Cronk 4, Hoffman 4, C Smith 4, Chambers 3, Lima 2, Johnson, Tagataese, Aitken, White, Crocker, Tomane, B Anderson

2008 GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
C. Smith 75, Turner 4, J. Smith, Cronk, Geyer

2008 FIELD GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
Cronk 2, Inglis

2008 POINTSCORERS (STORM)
C Smith 166, Inglis 65, Folau 56, Slater 52, Turner 44, Quinn 48, Manu 28, Geyer 28, J. Smith 26, Cronk 20, Hoffman 16, Chambers 12, Lima 8, Johnson 4, Tagataese 4, Aitken 4, White 4, Crocker 4, Tomane 4, B Anderson 4

MELBOURNE STORM MEDIBANK PRIVATE INJURY UPDATE
Ryan Hoffman (ankle): test
Jeff Lima (knee): test
Danny Vaughan (knee): season
Ben MacDougall (knee): season
Dane Nielsen (shoulder): season
Will Chambers (knee): season

SQUAD FOR SATURDAY'S GAME

Starting team:
1. Billy Slater
2. Steve Turner
3. Matt Geyer
4. Israel Folau
5. Anthony Quinn
6. Greg Inglis
7. Cooper Cronk
8. Jeff Lima
9. Cam Smith
10. Brett White
11. Michael Crocker
12. Ryan Hoffman
13. Dallas Johnson

Interchange:
14. Jeremy Smith, 15. Adam Blair, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Antonio Kaufusi.

Coach: Craig Bellamy.

____________________________________________________

Chris Couch

Media Manager

Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club

Storm vs Rabbitohs NRL

2008-09-11T22:21:00.001-07:00

[04 SEPTEMBER, 2008]

Round 26 v Rabbitohs Game Notes

WHO: Melbourne Storm v South Sydney Rabbitohs
WHAT: Round 26 of the 2008 Telstra Premiership season
WHERE: Olympic Park, Melbourne
WHEN: Sunday, September 7^th @ 7.00pm
ON TV: Fox Sports 2 LIVE from 7.00pm
CHECK IT OUT: Melbourne Storm’s website with all the latest stats, profiles, updates, schedule and training times, alerts, news etc…. www.melbournestorm.com.au

IN BRIEF
Melbourne suffered a setback in their quest for a third straight minor premiership with a tight 17-16 loss to the Newcastle Knights at EnergyAustralia Stadium last weekend.

The loss saw the Storm drop from top spot to second on the ladder.

After letting the Sydney Roosters slip out to a 22-0 lead, South Sydney almost pulled off the comeback of the season last round, going down 22-20 in a nail-biter.

The loss saw the Rabbitohs remain in 14^th position.

FAST FACTS
• Melbourne has won their past six clashes against South Sydney
• Melbourne has averaged a 31-9 winning scoreline at Olympic Park this year
• South Sydney has conceded the first try in 11 of their past 12 games

DID YOU KNOW?
After 11 season, 258 games in a Storm jersey, 111 tries and 104 goals, club legend and foundation player Matt Geyer will be playing his last home-and-away game at Olympic Park.

Geyer will be retiring to the Gold Coast after this season where he will take up a position as a club ambassador in Queensland.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Total: Played: 13, Storm: 11, Rabbitohs: 2
At Olympic Park: Played: 6, Storm: 6, Rabbitohs: 0

FOR AND AGAINST 2008
Points for: Storm: 542, Rabbitohs: 449
Points against: Storm: 278, Rabbitohs: 624
Tries for: Storm: 98, Rabbitohs: 79
Points differential: Storm: +264, Rabbitohs: -175

LAST ROUND MATCHES
Storm def. by Knights 17-16 @ EnergyAustralia Stadium
Rabbitohs def. by Roosters 22-20 @ Sydney Football Stadium

LAST EIGHT CLASHES

YEAR	RESULT	VENUE
2008	Storm def. Rabbitohs 15-10 @	Bluetongue Stadium
2007	Storm def. Rabbitohs 12-8 @	Bluetongue Stadium
2007	Storm def. Rabbitohs 26-10 @	Olympic Park
2006	Storm def. Rabbitohs 38-14 @	ANZ Stadium
2005	Storm def. Rabbitohs 48-6 @	Olympic Park
2005	Storm def. Rabbitohs 38-12 @	Sydney Football Stadium
2004	Rabbitohs def. Storm 28-26 @	Sydney Football Stadium
2004	Storm def. Rabbitohs 50-4 @	Olympic Park

2008 TRY SCORERS (STORM)
Inglis 16, Folau 13, Slater 11, Quinn 10, Turner 9, Manu 7, Geyer 6, J. Smith 5, Cronk 4, Chambers 3, Hoffman 3, C. Smith 3, Lima 2, Johnson, Tagataese, Aitken, White, Crocker, Tomane

2008 GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
C. Smith 68, Turner 4, J. Smith, Cronk

2008 FIELD GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
Cronk 2

2008 POINTSCORERS (STORM)
C Smith 148, Inglis 64, Folau 52, Slater 44, Turner 44, Quinn 40, Manu 28, Geyer 24, J. Smith 22, Cronk 20, Chambers 12, Hoffman 12, Lima 8, Johnson 4, Tagataese 4, Aitken 4, White 4, Crocker 4, Tomane 4

MELBOURNE STORM MEDIBANK PRIVATE INJURY UPDATE
Steve Turner (knee): 1 week
Danny Vaughan (knee): season
Ben MacDougall (knee): season
Dane Nielsen (shoulder): season
Will Chambers (knee): season

THE STORM AHEAD
TBA

TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP LADDER

POSITION	CLUB	POINTS
1	Sea Eagles	36
2	Storm	36
3	Sharks	36
4	Roosters	32
5	Broncos	31
6	Dragons	30
7	Raiders	30
8	Knights	28
9	Warriors	28
10	Eels	26
11	Panthers	25
12	Wests Tigers	24
13	Titans	24
14	Rabbitohs	20
15	Cowboys	14
16	Bulldogs	14

SQUAD FOR SUNDAY'S GAME

Interchange:
14. Jeremy Smith, 15. Adam Blair, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Antonio Kaufusi.

Coach: Craig Bellamy.

____________________________________________________

Chris Couch

Media Manager

Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club

Storm Team NRL Finals 2008

2008-09-08T22:33:00.001-07:00

NRL Storm team for Qualifying final v Warriors

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has made one change to his squad for Sunday afternoon’s Qualifying Final clash against the New Zealand Warriors.

The game will be played at Olympic Park in Melbourne from 4.00pm.

Steve Turner has been named to start on the wing having not played for a fortnight with a knee injury.

Brett Anderson has made way in the squad for Turner’s return.

NRL squad for Sunday’s game:

Starting team:

1. Billy Slater

2. Steve Turner

3. Matt Geyer

4. Israel Folau

5. Anthony Quinn

6. Greg Inglis

7. Cooper Cronk

8. Jeff Lima

9. Cam Smith ©

10. Brett White

11. Michael Crocker

12. Ryan Hoffman

13. Dallas Johnson

Interchange:

14. Jeremy Smith, 15. Adam Blair, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Antonio Kaufusi.

Coach: Craig Bellamy.

____________________________________________________

Chris Couch

Media Manager

Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club

Newcastle Knights beat Storm

2008-09-02T03:22:00.001-07:00

NRL update; Newcastle Knights beat NRL Table topping Melbourne Storm.

WHO: Melbourne Storm v Newcastle Knights
WHAT: Round 25 of the 2008 Telstra Premiership season
WHERE: EnergyAustralia Stadium, Newcastle
WHEN: Saturday, August 30^th @ 5.30pm
ON TV: Fox Sports 2 LIVE from 5.30pm
CHECK IT OUT: Melbourne Storm’s website with all the latest stats, profiles, updates, schedule and training times, alerts, news etc…. www.melbournestorm.com.au

IN BRIEF
Melbourne continued on their merry way with a resounding 40-6 win over the Penrith Panthers at CUA Stadium on Monday night.

The win kept the Storm at the top of the NRL ladder, two points clear of Manly and Cronulla with two games to go.

Newcastle won their fourth game from their past five starts with a 38-24 win over the Cowboys at EnergyAustralia Stadium.

The win kept them just inside the top eight.

FAST FACTS
• Melbourne has won their past five games against Newcastle
• Newcastle has scored 29 tries in their past five games
• Newcastle has won their past three games at EnergyAustralia Stadium

DID YOU KNOW?

Rugby League 2008 World Cup Director Colin Love AM will be hosting a World Cup 2008 Preview Cocktail Party on Thursday, September 4^th at Crown Casino.

Also in attendance will be Melbourne Storm superstars Billy Slater, Israel Folau and Greg Inglis who are bound to make a huge impression during the World Cup tournament.

The preview will highlight the blockbuster game between Australia and Great Britain at the Telstra Dome on November 8^th.

The party will be held in the River Room on Level 1 of the Crown Entertainment Complex, with formalities starting from 7.00pm.

HEAD-TO-HEAD
Total: Played: 20, Storm: 10, Knights: 10
At EnergyAustralia Stadium: Played: 10, Storm: 3, Knights: 7

FOR AND AGAINST 2008
Points for: Storm: 526, Knights: 497
Points against: Storm: 261, Knights: 446
Tries for: Storm: 95, Knights: 90
Points differential: Storm: +265, Knights: +51

LAST ROUND MATCHES
Storm def. Panthers 40-6 @ CUA Stadium, Penrith
Knights def. Cowboys 38-24 @ EnergyAustralia Stadium

LAST EIGHT CLASHES

YEAR	RESULT	VENUE
2008	Storm def. Knights 18-4 @	Olympic Park
2007	Storm def. Knights 44-0 @	Olympic Park
2007	Storm def. Knights 22-12 @	EnergyAustralia Stadium
2006	Storm def. Knights 24-16 @	EnergyAustralia Stadium
2006	Storm def. Knights 52-6 @	Olympic Park
2005	Knights def. Storm 37-18 @	EnergyAustralia Stadium
2005	Storm def. Knights 48-10 @	Olympic Park
2004	Storm def. Knights 28-18 @	EnergyAustralia Stadium

2008 TRY SCORERS (STORM)
Inglis 15, Folau 12, Slater 11, Quinn 10, Turner 9, Manu 6, Geyer 6, J. Smith 5, Cronk 4, Chambers 3, Hoffman 3, C. Smith 3, Lima 2, Johnson, Tagataese, Aitken, White, Crocker, Tomane

2008 GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
C. Smith 66, Turner 4, J. Smith, Cronk

2008 FIELD GOAL SCORERS (STORM)
Cronk 2

2008 POINTSCORERS (STORM)
C Smith 144, Inglis 60, Folau 48, Slater 44, Turner 44, Quinn 40, Manu 24, Geyer 24, J. Smith 22, Cronk 20, Chambers 12, Hoffman 12, Lima 8, Johnson 4, Tagataese 4, Aitken 4, White 4, Crocker 4, Tomane 4

MELBOURNE STORM MEDIBANK PRIVATE INJURY UPDATE
Ryan Hoffman (ankle): 1 week
Danny Vaughan (knee): season
Ben MacDougall (knee): season
Dane Nielsen (shoulder): season
Will Chambers (knee): season

THE STORM AHEAD
Round 26: Sunday, September 7^th v Rabbitohs @ Olympic Park, 7.00pm

TELSTRA PREMIERSHIP LADDER

POSITION	CLUB	POINTS
1	Storm	36
2	Sea Eagles	34
3	Sharks	34
4	Roosters	30
5	Broncos	29
6	Raiders	28
7	Dragons	28
8	Knights	26
9	Eels	26
10	Warriors	26
11	Panthers	25
12	Wests Tigers	24
13	Titans	24
14	Rabbitohs	20
15	Bulldogs	14
16	Cowboys	12

SQUAD FOR SATURDAY'S GAME

Interchange:
14. Aiden Tolman, 15. Adam Blair, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Antonio Kaufusi, 18. Scott Anderson.

Coach: Craig Bellamy.

Kaufusi to Cowboys NRL

2008-08-25T19:59:00.001-07:00

21 AUGUST, 2008]

NRL star Antonio Kaufusi secures long term deal with the Cowboys

Melbourne Storm prop Antonio Kaufusi has today penned a three-year deal with the North Queensland Cowboys, with the forward moving to Townsville for the start of the 2009 season. The move is sure to help the Cowboys move up the NRL Ladder in 2008, as this year their NRL Results have them set to take the wooden spoon.

Kaufusi, originally from Bundaberg, only had one year remaining on his current Storm contract and was given permission by the club to secure his future elsewhere.

“It was important to make sure my future beyond next year was sorted out as soon as possible, especially now that I have a young family,” said Kaufusi.

“When the Cowboys showed an interest, it made sense that I signed with them considering I’m from Queensland and it’s a little bit closer to home.

“While they’ve struggled a bit this year, the Cowboys have some great players and with a bit of luck I can enjoy as much success there as I have in Melbourne.”

While disappointed to be losing Kaufusi to the Cowboys, Football Operations Manager Frank Ponissi conceded there were issues beyond the Storm’s control which contributed to his departure.

“Due to salary cap restrictions over the next few years we weren’t able to guarantee Antonio a long term deal past 2009,” said Ponissi.

“Even though he had a contract here for next year, when he got the opportunity to go back to Queensland on a three year deal we couldn’t stand in his way.

“He’s been a great servant to the club and he’s a quality player. He’s achieved State of Origin and international honours since he’s been here.

“Given he missed the 2007 grand final win, hopefully we can send him out on the ultimate high this year.”

Since arriving in Melbourne in 2003, Kaufusi has developed into a State-of-Origin and international player having represented both Queensland and Australia.

After playing for the Kangaroos against Great Britain in the 2006 Tri-Nations Series, Kaufusi played in Game I of the 2007 Origin Series.

It was during this game that he suffered a ruptured patella tendon, an injury that kept him out for the remainder of the 2007 season and costing him a place in the grand final winning team.

“I’ve had the most amazing adventure since moving to Melbourne,” said Kaufusi.

“Since being here I’ve married my partner Bree, we had our first daughter, and I’ve also gone on to play for both my state and country. These are memories that will stay with me forever.

“It would have been wonderful to have played in that 2007 grand final team but it wasn’t to be unfortunately.

“Hopefully I can make amends for that this year before I leave.”

____________________________________________________

Chris Couch

Media Manager

Storm beat Roosters NRL

2008-08-19T19:06:00.001-07:00

Storm clear on top NRL after defeating Roosters

Written by: Tanya Paolucci

The Melbourne Storm’s precision play against the Sydney Roosters saw them take out tonight’s match 30-6 in wet conditions at Olympic Park, giving them the outright premiership lead in the process, with Manly getting the chance to make up the points on Sunday.

With a top two finish within the sights of both teams, the clash between the Storm and the Roosters was expected to be a fiery encounter.

But the Roosters had an unpleasant trip to Melbourne, unable to match the home team’s attacking pressure and remained scoreless in the end of the first half and with only one try for the match.

Despite having defeated the Storm in their previous two clashes, the Roosters could not match Melbourne’s class in the trying conditions at Olympic Park.

From the opening seconds, Melbourne looked to be hard at the ball and wanting to play attacking footy. And why wouldn’t they? The Storm had won 54 of their past 55 games when leading at half-time, so going out hard was definitely something they would consider as in their best interests.

The Storm opened up the scoring with a try from Anthony Quinn, which was the result of a brilliant high kick from Cam Smith.

Smith continued his good start by converting Melbourne’s first try to put the Storm out to a 6-0 lead in the eighth minute.

Strong attack from the Storm allowed Quinn to strike again in the 17^th minute after receiving a quick release from Matt Geyer to take him over the line.

That same try saw the Roosters’ James Aubusson taken from the field with concussion after two heavy collisions.

Kicking from virtually the same position as his previous effort, Smith converted again, pushing the Storm out to a 12-0 lead as the wet conditions began to set in on Olympic Park.

Like Melbourne’s winter weather, the Storm’s score kept raining down with Cam Smith managing to pounce on a lose ball to put the ball easily down over the line.

Smith finished off what he started by converting an easy kick from directly in front of the posts.

The Storm looked ruthless in the opening half with a commanding 18-0 lead with close to ten minutes still remaining before the main break.

But it wasn’t just the Storm’s attacking form that made them such a formidable opponent. Melbourne’s defensive pressure down the field and in close quarters made it a huge challenge for the Roosters to put any points on the board.

Smith’s attacking movements towards the Roosters defence earned him a penalty in front of goal. Smith easily scored from directly in front and put Melbourne’s score out to 20-0.

If the Roosters wanted to make any mark on this game, they needed to do something about the Storm’s attacking pressure and apply some of their own. At so many occasions in the opening half the Roosters were close to scoring, but silly mistakes combined with the Storm’s defensive pressure costs them time and time again.

With just over ten minutes remaining in the match, any chance of a comeback from the Sydney team was quickly slipping away.

Fortunately for the Roosters, a rare mistake from the Storm with the wet ball allowed Mitch Aubusson to pick up the crumbs and take the ball over the line for Sydney’s first score.

Roberts was able to convert his only kicking opportunity with only five minutes remaining the match to add some respectability to the scoreline.

But it wasn’t long before the Storm punished the Roosters again with Cooper Cronk being able to take a clever pass from Inglis to score Melbourne’s fourth try.

Smith kept up his perfect record for the match before a piece of Billy Slater magic capped off the Storm’s night.

Wonderful execution from Folau out to Slater set him on an electric run to score yet another try for Melbourne just as the siren sounded.

The win for the Storm again showed their opposition and their fans just why they are a major contender for the premiership with the final score showing 30-6.

STORM 30 (Tries: Quinn 2, C Smith, Cronk, Slater; Goals: Smith 4) def. ROOSTERS 6 (Try: M Aubusson; Goal: Roberts 1 ) at Olympic Park

Anthony Quinn Storm NRL Signing

2008-08-14T06:35:00.001-07:00

[14 AUGUST, 2008]

Former Newcastle Knight now Melbourne Storm man, Anthony Quinn has firmed up his NRL and Rugby League future, locking in a new deal with the Melbourne Storm club to see him staying in Victoria for the next few years.

Quinn latest player to commit to Storm

The re-signings continue at Melbourne Storm with winger Anthony Quinn committing his long-term future to the club by agreeing to a new deal that will keep him in Melbourne until the end of the 2012 season.

Quinn is another key signing in the Storm’s quest to remain a force in the NRL for many years to come. He joins Dallas Johnson, Jeff Lima, Sika Manu, Adam Blair, Aiden Tolman and Cooper Cronk who have all put pen to paper on new contracts with the club this season.

Quinn is currently in the second year of a three year deal at the Storm having joined from Newcastle in 2007. In that time he has enjoyed tremendous success winning a premiership last year, and representing New South Wales in this year’s State-of-Origin series.

“The main reason for signing the long term deal was due to the success I’ve enjoyed since I’ve been at the club,” said Quinn.

“My girlfriend Frances supported me when I moved to Melbourne and she has settled in really well down here. We’ve bought a house in St Kilda and without her support I’m not sure I would have achieved everything I have at Storm.

“I’ve fulfilled a dream by winning a premiership and gone on to play representative football with New South Wales. I’m not sure I could have achieved that anywhere else.

“Given the players at the club and the coaching staff here, I can’t see why I won’t continue to have success at Melbourne Storm.”

In fact, Storm football manager Frank Ponissi says one of the reasons for re-signing Quinn to a long term contract was because of his improvement since coming to Melbourne.

“We feel Anthony has come along in leaps and bounds since he’s been here in Melbourne and we see him as an integral part of our team in the future,” said Ponissi.

“This contract is a big reward for his efforts, especially playing Origin football for the first time this year, and we wanted to reward him for that.

“He wasn’t coming off contract until the end of 2009, but we didn’t want to wait until next year to start the negotiations. We wanted to be proactive and tie him up to a deal before other clubs started to make a big play for him, as we’re sure they would have.”

The re-signing of Quinn well before his current contract expired is a conscious effort by the Storm to establish a settled squad for the foreseeable future.

“The plan going forward is to re-sign a number of players over an extended period of time,” said Ponissi.

“What we don’t want is to begin contract negotiations towards the end of their current agreements. The aim is to continually have a settled squad and ensure players are safely locked away well in advance.

“We are now in the process of signing the next group of players up over the next few months, and this will ensure that when we move into our new stadium in 2010, we’ll have a very strong squad of players who can bring further success to the club.”

____________________________________________________

Chris Couch

Media Manager

Melbourne Storm Rugby League Club

Princes Park, Gate 3, Royal Parade, Carlton North VIC 3054

PO Box 141 Parkville VIC 3052

E-mail: ccouch@melbournestorm.com.au

Website: www.melbournestorm.com.au

NRL Minor Premiership 2008

2008-08-08T16:32:00.001-07:00

The Manly boys were physical, but the Storm showed a tonne of guts away from home and held on to take a strong victory in their Friday night NRL fixture at Brooky Oval last night. Locking the two enemies on 32 competition points a piece with only a few rounds to go before the Top 8 NRL Rugby League finals series for 2008

Melbourne broke a nine-year hoodoo at Brookvale Oval tonight, notching their first victory at Manly’s home ground since 1999 with a hard fought 16-10 win, sending them equal on points with the Sea Eagles at the head of the NRL ladder and blowing the race for the minor premiership open in the process.

It’s the third time in a row the Storm has now beaten the Sea Eagles, including last year’s 34-8 grand final victory, and the psychological scars inflicted on the Manly players may be significant come finals time. The NRL Results are now all critical as the Top 8 Finals series is only a few short weeks away for NRL 2008.

From the opening whistle it was tough, brutal, uncompromising football, and when Melbourne’s Michael Crocker and Manly’s Brent Kite came to blows in the opening minutes, the stage was set for a classic encounter.

While both forward packs were trying to bash each other into submission, it was the sublime skills of Storm fullback Billy Slater that allowed Melbourne to score their two first-half tries.

His support play on the inside of halfback Cooper Cronk, who hit the flying fullback with a laser-like ball on the chest, and offload to Matt Geyer got the Storm off to the perfect start in the eighth minute.

A clever chip by Cronk over the Manly defence in the dying minutes of the first-half saw Slater gather a bobbling ball he had no right to, before drawing the defender and slipping the ball to Israel Folau. The giant centre out-sprinted veteran Manly five-eighth Steve Menzies from 30-metres out to score in the corner.

In between Melbourne’s tries, the Sea Eagles had their moments when they sent the almost 18,500 Manly fans packed into the ground into raptures.

In the 12^th min the Storm were lucky to get away without conceding a try from Brett Stewart. The Manly fullback was deemed to have taken out Anthony Quinn just before challenging a high ball with Slater. Slater spilled the ball and Stewart pounced, but the video referee had other ideas.

However, Manly weren’t to be denied when backrower Glenn Hall scored after referee Shayne Hayne penalised the Storm 10-metres from their own try-line, gifting the Sea Eagles another set of six.

The second-half started in much the same vein as the first.

After looking like he was about to pass, Cronk decided he’d go himself, barging between Menzies and Anthony Watmough to extend the Storm’s lead to 10-points.

But the Sea Eagles weren’t going to let the Storm run away with the game, and five minutes later they drew within a converted try when David Williams crossed in the corner.

The game then descended into a real arm-wrestle, and when Cronk failed with a field goal conversion with nine minutes remaining, you just knew Manly were going to lay siege to the Storm’s try-line.

And lay siege they did. With five sets in a row in the dying minutes, Manly threw everything they had at Melbourne, but they couldn’t crack the best defence in the NRL, and the Storm left Brookvale with two valuable points in the race for the minor premiership.

STORM 16 (Tries: Geyer, Folau, Cronk; Goals: C Smith 2) def. SEA EAGLES 10 (Tries: Hall, Williams; Goals: Matai) at Brookvale Oval

Melbourne Storm Squad Players NRL Round 20

2008-07-24T06:00:00.001-07:00

Team players and squad members for the Melbourne Storm NRL Round 20 to face the NZ Warriors in Auckland

Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has made one change to the 17-man squad from last night’s game against the Dragons for this Sunday’s Round 20 clash against the New Zealand Warriors. The game will be played at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland from 2.00pm (NZST).

Anthony Quinn has been named to start on the wing in place of Brett Anderson. Quinn missed the Dragons game after suffering from concussion sustained in the Round 18 clash against Wests Tigers.

Front-rower Jeff Lima comes back into the starting line-up in place of Adam Blair who returns to the interchange bench.

NRL squad for Sunday’s game:

Starting team:

1. Billy Slater

2. Steve Turner

3. Matt Geyer

4. Israel Folau

5. Anthony Quinn

6. Greg Inglis

7. Cooper Cronk

8. Jeff Lima

9. Cam Smith

10. Brett White

11. Michael Crocker

12. Ryan Hoffman

13. Dallas Johnson

Interchange:

14. Jeremy Smith, 15. Adam Blair, 16. Sika Manu, 17. Antonio Kaufusi.

Coach: Craig Bellamy.

Under-20’s squad for Sunday’s game:

Starting team:

1. Gareth Widdop

2. Mack Fawcett

3. Sam Joe

4. Michael Faamausili

5. Malo Feterika

6. Luke Kelly

7. Liam Foran

8. Pulou Vaituutuu

9. Jay Aston

10. Louis Fanene

11. Kevin Proctor

12. Zeb Tawha ©

13. Vili Faingaa

Interchange:

14. Will Naitoro, 15. Aidan Guerra, 16. Theo Stuart, 17. Matt Croker.

Coach: Brad Arthur

Cronulla Sharks a Chance of NRL Top 4 2008

2008-07-23T07:34:00.001-07:00

Its oh so close, the Cronulla Sharks under Ricky Stuart are a chance at not only securing a Top 8 berth (already done) but are capable of grabbing a home final or even a top 2 spot as this years NRL finals approach.

Toyota Park would be an ideal launch pad for a Grand Final assault in the weeks following for the solid, gritty Sharks.

In a year with few setbacks, the discipline of Paul Gallen seems to be on the improve and Greg Bird is expected back in the weeks ahead.

Cross your fingers Shire folks, the Cronulla mob could be a real chance after so much pain over their Rugby League lives.

NRL Table

2008-05-24T00:03:00.000-07:00

With the NRL competition getting closer each year, it's no surprise that the 2008 NRL Table and Ladder is seriously close.

After 10 Rounds of Rugby League, it's really only South Sydney who are out of touch with the rest of the field, excusing the byes - the Rabbitohs only have 1 single win from the 10 round passed so far.

With St George Illawarra, while they have been slightly off the pace - they have beaten all the major heavy weights in the NRL competition and are still a slim chance of sneaking into the NRL Top 8 if they have hold things together under Nathan Browns final year. Should they get into the finals, 2009 should see big things happen for the Dragons as Wayne Bennett assumes control and should instill at least some confidence in the club that has struggled in recent times.

The other interesting performer in 2008 NRL is the new boys, the Gold Coast Titans. Playing out of the new Skilled Park in Robina, the Titans led well by Scott Prince are playing a nice brand of football under coach John Cartwright and continue to surprise many as they sit atop the NRL Table and remain in front of the hot Melbourne Storm who have been heavily affected by State of Origin duties this year.

As the year rolls on we should see a packed ladder situation continue, with even Canberra continuing to impress at home with several key injury woes also making their lives hard. Led well by the youngster Todd Carney, the Raiders could be real contenders in the next 5 years with quality coaches and players at last lining up to head to the ACT to get involved in what was once a huge club that performed well every single Rugby League year.

Can Penrith get up the NRL Ladder

2008-03-21T22:04:00.001-07:00

The Penrith Panthers have tried everything in the search of better NRL Results. Their coach Matt Elliott has employed Rugby League referee's, wrestling coaches and NRL Toyota cup kids to try and get his team winning.

But training and on-field Rugby League success are two different things. The Panthers have trouble with discipline and this has continued in 2008. Will they leaving their winning run too long? Can they get it together before the season slips away? Coach Matt Elliott has plenty on his hands and the signing of Petero Civoniceva alone won't get the Panthers on top of the ladder. They need a hell of a lot more, nobody's sure what though!

NRL Table Turned on Head

2008-03-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

The NRL Table is getting hard to pick for the 2008 season, as Round 2 got underway last night, the South Sydney Rabbitohs who last year snuck into the Top 8 - were forced to an 0-2 record - their NRL Results taking a beating at the hands of the Bulldogs who played some nice footy to get their Rugby League year back on track and keep coach Steve Folkes safe for another week at least.

Brisbane and Sydney in NRL clash

2008-03-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

In an exciting NRL clash for Round 2, the Sydney Roosters come face to face with Rugby League arch-rivals the Brisbane Broncos. Both sides looking sharp in Round 1, having wins over solid opposing teams.

Naturally NRL Results will be the first quest for them and then preserving players and ensuring no injuries are received in what should be a blockbuster.

NRL Results come in

2008-03-18T20:32:00.000-07:00

The first round of NRL Results is now in, from Round 1, 2008 of the new Rugby League season. Crowd attendances and figures were also healthy as the public came out in droves to watch and cheer on their NRL teams.

While so usual big name sides had wins, other footy sides such as the Newcastle Knights, the Cronulla Sharks and the Gold Coast Titans had nice upset victories and the major upset was the Sydney Roosters accounting for the South Sydney side that was such a strong force in 2007.

Injuries have hit clubs hard already after only 1 round, with several players including Benji Marshall, Sonny Bill Williams and Steve Price shot down in the first match of the year - depth proving to be oh so important in Rugby League these days.

How to make a resume work for you.

2008-02-20T21:57:00.000-08:00

By Jim Reed (CEO Endeavor Enterprises)

I see several thousand resumes a year and when I was recently asked by Career Boost Online, How to make a Resume work. I wrote down a few tips for job seekers that I always look for when reading resumes or considering candidates.

Neatness, while it might sound simple - many people submit dirty, ripped or old paperwork that simply gets them an instant failure in my book. I usually get angry with the HR department for even handing me such bad CV's.

Color. Many resumes are black and white, when I see a slight dash of color, this really pulls me in and makes me read the resume more. Certainly helps the candidate get a better chance of proceeding in the job elimination process.

Concise. Folks that have a resume or CV that is 10 pages long will fail. Even if you have suitable experience and a good fit for the job - if you give me war and peace - I will give you a piece of crap back in the mail. Sorry it doesn't work.

Smart wording. When a candidate for a job writes positive words and generally sounds upbeat in their cover letter or their resume, I will always root for them and give them a shot at the interview rounds. This is a biggy. Most companies want winners for employees, finding them is hard - when we see skills like this is really boosts your chances of securing a long term job.

Extra mile. By visiting me or door knocking during the process I generally will sift through the pile and find that persons CV. Some people frown on this, but I find it promising that someone will go the extra mile to visit and discuss an application for job in person. Don't get too push or I will call security!

Good Luck. I hope these tips on getting an interview help, so now there is no excuse, you should know how to make a resume work.

Pizza Recipes Made Easy

2008-02-20T21:56:00.000-08:00

Struggling in the kitchen when trying to cook pizza? Make your pizza recipes a blast and totally easy with this new cooking and informational video website. Aimed to provide free cooking and cookbook tutorials, the Free Pizza Recipes site is a real winner. From tasty toppings and dough bases with thick crusts. You can cook like the top chefs or like pizza hut or dominoes with this great guide!

Online Casinos Reviewed

2008-02-20T21:40:00.000-08:00

If your deciding which free online casino to play at, the biggest bonuses and the best payouts - then you need to check out the Free Online Casinos informational site, with bonus videos and visuals of most of the major online casinos listed. The likes of Aztech Riches, Platinum Play, Club Dice, Blackjack Ballroom and many other big venues have their interiors on show and so are their bonuses. "How to stop losing at gambling?" Then visit the free online casinos reviewed site.

Poker Blog Talk

2008-02-20T21:39:00.000-08:00

If you're a poker player looking for some new skills, information on tournaments and wish to keep abreast of the latest buzz and card talk - then the new Poker Blog is a handy free resource to keep you on the leading edge of card shark talk.

Poker continues to grow rapidly around the world and the major pots on offer and the big casinos stepping in to take a piece of the pie is sending the game into orbit. Major TV coverage and backyard games are commonplace. Get in the game and start beating the odds.

Roulette Systems

2008-02-20T21:28:00.000-08:00

There are more gambling systems devised to beat the roulette wheel than any other game.

Strong roulette strategies WILL give you an edge, but don't expect to systematically play your way to riches off the casinos. For one thing, everything considered, it is a very difficult task. For another thing, it's unlikely that the casinos will sit back and do nothing about it.

Simply aiming to win to stay ahead at all times as a primary objective, even by a small margin, is a more realistic goal and a great achievement.

In a game of chance using a system is no guarantee of winning, but a well devised roulette system can streamline your losses, control your winnings and have a strategy that will give you an opportunity to be a winner.

Free Roulette systems that have a strategy to win most of the time but lose out overall, are not winning systems. A winning system is one with a strategy to make you win overall and keep you ahead at all times.

Blackjack Strategy Talk

2008-02-20T21:18:00.000-08:00

Blackjack is fortunately a game where the player gets a good say in whether or not his fortune will be a good one! Unlike other casino games where you simply bet on an event over which you have none or virtually no control. This is why Blackjack is essentially a winnable game ... for players with solid strategy, smarts and patience - they can employ the right tactics and beat the house as such. Time to grab a solid free blackjack strategy guide!

Beginner Strategy: Beginner Blackjack strategy is a mathematically-proven formula that shows the best decision to make — either hit, stand, double, split, or fold —a player can make in any game or corner they are backed into. By following Beginner Strategy, a player can trim the house's advantage to less than one percent.

Middle Ranked Player Strategy: Mid-tier strategies show a player how to bet in a method that will send his winnings up over the course of a certain range of games, regardless of how each hand happens to come out. While some say this is 'hohum' a few intermediate strategies are mathematically solid.

Highly Skilled BJ Strategy: The top strategies give a player take advantage of highly profitable scenarios by betting more on hands they are likely to win. These strategies are so effective that casinos have altered their practices in an attempt to thwart them.

NRL Table Final Round 2007

2007-08-20T06:27:00.000-07:00

The NRL Table is now finalised after the completion of Round 23 of NRL 2007. A gritty possession based win for the South Sydney Rabbitohs has seen a different Top 8 make-up on the NRL Table; with the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans being squeezed out of the mix for now. With some bumper clashes in the upcoming 2 weeks, the NRL Table is by no means set in stone. Several teams including the Cowboys, Bulldogs, Eels and Warriors are fighting for the remaining top 4 spots and the rest of the field are moving to lock in their lower finals spots for NRL 2007.

'NRL Table' - Round 23, 2007

1	Storm	19	3	1	274	40
2	Sea Eagles	17	5	1	238	36
3	Cowboys	13	9	1	-93	28
4	Bulldogs	12	10	1	85	26
5	Eels	12	10	1	54	26
6	Warriors	11	10	1	133	25
7	Tigers	11	11	1	7	24
8	Rabbitohs	11	11	1	-2	24
9	Broncos	10	12	1	70	22
10	Titans	10	12	1	-90	22
11	Roosters	9	12	1	-173	21
12	Raiders	9	13	1	-109	20
13	Sharks	8	14	1	34	18
14	Dragons	8	14	1	-82	18
15	Knights	8	14	1	-276	18
16	Panthers	7	15	1	-70	16

For all the latest NRL Table, NRL Scores and NRL information; daily - visit www.NRLNEWS.com

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NRL Table Round 20, 2007

2007-07-29T18:32:00.000-07:00

The NRL table looks this way with only 1 game remaining in Round 20. Manly and Melbourne still up for a fight over 1st place - then there is daylight to other NRL teams on the Points Table.


1	Storm	16	3	1	261	34
2	Sea Eagles	15	4	1	197	32
3	Eels	11	8	1	47	24
4	Warriors	10	9	1	111	22
5	Broncos	10	9	1	92	22
6	Bulldogs	10	9	1	48	22
7	Cowboys	10	8	1	-69	22
8	Rabbitohs	9	10	1	-2	20
9	Tigers	9	9	1	-18	20
10	Raiders	8	11	1	-57	18
11	Titans	8	11	1	-86	18
12	Roosters	8	11	1	-173	18
13	Knights	8	11	1	-192	18
14	Sharks	7	12	1	35	16
15	Dragons	7	12	1	-78	16
16	Panthers	5	14	1	-116	12

For full NRL News, visit NRL News for NRL Scores, Updates and Articles.

NRL Tables and Score Updates

2007-07-27T22:16:00.000-07:00

Round 20 of the NRL looks to be an interesting one already, with the Sydney City Roosters upsetting the fancied Melbourne Storm in Sydney. The small Aussie Stadium crowd were extremely vocal and continued to give standing ovations to new coach Brad Fittler.

Freddy now gaining 3 wins from 3 starts as the coach of the Roosters (caretaker in title) - however he wants to win the role for 2008 and beyond.

The Storm won't feel the pain on the NRL table and will remain atop the ladder. However the Roosters still have a chance of chasing a late Top 8 spot depending on theirs and other results. The Roosters now on 18 points and looking ready to pounce.

NRL Tables and NRL Scores

2007-07-24T01:37:00.000-07:00

All the NRL scores, and compete NRL Table information can be found at NRL News.

NRL News reports daily on Rugby League covering a wide range of topics. Visit and add your feedback. Click below to visit:

NRL Scores

Sonny Bill Williams

NRL Table and Points Ladder Round 18

2007-07-16T05:04:00.000-07:00

Round 18 (updated Jul 16)
		W	L	B	+/-	Pts
1	Storm	15	2	1	243	32
2	Sea Eagles	13	4	1	182	28
3	Eels	10	7	1	51	22
4	Cowboys	10	7	1	-63	22
5	Broncos	9	8	1	82	20
6	Tigers	9	8	1	-6	20
7	Warriors	8	9	1	57	18
8	Bulldogs	8	9	1	20	18
9	Titans	8	9	1	-56	18
10	Knights	8	9	1	-147	18
11	Sharks	7	10	1	56	16
12	Rabbitohs	7	10	1	-14	16
13	Raiders	7	10	1	-33	16
14	Dragons	6	11	1	-92	14
15	Roosters	6	11	1	-186	14
16	Panthers	5	12	1	-94	12

NRL Points Table and Ladder Round 15

2007-06-29T05:37:00.001-07:00

The NRL Ladder and Points Table after Round 15, 2007 sits like this:

	W	L	B	+/-	Pts
1	Storm	13	2	0	195	26
2	Sea Eagles	11	3	1	100	24
3	Eels	9	6	0	69	18
4	Titans	8	6	1	7	18
5	Cowboys	9	6	0	-61	18
6	Tigers	7	7	1	1	16
7	Knights	7	7	1	-124	16
8	Sharks	7	8	0	69	14
9	Broncos	6	8	1	65	14
10	Warriors	6	8	1	19	14
11	Bulldogs	6	8	1	-4	14
12	Rabbitohs	6	8	1	-7	14
13	Raiders	6	8	1	-31	14
14	Roosters	5	9	1	-109	12
15	Panthers	4	10	1	-79	10
16	Dragons	4	10	1	-110	10

NRL Round 15 Review

2007-06-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

The Grubber casts his eye over Round 15 of the NRL: Here's how he saw things this weekend:

Power Rankings:
1. Melbourne: Clearly missed the control and direction of Cronk, but right now there is nothing stopping this outfit. Hard to see any team topping them at this point. Power score: 9/10, Number of Storm players who will use bye weekend to escape Melbourne media attention: 0.

2. Parramatta: On track for a top 4 finish and were explosive in the first half against the Roosters. Clocked off in the second stanza however and against a better side this may cost them. Power score: 8/10, Player who was happiest that Brett Finch was playing against him and could absorb the hatred of Roosters fans: Craig Wing.

*3. Brisbane: Were devastating in the first and second halves against the Tigers. Looking like the team that won a premiership last year. Power score: 7.5/10, Odds of Seventycentsalitre ever missing an Origin game through suspension: 100-1.

4. Canterbury: Dominating display against Manly may have set up season revival. Were simply devastating in the forwards on Friday night and remain a premiership force. Power score 8/10, Increase in police presence at Brookvale last Friday night: 400%.

5. Manly: Were very ordinary against Canterbury and 4th minute try to Watmough may have been the worst possible opening. Will be without numerous stars this weekend and face a real test against the Dragons. Power score: 7/10, Number of times NSW Police will send "riot squad" van to Brookvale again this year: 0 (unless of course Manly draw the Bulldogs in a home final).

6. Gold Coast: Welcomed the return of Preston Campbell and did enough to win at home. Hard to see them being a force in this premiership but may still have some surprises left in them. Power score: 7/10, Odds of Chris Walker seeing any NRL action in 2007: 20-1.

7. Wests Tigers: Had their pants pulled down by the resurgent Broncos. Did well to fight for 80 minutes though and thankfully didn't just throw in the towel at half time. A better team than the score line suggested. Power score: 6.5/10, Most recent entrant to the "Willie Mason Haterz" club: Robbie Farah.

8. New Zealand: Belted the "Ill-disciplined Panthers" through solid execution and good ball movement. Will be eager to make it three in a row against the Titans this weekend. Power score: 6.5/10, Odds of Michael Witt ever scoring 20 points in a game again: 100-1.

9. North Queensland: Somehow managed to hold on against the Raiders through the individual brilliance of several of their star players. Not really looking like a top 4 outfit at this stage but there are still 10 rounds to go. Power score: 6.5/10, Odds that the Warriors would have lost two points had they fielded a 14th man: 2-1.

10. Canberra: Will need to arrest recent slide in order to stay in touch with the rest of the top 8. A more solid effort around the ruck will be required to notch up their next win. Power score: 6/10, Odds of "play the ball" drills being upped at Raiders training this week: 2-1.

11. South Sydney: Executed well and defended solidly to beat Cronulla in another scrappy effort. Still struggling to score points however and on any other day Covell's boot would have probably been the difference. Power score: 5.5/10, Excuses left for Ricky Stuart in defending Sharks form: 1, maybe 2.

12. Cronulla: Still struggling massively to put points on the board and season will soon be reaching a crisis point if they cannot arrest this slump. Halves look genuinely lost. Power score: 5.5/10, Number of Sharks halves combinations who have lined up for NSW: 0.

13. Newcastle: Couldn't quite do enough to challenge the Titans but there are still some positives in their performances of late. Buderus is rising to the challenge of taking over Joey's mantle. Power score: 5.5/10, Number of times Matthew Johns drops the F-bomb in The Final Winter: 2,345.

14. Roosters: Didn't muscle up in defence against the Eels and off-field issues may have started to take a toll on the transit lounge club. Power score: 5/10, Most interesting clash remaining this year: Round 25, Roosters v Rabbitohs at Homebush.

15. St George-Illawarra: Outclassed for 70 minutes by the Storm however will back themselves as a good chance of defeating a massively depleted Manly side at home this weekend. Power score: 4.5/10, Odds that Nathan Brown's top 8 prediction for Dragons will come to fruition: 20-1.

NRL News Rugby League

NRL Round 14 Reviewed

2007-06-20T08:02:00.000-07:00

Heres how every NRL team is looking after Round 14 of the 2007 NRL:

1. Melbourne: Surely their capture of back to back minor premierships is now a mere formality. Will be sweating on Cronk's injury however to ensure that momentum is not lost in the coming weeks. Power score: 9/10, Number of times Ryan Hoffman is likely to kick again this year: Once, maybe twice (if he gets caught with the ball on the fifth).

2. Manly: Got the job done in the wet against Souths and showed great commitment to back up from the bye and Origin. Still suffering from injuries and face a real test against desperate Bulldogs on Friday night at the Fortress. Power score: 8/10, Number of times ground announcer Grant Goldman said "Beeeaaaver" on Friday night: 917.

3. Brisbane: Origin stars showed great class to outmuscle and out skill the Bulldogs. Will be dangerous if they can put some form together prior to getting over the Origin hump. Power score: 7.5/10, Odds of Broncos somehow (again) defying the salary cap and managing to keep Seventycentsalitre 2-1.

4. Parramatta: Did enough to beat St George-Illawarra, but poor execution cost them several scoring opportunities. Seem to be warming up to another dominating effort however Tim Smith needs to challenge the line if they are to be a premiership threat. Power score: 7.5/10, Brain explosions by Nathan Hindmarsh last Sunday: 15.

5. Wests Tigers: Couldn't control the ball when it counted on Sunday and accordingly went down to gallant Gold Coast side. Missing Hodgson and will eagerly await his return. Power score: 7.5/10, Odds of Wests Tigers management experimenting with any more Russian players: 100-1.

6. Gold Coast: Scored probably the greatest victory in the history of the franchise with nail-biting win against feeder side the Wests Tigers. Will be at short odds this weekend with return of Preston Campbell. Power score: 7/10, Odds of Richie Mathers returning to the NRL: 50-1.

7. New Zealand: Finally got it together to beat Cronulla. Still have issues with finishing on the 5th tackle and will be keen to make it two wins in a row. Power score: 7/10, Odds that Mt Smart Stadium crowd will exceed 12,000 in rare Friday night clash: 10-1.

8. Canterbury: Suffering on-field issues as a consequence of off-field drama. Need to bounce back against Manly this Friday (and are well capable of doing so) in order to save their season. Power score 6.5/10, Odds of Manly officials improving "this way to Men's bathroom" signage in dressing rooms before Friday's clash: 2-1.

9. Cronulla: Kimmorley and Dykes struggled to find options in error riddled display against Warriors. Face a test this weekend against resolute Souths defence. Power score: 6.5/10, Number of Sharks fans who travelled to UK on working holiday/"gap" year and brought back English Premier League soccer songs and chants, thereby influencing far-weather Cronulla fan base: 3.

10. Newcastle: May have overcome off-field issues with 80 minute performance against Raiders. Will be concerned with injury to Josh Perry that may leave him grounded in Pasha Bulkar fashion. Power score: 6.5/10, Odds that Danny Buderus will represent anything (other than maybe the Country Origin) side after this season: 100-1.

11. North Queensland: Smashed for the second week in a row and fans will be asking if another slide is on the way. Would be expected to bounce back this weekend with Graham Murray back at the helm. Power score: 6/10, Odds that another "sexual misconduct" rumour will start if the Cowboys drop another game: 8-1.

12. Roosters: Showed great commitment and patience to snatch last minute victory from the Panthers. Pearce well and truly avenged his sister's groping at hands of leery Gower. Power score: 6/10, Number of weeks before Ricky Stuart writes an article explaining that Nate Myles is now the new Adrian Morley: 2.

13. Canberra: Finally turned up ready to play two weeks in a row but lacked poise when required against Newcastle. Back at home this weekend and have a great opportunity put some points on the board against the woefully out of form Cowboys. Power score: 6/10, Odds of Canberra ever luring another representative player to the Nation's capital: 100-1.

14. South Sydney: Wasted multiple opportunities on the edges against Manly and never really looked like scoring in the second half. Will take heart from their defensive effort though given sustained Sea Eagles attack. Power score: 5.5/10, Odds that Dean Widders will be encouraged to kick at the end of a set after Friday's effort: 1000-1.

15. St George-Illawarra: Put themselves in a position to win against Parramatta but ultimately their halves in Soward and Williams showed themselves unable to deliver the decisive play. Will try yet another halves combination with Williams Penrith bound. Power score: 5/10, Odds that Richie Williams will be sought out by the media for comment before matching up against Dragons: 2-1.

16. Penrith: Struggled again to mount pressure and are probably the easy beats of the NRL at the midpoint of the season. Must improve handling and offensive execution if they are to avoid the spoon. Power score: 4/10, Odds of Panthers dropping the name "Penrith" and replacing it with "The ill-disciplined": 230

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NRL Round 14 Reviewed

2007-06-19T03:53:00.000-07:00

The Grubber has posted his review of NRL Rugby League from Round 14 action.

Check the NRL News Rugby League Website for the latest rankings, reviews and info.

Every Tuesday the Grubber gives his NRL review:

www.NRLNews.com

NRL Round 12 Review

2007-06-05T21:49:00.000-07:00

NRL Rugby League in Round 12 - has been reviewed by 'The Grubber!' - He is the NRL News man with all the info and low down on how your team is tracking.

Checkout the latest NRL POWER RANKINGS after Round 12:

NRL Round 12 Power Rankings:

1.Melbourne: Did well to back up from gruelling encounter with Manly to defeat a gallant Homebush Rabbitohs side. Still the team to beat in this competition and are dangerous from anywhere on the park. Power score: 9/10, Odds of Manu Vatuvei being named against them this weekend: 30-1.

2. Parramatta: Out powered, outplayed and out enthused the hapless Tigers. Halves seem to be getting the job done behind a powerful forward pack. Looking like a serious contender. Power score: 8.5/10, Odds of Mark Riddell being able to parlay recent success of Eels into "third party" fast food endorsement deal: 3-1.

3. North Queensland: Impressive comeback in victory against Cronulla. Showed patience and composure that will serve them well in September. Important victory during disruptive Origin period. Power score: 8.5/10, Odds that Thurston's street brawling opponent from Saturday night made reference to last year's scandal which derailed Cowboy's season: 2-1.

4. Manly: Poor choices in defence and wasteful offensive execution contributed to sub-par performance against Penrith. Will surely come back strongly after the bye this weekend. Power score: 8/10, Odds that opposition teams will now be studying (and planning) the Nick Youngquest backline movement before taking on the Sea Eagles: 2-1.

5. Wests Tigers: Suffered a set-back against Parramatta and may have begun to believe their own hype. Despite the hammering, this may be the loss they needed at this stage of the season. Power score: 7.5/10, Odds of Tigers ever having another player picked for Origin: slim, for some reason.

6. Cronulla: Bounced back from poor performance against Roosters to give a solid account against North Queensland. Will now need to manage unusually high number of Origin stars (2). Power score: 7/10, "Over-Under" on "Number of Interceptions thrown by Kimmorley in Origin II": 5.

7. Penrith: Got the job done against Manly behind a powerful forward pack and control of the ruck area. Time will tell whether they have more of these performances in them. Power score: 6.5/10, Number of metres Panthers players crawled off the mark against Manly: 230 (go ahead, ask Middleton).

8. Canterbury: Got squared up for ludicrous SBW send-off against Newcastle and showed commitment that has been lacking in recent times. May still be suffering from front-office issues. Power score: 6.5/10, Odds that the Hughes family will continue to support the incestuous "family club": 100-1.

9. Gold Coast: Demonstrated superb execution against Canberra to race away to early lead. Will surely start to suffer from massive forwards injury toll though. Power score: 6/10, Odds of some NRL player (other than Chris Walker) getting busted in a Gold Coast nightclub before the end of the year: 4-1.

10. Brisbane: Simply didn't turn up against Jersey Flegg Dragons side and may now officially be suffering from "Premier's Curse". Fortunate to have Bye this weekend in order to regroup. Power score: 5.5/10, Odds that Wayne Bennett will blame poor form of Broncos side on recent distraction of player movements: 2-1.

11. Newcastle: Luke Walsh may have proved correct Brian Smith's statement that Jarrod Mullen is not even the best half at the Knights (but evidently he is somehow the best half in NSW. Weird). Power score: 5/10, Odds that either Johns brother would ever concede that NSW side should not entirely consist of Newcastle players: 1000-1.

12. St George-Illawarra: Shocked the monkey with massive upset win over a partially Lockyer-less Broncos side. Soward may have found a home where surnames are not as important as form. Power score: 5/10, Odds that militant Dragons fans will be sporting witty "Soward is a Coward" signs following eventual and inevitable poor performance from their new signing: 2-1.

13. New Zealand: Were always going to struggle one man down. Have now signed Brisbane cyborg Brent Tate for next year so perhaps better things ahead for them with their inconsistent backline. Power score: 4.5/10, Odds that Tate will eventually wield a cast on his arm (David Barnhill style) to complement his bionic neck brace: 2-1.

14. South Sydney: Were reasonable in defeat against non-testicle grabbing Storm outfit. Cannot be too far away from a good performance, or another wooden spoon. Power score: 4/10, Odds of Russell Crowe remaining interested in team beyond '07: 10-1.

15. Roosters: Started well, but didn't quite do enough to beat determined Newcastle side. Forwards starting to show some positive signs. Power score: 4/10, Previous number of occasions where a team running last has had three players picked for NSW Origin: Zero (probably, I mean I didn't check).

16. Canberra: Hot and cold side that never fails to deliver inconsistency. Had no luck against Gold Coast however and will be out for revenge this weekend against Parramatta side which flogged them earlier this year. Power score: 3.5/10, Odds of sacked Raider Steve Irwin being awarded Order of Australia medal in manner of late Crocodile Hunter: 10,000-1.

BY THE GRUBBER!

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NRL Round 12 Review

2007-06-04T08:32:00.000-07:00

Now with the completion of Round 12 -

NRL News will bring you the full round review by our expert panelist 'The Grubber!'

Stay tuned for his hard hitting, ruthless and raw review on YOUR NRL team.

Visit NRL News Rugby League - every Tuesday to read ' The Grubber '

Reviews and Rankings

2007-05-24T06:52:00.000-07:00

NRL News now gives a 'Power Ranking' to your NRL team after each round is completed. 'The Grubber' who is NRL News' newest panel memeber assesses your team and gives you the low down on where they sit from week to week.

Raw, unbiased and humorous - it's the Grubber at his dirty best.

Be sure and check www.NRLnews.com - each Tuesday for the 'Power Rankings' by 'The Grubber'

NRL News | LazyHints | HeyLink! | OzPortal

2007-04-30T15:54:00.000-07:00

NRL News Review Round 7

Roosters - Got their first win, and must be hoping for confidence from it. A grinding win full of enthusiasm. Not sure if they have turned the corner just yet.

Dragons - In a hole still, too many injuries and Richie Rich has compounded things with his Mundine like spray.

Wests Tigers - Back on track, a very impressive performance over the Bulldogs. Week off help cleared their heads. Look good. Back to 6 points after horror start.

Bulldogs - Totally inconsistent, only limped home against Parra the week before and failed to improve. Players look to be clocking off and relying on others to perform. SBW not his brilliant best and Ogre was quiet against his arch enemy Bryce Gibbs.

Broncos - Another case of the dropsies. A really poor effort from Brisbane - need a quality halfback urgently as only getting punch from Lockyer and Hunt - need direction and confidence.

Melbourne - Their first impressive win, the machine rolls on. Slater was explosive in some of his tries and showed his pure speed on several occasions to burn the Broncos. Too good.

Panthers - Worst game by any team this year. Simply woeful. Hard to imagine them playing this bad again. No effort and butterfingers disease. Matt Elliott must have concerns after this performance. Maybe it's not a harmonious camp at the Panthers right now?

Canberra - Surprised all, and jagged a nice away win. A team that plays for each other and put in a massive effort this week. Costigan was back and tough in the forwards and Carney again carved up the opposition. Could be a nice springboard for them - getting the away win.

Cowboys - Reinvigorated! Back to their old selves and dynamic in attack and defence. Frustrated Manly and had the game sown up with 20 mins to go. Confirmed they can win without Webb and O'Donnell.

Manly - Stiffled in attack as they have been for most of this year, defence was good considering the skill of North Queensland. Probably only a speed hump for the Manly boys, Ox needs more game time and will improve combinations in the weeks ahead.

Rabbits - Were set to win another game, but snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. An old Rabbit habit. Hopefully Taylor will nip that in the bud. A mediocre performance from the Bunnies and the Warriors probably deserved to win. Passion of Kidwell was missed in this game.

Warriors - Getting an away win is huge for these guys. They will really take confidence from this win. A gritty fight back after many, many video ref knock backs. The Warriors should have have 20+ points on the board had in not been for mystifying Video Calls. Witt played a great game and the forwards as always - dominated. Look the goods this year.

Eels - Smacked badly, hard to read too much into it - as the Eels had 8 players infected by a virus and lost several players to injury and virus hours before kick off. Will dent their confidence and injuries from this game will be a worry. Moi Moi hurting the knee may see him out for a few weeks. Finch was below par this week and needs to find form fast for himself and the team.

Titans - Preston had the game of his life and his team-mates followed. A dynamic attacking force and limited errors saw the Gold Coast rack up near 65% possession in period 1. A fluid effort that saw Rogers find form, with Webster and Petersen cementing their spots in the side.

Cronulla - Have been impressive in defence all year, but dropped their bundle last night. Went missing and got touched up by a young Knights side. Inconsistency hurting them, as is their ability to win away from home. Jury still out on this Ricky Stuart coached side

Knights - A gutsy win and showed they can do the job without Johns. Brian Smith seems to be fitting in well and the youngsters are gunning for spots. As Smith said, I think they are a few weeks off their very best - but should be winning the close ones in the weeks ahead. Watch this space.

2007-04-17T03:21:00.000-07:00

Round 5 review:

Eels: 3 wins now, a nice roll - big names starting to produce. Halves still not 100%. Injury's low, and will look forward to Dogs this week.
Penrith: Very inconsistent, side to side attack and edge defence suspect. Need discipline badly.
Broncos: Purely a confidence issue, so many stars. They'll come good. Bennett going stale at one place for so long, need new blood in coaching ranks.
Titans: Roller coaster men again got the win. Attacking confidence has arrived for them. Preston still shakey in defence tho, depth still a concern after wkend injuries.
Saints: Tried hard, too young to contend. Pushing the pass too much. Improved defence. With the Roosters going bad, it's taking the heat off the Saints. Will improve.
Melbourne: Played average and again got the win. Defence still solid, attack was disorganised and too many gift penalties given away.
Manly: Plenty of heart, building nicely. Impressive patience. Need more tries tho, looked lost in attack in patches / kick happy.
Bulldogs: Poor showing, off night. Credit must go to Manly for some mistakes. Also struggling for size and speed out wide.
Warriors: Nice win, still the very underrated. Strong at home and top defence. Forwards are best in league at present.
Cowboys: Little off their best, tho still a top 4 side. Injuries hurting them, Thurston getting targeted in defence more has hurt. Important few rounds for them coming up.
Knights: Continue to surprise. Playing an interesting style, carefree even under B.Smith. Backs paving the way. Inconsistency their Achilles.
Souths: Lost their way a tad, maybe relaxing slightly. Faced some tough referee calls. Expect a big game against Cowboys this week. Tip them.
Wests: Look lost in attack, no cohesion. Defence is ok; but Moodie finding it tough this year. Morris might not be the option at half.
Sharks: Played ok, but just didnt have the firepower to put the Tigers away. Improving and learning combinations. Forwards need to muscle up, Thommo and Bird doing it alone.
Canberra: Different team at home. Carefree attack netting points. Soft on line defence, and suspect under high balls. Also a team on the improve. Carney will be the next big thing.
Roosters: Can't take a trick. I've never seen such bad luck, balls bouncing the wrong way for these guys. When they get monkey off back will string wins together. Anasta in form but no support.

2007-04-10T03:00:00.000-07:00

Round 4 NRL Review

Well a tough round to pick and we missed a few upsets this week; this is how we saw your team perform this week:

Rabbitohs: Occasion got to them, too much hype. Kidwell will be missed but big Joe will be a handy fill-in. Just a minor speed bump.
Bulldogs: Building nicely now, with two back to back wins. Cutler seems a real find. Shifty and Utai will find it hard pinning spots down.
Roosters: Not too many nice things to say here; except: Toupo, Mini and Wing. Everyone else needs to improve. Long year.
Broncos: Weren't brilliant, but got the money. Will improve as focus moves off them. Eastwood really stepping up.
Knights: Threw the game away after starting so well. Better forwards effort. Losing Joey will give them a hangover for a few weeks. Mullen will step up.
Storm: Good enough to win when playing poorly. Ruck defence a little patchy and King is not faultless in line defence. But still the best team in the NRL.
Eels: Finally clicked in attack after forwards stepped up. Need halves cohesion. Blake Green needs a spot.
Raiders: Went from hero's to zero's in a week. Capable of beating most, but consistency is the next challenge. Zilman needs positional work in D.
Tigers: So unlucky yet again, haven't played a bad game in 2007, yet find themselves win less. The Tigers really need a big bopper - forwards too light.
Cowboys: A la Storm, playing poorly at times but still have the talent to win games. Injuries killing them; Webb now O'Donnell.
Sea Eagles: Amazingly still unbeaten after never really setting the world on fire in any games. Should have scored more points with 60%+ possession against NZ. Orford and Menzies will take Eagles to another level.
Warriors: Rock solid defence, very unlucky this week. Must secure an away win to gain assurance in 07. Going ok.
Panthers: Most inconsistent team so far; playing like premiers one week, then has beens the next. Playing a style much like Warriors of yesteryear, flamboyant and risky.
Titans: Surprised everyone, forward pack dominating and creative backs. Still a little bit of an enigma. Meyers went well.
Sharks: Controlled the game for 80 minutes, strong showing - Bird is amazing right now, agressive and hard to stop. Might get on a roll, face hapless Tigers this week.
St George: Uh Oh - bad signs here. Usual injuries killing them, but losing confidence which is rare for the Red Vee. Missing Bailey badly.

2007-04-02T23:56:00.001-07:00

Round 3 NRL Wrap-Up

Well what a feast of Rugby League was served up in Round 3 of the NRL. We had two golden point cliff hangers on Friday night with the Eels and Panthers sneaking home.

Eels: Finally saw some luck fall their way. While no where near their best, a strictly refereed game by veteran Steve Clark - saw thousands of penalties given. This stop-start type of game suited the Eels much more than the Tigers. The Eels will gain some confidence from this win, and will need it as they face the newly fancied Raiders side this weekend.

Tigers: Played well in patches, with impressive attack sequences - albeit with poor final pass options. Their discipline will need a massive overhaul this week, on and off the field. Will be happy to get Paul Whatuira back into the side - but they face a massive task in taking on the Cowboys. They will need to hone their wrestling skills and stop the speed of Thurston and the Bowen boys or it's shut the game for the game and makes their first win seem so much further away.

Penrith Panthers: Some hot attacking play over the past two weeks has seen the Panthers bury the Dogs and just clip the Broncos. Lacking a little ball control and patience, the Panthers seem to be developing well under Matty Elliott. Their defence is improved on last year and the new guns - Peter Wallace, Michael Gordon and Michael Jennings all looking to be viable future options for the club.

Brisbane Broncos: Simply amazing that last years premiers are winless after three rounds. Surely last weeks last second loss would kill any inkling of confidence. The Broncos look to be structured well in attack and defence but have dropped plenty of ball and lacked the usual discipline expected from a Bennett coached side. Lucky for the Broncos they face the wooden spoon specials, the Roosters this week. A perfect remedy for any side out of form.

Bulldogs: The Dogs won without being great in Round 3. Getting a grinding win under their belts against the Gold Coast Titans. Shrek is playing the house down, and he obviously wants his new contract badly. Will be happy to get Shifty back in the halves to assist with cohesion in attack. Will grow an extra leg each week

Souths: Well the Bunnie bandwagon rolls on. Simply stunning Rugby League from the new NRL powerhouse. The Irvine try was pure excitement as they turned it on against a shoddy Sharks side at Toyota Park. The previously staunch Cronulla defence instilled by Ricky Stuart was goneski's - as the Sharks leaked like a beachfront house in the Solomon Islands. Souths are gaining massive momentum and will be up for the big Dogs clash this week. Willie v Kidwell / Asotasi will be champagne stuff.

Roosters: Hard to find any positives here. Did look to give up against the Sea Eagles. Never looked to test in attack. Have some good kids coming through in Kenny-Dowell and Pearce but some old heads need some spark. Some of the older bridgade here at the Roosters have become very 1 dimensional and are easy pickings for opposition defence lines.

Cowboys: The North Queensland boys kept their slick style up against the Dragons, and even without Jason Smith - looked to constantly break the line. Thurston is simply in a world of his own and unmatched in the NRL at present. The Cowboys did however go to sleep in the second half and lacked discipline. Some cracks for other teams to work on: O'Donnell is a firey chracter and in a 'timebomb mode' much like Danny Williams for Melbourne some years ago, it's only a matter of time until this guy kills someone. If sledged, might prove useful to opposition. Thurston is also the centrepiece of the attack - stop him and you go a long way to slowing the machine.

Raiders: Well Well, everyone's tip for the spoon. Neil Henry must be drinking champagne from his ACT Spa Room at present. The young lads from Canberra turned it on last night against the Knights. Not only beating them well, but some of the tries laid on looked like the Green Machine from yesteryear. Mullins and Daley eat your heart out stuff. Be interesting to see how they build on this. Forwards were rock solid, Logan and Costigan were downright scary and smashed the Knights around. In the backs, Zilman and Chalk were elusive and safe and of course Dobson ran the whole circus around very well. Watch with interest.

Manly: The good old Silvertails have been winning, but winning ugly. Haven't really hit top gear year yet and other teams must be weary when they do. Monaghan has been brilliant for the Eagles and basically deserves credit for getting them 2 of the 3 wins. Lyon still finding his feet. Once Orford, Menzies and Matai back - look out! Only fault may lie in the forwards - Rose prone to dropping the pill and others may lack agression.

Warriors: Tasted only their first loss of the year, but played Melbourne at the Graveyard. A very hard ask of any Rugby League team. Will lick their wounds and hopefully bounce back. Big question mark remains over their ability to travel. If they can get comfy with flying everywhere, then we'll see them in the top 8 if not top 4. Should be a good clash against Manly at Brooky - will test Warriors ability to sleep away from home again.

Titans: Still a few questions marks over the new boys. Some cracks appeared in their behaviour on the weekend, with Minichiello giving away some silly penalties. Need some more options in the forwards. Bailey carrying the team on his back. Face a tough task this weekend against Penrith at CUA stadium. In their games, they have been chasing points for a lot of the game - if they can get a leg up early, might see them play a more natural style. Rogers needs more involvement, as younger players will need his guidance and experience.

Cronulla Sharks: Some real concerns for the Sharks in the last two weeks. Throwing a lead away against the Titans and then throwing everything away against the Bunnies. Got burnt in all departments against the Rabbitohs. Need to rectify their defence and reduce pressure on Kimmorley. Dykes was missed. Simmon's wasn't the answer at fullback. Carney showing good signs but needs some support. Playing at home to the Saints this week, a good chance to find some form against the young Dragons.

St George Illawarra Dragons: The Dragons fought hard late against the Cowboys and some good signs were seen from Ritchie Rich Williams and the young brigade. Simply outgunned by the Cowboys with a more experienced and dangerous roster. Will get better with more game time, but face a desperate Sharks outfit at Toyota Park this weekend.

Knights: Big speed hump last night in Canberra - got railroaded by the young brigade that is Canberra. Will recover as Johns gets more ball time, Mullens and Gidley relaxed too much knowing Joey was back. Forwards lacked punch, and Davico was the wrong option up front. Brian Smith will be cooking up a masterplan for taking Melbourne down this week.

Melbourne: Not a lot to say here, the Melbourners keep doing everything right. Slater and Co keep pulling rabbits out of hats and every cog in the Melbourne machine is performing at their Rugby League peak. Have plenty of depth and their only concern is boredom as they win every game on their way to the finals. Big one this week against the Knights.

2007-03-31T22:47:00.000-07:00

Storm kill off NZ Pretenders

Storm 30 defeated NZ Warriors 12

Melbourne Storm shrugged off any doubts over their credentials for the 2007 title with a dominant 18-point victory over the New Zealand Warriors in their round three NRL clash at Olympic Park this afternoon.

The 2006 minor premiers shot out of the blocks early to pile on 14 unanswered points in the first half, continuing their scoring run into the second period to end up 30-12 victors.

Billy Slater continued his try-scoring exploits with an impressive brace but was denied a third when video referee Chris Ward ruled offside on what would have been a scintillating finish to a deft chip and chase play.

Towering youngster Israel Folau also picked up a double with the Storm winger turning in an imperious display of speed, strength and aerial presence, while Ryan Hoffman and Matt King also posted tries for the home side.

Veteran winger Matt Geyer was ever-present and produced shades of brilliance from his five-eighth days creating numerous opportunities in the second stanza after regular number six Greg Inglis was forced from the field with an injury.

Cameron Smith was less than impressive with the boot kicking just three conversions from six attempts, while the Warriors never troubled the Storm despite two tries in the final 20 minutes to Manu Vatuvei and Sam Rapira.

The Storm have now won three matches from three starts, while the Warriors remain on four points after previously beating the Parramatta Eels and the Brisbane Broncos.

2007-03-31T22:37:00.000-07:00

Real Glory, Glory for South Sydney

Souths 26 - Sharks 16

South Sydney remain undefeated so far this season after accounting for the Sharks 26-16 in their round three NRL match-up in Cronulla on Saturday night.

After shooting out of the blocks early to lead 20-4 at half-time, the rejuvenated Rabbitohs ensured their third win in as many starts this season with a controlled performance sure to please coach Jason Taylor.

The Rabbitohs scored four tries to one in the opening stanza, including a double to livewire winger Nathan Merritt, and held a 16-0 lead after just 20 minutes.

Full-back David Peachey opened the scoring after just seven minutes with a try in the right-hand corner from a backline move, and Merrit followed up with his first of the match 10 minutes later.

Hooker Daniel Irvine made it 16-0 when he finished off a terrific team try and the Sharks were visibly shaken by the Rabbitohs' flying start.

Cronulla struck back when Luke Covell grabbed a high ball and touched down in the 33rd minute but Merritt's second, a brilliant solo effort from beyond halfway, ensured a comfortable lead at the break for the visitors.

The home side closed the gap to 10 points with a try to Isaac De Gois 14 minutes into the second stanza, but a four-pointer to David Kidwell and subsequent conversion from Joe Williams restored the lead for South Sydney.

Fraser Anderson scored a consolation try two minutes from time but it was too little, too late for the Sharks, who have lost their last two matches after posting an opening round win over the Panthers.

2007-03-31T22:29:00.000-07:00

Cowboys continue Cruise Mode
Cowboys 22 def Saints 18

North Queensland survived a desperate late surge from St George Illawarra to post a 22-18 victory in their round three NRL clash in Wollongong on Saturday evening.

The Cowboys were dominant for most of the match and raced ahead to post 22 unanswered points, but lost their way when captain Johnathan Thurston was sin-binned for a professional foul in the 63rd minute.

Dragons youngster Richard Williams bagged his second brace of the campaign, filling in for injured five-eighth Ben Hornby, and Wes Naiqama set up a thrilling climax when he converted Luke McDougall's 77th minute try from the sideline to close the gap to just four points.

The Cowboys managed to close out the Dragons to seal victory, with Thurston turning in a brilliant performance to announce himself as the form player of the competition.

His sin-binning late in the piece was the only blemish on an otherwise flawless display from the number seven, who scored the opening try of the match before laying on another three for his team-mates

Ashley Graham (fourth minute), Brenton Bowen (29th), and foundation centre Paul Bowman (50th) crossed for the visitors, while Thurston added three conversions to notch up a personal tally of 14 points for match.

Fleet-footed custodian Matt Bowen was ubiquitous for the red-hot Cowboys who have made a perfect start to the season with three victories from three rounds.

Earlier, the Cowboys picked up where they had left off after last week's 43-6 demolition of the Roosters to race to a 16-0 half-time lead in Wollongong.

The Dragons, who lost 16-12 last round to the Knights, welcomed back injury-plagued half-back Mathew Head, while the Cowboys were without veteran playmaker Jason Smith.

2007-03-30T22:22:00.000-07:00

Penrith Panthers 29 - Brisbane Broncos 28

Young five-eighth Peter Wallace booted a miraculous field goal to give the Penrith Panthers a golden point victory over the Brisbane Broncos in their round three NRL clash at Lang Park on Friday evening.

21-year-old Wallace produced the match-winning play in the second period of extra-time, potting a field goal from 42 metres out to seal a remarkable 29-28 victory and leave the defending premiers without a win in 2007.

The Broncos had looked certain to win the match with three minutes remaining after four tries to brawny centre Broncos centre Justin Hodges and three penalty shots from fit-again skipper Darren Lockyer propelled the home side into a 28-20 lead.

But a length-of-the-field effort from centre Michael Jennings on 78 minutes and an amazing try on the full-time siren from livewire Panthers full-back Rhys Wesser levelled the scores, before Michael Gordon's failed conversion attempt sent the game into golden point.

Craig Gower missed two opportunities to win the match for the Panthers in the first period of extra-time, pushing both of his field goal attempts just wide of the posts.

Wallace, an unlikely match-winner in just his fourth game of first-grade at Penrith, then clinched victory in the second period as the Panthers sealed a remarkable come-from-behind win to stun the home crowd.

The Broncos led with six minutes remaining in the first half, but tries to Panthers centres Jennings and Luke Lewis handed the visitors a 20-14 advantage at the break.

Jennings intercepted a wayward Lockyer pass on 34 minutes to streak away downfield and score underneath the posts and Lewis crashed over minutes later after good build-up work from Panthers half-back Gower.

Hodges starred for the Broncos despite a niggling knee injury and preyed on poor handling from the Panthers to score a first-half brace, while Panthers winger Michael Gordon also crossed twice in the opening period

Frank Pritchard and Wesser caused plenty of problems on the right-side in attack with Gordon crossing twice untouched after Broncos winger Darius Boyd strayed from the wing in defence.

2007-03-26T17:24:00.000-07:00

Titans bag maiden win
Titans 18 - Sharks 16

By Joel Zander

The NRL's newest franchise has taken just two rounds to open their account, with the Gold Coast Titans coming from behind to beat the Sharks 18-16 in a thriller at Carrara Stadium on Monday evening.

Down 16-6 with 30 minutes remaining, Wests Tigers recruit Scott Prince and former Shark Preston Campbell combined to steer the Titans home in their first NRL match on the Gold Coast.

Prince and five-eighth Matt Hilder put Mark Minichiello over in the 57th minute and then Prince's short pass to Campbell saw the little full-back force his way over with six minutes remaining.

Campell made it three conversions from three to put the Titans in front and ultimately give them the win.

The Sharks had led 10-6 at half-time in "the battle of the beaches" after scoring just seconds before the break.

"I'm very happy, it was looking a bit dodgy with 20 minutes to go, they had the ascendancy and were playing well," Titans coach John Cartwright told a press conference.

"But we really dug in well from there, we got a couple of tries when we needed them and held on well in the end.

"The tries that we scored were good understanding between guys."

The Titans came from behind against St George Illawarra in their debut match last week only to fall short, but had no such problems this time.

"I suppose the most impressive thing from the coach's points of view and the fans that were here was the fightback again. They fought hard and were very courageous," Cartwright said.

Prince, who was a doubt in the lead-up because of injury, was happy to be part of the maiden win.

"The people on the Gold Coast have been waiting a long time for this, just to have the Titans back on the coast," he said.

"I suppose now we've got the monkey off the back and the two points in the bag."

Sharks coach Ricky Stuart was understandably disappointed, saying his players had dropped too much ball early in the tackle count.

"We had it there to beat them and when you let is slip, it's disappointing," he said.

But he said he was happy for Cartwright, who was his assistant at the Roosters.

"I'm really happy for Johnny, it's good for rugby league that the Gold Coast are up and running," he said.

He said he might leave a beer with Cartwright for a later date and the Titans coach said he understood.

"I'll let him cool down, I know what he's like after a loss," Cartwright quipped.

2007-03-25T02:05:00.000-07:00

Warriors the entertainers, bust Brisbane up
Warriors 24 - Broncos 14

In another display of exciting Rugby League, the NZ Warriors again put in a classy showing to dispose of a Lockyer-less Broncos. The game at Mt Smart stadium Auckland took a while to get going, but after the initial sorting out period - the Warriors turned the tries on at will, with new buys Witt and Crockett dynamic for the Kiwi based outfit.

Ex-Tiger Crockett bagged a double again and must be looming as early by of the year. The Warriors forwards this year look so much more disciplined and rarely coughed up the ball to the opposition. Price was at his usual best, always hitting the advantage line hard and gaining valuable metres.

Witt seems to be just the medicine for the previously in-consistent Warriors. His organisation was handy for the team that has struggled since Stacey left. Witt would be loving playing behind such an explosive forward pack, he has plenty of time to setup the play and his pushing to the line was perfect, as he regularly swung the ball wide for Martin and Crockett to run wild.

Most of the Warriors play was sent down the Martin/Crockett wing, which has obviously payed dividends.

The Warriors are certinaly looking potent in 2007 and along with the Cowboys and of course Melbourne are the standouts. Next week will be the big test, with the Warriors having to travel away from home and the destination is the graveyeard - Melbourne.

The Broncos won't panic too much after the loss, as they are certainly missing the spark of Lockyer and the thrust of Parker. Perry played well in the shadow of Lockyer and Hodges and Hunt tried hard without result.

Hunt surprising with the hit of the game on of all people Ruben Wiki in the first half. The small Kiwi cum Aussie half back hit Wiki from side-on sending him crashing to the turf.

The Broncos now have no points to show from 2 games now and partner the Bulldogs, Eels, Raiders and Roosters in the cellar for 2007.

2007-03-25T01:29:00.000-07:00

Brilliant Bunnies belittle the Eels
Souths 31 - Eels 6

In more good news for long suffering Souths fans, it seems the red and green revival is in full swing - with the Bunnies making Parramatta look like a reserve grade side today at Aussie Stadium.

In a sluggish start for both teams, Souths went into half time ahead 10-6 after a busy first half. In what was mostly an arm wrestle, things got interesting after Daniel Irvine tackled PJ Marsh without the ball costing the Eels a certain try and resulting in a sin binning for the South Sydney hooker.

The Eels looked rudderless for most the of the match and only touched down in an impressive effort by rookie Filiti Mateo who popped a short ball to Tahu millimetres from the line setting Tahu up for a gift 4 pointer.

Souths defence was always as one, and this continually frustrated the already un-organised Eels. The problems for the Eels lie in limited punch and platform from the Forwards and a poorly organised scrumbase combination of Smith and Finch.

While Cayless did well for the Eels, always looking dangerous and error free the same couldn't be said of his team mates. At times the forwards simply looked disinterested and without any drive. Compounding this was the debacle that was at the Eels scrumbase. Smith and Finch simply did not communicate with each other and threw forward and hospital passes at will.

Hagan will have a tough week ahead, the only positive being the Eels face the equally average Tigers at the first Parra Stadium game for 2007. (NRLnews will be reporting live from the ground) On to Souths.

The Bunnies are reaping the rewards of their newly built side with bonding and combinations really coming together. The forward pack set the scene for the slick backs to play some ball. Kidwell displayed his usual passion, and was punishing up front and he was backed up by an extremely physical Peter Cusack. Cusack has always been a talented bookend, but now surrounded by class players - it shows him in an even better light. He was damaging with and without the ball.

As the South Sydney engine room rolled forward, the class was oozing from halves Williams and Jeremey Smith. An early 40/20 from Williams was an indication of the planning and decision making that this NRL team now posseses. Williams made correct decisions at every turn, running and distributing superbly. Jeremey Smith was fired up to punish his old club and he talked it up constantly encouraging team mates and keeping the passion flowing.

Merritt put in a sensational performance, with the highlight being the chip and chase 2 minutes from half time. His chip and regather to score, made Reddy and Burt look like school boys as he flew in to score in the corner.

Sutton was probably the only Bunny to be kept quiet, but not many of his team mates were. Mellor the old hand was causing headaches for Hayne out wide and made sure Tahu was never allowed room to move in offence. While the Eels were extremely poor, full credit to Souths for further frustrating the men from the Golden West - and Souths will continue to reap the reward from every confidence boosting win.

Interesting to see the week ahead and how the Eels camp react to the punishment dished out today. Surely Hagan will be tempted to make changes, and he has some impressive depth with the Eels reserve grade team itching at the chance to make the step up. The 2 time premiers in the last 2 years, the Eels reserve grade team must be banging on the door now, as todays performance by the top squad looked anything like the top tier of talent. The only exception being Mateo.

The only person besides the Bunnies to be laughing, would be ex-Parra coach Brian Smith. Smith being sacked by Dennis Fitzgerald, now sits at the helm of the 2007 ladder leading Newcastle Knights.

2007-03-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

Storm outlast toiling Raiders
Storm 32 - Raiders 16

A brave Raiders outfit did well early against the might of the Melbourne Storm in the ACT yesterday. Plenty of early possession and committed defence saw the Raiders lead until just before the half time break.

Melbourne's class across the park eventually told as they kicked clear of a gutsy Raiders outfit to win their round two National Rugby League encounter at Canberra Stadium tonight 32-16.

The Storm were fortunate to head into the half-time break with a 14-10 lead after being outplayed for the majority of the half by a Raiders side lacking superstars but playing with plenty of purpose.

After trading tries following the half-time break the home side clawed back to be down 20-16 in the 55th minute, but the Storm ran away with the match in the final 20 minutes, scoring two tries through young winger Israel Folau while shutting out the Canberra attack.

Storm prop Brett White scored his second try of the match in the 45th minute to extend the margin to 20-10 with Cameron Smith's conversion, before Colin Best strolled over on the right wing for Canberra to get within four points.

But it was as close as Neil Henry's men would get as the Storm big guns stood up, five-eighth Greg Inglis warming to his new position and the outside backs performing with aplomb.

Raiders coach Henry was impressive by the effort shown by his young side, admitting the lapse just before half time was a massive blow to the previously confident Green Machine. He pointed out fullback Zillman as a standout for the Raiders.

CANBERRA 16 (T Carney, P Graham, C Best tries; M Dobson 2 goals)
MELBOURNE 32 (B White 2, I Folau 2, M Geyer, B Slater tries; C Smith 4 goals)
Referee: J Maxwell
Crowd: 9556 at Canberra Stadium

2007-03-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Cool Cowboys toast the Roosters
Cowboys 43 - Roosters 6

It was back to the future for the Cowboys in Townsville as they belted an average Roosters side last night. In taking off where they left off last weekend, the Cowboys were immediately in the zone and caused the Roosters no end of trouble.

The options this Cowboys side possess is simply scary. In the early period the scrumbase combination of Thurston and Smith was dangerous with every handle and on both sides of the ruck. When the Roosters marked up hard on these two, the Cowboys would simply spin it wider to find the Bowen brothers early in the set or a wide running O'Donnell to punch through.

All the usual suspects were impressive for the Cowboys: Thurston, Smith, Bowen Brothers and Steve Southern was a workhouse all night. The other exciting player was Ashley Graham - the former Parramatta flyer was dynamic in attack and solid in defence. After breaking his leg a few years ago at the Eels, the once elusive centre seems to finally be regaining his long lost speed. He gave the Roosters plenty of headaches and was involved in everything last night.

I think the late try scored by Matt Bowen sums up how the Cowboys are playing at the moment. 10m out from the Roosters line, Bowen hits it up and turns it back on the inside for Carl Webb. Webb goes through a small gap and attracts two defenders including Roosters fullback Minichiello. Webb simply flick passes the ball back inside to Bowen who drops it, but toes it on before it hits the ground. Bowen then chases it up to score untouched! This play shows the Cowboys are brimming with confidence and making their own luck.

For the Roosters, I can almost hear Nick Politis screaming down the phone lines. The club boss would no doubt be furious and surely would already be pointing the fingers at coaches and players.

Sure, the Roosters weren't at their best tonight - but really, I think the Cowboys would have made any NRL team look ordinary.

The Roosters never slowed the ruck down successfully. On the rare occasion they got 4 men into a tackle and pinned the attacker down, the Cowboys would dummy half scoot and expose gaps in the defence line immediately.

Anasta didn't impress at pivot, although the platform wasn't laid by the Roosters forwards. Making life impossible for Pearce and Anasta.

The Roosters seem to be so predictable in attack, if it wasn't one out attack - then the wide angle running with the inside ball to Mini or Topou was easily picked and stopped.

I thought new boy Kenny-Dowell tried hard all night and never stopped. He looked slippery even one out on the fringes and Topou did some impressive things before going off for treatment on a hamstring.

Confidence is killing the Roosters. They simply don't believe. Their 1000th win is still no where in sight and they need to get this monkey off their backs. Soon.

NORTH QUEENSLAND 43 (B Bowen 2, J Thurston 2, M Bowen 2, L O'Donnell tries; J Thurston 6 goals; A Graham goal; A Payne field goal)
SYDNEY ROOSTERS 6 (L Paea try; C Fitzgibbon goal)
Referee: G Badger
Crowd: 21,396 at Dairy Farmers Stadium

2007-03-24T16:55:00.000-07:00

Manly beat Woeful Wests
Manly 19 - Tigers 8

In a stop start affair affected by shocking weather conditions at Leichhardt Oval last night, an injury ravaged Manly overcame a jittery Wests Tigers outfit to take the honours.

In what was never an exciting affair, the Wests Tigers simply gifted ball to the Sea Eagles at every opportunity. Dropped ball from the scrum base, from attempted tackle busts and just generally when accepting even the simplest passes.

For mine, it felt like the bad old days of the Wests Magpies - with Tommy sitting on the sidelines barking instructions with a cigarette in mouth. While the slippery ball was hard to contain, Manly did the better job and did enough to hold the Tigers out.

For the Eagles, there wasn't a lot of sweeping attacking movements, once again probably due to the conditions - but their accuracy from kicks allowed several impressive tries to be scored. Lyon was once again amongst everything for the Eagles, and Travis Burns back at pivot looks to be the best option.When Orford comes back they will certainly grow an extra leg.

Monaghan played solidly and kicked well, the Eagles are certainly lucky to have him on board - although he must cut his referee bashing out of the game. In Geoff Toovey like style, Monaghan regularly approaches the ref and gives him an ear full. Simply not smart, and needs a better approach.

In the forwards Manly relied on Kite and Watmough - the other forwards were a little sloppy. Rose made regular errors and Hall took an eternity to settle in.

In Tiger land, it must have been an unhappy dressing room - even Hodgson who is regularly the best for the Tigers, had an poor game with dropped ball and poor positional play - at one stage actually running into team mate Moody and taking them both out. Their best came from Benji who was always dangerous in attack and much in the mould of Jason Smith is forcing players to hang off him waiting to pick what he will do.

I also thought that Dean Collis tried hard all game without support or reward, as did Farrah. The only light at the end of the tunnel is the Tigers play the Eels next week, and on current form from Parramatta it might just be the medicine the Tigers need to play themselves back into the groove.

WESTS TIGERS 8 (R Farah try; B Marshall 2 goals)
MANLY 19 (M Ballin M Robertson A Watmough tries; J Lyon 3 goals; M Monaghan field goal)
Referee: T Archer
Crowd: 15,185 at Leichhardt Oval

2007-03-23T05:43:00.000-07:00

Good Knight.
Newcastle wins 16-12 over Dragons
Video Review: Click Here

In a close affair the Knights have defeated the Saints by 4 points at Oki Jubilee tonight. For the Knights, Kidley, Abraham and new boy McManus were dangerous with every touch. The Knights look to have a stronger and more willing defensive line in 2007 - it seems coach Smith has installed pride in the line. They showed nice attacking flair in parts with Mullen having good involvement.

For the Dragons, it was the same old story but with different players. Early promise and some slick attacking set plays were followed by drop balls and ill-dicipline. Morris was impressive as was young gun Chase Stanley. At critical times loose carries at the ruck saw possession changes and some final tackle options were a little un-polished from the normally perfect Hornby.

The Saints lose Woolford early to injury, it is unknown how much damage is done to the former Raiders ankle. Sadly for the Dragons they have millions of dollars worth of talent on the sideline: Gasnier, Cooper, Head, Young and now Woolford.

The young Knights side deserved the win and held in during important swinging periods of the match. They will build in confidence with a true changing of the guard during the absense of Joey and Budsy. Seu Seu is looking good as is their boom Half Mullen.

2007-03-23T05:17:00.000-07:00

Aiton Sparks Up as Panthers hit 40
Panthers 40 - Bulldogs 10
Video Review: Click Here

The Panthers have turned it on to absolutely blow the Bulldogs away at CUA Stadium in Penrith tonight. In keeping with the NRL theme of recent years, picking the winners is almost impossible.

The Panthers who were deadset woeful last week and firmed as spoon holders in 2007, must have slept at training during the week - as they have come out a different side tonight.

For mine, Paul Aiton coming into the dummy half totally transformed the Panthers and was the spark that sent them into overdrive. With Priddis at dummy half early, the Panthers were nervous and never looked cohesive. Priddis' distribution at times was poor, forcing Gower to duck for cover - as slow service saw the Dogs eating him alive.

This all changed when live wire Aiton came into the fray. Suddenly massive metres were stolen from dummy half, Rooney was in sniffing around for work and Wesser was trailing the play ready for any offload or break. A special mention to the Panther on debut - Michael Jennings. Scoring a try early and looking very confident in his first time appearance.

Flash Gordon was solid for the Panthers his cover defence noteably impressive, as was his pin point goal kicking. His training work with Daryll Halligan is certainly paying dividends.

Peter Wallace at pivot was also taking some heat off Gower. His kicking and decision making was brilliant. He attacked the line at the right time, and distributed when it was called for.

It was a total snowball effect. As the Panthers heated up, all the old boys started to lift in confidence. Suddenly Pritchard was at his barn storming best and forwards Clinton and Waterhouse who have been quiet in recent times - were steaming forward and full of life.

It was exciting to see the old Panthers back, 2003 was relived tonight as they railroaded the Bulldogs.

In Doggie land, a tough night was had by most. Luke Patten must be complemented on his committment, he tried all night in defence and attack - without his role, it could have been 50 points against tonight.

Willie Mason and Shrek O'Meley were tough early and caused trouble for the Panthers defence, but they persisted with attacking the man - and were more concerned with big hits and personal contests that winning the game.

Holdsworth had an off-night, kicking out on the full at times, and choosing the wrong options with the ball. Admittedly the Panthers applied pressure to the Bulldogs pivot making his night a hard one. Tonights outcome will surely see Sherwin come back into the top grade after coming back in Premier League tonight.

The other glaring problem for the Bulldogs is their attack. They Dogs can string some passes together in patches and do look dangerous in parts - but looking at the back end of 2006, early trial games and now NRL 2007 - they simply haven't scored points. Look for Folkes to try SBW wider on the ruck next week to up the scoring ante.

In what was a physical contest, combined with massive tackling requirements for the Dogs - expect them to pull up sore and find it tough in the back end of next week.

Well done to the Panthers, their confidence will be sky high from their home town win and will no doubt help their coach settle in and lay a nice platform for the next few weeks. The Panthers will need every ounce next week as they face the 2006 Premiers to the Broncos in what should be a cracker.

2007-03-19T03:57:00.000-07:00

Rnd 1 - Overall Summary
by www.NRLnews.com

Green=Firing Amber=OK Red=Struggling

Knights - Solid performance considering no Johns, and positional changes. Defence needs work.
Dragons - Great signs here, young troops all did well under pressure. Will grow an extra leg now
Rabbitohs - Monkey off back now, great win and face abysmal Eels next week. Confidence growing
Warriors - Great recruitment has seen vast improvement, stunning first half to blow Eels away.Need to travel
Sharks - Baby steps. Ricky injecting pride into jersey, halves working and outstanding defence.
Manly - Won against poor opposition, some good signs but will need to improve. Lyon needs time at pivot.
Storm - Nervous early, but machine clicked into gear. Have talent to burn again and will be hard to beat.
Cowboys - Best team in Round 1, blistering attack and many options. Only concern maybe fitness, did tire.
Bulldogs - Good signs for Dogs with only 12 men. Missed SBW, need Sherwin back for stability under pressure.
Titans - Must be happy with first NRL game. Solid defence for most, Campbell weak link. Occasion excitement cost
Roosters - Poor first game, after good trial form - ill-discipline killed them. Need to win early or will lose confidence
Eels - Fighting with Panthers for worst performance of Rnd 1. Woeful in defence and attack. Need cohesion.
Panthers - Too much dropped ball. Players looked disinterested. Attack was non existent. Gower not happy.
Canberra - Showed some early promise. Experience needed, will learn from the loss. Won't be easy beats
Tigers - Impressive first up showing. Nice combinations, solid defence - injuries the key, need to stay fit.
Broncos - Hangover hurting them, now no Lockyer. Hunt good at 7. Need someone to step up. Concern here.

2007-03-19T03:32:00.000-07:00

Bunnies 18 bath Roosters 6 at Aussie

South Sydney’s new star recruits David Kidwell, Roy Asotasi and Nigel Vagana amongst others led the way for the Bunnies tonight in a convincing win over neighbors the Sydney Roosters, racing to a 12-0 first half lead before finishing the job later on.

Up to 24,000 people braved the wet conditions, with the Rabbitohs impressive start to the season putting other leading NRL teams on notice.

On a slightly cold and miserable night, South Sydney came out on fire and put the Roosters to the sword from the get go, scoring a try just 14 minutes in.

Attacking close to the Roosters line, diminutive halfback Joe Williams was the beneficiary of South’s first try of the new competition, slicing through some flimsy defence and diving over the white line for a try.

Shell shocked and disorientated, the Roosters found themselves further behind just three minutes later, when former Bulldogs and Cronulla centre Nigel Vagana grabbed his first try of 2007.

Attacking inside the Rooster’s red zone, the Rabbitohs moved the ball from left to right, with new five-eighth Jeremy Smith placing a perfectly weighted grubber kick for the New Zealand international to pounce on and skilfully ground the ball just a centimetre inside the try line.

With the Rabbits up 12 points to nil, the two teams began to bulk up in defence.

Both sides were guilty of performing some questionable tackles, however neither side was able to make any further impression on the score line by half time.

Coming into the second half, South’s coach Jason Taylor’s instructions would have been for more of the same, and that’s exactly what he got.

Just six minutes in Williams extended his side’s lead by a further two points, slotting a penalty between the sticks.

The Rabbitohs were then denied the opportunity to wrap up the game shortly before the hour mark, with the video hreferee ruling out South Sydney’s try for obstruction.

The men in green and red were to rue their missed opportunity as the Roosters went the length of the field to pull back a four pointer of their own.

A high bomb put up in the air had Nathan Merritt in all sorts of trouble, with the little winger fumbling the ball on his own line and new Roosters halfback Josh Lewis picking up the pieces and reducing the score by six points.

However, unlike former South Sydney outfits this side was not about to implode, and after a few attempts the new look Rabbitohs were able to finally wrap up the game 13 minutes from time.

Close to the Roosters line, a beautiful sweeping move opened up an overlap on the far left hand side, with quick hands allowing Nigel Vagana a clear path to the try line and an impressive 18-6 win over the Roosters.

The surprise win will have the South Sydney outfit in good steed for next week’s showdown against the Parramatta Eels,

But the Roosters will need to pick up the pieces and regroup for their clash against the North Queensland Cowboys if they want their 1000^th win to come sooner rather than later.

SOUTH SYDNEY 18 (N Vagana 2 J Williams tries; J Williams 3 goals) def SYDNEY ROOSTERS 6 (J Lewis try; C Fitzgibbon goal)
Referee: P Simpkins Crowd: 24,127 at Aussie Stadium.

2007-03-18T01:54:00.000-07:00

Knights over-run tiring Bulldogs 25-24
Video Review: Click Here

A 12 man Bulldogs side got run down today after setting up an 18 point lead over the disjointed Newcastle Knights.

Newcastle skipper Andrew Johns has been sent to hospital and Bulldogs star Sonny Bill Williams sent off. Newcastle overcame the fourth-minute loss of their chief playmaker and a 24-8 halftime deficit to storm home against a tiring 12-man Dogs and claim victory with Kurt Gidley's 73rd minute field goal.

The big talking point, though, came just three minutes and 36 seconds into a phenomenal first-round clash when Johns was left unconscious by Williams' swinging left arm. Referee Tony Archer had no option but to give the Bulldogs backrower his marching orders, with Williams also likely to face a lengthy suspension for the high shot.

Johns, widely regarded as the world's best rugby league player, lay motionless face down on the turf for more than five minutes after the high shot. He was stretchered off wearing a neck brace, and although cleared of a neck injury, was taken straight to hospital for scans on his cheekbone.

Coach Brian Smith said Johns had suspected facial fractures. The 18,791-strong crowd watched on in silence as Johns received on-field medical attention, but as he was being taken off Knights supporters began to scream "off, off" as Archer called out Williams. "Straight in the face, knocked him out, you're off," Archer told the Kiwi backrower.

The Knights appeared shell-shocked after losing Johns, and the Bulldogs, despite being one man short, took full advantage. They raced to an 18-2 victory after 18 minutes with tries to Andrew Ryan, Luke Patten and Reni Maitua. Knights hooker Jeremy Seu Seu scored on debut in the 27th minute to stop the bleeding, before Bulldogs winger Trent Cutler gave the visitors a 24-8 halftime lead.

Newcastle regrouped at the break and came out firing to level the scores 24-24 in the 58th minute after tries to Josh Perry, Todd Polglase and James McManus. Both teams had chances to break the deadlock, but it took Gidley's wobbly field goal from 15 metres seven minutes from to eventually seal a heart-stopping win for the Knights.

The Bulldogs, though, should have stolen the match in the final minutes. Replacement Dallas McIlwain butchered a certain try in the 78th when he dropped a Cutler pass cold with the line wide open. A 40m field goal attempt from Dogs halfback Ben Roberts then fell just short in the final seconds.

SUMMARY: BULLDOGS: 24 Tries: 4 Andrew Ryan, Luke Patten, Reni Maitua, Trent Cutler Goals: 4 Hazem El Masri (4/4) Knights: 25 Tries: 4 Terence Seu Seu, Josh Perry, Todd Polglase, James McManus Goals: 4 Kurt Gidley (4/4) Field Goals Kurt Gidley (1/1)

2007-03-18T01:48:00.001-07:00

Dragons hold firm against lively Titans 20-18
Video Review: Click Here

The newly formed franchise - Gold Coast Titans proved that they will be a contender in NRL 2007, after courageously going down 20-18 to the St George-Illawarra Dragons at Suncorp Stadium today.

A large crowd of over 42,000 were on hand, to see the Gold Coast Titans first premiership match, with the Titans gutsy display winning them to a tonne of new fans.

In an entertaining first period, the Tians enjoyed more possession and field postion. Ex-Sharks star Matt Rogers showed flashes of brilliance and his involvement bringing the crowd to their feet.

The first points came in the 8th minute when a bouncing cut out pass from Campbell, found Chris Walker, who had a tough job to finish the movement and score his clubs first premiership points. Walker then added the extras to send the Titans into the lead 6-0.

Titans dropped ball soon afforded the Dragons their first chance, and the red and whites obliged scoring their first try in the 23rd minute. A solid dummy half run from Woolford found Ben Hornby in 2nd phase, who flicked a beautiful inside ball for new pivot Richie Williams to go in under the black dot. Wes Naiqama then easily nailed the conversion to level the scores.

A contentious penalty given in the 43rd min opened the door for the Dragons to hit the lead 8-6, given by Chris Walker for not playing the ball correctly.

New Dragons pivote Richie Williams then scored his second try 50 mins into the match, Ritchie intercepted a Scott Prince long pass and steered clear of the Titans defenders to go in under the sticks. Another easy conversion followed and the Saints were now in control at 14-6.

Again the Dragons were dangerous and 2 minutes later they were in to score again. This time winger Keith Lulia, after a slick backline movement that went 80 metres. Naiqama landed a hard one from the sideline to send the Saints well ahead 20-6.

The Titans hit back quickly, after quick penalties were given by the Saints and allowed the Titans gain good field position. The Titans backline then showed off its flair, with Prince, Campbell and Hilder sending solid Jake Webster into a gap, and the Kiwi International was able to offload to Chris Walker who bagged his second try. Chris Walker then converted his own try, seeing the Dragons lead narrowed to 20-12

An dubious chip from Prince in the 64th was then put down by Dragons fullback Josh Morris, allowing the Titans' Jake Webster to scoop up the ball to score an easy try. Walker converted again to make it 20-18 - bringing the Titans within a bee's dick of taking the lead.

Shortly after, the Saints had a chance to close the game out in the 73rd minute, when Wes Naiqama appeared to have grounded a lost ball after a drop from Paea in the in-goal area. Claiming a try, the decision was sent to video referee Chris Ward who ruled No Try.

Ex-Union star Matt Rogers had the Titans faithful chanting in the 76th minute, when he cut through the Saints defence, sprinting 50 metres before chipping to the in-field. Paea got to the ball first for the Titans but couldn’t gain control of the bouncing ball with Hornby and Morris pressuring.

The Titans then sent attacking raids in waves during the final minutes, but the young Saints were able to hang in for an impressive win under the circumstances.

Injury worries loom for Gold Coast's Chris Walker who hobbled during match with a leg injury and more tests are expected on his thumb during the week, while for the Saints, a blood ridden Ben Creagh finished the game groggy and bleeding heavily after a massive second half head clash with Luke Bailey.

St George-Illawarra Dragons 20 (Richie Williams 2, Keith Lulia tries; Wes Naiqama 4 goals)
Defeated
Gold Coast Titans 18 (Chris Walker 2, Jake Webster tries; Chris Walker 3 goals)
At Suncorp Stadium

2007-03-18T01:46:00.001-07:00

Sharks Shut-Out Panthers 18-0
Video Review: Click Here

A re-invented Cronulla Sharks has broken a 10 game losing streak, with Ricky Stuarts men keeping a clean sheet at Toyota Park.

On difficult night for free-flowing football, with the southerly blowing and the rain falling, the Sharks turned on a tremendous defensive performance, shutting down the Panthers in a performance which pleased new coach Ricky Stuart.

It was the first time the Sharks had kept a team scoreless since round 23 of the 1999 season, when they defeated the Wests Tigers by 46-0.

“It’s only the first game but I was very happy with the performance,” Sharks coach Ricky Stuart said. “We did a lot of the little things right, the things we’ve practiced.

“We’ve had our knockers in the off-season. They were saying Kimmorley and Dykes can’t play together, we’ve lost however many games it is in a row, so this win was important to start to build our confidence.”

The match was something of an arm wrestle, with the conditions contributing to what was a defensive struggle. The Sharks defended grimly when it was required, limited their errors and controlled the ball and kicked intelligently with the wind at their backs.

In the first half there were very few genuine scoring opportunities, with the Sharks first points of the new season coming from a brilliantly worked set play from a scrum.

Winning the ball inside the Panthers quarter line, Greg Bird picked the ball up at the base of the scrum, wandered sideways, before turning and passing inside to Brett Kearney who ran into a yawning hole in the Penrith defence to touch down adjacent to the posts. Luke Covell added the extras and the Sharks were ahead by 6-0.

With the visitors enjoying the benefits of a strong wind at their backs the Panthers managed to camp in the Sharks defensive end of the field, however showing a resolve in defence missing in recent seasons, the Sharks scrambled and held on, repelling their opponents for three successive sets of six tackles.

Neither team was able to assert their authority on the match, with the Sharks going to the break ahead by just a converted try.

After the Panthers botched the kick-off to restart the second half, with the ball bouncing dead in goal, a penalty to the Sharks for a lifting tackle on Bird was potted over from close range by Covell and the Sharks would stretch their advantage to eight points.

The momentum would then swing the other way, with the Panthers again dominating possession and pressing the Sharks try line, but again the Sharks managed to hold firm.

Another Covell penalty goal in the 57th minute put the Sharks further ahead at 10-0 before another set move resulted in the second try of the night to Kearney.

Skipper Brett Kimmorley switched the point of the attack before a perfectly timed pass from Isaac De Gois saw Kearney burst through a hole and scoot 25 metres to score. Covell’s conversion attempt was waved away but the Sharks had built a match winning 14-0 lead.

In putting the icing on the cake the Sharks scored in the dying moments, with Covell capping off a solid performance on the wing by touching down after a well-weighted kick from Bird.

In a team full of stars, the Sharks were probably best served by Kearney at fullback, Bird at lock and Kimmorley at half back. Reece Williams and Lance Thompson put in 80-minute performances, while Ben Ross and Craig Stapleton were strong up front.

At the post-match presentation Kearney was awarded the player’s player, while Bird took out the Chairman’s Award.

In the lower grade the Sharks suffered two losses, with the Premier League going down 34-26 in a high scoring affair, while the Jersey Flegg were gallant in defeat against last years Flegg premiers, losing by 11-4.

The best player awards in the lower grades went to Andrew Fox in Jersey Flegg and Henry Perenara in Premier League.

SHARKS 18
Brett Kearney 2, Luke Covell tries, Luke Covell 3 goals

Defeated the

PANTHERS 0

2007-03-18T01:44:00.001-07:00

Manly dust Raiders at Brookvale 32-6
Video Review: Click Here

The Sea Eagles started the season in style with a resounding 32 points to 6 victory over the Canberra Raiders at Brookvale Oval.

Both teams struggled early in the challenging conditions. A wet surface and a strong southerly wind resulted in numerous handling errors and neither team successfully applied any pressure in the opening exchanges.

Manly lost Steve Matai 12 minutes in with an ankle injury that initially looked very worrying, however after receiving some on field treatment he was able to walk off with the assistance of the trainers. A quick reshuffle saw Lyon go to left centre and Travis Burns take up his old role at 5/8.

A break by Glenn Stewart gave the Sea Eagles some attacking momentum in the 25th minute. From the following play captain Matt Orford saw the fullback was missing and put a kick downfield. Brett Stewart took off after the ball and he looked all set to score however a cover defender halted his charge. The ball came loose and Michael Robertson found himself in the perfect position to score the Sea Eagles’ opening try of the season. Orford was unable to convert from the sideline.

Manly’s second try came from another piece of Matt Orford brilliance. A perfect kick from the halfback popped up for Luke Williamson who led the charge for the line. Williamson grounded the ball and after going to the video ref was awarded the try. Orford was unable to convert.

The Sea Eagles were starting to get the upper hand and on the back of repeat penalties found themselves in prime attacking position. For the third time Matt Orford’s boot sliced through the Canberra defence and Jamie Lyon was on hand to grab his first points for the Sea Eagles. Orford converted from close range and that rounded out the points for the first half.

With Steve Matai (12th minute) and Steve Menzies (25th minute) out for the remainder of the match the Sea Eagles’ only comfort coming into the second half was the strong wind blowing at their backs.

A 4th minute try to Marshall Chalk certainly put fear into the side but as fate would have it a problem with the lights halted play for a few minutes and gave the Sea Eagles a breather and a chance to regroup.

A 40/20 from Travis Burns in the 9th minute gave the Sea Eagles an excellent opportunity to hit back. When George Rose planted the ball a few tackles later it looked as though Manly would kick on, however Rose grounded the ball on the goal post pad before projecting the ball and the Video Ref ruled a double movement.

It was another 11 minutes before the Sea Eagles finally cracked the line. A perfectly positioned cross field kick from Burns came free as Robertson and Best contested the ball. Lyon was on hand to grab the ball, improve the position and score the try. After again going to the Video Ref the try was awarded and Lyon converted his own try.

Orford was struggling with a knee injury and the lights were still playing up but it didn’t seem to be affecting the Sea Eagles performance. Five minutes after Lyon crossed his centre partner Steve Bell did the same. Sporting Maroon and White head gear Bell received an inside ball from Brett Stewart that gave him room to run, sidestep some defenders and dive over the line. Lyon converted from close range and the Sea Eagles had a twenty point lead.

The Sea Eagles were showing some fantastic form, down two interchange players, Matt Orford on one leg and Glenn Stewart struggling with a leg problem also it was quite amazing how dominant they were.

With nine minutes still on the clock the Sea Eagles were in again and not surprisingly it was on the back of another brilliant kick. Matt Orford set himself for the kick and Brett Stewart went inland.

The Banana kick was on.

Sure enough the ball came Stewart’s way and just as it looked as though Stewart would continue his amazing try scoring record at Brookvale a flying Jason King dived on the ball and scored! Oh boy did the celebrations begin and the smile on Kingy’s face was on par with Luna Park. Lyon converted the relatively easy shot at goal.

Michael Robertson was oh so close to scoring his second with three minutes remaining but he was unable to cleanly ground a lovely grubber from Brett Stewart. Robertson lay motionless for a few moments after copping a heavy knee as he went in for the try.

The remaining minutes counted down and there was a massive cheer from the fans when the siren finally went.

The Sea Eagles were fairly reserved and kept the play tight in the blustery conditions. Coach Des Hasler was especially proud of the effort from his forwards. Michael Monaghan played the entire match and took pressure of Orford and Burns when it was needed. Glenn Hall had a good debut and Luke Williamson was strong with a team high 37 tackles. Glenn Stewart made 162 metres and made 23 tackles in what was a tremendous game. All the props played strongly with King, Kite and Rose all making more than 100 metres. If our forwards continue to dominate all season as they did during this match the side will be set for big things.

The Sea Eagles only missed nine tackles all night which is quite amazing considering the conditions and their error rate was half that of the Raiders.

The Sea Eagles backs looked dangerous every time they got the ball. Even without Matai and Menzies running out wide the Sea Eagles showed they have great attacking depth.

Jamie Lyon played well and while he was a little patchy at the start he bounced back by scoring two tries and created a number of opportunities.

Matt Orford was lethal with the boot and in fact of Manly’s six tries 4 were scored from Orford’s kicks, one from Travis Burns and the other a solo run by Steve Bell.

There are a number of injury concerns specifically with Orford, Matai and Menzies but Coach Des Hasler was confident they would be right for next week as would Anthony Watmough, who was rested as a precaution.

It is just the result the Sea Eagles needed to kick off the season. They now sit top of the table with 3 games remaining this weekend.

Manly Sea Eagles 32 (Lyon 2, Robertson, Williamson, Bell, King tries; Orford goal) d. Canberra Raiders 6 (Chalk try; Dobson goal) at Brookvale Oval

Penalties: Raiders 6-5

Referee: Ben Cummins

2007-03-18T01:41:00.001-07:00

Warriors upstage sloppy Eels - 34-18
Video Review: Click Here

The New Zealand Warriors have opened their account for 2007 with an impressive win over the Parramatta Eels in Auckland. The Warriors started strongly and totally outplayed the Eels in the first half, going into half time with a 24-0 lead. It was the only first time in 5 years the NZ club has won it's opening game, and supporters will be excited about the prospects for 07.

The first stanza saw a near 80% possession advantage to the Warriors and they didn't miss the chance to convert this to points. The Warriors running in three early tries, including a soft on-line try by captain Steve Price to simply embaress the Eels in the early passage of the game.

The Warriors new signings Michael Crockett and Michael Witt looked dangerous with every touch of the ball, but it was new buy and ex-Eel Wade Mckinnon that set the game alight.

McKinnon must have had teflon on him, as no Parramatta could put him to ground. McKinnon in one passage beat up to 6 Parramatta defenders in a 65 metre down field run. The Eels were relieved to get into the sheds for the half time break, even the little possession they received in the first stanza was punctuated by dropped balls, embarrassingly forward passes and shocking discipline.

One particular pass from Eels pivot Brett Finch went so far forward it landed in the the hands of Tony Martin in the Warriors defensive line. For the Warriors the half-time break was an interruption to their merciless on-slaught, the NZ team was unlucky not to have pocketed 2 more tries in a classy first period.

They completed at near 90% and structured some nice attacking moves and looked fluid with the ball and rock solid in defence. Hagans call for the Eels to win the ruck in the 2nd half must have been taken on-board by his troops, as the Eels began to slow the Warriors down and mount some attack of their own.

Early points came in the form of 2 tries and suddenly the game became a contest. As the possession tables turned, the Warriors became frustrated and gave away several silly penalties of their own - and invited the Eels to mount a charge.

Such was the turn, the Eels were suddenly on the good side of the penalty count and went from a tackle count 70 higher than the Warriors to a count 20 less. The Eels still couldn't improve on 73% completion and the Warriors were good enough to close out the game with several late tries.

The Warriors capped a nice performance with a late try to Michael Crockett which will have them crowing with confidence going into the Broncos game next week. It's back to the white board for the Eels, with their new halves combination still having a lot of work to do and concern over injuries to centre Ben Smith and forward Fui Fui Moi Moi and for the Warriors a late injury concern for Vinnie Anderson who had his ankle twisted badly in a tackle on Cayless.

As the 3rd NRL game for 2007, both the Warriors and Eels will need to lift for next week - as the quality of these sides was far less than we saw in last nights matches involving: Tigers, Storm, Cowboys and Broncos.

At Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland:
Vodafone Warriors 34 (Michael Crockett 2, Wade McKinnon, Steve Price, Simon Mannering, Lance Hohaia tries; Tony Martin 4 conversions, penalty).
Parramatta Eels 18 (Daniel Wagon, Nathan Cayless, Jarryd Hayne tries; Luke Burt 3 conversions).
Halftime: 24-0 Vodafone Warriors.
Referee: Gavin Badger.
Crowd: 13,587.

2007-03-16T05:27:00.000-07:00

Cowboys eclipse Broncos in Suncorp Thriller
Video Review: Click Here
Last years premiers the Brisbane Broncos went down to the North Queensland Cowboys 23 to 16 tonigh at Suncorp in front of 50,400 fans.

In an impressive affair, both sides went hammer and tong from the first whistle. Set plays, inside balls and stylish attack was evident - with execution that was simply amazing for Round 1 NRL.

The game had a lot of feeling as the local Queensland Derby always has, and big hits were evident from the outset.

The Cowboys started the better, with 2 early tries to centre Ashley Graham. New buy Jason Smith was slick in attack and worked wonders with Thurston, the new combination looking dangerous on every play and the Cowboys now have many options on both sides of the play the ball.

Jason Smith was caught out in defence a few times, his first misread leading to the Broncos early try - with Dane Carlaw hitting a short no look pass from Berrigan at dummy half to charge over from 5 metres.

The Bronocs experiment with Karmichael Hunt at Half seems to be a smart one, with the Kiwi star looks comfortable in both attack and defence. His development in the role and combination with Lockyer will reap dividends as the season continues.

The Broncos young guns jumped to life in the second half and quick fire tries to Karmichael Hunt and Joel Moon saw the game locked at 16 all.

Both sides had chances to nail a field goal, but it was the Cowboys who scored last with 5 minutes to go. Matt Bowen latching on to an inside ball and stepping Karmichael Hunt beautifully to score untouched.

Bowen capped a blinder of a match for himself with a late field goal to ensure the result.

Tonights 2nd NRL game was played at blinding pace and at a high skill level. Buckle up for big ride in 2007, as these two heavyweights put on a classy show.

In injury worries for both sides, Lockyer may have damaged his ankle and the result won't be known until tomorrow. Corey Parker also sprained his wrist and will be out for at least 6 weeks. For the Cowboys, a calf problem for Luke O'Donnell with be monitored and Steve Southern injured his shoulder in a first half tackle - both will be assesed tomorrow.

North QLD Cowboys 23 (Ashley Graham 2, Mark Henry, Matt Bowen tries; Johnathan Thurston 3 goals, Matt Bowen field goal)
Defeated
Brisbane Broncos 16 (Dane Carlaw, Karmichael Hunt, Joel Moon tries; Darren Lockyer 2 goals)
At Suncorp Stadium
Crowd – 50,416
Referee – Steve Clark

2007-03-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

Storm hold out Brave Tigers:
Video Review: Click here to View
Melbourne Storm 18 defeat Wests Tigers 16 at Olympic Park.

Wests Tigers started the match strongly and kept hold of an 80% possession advantage for the first 15 minutes. Tigers continued to look sharp early on with solid, error free football.

The Storm eased into the game and eventually showed flashes of their brilliance from 2005, but ill-discipline continued to hurt them. Hold downs, leg pulls were seeing them give penalties away in defence. Even worse were the silly play the ball penalties while in possession, such as playing the ball tunnel style without using the foot, actuallyost them first tackle possession twice.

The Storm kicking game was impressive however, with Cronk and Smith both having the ball on a string for short and long game punts. Both sides impressed with fitness and error free football for so early in the year - Storm young gun Israel Falou had some impressive touches and scored on debut in impressive style, reeling in a high bomb and barging through several Tigers on line defenders to touch down.

Marshall only had limited touches for the Tigers, but his shoulder survived the test and his bigger frame will assist his robustness and tackle bust opportunities in 2007.

While Melbourne's class eventually shone through, impressive signs were seen throughout for the Wests Tigers - noteably in their overall defence. The Tigers repelled several back to back Storm raids and were in the game until the final 30 seconds.

Interestingly the game at times looked like an edition of Wrestle Mania, with both sides obviously spending many hours of play the ball slow downs. Arm holds and wrestling flips were almost occuring every tackle, Hampstead did give many penalties away in this area but both sides persisted. It seems this wrestling them will prevail in 2007 as mentioned by many commentators including the team at NRLnews.com

2007-03-13T03:49:00.000-07:00

NRL Round 1

Friday
Melbourne Storm vs Wests Tigers (Olympic 7.30)
Brisbane Broncos vs Nth Queensland Cowboys (Suncorp 8.30pm)
Saturday
NZ Warriors vs Parramatta Eels (Mt Smart 5.30)
Sharks vs Penrith Panthers (Toyota 7.30)
Manly Sea Eagles vs Canberra Raiders (Brooky 7.30)
Sunday
Newcastle Knights vs Bulldogs (EnergyAus 2pm)
Gold Coast Titans vs St George Dragons (Suncorp 4pm)
Monday
Sydney Roosters vs South Sydney Rabbitohs (Aussie 7.30)