Sydney hold out plucky Giants

Agility ... Rhyce Shaw at his evasive best in the opening quarter of Sydney's round one clash. Source: DEAN LEWINS / AAP

Sydney started its AFL premiership defence with a 30-point win over Greater Western Sydney at ANZ Stadium, but the Giants showed on Saturday just how far the gap between the city's two teams has narrowed.

The Swans were scrappy at times as they blew out the cobwebs, but Josh Kennedy and new co-captain Kieren Jack dominated in the middle to pilot their side to a 16.10 (106) to 11.10 (76) victory.

0.4 (4)	Q1	4.5 (29)
5.4 (34)	Q2	9.7 (61)
7.8 (50)	Q3	12.9 (81)
11.10 (76)	Q4	16.10 (106)

Jonathon Patton 3	Kieren Jack 3
Liam Sumner 2	Jude Bolton 2
Jeremy Cameron 1	Adam Goodes 2
Jonathan Giles 1	Ben McGlynn 2
Toby Greene 1	Mike Pyke 2
Dylan Shiel 1	Sam Reid 2
Devon Smith 1	Josh P. Kennedy 1
Adam Treloar 1	Jarrad McVeigh 1
	Shane Mumford 1

In a hard-fought contest underlined by the plethora of stoppages and smothers, GWS showed how far they've improved after one year in the league - especially in a second-quarter burst that featured two goals from Jonathon Patton.

The Giants were behind by 25 points at quarter-time, but kicked the next five goals to boast a five-point lead midway through the second term.

There were almost four minutes of uncharted ground for the Swans after Devon Smith snapped a spectacular goal from the boundary line. Discounting a 24-point loss this pre-season, the reigning premiers had never trailed GWS at any stage of a match.

The response came from Sydney's leaders. Jude Bolton and Jarrad McVeigh slotted goals, while Jack kicked two to restore the Swans' advantage to 27 points at halftime.

Jack was best afield for the underdone Swans, and won the Brett Kirk medal.

As opposed to the previous two clashes between the sides, in which Sydney won by 63 and 94 points, the Giants failed to fade at any stage and kept their rivals honest.

In a match devoid of highlights, Sam Reid brought the crowd of  23,690 to their feet in the third term when he clambered over GWS ruckman Dean Brogan to clutch a sensational mark.

In essence the Swans did what they needed to, but coach John Longmire is unlikely to be happy with the fact six of the Giants' first seven goals came from turnovers.

Ruckman Shane Mumford wasn't supposed to be at full fitness due to a pre-season ankle injury, but it was hard to tell during the first quarter.

Mumford was a force up forward, snaffling five contested marks in the opening term while Stephen Gilham, Tim Mohr and Phil Davis tried to curb his influence at different times.

But the 26-year-old managed only 1.2 from his set shots, reflecting the Swans' inability to kick clear early - despite the fact they held the Giants goalless in the opening term.

GWS midfielder Tom Scully was reported for tripping Rhyce Shaw.

Click here to see all of the stats, scores and SuperCoach points in the FOX FOOTY Match Centre.

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Aloisi fumes as Mariners stop Heart

Golden Boot hopeful ... Daniel McBreen got the Mariners on their way against the Heart. Source: Paul Miller / AAP

Central Coast have beaten a 10-man Melbourne Heart 2-1 at Bluetongue Stadium on Saturday in an A-League game that had not much more than pride on the line.

With Western Sydney securing the Premiers' Plate on Friday the second-placed Mariners were simply wanting a win to carry momentum into the finals series.

The Heart meanwhile, already out of the finals hunt, were only hoping the for three points to help avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.

Daniel McBreen opened the scoring in the first half after Heart defender Patrick Gerhardt was sent-off for a hand ball in the box gifting the Mariners a penalty.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Western Sydney	27	18	3	6	20	57
2	Central Coast	27	16	6	5	26	54
3	Victory	26	12	5	9	2	41
4	Adelaide	26	12	4	10	1	40
5	Brisbane	27	10	5	12	4	35
6	Sydney	27	9	5	13	-10	32
7	Perth	26	9	4	13	-2	31
8	Newcastle	27	8	7	12	-15	31
9	Heart	27	8	3	16	-9	27
10	Wellington	26	7	6	13	-17	27

Mitchell Duke doubled the host's advantage in the second half with Richard Garcia getting a late consolation for the Heart, scoring the side's first goal outside Melbourne in 499 minutes.

Veteran striker McBreen now looks on track for the A-League golden boot award scoring his 17th goal of the season to extend his lead at the top of the scorers' list ahead of Wellington's Jeremy Brockie, who needs to bag at least a double against Melbourne Victory on Sunday to claim the title.

The Heart meanwhile ended their season on the worst of notes, being reduced to 10-men after 30 minutes. Coach John Aloisi was also sent-off for dissent after disputing the referee's call, meaning he'll be suspended from the Heart's first game of next season.

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After a shaky start, the Heart picked up the intensity with Garcia and Josip Tadic forcing saves from Mariners gloveman Justin Pasfield, who was between the sticks in place of first-choice keeper Mattew Ryan who was being rested ahead of the finals.

But just when the Heart looked to have the momentum, disaster struck with Gerhardt sent-off for a handball after a flurry of shots from the Mariners.

McBreen looked like breaking the deadlock just after the half hour mark with Simon Colosimo clearing it off the line.

Mile Sterjovski scooped up the rebound to attempt a shot himself drawing a handball from Gerhardt and earning a penalty for the Mariners.

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Re-live all the action from the clash, including video of all the goals, at our A-League Match Centre.

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McBreen, who had missed two penalties this season, stepped up to the spot in the 35th minute and made no mistake this time.

Duke put the hosts 2-0 up in the 65th minute after getting on the end of a Anthony Caceres ball.

Garcia then got one back for the visitors courtesy of good lead-up work from Daniel MaCallister.

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Chiefs in command against Blues

Winners ... Aaron Cruden helps the Chiefs beat the Blues. Source: Marty Melville / AFP

An impenetrable defence coupled with some electrifying back play gave the Chiefs their fifth Super Rugby win of the season with a 23-16 victory over the Blues in Hamilton on Saturday.

Ahead 9-6 at halftime, the Chiefs turned around a tryless first 40 minutes to run in two hard-earned second-half tries to Ben Tameifuna and Richard Kahui in a bruising encounter at Waikato Stadium.

2 Tries 1
Ben Tameifuna 47'	George Moala 78'
Richard Kahui 63'
2 Conversions 1
Gareth Anscombe 48'	Baden Kerr 78'
Gareth Anscombe 64'
3 Penalties 3
Gareth Anscombe 20'	Chris Noakes 15'
Gareth Anscombe 27'	Chris Noakes 39'
Gareth Anscombe 37'	Chris Noakes 53'

Despite the lack of tries, there was no lack of intensity or action in the opening 40 minutes.

The Chiefs were reduced to 14 men 10 minutes after kick-off after centre Bundee Aki was yellow-carded for a careless tackle on Blues opposite Rene Ranger.

The Aucklanders couldn't capitalise, but the Chiefs came close when fullback Gareth Anscombe's touch down was disallowed after Chiefs lock Michael Fitzgerald was ruled offside in forcing the turnover at an earlier breakdown.

Winger Lelia Masaga's electrifying acceleration and pace also created plenty of opportunities, with a golden chance going begging when he sliced through the scrambling Blues defence only to spill the ball in the final tackle.

Replacement prop Tameifuna, on for an injured Ben Afeaki late in the first half, finally broke the tryless deadlock six minutes into the second spell, crashing over from close range to give the Chiefs a 16-6 lead.

Kahui continued his return from injury, earning his first start of the season, and efficiently organising the Chiefs' potent backline. He was rewarded with a try in the 63rd minute after charging down Francis Saili's clearing kick inside his own 22.

Starved of possession for much of the second half, the Blues finally breached the unrelenting Chiefs defence for their first try of the match when winger George Moala dotted down after 78 minutes.

Baden Kerr's successful conversion gave them a hard-earned bonus point.

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Reds end Highlanders hoodoo

Showing the way ... Will Genia tries to fend off Ma'a Nonu in Dunedin. Source: Ross Setford / AAP

Queensland Reds finally busted their Dunedin hoodoo with a nerve-wracking 34-33 Super Rugby win over the Highlanders on Friday night.

It wasn't convincing, as they almost blew a 15-point second-half lead, but the Reds celebrated mentor Ewen McKenzie's record 121st coaching appearance with a history-making triumph at Forsyth Barr Stadium.

3 Tries 4
Elliot Dixon 19'	James Hanson 6'
Hosea Gear 61'	Liam Gill 25'
Ma'a Nonu 68'	Jake Schatz 30'
	Will Genia 55'
3 Conversions 4
Colin Slade 20'	Quade Cooper 7'
Lima Sopoaga 62'	Quade Cooper 27'
Lima Sopoaga 68'	Quade Cooper 31'
	Quade Cooper 55'
4 Penalties 2
Colin Slade 10'	Quade Cooper 46'
Colin Slade 16'	Quade Cooper 71'
Colin Slade 40'
Lima Sopoaga 74'

Halfback Will Genia was again a stand-out as Queensland raced to a 31-16 advantage when he crossed in the 54th minute from a perfectly-worked 5m scrum play.

		W	L	D	PD	BP	Pts
1	Brumbies	4	1	0	70	3	23
2	Reds	5	2	0	5	2	22
3	Waratahs	2	3	0	-30	1	13
4	Western Force	1	4	0	-31	1	9
5	Melbourne Rebels	1	4	0	-82	1	9
1	Chiefs	4	1	0	77	5	21
2	Crusaders	2	2	0	37	4	16
3	Blues	2	2	0	23	4	16
4	Hurricanes	2	2	0	-15	1	13
5	Highlanders	0	5	0	-48	2	6
1	Sharks	4	1	0	60	1	21
2	Bulls	3	2	0	-2	2	14
3	Stormers	2	2	0	1	2	14
4	Cheetahs	3	2	0	-22	1	13
5	Southern Kings	1	3	0	-43	0	8

It was the Reds' fourth try to give them their first attacking bonus point for the season.

The desperate and winless Highlanders stormed back through tries to All Blacks Hosea Gear and Ma'a Nonu as the visitors missed in-form flanker Liam Gill at the breakdown.

Queensland, in the end, had their slices of luck at the death as a long-range Quade Cooper penalty goal gave them a four-point buffer before Lima Sopoaga closed to a point with seven tense minutes to play.

Scrambling defence and a couple of home side handling errors were the late ingredients for their first Super win in New Zealand's deep south and a 5-2 record heading into next weekend's bye.

Returning from a knee injury, Gill was replaced at halftime after he played an influential role at the breakdown for the Reds to take a 21-16 lead into the break following an entertaining first half.

The ball was in play and went from end to end in the first three minutes in a sign both sides wanted to attack in a free-flowing encounter.

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Re-live the action and check out all the key stats with our Match Centre.

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Five-eighth Cooper was at his mercurial best and took just five minutes before setting up a bizarre opening try to hooker James Hanson, fending off No.8 Elliot Dixon and then off-loading only to see Dixon bat down the pass into Hanson's path.

With the Reds pushing the boundaries at the breakdown, the Highlanders quickly hit back with two penalty goals before a quick tap by scheming halfback Aaron Smith put Dixon over for a 13-7 lead.

As well as Gill, winger Dom Shipperley made an impressive returns from injury in Digby Ioane's absence and made key breaks to put Queensland in position for a driving maul try to Gill and fellow back-rower Jake Schatz.

They also bombed two certain tries, and Cooper hit the post with an easy penalty attempt while Highlanders skipper Andrew Hore was sin-binned, but they atoned when Genia put busy No.8 Jake Schatz over under the posts for a 21-13 lead after 30 minutes.

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Fairytale Wanderers secure Plate

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Party time ... Wanderers striker Mark Bridge helps his team to the Premiers' Plate. Source: Dean Lewins / AAP

Western Sydney claimed the A-League's Premiers' Plate in empathetic style with a 3-0 win over Newcastle on Friday to continue their fairytale maiden season and put the final nail in the the Jets' coffin.

The Wanderers' triumph makes them the first expansion club in Australian football history to win a trophy in their debut season.

The Jets meanwhile, who needed a win to keep alive their finals hopes, finish the season in eighth place.

Having let the minor premiership slip last week after a 1-1 draw with Sydney FC, the Wanderers weren't about to do it again with a Mark Bridge brace in the opening half and a late Rocky Visconte missile sealing the win in front of a massive travelling contingent of close to 10,000 Wanderers fans at Hunter Stadium.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Western Sydney	27	18	3	6	20	57
2	Central Coast	26	15	6	5	25	51
3	Victory	26	12	5	9	2	41
4	Adelaide	26	12	4	10	1	40
5	Brisbane	27	10	5	12	4	35
6	Sydney	27	9	5	13	-10	32
7	Perth	26	9	4	13	-2	31
8	Newcastle	27	8	7	12	-15	31
9	Heart	26	8	3	15	-8	27
10	Wellington	26	7	6	13	-17	27

The Wanderers will be presented with the Plate in front of a home crowd in their next match - the first semi-final on April 12 at Parramatta Stadium.

Many doubted the heavily depleted side would be up to the task of taking on a fiercely desperate Jets outfit needing victory.

They were missing injured players Shinji Ono (groin) and Aaron Mooy (knee) in midfield and defenders Adam D'Apuzzo (foot) and Jerome Polenz (quad), while versatile Iacopo La Rocca is banned for the rest of the season for his elbow on Sydney's Terry Antonis in last week's derby.

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Re-live all the action from the Wanderers' big win over the Jets at our A-League Match Centre, with video of all the goals and key statistics.

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But the Wanderers were boosted by the return of skipper Michael Beauchamp and crafty midfielder Youssouf Hersi back from suspension.

It took just six minutes for the Wanderers to signal their intent, and ironically it was three ex-Jets players combining to score the first goal in front of a 22,578-strong crowd.

Tarek Elrich played the long ball with Labinot Haliti sending it across the face of goal for the waiting Bridge who made no mistake with the finish.

Bridge struck again in the 33rd minute, getting on the end of a Dino Kresinger header to get the best of Jets defender Connor Chapman and put the visitors 2-0 up before half-time.

Visconte put the game beyond doubt in the 80th minute scoring his first goal of the season with a 20-metre screamer.

The Jets, who gained marquee man Emile Heskey from a three-week injury layoff, just couldn't make any real inroads into Wanderers territory to be a genuine threat, with the visitors too quick on the counter-attack and too strong in defence.

They had promising strikes from Marko Jesic and skipper Ruben Zadkovich in the first half, while James Virgili and young gun Adam Taggart attempted shots in the second, but Wanderers 'keeper Ante Covic was otherwise untroubled.

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Former NRL star Wicks out of jail

Free man ... Former NRL star Danny Wicks is out of prison after 18 months. Source: News Limited

Catching up with family and friends and getting a job are the priorities of former NRL star Danny Wicks who was released from jail this morning.

Wicks played 69 NRL games before he was arrested and charged with eight drug related offences, including six counts of supplying a prohibited drug and two counts of possessing a prohibited drug.

Now 20 kilograms lighter than the heavyweight enforcer he was for the Knights and the Dragons, Wicks said he hadn't even considered whether he would play footy again.

"I'm fitter now than I've ever been because I trained hard every day while inside. It kept me focused and helped me get through the days," Wicks said.

"But I'm certainly not about to put up my hand and say I want to play again. There are so many more important things awaiting me like catching up with my family and friends, getting a job and kick-starting my life."

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Podcast: There's always next week

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Kurtley Beale ... has made headlines this week for the wrong reasons. Source: Mark Dadswell / AAP

In his weekly podcast, broadcasting legend and rugby league fanatic Mike Gibson discusses rugby league's biggest issues with Matt Russell and Jeremy Hartcher.

This week they delve into the off-field problems at Melbourne Rebels, with Gibbo imploring the Australian Rugby Union to take a leaf out of Canterbury-Bankstown's playbook in the way they've dealt with Ben Barba.

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Check out an excerpt of the podcast in the video at the top of the page, or download the full podcast from iTunes here.

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Sharpe: Foley influence can hurt Tahs

Proven ... History suggests the Force are capable of springing an upset in Sydney. Source: AAP

Michael Foley's knowledge of NSW Waratahs' players is a massive advantage for Western Force, Nathan Sharpe writes as he looks ahead to Sunday's clash at Allianz Stadium.

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It was disappointing to see the Force miss out on a really good chance to stick back-to-back wins together last week, but full credit to the Cheetahs.

The big thing for the Force is becoming a consistent rugby team, that's been a big problem over the past few seasons. And a lot of that has got to consistency in preparation and preparation in the mental capacity as well.

You can't always rely on a build-up where your backs are against the wall. So I think that's a real challenge for the Force and something they're working on at the moment.

I can see a lot of similarities in this weekend's match-up in last year's corresponding fixture where I came across with the Force to Sydney and we got the win.

I think that we probably had a bit of an emotional job to do there, as we hadn't played well for a little while and we wanted to win a game that many people didn't expect us to win. We had something to prove to ourselves as well, which I'm sure will be the case with the Force boys this week.

A lot has been made of Michael Foley's role in this match as he returns to Sydney for the first time since crossing the Nullabor.

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There's no doubting the Waratahs' style has changed under Michael Cheika and they're coming off what was by far their best performance of the season against an impressive Blues team. But the Waratahs are still using a lot of the same players as last year, so there's not so much of the "unknown" in this match.

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Watch the Waratahs v Force from 4pm (EDT) Sunday, Live and in HD on Fox Sports 1HD!

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Foley will have had his ideas about how to combat those players and he will have coached the guys about that this week. He'll have an intimate understanding into how a lot of those Waratahs guys go about their rugby and he's a very analytical coach who understands players' mentalities and I think that'll be a really significant advantage for the Force in that regard.

I'm sure they will have analysed the guys they're playing – as they would with every game – but having that inside understanding of what works best against Foley's former players is a pretty handy thing to have.

That will also ensure the breakdown will be hotly-contested up front, which is what we seem to get in the majority of Australian derbies.

The Rebels-Force match first-up was the obvious exception, but you've only got to go back a couple of weeks to when the Force faced the Reds to get a good idea of what's coming on Sunday.

The Waratahs will be confident after last week and then you've got the Force who we're on a really big high after their win over the Reds, but are now feeling pretty flat following that loss to the Cheetahs.

So I think it's going to be very much a battle of who can use their emotional state to get into the best frame of mind to play. Whoever harnesses that the best will get the result.

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Update: AFL round one teams

Season kick-off part two ... Richmond and Carlton on Thursday night. Source: Nicole Garmston / News Limited

Hot off the press, here are the full teams for the remaining matches in round one of the 2013 AFL season.

	3:15 PM Melbourne Cricket Ground
All times are listed in EDT

Carlton v Richmond, MCG, Thursday 7.45pm (EDT)

Carlton
B: Chris Yarran, Michael Jamison, Lachie Henderson
HB: Zach Tuohy, Nick Duigan, Bryce Gibbs
C: Kade Simpson, Andrew Carrazzo, Mitch Robinson
HF: Chris Judd, Andrew Walker, Jeff Garlett
F: Eddie Betts, Levi Casboult, Shaun Hampson
Fol: Matthew Kreuzer, Marc Murphy, Brock McLean
I/C: Kane Lucas, Josh Bootsma, Aaron Joseph, Dennis Armfield
Emg: Jeremy Laidler, Tom Bell, Sam Rowe

Richmond
B: Steven Morris, Alex Rance, Troy Chaplin
HB: Jake Batchelor, Chris Newman, Bachar Houli
C: Shaun Grigg, Trent Cotchin, Reece Conca
HF: Brett Deledio, Shane Edwards, Daniel Jackson
F: Luke McGuane, Jack Riewoldt, Robin Nahas
Fol: Ivan Maric, Dustin Martin, Shane Tuck
I/C: Jake King, Brandon Ellis, Ben Griffiths, Ty Vickery
Emg: Matt White, Chris Knights, Nick Vlastuin

Western Bulldogs v Brisbane, Etihad Stadium, Saturday 1.40pm (EDT)

Western Bulldogs

B: Dale Morris, Jordan Roughead, Liam Picken
HB: Jason Johannisen, Tom Young, Brett Goodes
C: Adam Cooney, Nick Lower, Koby Steven
HF: Tory Dickson, Liam Jones, Daniel Giansiracusa
F: Rob Murphy, Ayce Cordy, Luke Dahlhaus
Foll: Will Minson, Ryan Griffen, Tom Liberatore
I/C: Mitch Wallis, Daniel Cross, Shaun Higgins, Clay Smith 
Emg: Jason Tutt, Lukas Markovic, Tom Campbell

Brisbane

B: Elliot Yeo, Daniel Merrett, Joel Patfull
HB: Jed Adcock, Matt Maguire, Pearce Hanley
C: Patrick Karnezis, Tom Rockliff, Mitch Golby
HF Dayne Zorko, Stefan Martin, Josh Green
F: Rohan Bewick, Jonathan Brown, Ashley McGrath
Foll: Billy Longer, Daniel Rich, Brent Moloney 
I/C: Claye Beams, Jack Redden, James Polkinghorne, Aaron Cornelius 
Emg: Sam Docherty, Andrew Raines, Ryan Lester

Greater Western Sydney v Sydney, ANZ Stadium, Saturday 4.40pm (EDT)

Greater Western Sydney

B: Adam Kennedy, Tim Mohr, Stephen Gilham
HB: Tomas Bugg, Phil Davis, Curtly Hampton
C: Will Hoskin-Elliott, Callan Ward, Lachie Whitfield
HF: Stephen Coniglio, Jeremy Cameron, Tom Scully
F: Liam Sumner, Jonathon Patton, Devon Smith
Foll: Jonathan Giles, Adam Treloar, Toby Greene
I/C: Taylor Adams, Dean Brogan, Lachie Plowman, Dylan Shiel
Emg: Sam Frost, Rhys Palmer, Nathan Wilson

Sydney

B: Rhyce Shaw, Heath Grundy, Nick Smith
HB: Martin Mattner, Ted Richards, Nick Malceski
C: Ben McGlynn, Daniel Hannebery, Lewis Jetta
HF: Kieren Jack, Sam Reid, Ryan O'Keefe
F: Mike Pyke, Adam Goodes, Jude Bolton
Foll: Shane Mumford, Josh Kennedy, Jarrad McVeigh
I/C: Tony Armstrong, Luke Parker, Dane Rampe, Lewis Roberts-Thomson
Emg: Andrejs Everitt, Jed Lamb, Jesse White

Gold Coast v St Kilda, Metricon Stadium, Saturday 6.45pm (EDT)

Gold Coast

B: Joel Wilkinson, Matthew Warnock, Tom Murphy
HB: Dion Prestia, Rory Thompson, Greg Broughton
C: Matt Shaw, Gary Ablett, Jarrod Harbrow
HF: Harley Bennell, Charlie Dixon, Brandon Matera
F: Luke Russell, Sam Day, Steven May
Foll: Zac Smith, Karmichael Hunt, David Swallow
I/C: Aaron Hall, Jaeger O'Meara, Jared Brennan, Michael Rischitelli
Emg: Maverick Weller, Jack Hutchins, Kyal Horsley

St Kilda

B: Jason Blake, James Gwilt, Dylan Roberton
HB: Jarryn Geary, Tom Simpkin, Sam Gilbert
C: Jack Newnes, Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo
HF: Arryn Siposs, Nick Riewoldt, Terry Milera
F: Stephen Milne, Beau Maister, Rhys Stanley
Foll: Ben McEvoy, David Armitage, Jack Steven
I/C: Ahmed Saad, Tom Hickey, Clinton Jones, Farren Ray
Emg: Nathan Wright, Trent Dennis-Lane, Tom Lee

Melbourne v Port Adelaide, MCG, Sunday 1.10pm (EDT)

Melbourne

B: Lynden Dunn, Tom Gillies, Daniel Nicholson
HB: Jack Watts, James Frawley, Colin Garland
C: Jack Viney, Jack Grimes, Jimmy Toumpas
HF: Jeremy Howe, James Sellar, Colin Sylvia
F: Shannon Byrnes, Mitch Clark, David Rodan
Foll: Mark Jamar, Jordie McKenzie, Nathan Jones 
I/C (from): Sam Blease, Cameron Pederson, Luke Tapscott, Aaron Davey, Dean Terlich, Jake Spencer, Matt Jones

Port Adelaide

B: Tom Jonas, Jackson Trengove, Campbell Heath
HB: Jasper Pittard, Cameron O'Shea, Lewis Stevenson
C: Matthew Broadbent, Brad Ebert, Kane Cornes
HF: Justin Westhoff, Paul Stewart, Angus Monfries
F: Chad Wingard, Jay Schulz, Jake Neade
F: Jarrad Redden, Hamish Hartlett, Travis Boak
I/C (from): Matthew Lobbe, Oliver Wines, Andrew Moore, Kane Mitchell, Aaron Young, Daniel Stewart, Jack Hombsch

North Melbourne v Collingwood, Etihad Stadium, Sunday 4.40pm (EDT)

North Melbourne

B: Shaun Atley, Scott Thompson, Michael Firrito
HB: Jamie Macmillan, Nathan Grima, Ben Jacobs
C: Aaron Mullett, Ryan Bastinac, Kieran Harper
HF: Ben Cunnington, Robbie Tarrant, Daniel Wells
F: Lindsay Thomas, Drew Petrie, Lachlan Hansen
Foll: Todd Goldstein, Andrew Swallow, Jack Ziebell
I/C (from): Liam Anthony, Leigh Adams, Sam Wright, Taylor Hine, Will Sierakowski, Majak Daw, Sam Gibson 

Collingwood

B: Nathan Brown, Nick Maxwell, Ben Reid
HB: Alan Toovey, Heath Shaw, Harry O'Brien
C: Steele Sidebottom, Dane Swan, Jarryd Blair
HF: Jamie Elliott, Travis Cloke, Quinten Lynch
F: Ben Sinclair, Tyson Goldsack, Brent Macaffer
Foll: Darren Jolly, Scott Pendlebury, Dayne Beams
I/C (from): Martin Clarke, Sam Dwyer, Jack Frost, Ben Johnson, Jordan Russell, Paul Seedsman, Josh Thomas 

Hawthorn v Geelong, MCG, Monday 3.20pm (EDT)

Hawthorn

B: Josh Gibson, Brian Lake, Brent Guerra
HB: Grant Birchall, Ben Stratton, Shaun Burgoyne
C: Isaac Smith, Sam Mitchell, Bradley Hill
HF: Cyril Rioli, Lance Franklin, Luke Breust
F: Jack Gunston, Jarryd Roughead, Paul Puopolo
Foll: David Hale, Brad Sewell, Jordan Lewis
I/C (from): Jed Anderson, Shane Savage, Luke Shiels, Max Bailey, Ryan Schoenmakers, Kyle Cheney, Jonathan Simpkin

Geelong

B: Jared Rivers, Tom Lonergan, Corey Enright
HB: Taylor Hunt, Harry Taylor, Travis Varcoe
C: Andrew Mackie, Paul Chapman, Joel Corey
HF: Jordan Murdoch, Shannon Motlop, Billie Smedts
F: James Podsiadly, Tom Hawkins, Mitch Duncan
Foll: Mark Blicavs, Joel Selwood, Jimmy Bartel
I/C (from): Trent West, Josh Caddy, Mathew Stokes, Allen Christensen, George Horlin-Smith, Josh Walker, Jake Stringer

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'Toomua, Lealiifano up for Lions'

Up to the task ... Larkham backs the Brumbies pairing for the Wallabies. Source: News Limited

Australia's greatest modern flyhalf Stephen Larkham believes both Matt Toomua and Christian Lealiifano would be up for making their Wallabies Test debut against the British and Irish Lions in June.

Granted Larkham is their backs coach at the Brumbies, but the 1999 World Cup-winning playmaker knows what it takes to compete at international level with 102 caps in the green and gold - including two against the Lions in the Wallabies' 2001 series win.

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The door for the flyhalf role is ajar with wayward incumbent Kurtley Beale sent home from the Rebels tour of South Africa, an injured Berrick Barnes out for up to five weeks, Quade Cooper trying to work himself back into form and James O'Connor having played the majority of his rugby this year at fullback.

Larkham said the combination between Toomua - who played for the Wallabies in a tour match against the Cardiff Blues in 2009 - and Lealiifano had been a perfect fit for the competition-leading Brumbies this year.

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Lealiifano largely now plays at No.12 while Toomua has been a standout at flyhalf for the Brumbies, though both are capable of slotting into the other's role.

"They both bring different attributes to the game ... and if the Wallabies want to take some of our game into the Lions tour, then they would be the best candidates," Larkham said.

While Wallabies coach Robbie Deans has expressed reluctance to blood debutants against the Lions, Larkham assured that both players would be up to the task.

"They are part of the leadership group and they know how to run the team around," he said.

"I'm sure they would be able to step up provided they had some familiar faces around on the field."

Toomua was more reserved about the prospect on Wednesday, saying there was no reason to get carried away after five weeks of Super Rugby and almost three months out from the first Lions Test.

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The 23-year-old missed much of last season with a knee injury while he struggled to get consistent starting time in 2011 at the Brumbies.

"I'm lying if I say I don't want to play for the Wallabies," he said.

"But I played three (Super Rugby) games last year and not many the year before and, for me personally, it's just about getting back-to-back games and trying to develop as a player."

Another Brumby banging on the door for Wallabies selection is fullback Jesse Mogg, who is equal first on the Super Rugby tryscorers board with four.

Larkham, who started his career at fullback, said Mogg had matured over the past 12 months into a player capable of Test rugby.

"There's been lots of talk about Moggie, whether he's consistent enough to play for the Wallabies," he said.

"I'd like to think so. He's had four outstanding games for us this year.

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Fa'aoso charge downgraded

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Escape ... Richie Fa'aoso will miss just one week for his hit on Ash Harrison. Source: COLIN WHELAN / AAP

Manly forward Richie Fa'aoso has been successful in his bid to downgrade his grade three dangerous contact challenge at the NRL judiciary on Wednesday.

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Fa'aoso was facing a three-game suspension for his shoulder charge on Gold Coast back-rower Ashley Harrison on Sunday, but will now only miss one game after his charge was reduced to a grade two by the panel of Michael Vella, Sean Garlick and Don McKinnon and he'll sit out Thursday's clash with the Wests Tigers.

The former Melbourne and Newcastle man's defence counsel, Nicholas Ghabar, conceded that the hit on Harrison was illegal but said it was comparable to an incident involving Billy Slater in round two.

Storm star Slater was slugged with a grade one charge when he raced crossfield and used his shoulder to knock over North Queensland winger Antonio Winterstein in the lead up to a try for the Cowboys.

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Ghabar said his client's was similar, and the contact to Harrison that knocked him unconscious was not a direct result of shoulder contact, but because of a clash of heads between the two players after Fa'aoso made the challenge.

NRL prosecutor Peter Kite argued that Fa'aoso made a deliberate choice to make the illegal action and by doing so created the possibility of a head clash.

"It was dangerous, reckless and intentional, all of which make up a dangerous contact charge," Kite said.

"It was in the mid to upper end of grading."

Kite also claimed the incident was not comparable to Slater's as the fullback was coming across the field to chase down an opponent and Fa'aoso raced out of the line and had time to pull out of the challenge.

The three-man panel took 20 minutes to reach their decision.

Earlier, Manly coach Geoff Toovey implored the judiciary not to make an example of his prop.

"I hope they don't make an example because there is no example to be made,'' Toovey said.

"He's come in contact with Ashley Harrison's head accidentally and he's been punished for it but we just believe that it's probably a bit too severe.

''... We think that Richie's been particularly hard done by with the grading, so we think it's way too high and we've got a good case, we believe.''

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I can still play with Beale: Delve

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Gareth Delve ... says he can still play alongside Beale despite the punch. Source: David Crosling / AAP

Melbourne Rebels skipper Gareth Delve says he would have no trouble playing alongside wayward Wallaby Kurtley Beale despite being punched by his teammate while on tour.

Beale's future at the Super Rugby franchise is in doubt after he and Test winger Cooper Vuna were sent home from South Africa in disgrace.

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Vuna stuck up for Delve before also trading blows with Beale, and then tweeted about the late-night incident in another breach of team protocol.

It followed the worst loss in the side's history - a 64-7 shellacking by the Sharks in Durban.

Investigations are continuing, both at a club and Australian Rugby Union level, however Welshman Delve said he could still play with Beale.

"I'm a professional rugby player. For the most part, my relationship with Kurtley has been excellent," Delve said.

"It's not something I can't get past.''

Beale and Vuna apologised for their antics before starting their trip back to Australia.

The Rebels are attempting to put the crisis behind them as they prepare to face the in-form Cheetahs in Bloemfontein this weekend.

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The Cheetahs are returning from their most successful Australasian tour after victories over the NSW Waratahs, Highlanders and Western Force.

Delve said the players would be out to try to repair some of the damage from both the crashing defeat and the brawl.

He said they needed to make it up to the coaching staff and Melbourne fans.

"We've got a great opportunity to come out this week to turn things around and to put things right," Delve said.

"We owe everyone a big performance this week."

Coach Damien Hill is set to ring the changes following the Durban game, where the Rebels finished with the sorry tally of 19 turnovers and 31 missed tackles.

Richard Kingi is set to start on the wing in place of Vuna while prop Paul Alo-Emile will start ahead of Laurie Weeks.

Rookie flanker Jordy Reid will also get his first start replacing Scott Fuglistaller.

Wallabies back-rower Scott Higginbotham has been cleared of any shoulder damage while centre Mitch Inman is on the mend after a stomach bug.

Hill said the players were aware of the importance of the game.

"Everyone was embarrassed and angry post-game but they've had a good look at themselves and, as a result, the team's even more focused.

"I've been pleased with the way they've stuck together."

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Teams: Barba, Pritchard return

He's back ... Ben Barba is named to make his return for the Bulldogs. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

After just two games with his new club, star Sydney Roosters NRL recruit Luke O'Donnell was stood down on Tuesday following a series of minor breaches of club discipline.

O'Donnell will miss the Roosters round-four match against Parramatta on Monday night after a number of indiscretions including being late to training.

Luke Kelly (hamstring) and Ken Sio (ankle) return for the Eels.

O'Donnell joined the tricolours from Huddersfield for the 2013 season and has showed good form in the two wins over the Warriors and Brisbane.

Roosters chief operating officer of football, Brian Canavan, said the club had investigated allegations of a Kings Cross incident involving the former representative backrower but "there was nothing in it".

"It was more a matter that he was late to training and, as a seasoned player, the punishment was more heavyhanded than it might have been for a younger player," Canavan said.

"It was about drawing a line in the sand."

While O'Donnell is the major out of round four of the NRL, Brisbane's Justin Hodges and Canterbury-Bankstown pair Ben Barba and Frank Pritchard are the big ins.

Hodges returns to a Broncos side struggling for points against unbeaten Melbourne on Friday, while Barba and Pritchard reinforce the 2013 grand finalists who face South Sydney on Friday at ANZ Stadium.

Roy Asotasi returns to an extended seven-man bench for the undefeated Rabbitohs after being dumped for poor form from their high-scoring win over Penrith.

"The message is pretty simple. If you're performing well, you'll keep your spot. That's what we base all our selections on," Souths captain Michael Crocker said.

"We're really fortunate we've got good depth and we've got people pushing for positions."

Newcastle welcome back interchange centre Timana Tahu for the first time this season for Sunday's match against Canberra at Hunter Stadium.

Danny Buderus will make his starting debut after coming off the bench in the Knights' round-three thrashing of North Queensland.

Robbie Rochow will slot into the second row for the Knights to cover for the injured Beau Scott, who is sidelined with a groin injury. Chris Houston remains captain with Kurt Gidley still recovering from a calf injury.

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Manly utility Jesse Sene-Lefao has come onto the bench for the suspended Richard Fa'aoso for Thursday's game against Wests Tigers in Gosford. Fa'aoso will front the NRL judiciary on Wednesday night in an attempt to have his four-match ban for dangerous contact reduced to one.

Centre Ben Pomeroy returns from suspension for Cronulla to face St George Illawarra at Sharks Stadium on Saturday, while hooker Isaac De Gois is on a five-man bench.

Under-siege Dragons coach Steve Price has named an unchanged 17.

Gold Coast are hopeful of playing the same 17-man squad for the fourth week in a row against Penrith on Sunday with lock Ashley Harrison (concussion) looking to recover from his head clash and centre Brad Takairangi from a hamstring complaint.

The Cowboys have named an unchanged team for the clash against the Warriors in Auckland on Easter Monday.

The embattled Warriors, who have lost 11 successive games going back to last season, welcome back prop Sam Rapira and winger Glen Fisiiahi.

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We can be No.1 in two years: Arthur

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Turning point ... Mickey Arthur believes Australia will be No.1 again. Source: Phil Hillyard / News Limited

Coach Mickey Arthur insists he is the right man to lead the team forward, claiming his recent hardline approach in India will help Australia's bid to reclaim cricket's No.1 Test ranking within two years.

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Arthur described the 4-0 series whitewash in India as the toughest tour he's encountered in his coaching career.

But the South African had no regrets about suspending vice-captain Shane Watson, Mitchell Johnson, Usman Khawaja and James Pattinson for their failure to complete a simple homework assignment.

The axing of the quartet for the third Test in Mohali divided opinions, with former Test stars Allan Border and Mark Waugh slamming the move.

Arthur denied there were any worrying cultural problems in the side, but admitted standards had started to slip ever so slightly following the retirements of Ricky Ponting and Mike Hussey last summer.

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The 44-year-old said the suspensions had an immediate effect on the whole squad, with one player even dropping 10mm off his skinfolds over the next fortnight.

"If we had our time again, we would do exactly the same thing," Arthur said of the punishments.

"It was a line-in-the-sand moment and it's galvanised the team.

"We could have gone and just carried on and we would have been third in the world comfortably.

"But we don't accept that.

"We want to get ourselves to No.1 in the world and give ourselves the best possible opportunity to do that.

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"We've put some stuff in place that we think can get that team there over the next 24 months."

Arthur also scoffed at rumours that skipper Michael Clarke and Watson didn't get along.

"They are different personalities, different characters, but get on really well," Arthur said.

"Sometimes, it's a bit of a media beat-up around Watto and Pup.

"They work very well together. I haven't seen anything to dispel that."

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Arthur is contracted through to the end of the 2015 World Cup, and said he had the full backing of the Cricket Australia board despite the disastrous tour of India.

But his biggest test is yet to come, with back-to-back Ashes series sure to test Australia's development under Arthur.

"I'm under no illusions. We need to deliver and we need to deliver in the next year to really have said we've made a proper go at this job," Arthur said.

"It's actually the best time to be a coach in these tough times when you've got a young team.

"Because if you believe in those players, you'll see those players develop in front of you.

"That's going to be really rewarding for us.

"We are firmly on track for the Ashes - there's no doubt about that.

"I was always really worried about the conditions in India, especially with a group of young players.

"With the Ashes, the conditions are a lot closer to what we're comfortable with.

"Our pace bowlers will be a real factor in England, and that's a real strength of ours."

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Live blog: Socceroos v Oman

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Ready and willing ... the Socceroos are focused on Tuesday night. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

The Socceroos' clash against Oman in Sydney on Tuesday night is the key encounter in Australia's path to Brazil in 2014.

Holger Osieck's side are stuck in a battle with Iraq, Oman and Jordan for the second spot behind Japan in Group B, but a win in Sydney will set the platform for the side to control its own destiny over the final three qualifiers in June. 

Fox Sports will have all the angles covered on Tuesday night as Live coverage begins at 6.30pm (EDT) on Fox Sports 1 HD, but if you want to have your say, enjoy a two-screen experience by following our live and interactive blog of the action.

Foxsports.com.au football editor David Weiner will be at ANZ Stadium to bring you live coverage of the clash.

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Roar stay alive, end Heart hopes

Stunner ... Thomas Broich is mobbed by his teammates after scoring. Source: DAVE HUNT / AAP

Finals footy remains in sight for the Brisbane Roar but the Melbourne Heart's top six hopes have flat-lined after going down 2-0 to the defending A-League champions at Suncorp Stadium on Sunday.

The Heart had to win in Brisbane to stay alive in the tight finals race but it was the Roar who looked like a side desperate for a result in front of 9,869 fans.

A spirited Roar (32 points) jumped from eighth to fifth spot on the congested A-League ladder with one regular season round left while the Heart (27pts) bowed out of the top six hunt with a whimper.

		P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
1	Western Sydney	26	17	3	6	17	54
2	Central Coast	25	14	6	5	23	48
3	Victory	26	12	5	9	2	41
4	Adelaide	25	12	4	9	3	40
5	Brisbane	26	9	5	12	2	32
6	Sydney	26	9	5	12	-8	32
7	Perth	26	9	4	13	-2	31
8	Newcastle	26	8	7	11	-12	31
9	Heart	26	8	3	15	-8	27
10	Wellington	26	7	6	13	-17	27

It added to the Heart's sorry reputation as A-League road kill.

Remarkably they have not won outside Melbourne since December 2011.

They arrived at Suncorp Stadium on a three-game losing run and were without four key players including injured Brazilian playmaker Fred.

Yet Heart coach John Aloisi was hopeful of launching an unlikely finals tilt in Brisbane thanks to their five-game unbeaten run against the Roar including 4-1 and 3-2 victories this season - albeit at AAMI Park.

But there was no denying the Roar, who drew first blood when Besart Berisha found the back of the net from the penalty spot in the 12th minute after Samuel Mitchinson's clumsy challenge on Brisbane defender Ivan Franjic.

Mitch Nichols was a constant threat but it was Roar captain Thomas Broich who doubled the lead with a 25m wonder strike in the 31st minute.

Midfielder Steven Lustica also had his chances but the Roar's best scoring opportunity of the second half came through Stef Nijland who was denied by the goal-post after defying outstretched Heart 'keeper Andrew Redmayne in the 76th minute.

Despite being without key defender Jade North, who was selected for the World Cup qualifier against Oman in Sydney on Tuesday, the Roar put up a brick wall against the Heart.

Roar 'keeper Michael Theo pulled off his sole save of the match in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

The Roar will learn their finals fate after they host fellow top six hopeful Sydney FC on Thursday night.

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Bulls in need of Shield miracle

Miracle ... Peter Forrest was one of the few Queensland batsmen to succeed. Source: Luke Bowden / News Limited

Queensland will need a miracle if they're to have any chance of defending their Sheffield Shield title after crashing to 7-185 at stumps on day three of the final at Bellerive.

SHEF - Blundstone Arena

22 March 2013 - Day 3, Session 3

Queensland 1st Innings

J. Hopes	23	56	0	0	41.07
N. Hauritz	0	1	0	0	0
E. Gulbis	15.4	4	39	3	2.49

The Bulls were still 234 behind the home side's first innings of 419 as their batsmen misfired on a rain-disrupted day.

Only Peter Forrest (56) and wicketkeeper Chris Hartley (36) looked like building substantial innings, but a slow Bellerive pitch meant they struggled to gather any of the momentum their side needed.

Skipper James Hopes (23no) and Nathan Hauritz (0no) will resume in what looks increasingly like a lost cause, with only a win being enough for the Bulls.

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Tasmania's attack stayed patient, dead-pitch specialist Evan Gulbis bagging 3-39, while a disastrous runout late on Sunday added to the visitors' woes.

More than two hours were lost because of rain, despite bright sunshine for most of that time.

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Players left the ground at 11.50am (AEDT) as a short but heavy shower hit Bellerive after only 14.1 overs had been bowled in the morning session.

But an apparent delay in covering the pitch meant it became wet and umpires weren't satisfied the ground was safe until 2.25pm.

"You could see the weather coming in for a couple of overs before that,'' Forrest said.

"A few of the boys said the world was going to end out there, it looked that dark and we were still trying to play cricket in it.

"I think the umpires probably should have had us off a bit earlier than that.''

It wasn't the only setback for Queensland after Joe Burns (6) was dismissed controversially.

The rising star was out to a superb low-diving effort from Tigers keeper Tim Paine, but commentators questioned whether the ball had carried and replays were inconclusive.

"If he has a look and it does show that it's bounced I'm sure that he'll obviously apologise,'' Forrest said.

"I don't think that's the way he plays the game.''

Forrest said the Bulls had not given up on the unlikely victory they need for back-to-back titles.

"I'd like to back our bowlers on that wicket with the ball going up and down to try and bowl them out and hopefully have a run chase on the last day,'' he said.

Burns' loss left the visitors 4-81 after they had resumed at 1-12 and needing to force the pace of the match.

Opener Luke Pomersbach (17) and Forrest had put on 46 before Pomersbach was bowled by Luke Butterworth (1-30), and it was 3-70 when Nathan Reardon (13) prodded at a good length delivery from Gulbis.

Australian one-day representative Forrest took 172 balls for his 56 and the Bulls were left 5-128 when he was trapped in front by Gulbis.

A sluggish attempt at a single by Hartley resulted in him being run out at 6-163 as the lights began to take effect late in the day before Gulbis had Michael Neser caught behind.

The Tigers need only a draw to claim their third title and a first state trophy for champion Ricky Ponting.

Gulbis said the Tigers were chasing victory, despite what the critics said.

"We're trying to win the game just as much as they are,'' he said.

"It makes the last two days a lot longer so it means more can happen when the wicket's probably going to be at its worst.''

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Raiders hoodoo haunts Dragons

Jarrod Croker ... shines for Canberra Raiders v St George Illawarra Dragons at Canberra Stadium. Source: Ray Strange / News Limited

Canberra Raiders have continued their home ground hoodoo with a much needed 30-17 victory over St George Illawarra at Canberra Stadium on Sunday night.

5 Tries 3
Reece Robinson 31'	Brett Morris 17'
Reece Robinson 43'	Daniel Vidot 48'
Jarrod Croker 52'	Nathan Fien 65'
Sandor Earl 60'
Jarrod Croker 77'
5 Conversions 2
Jarrod Croker 32'	Jamie Soward 49'
Jarrod Croker 45'	Jamie Soward 66'
Jarrod Croker 53'
Jarrod Croker 61'
Jarrod Croker 79'
0 Field Goals 1
	Jamie Soward 40'

Brett Morris opened the scoring for the visitors, diving in the corner to catch a cross-field kick from Nathan Fien.

It took half an hour for the Raiders to score and it came from a Blake Ferguson grubber kick which was grounded by Reece Robinson.

Unlike Jamie Soward's attempted conversion, Jarrod Croker has no trouble kicking the goal to hit a two-point lead.

With the siren sounding for half time, Soward potted a field goal from 40 meters out to go into the break trailing by just one point.

The home side got the second half off with a bang, Robinson getting his second following a magical passage of play from Jack Wighton and Jarrod Croker.

Daniel Vidot scored against his old club in the 48th minute to reduce the deficit to just one point but three minutes later Croker crossed and converted his try.

Sandor Earl muscled his way across the line with 20 minutes left on the clock while Crokers goal furthered their lead 24-11.

A huge play from Trent Merrin saw Nathan Fien cross with 15 left on the clock and a Soward conversion made it seven points the difference.

Robinson sealed the Dragons fate, making a spectacular run before passing to Croker who sealed the victory.

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