Roar, Victory in pulsating draw

Equaliser ... Ivan Franjic beats Nathan Coe to score. Source: Peter Wallis / News Limited

Brisbane Roar continued to thwart Melbourne Victory and their former coach Ange Postecoglou with a 1-1 draw in an enthralling A-League encounter at Suncorp Stadium on Saturday night.

While the defending champions were far more welcoming of their old mentor than back in round two, Postecoglou endured a frustrating second return to Brisbane as the Victory failed to end a seven-match winless run against the Roar.

Diminutive midfielder Leigh Broxham scored the first headed goal of his career, and the visitors could well have led 3-0 at halftime, but the home side finished the stronger on a patchy surface.

After a month of rain and a series of rugby union and league matches, the pitch failed to deliver the even surface the Roar are used to at home.

But it did not prevent two quality goals and an entertaining contest in which Brisbane had a 12,624-strong crowd expecting a late winner as Ben Halloran made a huge impact off the bench.

The draw left third-placed Melbourne five points behind second-placed Central Coast on the A-League table while Brisbane are out of the six, but just one point from fifth.

Melbourne had lost in their past four visits to Brisbane, including the 5-0 rout in round two when anti-Postecoglou signs and chants were the order of the day.

Despite an enterprising opening 25 minutes by the home side, Melbourne looked in control and set for the three points at 1-0 approaching the hour mark.

But a superb pass by classy midfielder Luke Brattan put Ivan Franjic in the clear down the right sideline and the winger finished brilliantly by blazing past goalkeeper Nathan Coe.

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Re-live the end-to-end action from Brisbane Roar's draw with Melbourne Victory in our A-League Match Centre, featuring video highlights.

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Counterpart Michael Theo had until then kept the Roar in the match with some desperate reflex saves, stopping close-range efforts by Daniel Mullen and Archie Thompson.

Theo had no way of preventing a stunning opening goal by Broxham, against the run of play in the 11th minute.

Thompson had perfectly timed and weighted a lofted cross in the box for the 169cm Broxham who leapt high onto the back of Franjic, Australian Rules style, and headed over Theo.

The Roar, with captain Thomas Broich taking a far more direct approach on goal, continued to outflank Melbourne for most of the first half but the Victory's defence was up to each foray.

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Lions beat Magpies to reach Cup final

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High flying ... Magpies defender Jack Frost climbs over the pack. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

Brisbane will have to travel for the AFL pre-season final against Carlton, despite the Lions being the only unbeaten team.

Brisbane beat Collingwood by 34 points on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium and will play the Blues next Friday night at the same venue.

0.2.4 (16)	Q1	0.2.3 (15)
0.4.8 (32)	Q2	0.4.7 (31)
0.6.10 (46)	Q3	0.9.12 (66)
0.7.12 (54)	Q4	0.12.16 (88)

Dayne Beams 2	Rohan Bewick 4
Quinten Lynch 2	Aaron Cornelius 3
Tyson Goldsack 1	Jonathan Brown 1
Ben Kennedy 1	Joshua Green 1
Caolan Mooney 1	Pearce Hanley 1
	Stefan Martin 1
	Daniel Rich 1

"Etihad Stadium was chosen as the location for the grand final as the Gabba was not available to the AFL as Brisbane's home ground, due to cricket commitments,'' the league said in a statement.

"The largest possible crowd would be drawn at Etihad Stadium ahead of any potential game at Metricon Stadium (on the Gold Coast).''

Trailing by a point at halftime, the Lions kicked clear at the start of the third and fourth quarters at the same ground and won 12.16 (88) to 7.12 (54).

Brisbane and Collingwood were unbeaten going into this match with the winner guaranteed of going into the final against the Blues.

Midfielder Daniel Rich starred for the Lions with 26 disposals and Rohan Bewick kicked four goals in front of only 12,093 fans.

Dayne Beams was Collingwood's standout with 23 possessions in the midfield.

The Blues' superior percentage meant they secured the other final berth, despite losing to Adelaide on Friday night by three points.

Brisbane welcomed back captain Jonathan Brown, Rich and Daniel Merrett for this match and were much closer to full strength.

The Magpies were missing several key players, including Scott Pendlebury, Dane Swan and Travis Cloke.

Brisbane took control immediately after halftime, kicking three goals in the first seven minutes of the third quarter.

They then kicked the opening two goals of the final term to ensure the win.

In his first game for the year, Brown hit his shoulder hard against a point post late in the third term.

Typical of arguably the game's hardest player, Brown shrugged off the blow as the post wobbled for several seconds.

Brown has suffered several heavy blows to the head, but they have not dented his ferocious playing style.

Collingwood made full use of the unrestricted interchange with 168 rotations - more than double the league's controversial trial cap of 80 per game.

This was one of three Victorian games on Saturday where the AFL abandoned the interchange trial because of the hot conditions and Brisbane had 143 rotations.

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Swans win, Johnson needs knee reco

Adam Goodes ... chases the ball during Sydney Swans v Gold Coast Suns AFL trial. Source: Damian Shaw / News Limited

Sydney defeated Gold Coast by 36 points for the first win of their AFL pre-season campaign on Saturday night, but the result was soured by news young defender Alex Johnson is likely to need a knee reconstruction.

0.1.2 (8)	Q1	0.0.1 (1)
0.7.8 (50)	Q2	0.1.1 (7)
0.9.12 (66)	Q3	0.3.6 (24)
0.11.14 (80)	Q4	0.6.8 (44)

Adam Goodes 2	Harley Bennell 2
Josh P. Kennedy 2	Campbell Brown 2
Nick Malceski 2	Jared Brennan 1
Luke Parker 2	Brandon Matera 1
Jude Bolton 1
Kieren Jack 1
Ben McGlynn 1

The Suns rallied in the final quarter, but six consecutive goals in the second term meant the reigning premiers eased to a 11.14 (80) to 6.8 (44) win at Blacktown Oval in Sydney.

Any positives from the game were overshadowed by Johnson's suspected anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear, with the 21-year-old stretchered off after going to ground in the 12th minute of the opening term.

Johnson, a regular member of the Swans' back six during their successful 2012 campaign, was reeling in pain and unable to get to his feet.

He emerged shortly after halftime in good spirits, limping up a set of stairs and laughing with teammates in the stands, but scans are expected to confirm his season is over.

The Swans can ill-afford to lose Johnson, given fellow rebounding backmen Marty Mattner (hip) and Nick Smith (knee) are yet to return and remain in some doubt for the start of the season proper on March 30.

With the exception of Johnson's injury and a tepid first quarter, in which the hosts kicked the only goal, there were positives aplenty for Sydney.

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Dual Brownlow Medallist Adam Goodes returned from the serious knee injury he suffered in last year's grand final, while Josh Kennedy (22 contested possessions, 12 clearances) and Jarrad McVeigh (35 disposals, eight clearances) were dominant in the engine room.

Goodes moved well and kicked two goals, playing two and a half quarters before he was substituted for Shane Mumford.

Rhyce Shaw (calf), Nick Malceski (calf) and Mumford (ankle) also survived their first games of the year.

Malceski, who snapped the sealer in his side's 10-point grand-final win over Hawthorn last year, kicked two stellar goals in the second term as the Swans seized control of the contest.

Jaeger O'Meara, who was unable to make his AFL debut last year due to the league's age restrictions but has already been nominated as a future captain of the Suns by skipper Gary Ablett, was the standout in a losing side.

Harley Bennell and O'Meara both tallied 24 possessions for Gold Coast, but the visitors struggled to generate meaningful entries into their forward line. 

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Power trump Eagles in Alice Springs

High-Powered ... Chad Wingard led Port Adelaide with three goals in their pre-season win. Source: BEN MACMAHON / AAP

Port Adelaide utility Chad Wingard booted three goals in a six-point victory against West Coast in Saturday night's AFL pre-season cup game in Alice Springs.

0.4.1 (25)	Q1	0.3.0 (18)
0.5.7 (37)	Q2	0.8.2 (50)
1.8.10 (67)	Q3	1.10.3 (72)
1.11.11 (86)	Q4	1.13.5 (92)

Josh J. Kennedy 5	Chad Wingard 3
Jack Darling 2	Andrew Moore 2
Josh Hill 2	Jay Schulz 2
Dean Cox 1	Hamish Hartlett 1
Shannon Hurn 1	Matthew Lobbe 1
Matt Priddis 1	Jake Neade 1
	Cameron O'Shea 1
	Lewis Stevenson 1
	Paul Stewart 1
	Justin Westhoff 1

The Power won 1.13.5 (92) to 1.11.11 (86) at Traeger Park. 

Port spearhead Jay Schulz and Andrew Moore both kicked two goals and captain Travis Boak was the leading possession winner on the ground with 24 disposals.

Boak's teammates Kane Cornes (20 touches), Brad Ebert (19) and Hamish Hartlett also performed strongly for the Power.

The Eagles were brilliantly served by full forward Josh Kennedy, who kicked five goals, while Josh Hill and Jack Darling each bagged a double.

West Coast on-baller Luke Shuey was busy with a team-high 21 disposals while midfielder Matt Priddis and defenders Beau Waters and Will Schofield were solid.

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The Eagles started strongly as Kennedy kicked three of the initial four goals of the game.

But the Power, with Hartlett influential, were within seven points at quarter-time and then unleashed a standout second quarter.

Port potted five unanswered goals, including Wingard's third, but Kennedy jagged his fourth major just before half-time.

The Power led by 13 points at the main break and extended their advantage to a commanding 34 points in the third quarter, the highest margin of the match.

But the Eagles clawed their way back into the game late in the quarter, with Hill and Darling each kicking two goals to reduce the margin to only five points at three quarter-time.

Both clubs posted three goals in an even final quarter but the Eagles were unable to reel in the Power's lead.

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Glory score late to steal points

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Drama ... Michael Thwaite was Perth Glory's hero against Newcastle Jets. Source: Dean Lewins / AAP

Newcastle's A-League finals hopes seem in tatters after a late goal from Michael Thwaite gave lowly Perth a 2-1 win on Friday night at Hunter Stadium.

The Glory's new Argentine import Matias Cordoba put the visitors in front and teen striker Adam Taggart pulled one back for the Jets before Thwaite sealed victory in the 92nd minute.

The Jets remain in fifth place but have a congested bottom-half of the ladder breathing down their neck. Glory meanwhile climb to seventh.

Having already played their round-26 match against Wellington due to New Zealand's international commitment, time is fast running out for the Jets who only have two games remaining before the finals.

With a game away to fourth-placed Adelaide next weekend before facing rampant leaders Western Sydney Wanderers, the encounter against the Glory was their best shot at picking up three points.

"We created some good chances, but the name of the game is putting the ball in the back of the net and we didn't do that and got our pocket pinched right there at the end,'' Jets coach Gary van Egmond said.

"You don't want to lose in any fashion but especially in the fashion we just did. This is a hard one to swallow.

"Now we've made it hard for ourselves for the run into the finals.''

Desperate to make amends for their 5-0 thrashing by Melbourne Victory last weekend, the Jets came out firing with young gun Taggart, playing at the point of attack in place of injured marquee man Emile Heskey, forcing Perth 'keeper Daniel Vukovic into action just four minutes in.

But it was the Glory's newest recruit Cordoba who broke the deadlock in the 24th minute when he managed to get on the end of a Chris Harold cross for his first A-League goal.

Socceroo tyro Taggart levelled just before the break, slotting home off a Marko Jesic through-ball.

Glory skipper Jacob Burns made his long-awaited return after a six-week injury layoff as a second-half substitute for Cordoba.

Swiss defender Dominik Ritter went within a whisker of putting the Jets in front in the 62nd minute, Vukovic doing well to save the effort.

The Glory gloveman produced yet another great save, stopping a strike from English attacker Michael Bridges with less than 20 minutes remaining.

Newcastle's Mark Birighitti made one of his few saves of the game moments later, defusing a dangerous header from the A-League's all-time leading scorer Shane Smeltz.

But it was Thwaite who sealed the win, pouncing on a goal-mouth scramble late in injury time to get his first goal of the season.

Glory coach Alistair Edwards was upbeat having kept his side in finals contention and leading them to their first away win since beating Brisbane at Suncorp Stadium in round 12.

"We deserved to come away with something but we didn't deserve to win,'' an honest Edwards said.

"Newcastle were playing well so our whole thing was to just stay in the game and it worked a treat.''

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Beirne's Super Saturday picks

Super Saturday ... Green Moon is sure to be popular with punters. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

It's Super Saturday on March 8 and Dominic Beirne has put plenty of time into previewing the great Group One cards in Melbourne and Sydney.

Beirne tips Green Moon in the Australian Cup saying that he rated one point off his personal best first up and that "he will immediately rebound to his PB rating, particularly as this will be his final run this preparation."

He suggests that lightweight runners are the way to go in the Newmarket and recommends backing Shoot Out and King Mufhasa in the Chipping Norton Stakes at Warwick Farm.

SATURDAY SPECIALS

Newmarket tip – Better Than Ready
In his Betfair preview, Dominic Beirne forecast that this year's Newmarket would go the way of a lightweight and this colt possesses the greatest overs of that category.

Best – Puissance de Lune [Flemington R4 No. 1]
Beirne thinks this stallion is "destined for greatness" and thinks he'll make a winning return to racing here.

Value – King Mufhasa [Warwick Farm R6 No. 2]
He's around the $14 mark on the exchange and Beirne thinks he could get a nice lead "as I'd expect the Gai Waterhouse pair to take a trail" in the Chipping Norton.

Lay – Luckygray [Flemington R6 No. 1]
Dominic Beirne's IWS computer rates this gelding upwards of $20 yet he hasn't traded longer than $10.50 on the exchange. Will be able to lay in single figures.

Best backed – Norzita [Flemington R5 No. 1]
She was huge at Moonee Valley and punters think she'll do the same thing here. $1.99 in to $1.82 early on the exchange.

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Bulldogs retain big pup Klemmer

David Klemmer ... re-signs with the Bulldogs on a lucrative deal. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

Exciting young Canterbury prop David Klemmer has signed a new three-year deal with the NRL club.

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Klemmer, who tips the scales at 120kg, is yet to play an NRL game, but is rated as one of the most promising forwards in the game and was named player of the year in the NYC under-20s competition in 2012.

The 19-year-old had come through the club's development system and is set to make his first-grade debut against North Queensland in Gosford on Saturday.

"I've been at the club for a number of years now and I couldn't see myself anywhere else in this next period of my career," Klemmer said.

"I've learnt so much and I enjoy every day that I come here, I'll keep working hard and learning from Des and the other players here and hopefully I will get my chance at some stage to play NRL."

Bulldogs coach Des Hasler is excited about being able to retain the young forward.

"We're excited to have re-signed David for the next three years. He has been a part of the junior development system for a number of years. At just 19, he is an exciting prospect and will provide great depth for the Bulldogs moving forward."

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Walker's five helps Crows pip Blues

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Tackle ... Bernie Vince looks to get the ball away under pressure. Source: Sarah Reed / News Limited

Adelaide forward Taylor Walker kicked five goals as the Crows burst Carlton's pre-season bubble with a three-point victory on Friday night.

Walker's haul included two super-goals as Adelaide triumphed 4.11.7 (109) to 2.13.10 (106) at AAMI Stadium to inflict Carlton's first defeat this pre-season and under new coach Mick Malthouse.

0.6.2 (38)	Q1	0.4.2 (26)
2.7.4 (64)	Q2	2.7.4 (64)
4.11.7 (109)	Q3	2.9.7 (79)
4.11.7 (109)	Q4	2.13.10 (106)

Taylor Walker 3	Kane Lucas 3
Josh Jenkins 2	Dennis Armfield 2
Nathan van Berlo 1	Mitch Robinson 2
Brad Crouch 1	Andrew Carrazzo 1
Patrick Dangerfield 1	Jefferey Garlett 1
Richard Douglas 1	Shaun Hampson 1
Sam Jacobs 1	Brock McLean 1
Graham Johncock 1	Marc Murphy 1
Jared Petrenko 1	Heath Scotland 1
Bernie Vince 1	Chris Yarran 1

The Crows were sparked by Walker and dual club champion Scott Thompson, who collected 26 disposals, while Bernie Vince and David Mackay were also prominent.

Carlton's Kane Lucas booted three goals, teammate Dennis Armfield capped a fine game with two majors while Brock McLean was a standout with 24 touches and two goals, including a super-goal.

Adelaide laid the platform for their victory with a dominant third term which returned six goals to Carlton's two.

The scoring spree came after smooth passages of play in a free-flowing opening, with the scores locked at 2.7.4 (64) apiece at halftime.

And both teams booted two super-goals in the second quarter as Carlton's McLean and Marc Murphy and Adelaide's Walker and Sam Jacobs all scored nine-pointers.

Crows forward Walker also potted two regulation goals in the opening half for the home side, who were largely propelled by onballer Thompson's 17 disposals by the main break.

The Blues, who trailed by two goals at quarter-time, also had plenty of the ball with McLean prominent and Lucas scoring three goals for the half.

The third quarter proved decisive with Walker adding another super-goal to help Adelaide craft a five-goal advantage at the last change.

But Adelaide stopped to a near walk in the final quarter and didn't score as Carlton kicked four unanswered goals to creep within three points.

But the Crows, who lost forward pocket Ian Callinan - who suffered a knock on his left knee and was substituted out of the match at quarter-time - held on to win.

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I'll clarify the rules: Anderson

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Daniel Anderson ... vows to fix the refereeing grey areas. Source: Phil Hillyard / News Limited

NRL referee's boss Daniel Anderson has vowed to fix the refereeing grey areas plaguing the game by offering clarity to rules and interpretations.

After a confusing and chaotic refereeing display in 2012, Anderson and Peter Sterling dissected several key areas to be rectified on Fox Sports' newest rugby League analysis show, Sterlo.

In the course of one of the most shambolic pre-season's in recent history, Anderson's bold prediction of "refereeing clarity" has taken a back seat among contract backflips, doping investigations and the Dally M Medallist being stood down.

A question on every New South Welshmens' lips: will there be any more bungles like the infamous Greg Inglis Origin try when it comes to grounding the ball?

"Separation is not an indicator for tries; if you lose possession … you must regain possession before you put the ball down," Anderson said.

"Super slow-mo cameras show things that are not really indicative of what's happening, in those instances we'll take normal vision and make our decisions from that."

Anderson has acted swiftly; sneaking under the radar and rallying the Australian Rugby League Commission to remove the "benefit of the doubt" call and ban the shoulder charge, the most contentious of all rule changes.

"The onus is on player safety.

Anderson said Ben Te'o's sickening shoulder charge on young Wests Tigers prop Matt Groat, "will be minimum penalty, minimum on report, but likely that play will be a send-off offence in 2013.

"The shoulder charge is a hip turn; the shoulder rotation where you put your arm up, you put your wing in so to speak."

Justin Hodges was herding sheep in the same notorious Origin series in 2012. The shepherd, sorry obstruction, will change?

"It's about who initiates contact, the onus is on the attacking team to just not run into the defending players and cause them any disadvantage."

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O'Connor: I want Test No.10 jersey

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Rivals ... O'Connor (L) and Cooper will put their friendship to one side on Friday night. Source:News Limited

Melbourne Rebels star James O'Connor has signalled his intentions to secure the Wallabies No.10 jersey as he prepares to face good mate Quade Cooper on Friday night.

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The rival No.10s will put their friendship to one side when Queensland Reds arrive at AAMI Park for O'Connor's first start in the playmaking role in 2013.

Speaking on Fox Sports' Rugby HQ on Thursday night, O'Connor stated his desire to once again don the Wallabies No.10 jersey as he did at the tail end of 2011.

"I haven't made it a secret that I want to be in the director's seat," O'Connor said while seated alongside Cooper in Fox Sports' Melbourne studios.

"But I just want to play with the best team when it comes to Wallabies selections – you want to be playing with the best guys.

"So for me, personally, I've got a bit to do to earn my way back into the team; obviously I didn't play much last year and I know Quade's got a few battles he wants to sort out."

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Cooper's form has been patchy following his boxing debut in February with the controversial fly half struggling to produce his renowned attacking flair.

Still, the man who last year famously described the Wallabies environment as "toxic" said the added competition at No.10 would only benefit the Test side.

"The best thing about it is pushing yourself against the best players," Cooper said.

"James is one of the best players in Australia and to go head-to-head and to have that opportunity to play against one of my best mates and one of the best players in the world, it's a great opportunity for both of us."

One man who won't be out on AAMI Park Friday night is the incumbent Wallabies No.10, Kurtley Beale.

Beale underwent surgery on a hand injury on Tuesday, ruling him out of Super Rugby for up to four weeks.
 

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Bunnies give SBW tough welcome back

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V for victory ... Issac Luke celebrates the win over Sydney Roosters. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited

South Sydney underlined their NRL premiership credentials in the opening round of the season with an impressive 28-10 win over the Sydney Roosters on Thursday night.

2 Tries 5
James Maloney 3'	Nathan Merritt 10'
Sonny Bill Williams 75'	Nathan Merritt 28'
	Chris McQueen 40'
	George Burgess 46'
	Nathan Merritt 61'
1 Conversions 4
James Maloney 77'	Adam Reynolds 12'
	Adam Reynolds 30'
	Adam Reynolds 47'
	Adam Reynolds 63'

The return of Sonny Bill Williams and the Roosters' recruitment of big-name stars Michael Jennings and James Maloney dominated the build-up but Souths' superstars took the plaudits in front of a crowd of 35,942 at Allianz Stadium.

A hat-trick of tries from Nathan Merritt laid the foundations for the victory along with Greg Inglis, who had hand in four of his side's five tries.

Williams marked his debut with a try late in the game - his first since July 7 2008, but it was nothing more than a consolation.

Young halfback Adam Reynolds outshone his opposite number Mitchell Pearce with an assured performance and Sam Burgess and Ben Te'o dominated the Roosters much-vaunted pack.

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Souths coach Maguire was delighted with his side's display and heaped praise on his forwards and Reynolds.

"They (the forwards) were clinical for us. I thought all out front-rowers stood up," he said.

"The Reyno understands the game and the balance he has between pushing a pass or putting a kick in goal, it's a big thing for the team.

"Adam's up there with (the best) with the ability with his kicking. He's one of the best kickers in the game."

Roosters coach Trent Robinson bemoaned his side's ill-discipline but said he was pleased with Williams' contribution after he played the final 50 minutes.

"It was great to see him back," Robinson said.

"We saw some stuff where he needs to get used to the game again and then we saw him trying to really push hard to try and get us back into the game as well so I was really pleased."

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"I saw some really good stuff with the ball and some good push and he was looking to create some stuff so I think that's the Sonny that we know.

"It's going to take a couple of weeks but it was nice to have him out there."

The crowd were on their feet after three minutes when Maloney marked his Roosters debut with a try.

However, the response from the Rabbitohs was swift, as man of the match Inglis blazed his way deep into Roosters territory before releasing Merritt with a bullet of a pass.

The prolific winger raced to the line for the 130th try in Souths colours.

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Re-live the game as it happened with our NRL Match Centre, featuring text commentary and all the key stats!

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That kick-started the Souths forwards into action and they were rewarded when Merritt doubled his tally on the half-hour mark.

A teasing bomb from Reynolds was flicked into the path of Inglis, who found Dylan Farrell in space and the young centre offloaded for Merritt to score.

The setback prompted Roosters coach Trent Robinson to throw Williams into the fray for the first time since his controversial exit from Canterbury in 2008.

The Kiwi was greeted with a some heated words from Burgess, who then ran straight over the Rugby World Cup winner, much to the delight of the Rabbitohs supporters.

Souths continued from where they left off at the break, dominating in attack as the Roosters ill-discipline continued to let them down in addition to a number of basic errors.

The arrival of giant George Burgess from the bench added some extra beef to the Souths go-forward and the younger brother of Sam showed his potential with some powerful runs with the ball.

Six minutes after the break the Englishman scored his first NRL try when he bulldozed his way under the posts to end the game as a contest.

Merritt scored his third on the hour with Inglis once again the instigator to add some extra gloss, before Williams, who was quietly effective in his 50 minutes on the pitch, hauled in a Frank-Paul Nuuausala pass to race under the posts.

Reynolds kicked four goals, with Maloney kicking one for the Roosters.

Jennings was put on report just before the interval for a high shot on Beau Champion as was Sam Burgess for a high shot on Pearce.

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I don't have a drug problem: Swan

Dane Swan ... defends himself against drug rumours. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

Collingwood star Dane Swan admits he's no angel and his attitude to football has been less than perfect in the past.

But the 2011 Brownlow Medallist and three-time Magpies best and fairest says he doesn't have a drug problem and has never posted a strike under the AFL's illicit drugs policy.

Swan said he had been confronted by Collingwood chief executive Gary Pert and other Magpies officials several times over his off-field behaviour.

But rumours that had swirled about him during the off-season regarding issues such as drug use and wild behaviour were ridiculous.

And he said his approach to football had improved greatly since he was suspended by his club over an alcohol-related incident late last season.

"I'm clearly not an angel,'' Swan told the Nine Network's AFL Footy Show.

"I suppose I probably go out a little bit more socially than the normal footballer.

"Maybe I am a little bit of what they call a lad and I have a laidback attitude and like just to relax and have a bit of fun, I'm not footy, footy, footy all the time.

"So maybe I'm not doing everything I possibly could to get myself 100 per cent for game day.

"But I'd like to think since I got suspended last year I certainly have.

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"And I'm hoping if you ask the coaches at the footy club and all the players that I certainly am a lot better this year than I ever have been.''

Swan also said he did not use performance-enhancing drugs but was tested six or seven times for them last season in what he believed was targeted testing.

"If you see what I look like and the way I run I clearly do not use performance-enhancing drugs,'' Swan joked.

He said he had no problem with Pert or other Magpies officials confronting him at times over his behaviour.

"We've had a couple of frank conversations and I realise where I'm at and I'd like to think that they know how I'm going and where I'm at too,'' he said.

Swan said while he was an easygoing character who wasn't too bothered by rumours about him, it did bother him that his parents and partner were sometimes upset by them.

The interview was pre-recorded and Swan was fined by the Magpies on Thursday for conducting it without first gaining the club's approval.

But while the fine is understood to be at most $5000, Swan was reportedly paid $20,000 for the interview.

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'Sharks' pack is a tasty burger'

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Hartley eyes national honours

Honours ... Chris Hartley still dreams of a baggy green. Source: Mark Calleja / News Limited

Thursday's Sheffield Shield battle between defending champions Queensland and a desperate Tasmania on a wet Gabba pitch will also feature a host of sideshows.

The prime objective for both states however will be an outright victory to push their Shield claims with just two games remaining.

But Australia's ordinary form so far against India on the sub continent has upped the stakes for several fringe Test players still hoping to push their case for the coming Ashes series.

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One of those is Bulls wicketkeeper Chris Hartley whom many believe is not only the best gloveman in the land but also the kind of rear guard fighter with the bat Australia is lacking.

The hero of Queensland's thrilling Shield final victory over Tasmania last summer - where he made a first innings 111 and a crucial 19 not out in the second dig - Hartley is hoping to produce something similar as the third placed Bulls fight to defend their crown.

While Hartley's focus is locked on the Shield trophy, he admits he still has an eye on making the national team.

"You never give up and my goal is still to play for Australia,'' he said.

"I'm keeping as well as I have ever done, and I was amongst the top run-scorers in the Ryobi Cup just gone and I'm probably in the top 10 in the Shield runs, so I am pretty happy with how I am hitting them.

"Hopefully I'm still in the selectors' thoughts if a spot comes up.''

One of several individual highlights will feature the clash of Queensland's Ryan Harris - in many ways Australia's forgotten fast bowler - and Tasmania's Test experienced Ben Hilfenhaus, the pair not long back from lengthy injury lay-offs.

Brisbane's big wet will ensure a lively wicket giving both sides hope of a result.

Tasmania's line-up boasts eight players with international or Australia A experience, headed by former national skipper Ricky Ponting who's averaging 111 in the Shield this season.

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'Barba may not play in 2013'

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Ben Barba ... 'I'm not too sure what would make a great player with me being so young.' Source: DEAN LEWINS / AAP

The weight of expectation could mean Canterbury-Bankstown star Ben Barba will not take the field in 2013.

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The Daily Telegraph journalist and NRL 360 host, Paul Kent, said he believed Barba would not play at all this season.

"I don't think Ben Barba will play this year," he said.

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"The level of concern the club has got, when you talk about issues that go back to childhood. They're not solved in four weeks of rehab.

"If the Bulldogs are as strong in the future as they are now saying 'we won't bring him back until he's 100 per cent'. I really can't see him playing this season."

The concern was raised as Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy said the weight of expectations may have been too much for Barba, which lead to him being stood down last month.

Speaking on the premiere of NRL 360 on Wednesday night, Bellamy said expectations can sometimes be too much for young players and being named the face of the NRL may have tipped Barba over the edge.

"I don't think we realise how serious the Ben Barba situation is," he said.

"All of a sudden he's voted the best player in our game because he won the Dally M, he's got expectations from the fans, from family, from your mates and comes under that much scrutiny from the media.

"Then they want him to launch the season, sometimes that expectation is such a big weight for young players.

"Those expectations ... can really weight a guy down and perhaps that's what tipped Benny over.

Before his personal life took a turn for the worse, Bulldogs star Barba said greatness in sport was best defined by one's deeds off the field rather than on it.

"I'm not too sure what would make a great player with me being so young," Barba said in an exclusive interview - recorded in December and aired on NRL 360.

"It could also be a great player on the field but it's better to be one off the field.

"You see blokes like Johnathan Thurston and Cameron Smith the way they train and the way they carry themselves off the field is second to none.

"In my words that would be it."

Viewed as one of the games greats, the 2012 Dally M hero's vision of greatness is in stark contrast to the life he had been living.

Weighed down by gambling and alcohol problems, Barba has split with his partner, the mother of his two young children, and lost interest in the game which made him a household name.

Barba's problems led to the star playmaker being stood down by the club indefinitely.

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Doping agency circles Sharks

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ASADA ... is investigating Cronulla Sharks. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited

The NRL's season opener has been reduced to a sideshow with revelations as many as 14 Cronulla players implicated in ASADA's anti-doping investigation have been threatened with immediate suspension.

Current Sharks players who have been contracted since 2011 - when sports scientist Stephen Dank worked at the southern Sydney club - are all part of the investigation.

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As bookmakers suspended all Sharks-related markets on Wednesday it was revealed former ASADA senior counsel Richard Redman had been hired by Cronulla to help guide the club through the crisis.

There are serious concerns that two separate peptide-based supplements given to Sharks players might have contravened the World Anti-Doping Agency code.

Mr Redman was hired several weeks ago, shortly after Cronulla was identified as one of the six NRL clubs in the Australian Crime Commission report into performance-enhancing drugs, organised crime and match fixing.

According to a Sharks insider, Mr Redman has been reassuring players about their situation for the past fortnight.

But the landscape changed dramatically on Tuesday morning when some players received a text message advising them to attend an emergency meeting.

There, Mr Redman gave the players an ultimatum - voluntarily stand down for six months or risk ASADA's maximum two-year ban. It is believed the players were given a 48-hour deadline to make up their minds.

With the scandal threatening to completely overshadow this weekend's opening round, Cronulla officials last night went to ground.

The NRL and ASADA also refused to comment.

When approached on Wednesday, Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan denied any players would be stood down and miss Sunday night's season opener against the Titans. He refused to comment further.

As well as a casting a cloud over a number of current players in the Sharks NRL squad, there are also concerns the net could be widened to implicate ex-Cronulla players who have since moved to other clubs.

Sources stated as many as 22 players across the code are under the spotlight. A Sharks source last night said the players implicated in the scandal were concerned, rattled and distressed.

"They had no reason to question the club and its performance staff about what supplements they were taking," the source said.

"They trusted that what they were being given was safe."

Mr Dank left Cronulla after just four weeks, with club doctor David Givney concerned about the supplement program the club's players had been placed on.

Last month at least one Sharks player was given the blood-thinning agent Warfarin. Mr Dank also used a room inside a former Bankstown medical centre to treat players away from the club.

Wednesday's news sent a scare through bookmakers, who shut down all markets relating to Cronulla. TAB Sportsbet closed its market at 4pm in response to rampant speculation that Cronulla's team could soon be demolished.

Spokesman Glenn Munsie revealed the Gold Coast had attracted $2300 of a total of $2700 wagered on the head-to-head market. There had also been $239 worth of bets on Cronulla to lose the most games this season.

"We won't open those markets until there's an official statement from either Cronulla, the NRL or ASADA," Munsie said.

"At the moment we don't know what's happening."

Sportsbet identified no suspicious betting but closed the markets as a precaution.

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Fox Sports' winter wonderland

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Winter wonderland ... Fox Sports is the only place to be for the best sport in 2013 Source: Justin Lloyd / News Limited

Australia's leading sports broadcaster Fox Sports has unveiled a fresh new look ahead of the most exciting winter sports season it has ever embarked upon.

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The company's new headquarters on Sydney's north shore hosted politicians, industry executives, a raft of past and present Australian sports stars and members of the media to launch a new era.

Attending the launch was News Ltd CEO Kim Williams, NRL stars Todd Carney, Braith Anasta, Krisnan Inu and Tim Mannah, Leisel Jones, the Fox Sports NRL team including Peter Sterling, Matthew Johns, Matt Shirvington and Gorden Tallis and Fox Sports personalities Mark Bosnich, Phil Kearns and Tony Squires.

The launch and new brand reveal comes ahead of the broadcaster's biggest winter sports offering in history; including a seven-day NRL schedule, FOX FOOTY's live coverage of every match in the AFL Premiership , the A-League Finals Series and Socceroos' World Cup Qualifiers, plus the two biggest sporting events of the year - the British and Irish Lions Tour and The Ashes.

"On top of that, we now have 21 weekly entertainment shows across our sports, which is where we'll fuel the excitement of fans ahead of the weekend action," Fox Sports CEO Patrick Delany said.

"It's a phenomenal winter of live sport, our biggest ever."

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Fox Footy is the only place to see every game of the 2013 AFL regular season live in high definition and uninterrupted siren-to-siren.

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Fox Sports will bring fans closer to their game in 2013, with High Definition coverage, stunning new 'virtual' presentations and game-changing camera angles from FoxKopter, the FoxMobile segway, Ref Cam and Cornerpost Cam across different sports.

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"We're going to take fans to where they've never been with all of our exclusive in-play innovations. This is the year where fans come first," Delany said.

To mark the kick off to the winter sports season, Fox Sports revealed the name of the main studio at its new Sydney headquarters at a special ceremony.

The studio, which will house NRL coverage, has been named after Rugby League 'Immortal', Clive Churchill.

Head of  Channels, Gary Burns, was joined by the late Churchill's wife, Joyce, and son, Rodney, to unveil the Studio in front of South Sydney greats George Piggins, Bob McCarthy, Michael Cleary and Ron Coote.

Fox Sports Australia has also launched a new corporate logo in line with its global affiliate broadcasters.

"We're an established global brand stretching from USA, through Asia and into Australia. The brand thinks globally but acts locally," Delany said.

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Australia's second Test report card

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Shattered ... how will Australia recover from the second Test loss? Source: James Elsby / AAP

After one of Australia's heaviest defeats in recent memory, we present player-by-player ratings for the innings and 135-run defeat in the second Test against India.

David Warner
Rating: 3 out of 10
He may not have had tummy trouble this time around, but David Warner is still having a tough time of it over in India. Clean bowled by Kumar in the first innings and bowled around his legs by Ashwin in the second, he seems stuck between playing his naturally aggressive game and trying to occupy the crease.

Ed Cowan
Rating: 5 out of 10
Cowan was out to a contentious lbw decision in the first innings and showed his fighting qualities with a gritty 44 in the second, off 150 balls – a third of Australia's runs in that innings. That should have silenced some critics, although others will still be calling for him to take advantage of his good starts.

Phillip Hughes
Rating: 2 out of 10
Hughes continues to look completely out of his depth against India's quality spinners. The stat doing the rounds during this Test was that his last 39 balls against spin have yielded no runs and four wickets. Selectors face a tough decision on whether or not to drop him and bring Usman Khawaja into the side, or keep him in there in the hope of building his confidence in the lead-up to the Ashes.

Shane Watson
Rating: 3 out of 10
Watson's continued ability to look in fine touch before getting out cheaply must surely be starting to bug the all-rounder-turned-batsman. He looked to be in a dominant mood before falling to an ugly-looking pull shot for 23 on day one, and was out to a soft dismissal down the leg side in the second. Depending on where Clarke decides to move, Watson may go up one spot in the batting order.

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Join us @FoxCricketLive from 12pm (EDT) Wednesday as we dissect Australia's disastrous defeat in Hyderabad and debate what needs to be done to turn the side's fortunes around.

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Michael Clarke
Rating: 7 out of 10
Australia's shining light once again was their captain, although for once he fell short of a milestone when he was dismissed for 91 in the first innings. If his post-match comments are anything to go by, Clarke looks certain to move up the order, but it remains to be seen how much of a difference this will make. 

Matthew Wade
Rating: 6 out of 10
Wade was much improved from his performance in the first Test, and his efforts were all the more impressive given he had a fractured cheekbone. His fighting knock of 62 in the first dig prevented Australia from having the type of collapse that came in the second innings, while he looks to be getting more accustomed to the different method of wicketkeeping required on the sub-continent.

Moises Henriques
Rating: 2 out of 10
Moises Henriques got a dose of reality in his second Test outing, crashing back to earth with scores of five and zero, and picking up bowling figures of 0-45 off 21 overs. He'll need to rid himself of the inconsistency that has plagued his domestic career if he's to make it as a permanent Test fixture.

Glenn Maxwell
Rating: 5 out of 10
Probably Australia's most controversial selection in recent years, Glenn Maxwell went a way to justifying his baggy green call-up with four wickets, although plenty of damage had been done by then. He did extract a fair amount of turn and bounce on day three, but his ineffectiveness on day two would have been worrying. His performances with the willow wouldn't have done much to convince experts he's up to being a top seven Test batsman.

Peter Siddle
Rating: 3 out of 10
Siddle was once again economical, but continued to lack penetration without the assistance he usually receives in Australia. Deserves credit for picking up the tourists' only wicket on day two, but apart from that it was another barren spell for the lion-hearted Victorian.

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Watch the third Test between India and Australia, LIVE, EXCLUSIVE and in HD from 2.50pm (EDT) Thursday 14 March on Fox Sports 2HD.

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James Pattinson
Rating: 6 out of 10
Pattinson continued to mix up his bowling lengths and was once again rewarded with wickets, although he could only manage two of them this time around. He claimed the key scalps of Cheteshwar Pujara - admittedly after the Indian had already made 204 – and Sachin Tendulkar, and his 29 overs would have pleased those who thought he wasn't bowled enough in the first Test.

Xavier Doherty
Rating: 3 out of 10
The stats show Xavier Doherty picked up three wickets on his Test comeback and brought his bowling average down to 72, but those stats need to be taken with a grain of salt. His three victims were tail-enders, and the lack of turn he was able to extract from a spin-friendly deck will worry the selectors that showed so much faith in him.

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Buzz's top 50 NRL players

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Top 25 ... where do Smith, Hayne and Burgess slot in?

Phil Rothfield tackles one of the most difficult tasks in rugby league, naming his top 50 players in the game.

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In a two part series, over two days, Rothfield has picked over the roster of every NRL club before settling on the 50 players who top the pile.

We kicked off the countdown with 50-26 on Tuesday, and today we reveal Buzz's top 25 players in the game.

25. James Graham (Bulldogs)
The biting aside, this guy can play the game. The English international had a great debut season, becoming one of the best interchange players in the competition.

24. Glenn Stewart (Sea Eagles)
A vital part of Manly's right side attack, Stewart finished the 2012 season with 12 linebreak assists, the equal second most of any back-rower in the competition Also averaged 32.2 tackles per game.

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Re-live the players who make up 50-26 on Buzz Rothfield's countdown here.

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23. Jeremy Smith (Knights)
In the absence Paul Gallen, Smith showed his leadership abilities last season leading the Sharks to a finals appearance. In 2012 he averaged the most tackles for the Sharks with 29.5 per game.

22. Josh Dugan (Raiders)
The Raiders fullback will be desperate to win back his Origin jersey after injuries again disrupted his 2012 season. Despite these set-backs he averaged more metres than any Raiders player.

21. Kieran Foran (Sea Eagles)
The Kiwi international is still just 22 age and has already played 79 NRL matches and eight Tests. Finished the 2012 NRL season with 12 try assists and 12 linebreak assists.

20. Sam Thaiday (Broncos)
Took on the extra responsibility of the captaincy in 2012 and he had another solid season, averaging 11.1 runs and 34.9 tackles per game.

19. Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles)
Played all 27 matches for Manly in 2012 and was just one of two Manly forwards to average over 100 metres per game. Averaged 31 tackles per game.

18. Greg Bird (Titans)
Tough back-rower who averaged more metres than any other Gold Coast player, making 130 per game in addition to his five linebreaks and five linebreak assists.

17. Nate Myles (Titans)
The Representative Player of the year in 2012 and also had a great season at club level in his first season with the Titans. He averaged more tackles in 35.5 per game and runs, 15.4 per game.

16. Todd Carney (Sharks)
Overcame off-field distractions to prove his worth on the field last year, creating more tries and linebreaks than any other Sharks player over the season.

15. Matt Scott (Cowboys)
Tamou's fellow prop at the Cowboys also had a great 2012, once again cementing himself as one of the best forwards in the game. He averaged 53 minutes, 15.3 runs and 147 metres per game.

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14. James Tamou (Cowboys)
Had a breakout 2012 season, forcing his was into the NSW Origin and Australian teams. He averaged more runs and metres than any other prop, with 16.4 runs and 159 metres per game.

13. Sam Burgess (Rabbitohs)
Had arguably his best season in the NRL in 2012, averaging the most runs and metres of any Rabbitoh forward, with 15.7 runs and 133 metres per game.

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12. Jamie Lyon (Sea Eagles)
Again proved to be the key man in the Manly backline in 2012, finishing the season with 11 tries, 12 try assists and 10 linebreak assists.

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11. Benji Marshall (Tigers)
Not as highly ranked as previous years but still a great player. Despite his team struggling, Benji led the league in both try assists and linebreak assists with 37 in each category.

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10. Robbie Farah (Tigers)
The Tigers captain dealt with personal struggles in 2012 but cemented his place as NSWs hooker as he made an Origin record 63 tackles in Game 2.

9. Paul Gallen (Sharks)
The Sharks captain continued his incredible work rate in 2012, averaging the most runs with 22.4 per game and the most metres in the competition for the third consecutive season.

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8. Jarryd Hayne (Eels)
Although the Eels had a disappointing season, Hayne was again the saving grace. In just 12 matches, Hayne led the Eels in try assists with 14 and linebreak assists with 14.

7. Sonny Bill Williams (Roosters)
Sonny Bill Williams will make one of the most anticipated returns in the game's history after walking out on the Bulldogs in 2008. An absolute champion on his day.

6. Cooper Cronk (Storm)
The Storm halfback had a superb 2012 capping it off by winning the Clive Churchill Medal in the decider. In 2012 he led the league with five 40/20s, 29 forced drop-outs and 38 try assists.

5. Ben Barba (Bulldogs)
His recent problems aside, Barba capped off an incredible 2012 with a grand final appearance and by winning the Dally M Medal. His 22 tries were the most in the NRL. A freakish talent.

4. Greg Inglis (Rabbitohs)
After starting 2012 in the centres, Inglis moved to fullback in round 3 and had arguably the best season of his career. He busted 168 tackles, the most of any player in the competition.

3. Billy Slater (Storm)
Showed how vital he is to the Storm when they lost five of six matches he missed in 2012 with injury problems. Slater finished 2012 with 16 tries, 24 linebreaks, and 20 try assists.

2. Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys)
Proved once again in 2012 why he is regarded as a future immortal. His 35 linebreak assists were the second most in the NRL and he also finished the season with 23 try assists.

1. Cameron Smith (Storm)
Captained Storm, Queensland and the Kangaroos to victories in an unforgettable 2012. His 12 try assists were the most by any hooker and his 977 tackles were the most by any Storm player.

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Do you agree with Buzz Rothfield's assessment of Cameron Smith as the No.1 player in the NRL? Have your say.

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Barba: a tale of lost perspective

Fall from grace ... Barba's demise serves as a reminder of the pressures on NRL stars. Source: News Limited

Sometime before Christmas he was at the beach, enjoying his first off-season as the Dally M Medal winner. It turns out we didn't know how much he was enjoying it, and so nobody could see how hollow he was inside.

He was being interviewed for a start on NRL Profiles on Fox Sports and, with that slight stutter of his, which we all took for country shy, Ben Barba talked about football, and the pressures involved, and the way he got himself right each day.

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It is disturbing how differently we now hear his answer, knowing what we now do. Through the filter of an alcohol and gambling problem and an ongoing stint in rehab, Barba's fall from the NRL's greatest fairytale is complete.

It was a no-brainer that his hospitalisation has forced the NRL Profiles piece to be scrapped, although clips will now be shown on Fox Sports tonight, on NRL 360.

"If I can wake up happy and be happy then," he says at one point, "then I know I'm probably going to be pretty relaxed all day.

"So I guess it starts really from the morning for myself, and getting up and not being too stressful. And then it just plays out during the day and I take it into the game. It's helped me out so much this year, getting my head right."

The way he played, the way the smile came so easily, we all thought Ben Barba didn't have a care in his world.

He was the fairytale. The Little Train That Could.

A country kid from far North Queensland, everybody considered too small. But he was lightning quick.

He got homesick. So his girlfriend came down and soon they had two young daughters to set up family.

He was given up on, considered unteachable under the high ball. But new coach Des Hasler believed, and Barba rewarded him with one of the great seasons anybody ever put together.

It took not even three months later for it to end in tears. By then Barba had left his partner, taken up with a new girlfriend and got himself fully accredited, by way of a stomach tattoo, with some blow-hards calling themselves the Epic Bender Crew, as if they had invented the big night out.

Barba is every chance to miss this entire season, not so much for the gambling and drinking but for what chief executive Todd Greenberg said was behaviour anybody would look "dimly" upon.

Barba's fall highlights the pressure on NRL players, and whether the duty of care could be more thoughtfully addressed at clubs.

The same week he went into rehab a young man tore his pectoral muscle in a training accident and went home and killed himself.

Mosese Fotuaika was 21. His girlfriend was newly pregnant and injury looked like it was about to rule him out for the season. Fotuaika knew the contract option was in the Tigers' favour and it caused him considerable stress knowing he was now likely going to miss that chance and he came up with a solution that was as wrong as it was permanent.

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Given Barba put so much emphasis on "getting his head right" why was he allowed to stray to such a point that he got lost among this lot?

Ask anybody, waking up "happy" through the haze of a six-bell hangover is hard to do. Barba had clearly lost his way. And so players need help.

Digital media now makes the news cycle breathe 24/7. Social media means everybody can publish, and usually does.

There is no longer an off-season. The intensity never fades. Players have no right to complain because these are all the reasons behind their new television deal almost doubling from $580 million to $1 billion.

To protect them, the instinct of clubs is to circle the wagons.

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And it might well be the worst choice they can make.

Through what they believe is necessity, it makes club life their entire life, without realising that protecting players from the real world leaves them acutely vulnerable to real world pressures - because they have no real world perspective.

What man with two young daughters has the time to go on epic benders each weekend, excusing it as enjoying much needed time off?

Indeed, what man with two young daughters has time for anything outside of the kids and work? Not a responsible one. Circling the wagons worked when clubs were only part of the player's life, because he had work and, more often than now, a family to tend to.

It created perspective, and that's what's lost today.

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See Paul Kent with Ben Ikin on the premiere of NRL 360, 7.30pm (EDT) on Wednesday night on Fox Sports 1 and 1HD.

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Mick, AFL to meet over interchange cap

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Resolution ... Mick Malthouse will meet Kevin Bartlett following their public spat. Source: Wayne Ludbey / News Limited

Having traded public barbs over the AFL's controversial interchange trial, Mick Malthouse and Kevin Bartlett will now thrash out the issue face to face.

Malthouse has accepted an invitation to meet on Wednesday with the league's rules committee, which features Bartlett, and no doubt the league's trial cap on interchange rotations will be the main topic.

The Carlton coach is vehemently opposed to the limit of 80 rotations per team in each game, which was trialled in last weekend's NAB Cup matches.

There will be no rotation cap during the regular season, but there is strong speculation the AFL could bring in a rule for next year.

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Malthouse had accepted the invitation before Saturday night's post-match media conference when he made some pointed comments about the rules committee.

"I sincerely hope that the rules committee are governed by people, who have got an understanding of the modern game, not previous long-ago coaches, or long-ago players, or new players that have no say, or new officials that just make up the numbers," Malthouse said.

"I hope it's not dominated by one or two people who seem to be able to push their way in and around, as a consequence it feels good to be in control, so therefore we'll make it 80 (rotations)."

Bartlett, now an AFL commentator, is an official AFL legend who played 403 games for Richmond and also coached the club.

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He hit back at old Tigers team-mate Malthouse on Monday.

"I really do hope he was talking about me, because that means I would be getting under the skin of the coaches," Bartlett said on SEN.

"Someone has got to be listening, watching and observing what the coaches say or do.

"They babble on at press conferences and after games, (we) have got to make them accountable."

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Malthouse was one of several coaches last weekend who hit out at the trial interchange rule, but Bartlett strongly backed it.

"The big surprise was no player collapsed through exhaustion playing under the 80 interchange rule, or had to be stretchered off because his body had been stressed to the point of no return, and players didn't drop like flies," Bartlett said sarcastically.

"I don't think the game suffered by having on average 100 less interchanges, was it so detrimental to the game that 100 players couldn't sprint to the bench?

"The game didn't suffer or go backwards because rotations were capped.

"Everyone survived and so did the game, and that was no surprise to me."

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Australia stumble in second dig

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Struggles ... Hughes was out to Ravi Ashwin yet again on day three. Source: William West / AAP

Australia's hope of saving the second Test are fading fast after reaching 2-74 in their second innings at stumps on day three.

2nd Test - Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium

2 March 2013 - Day 3, Session 3

Australia 2nd Innings

E. Cowan	26	100	4	0	26
S. Watson	9	27	0	1	33.33
R. Jadeja	3	2	2	0	0.67

Spinner Xavier Doherty claimed three wickets in Hyderabad but says he's not even thinking about whether his haul on Monday will be good enough to keep him in the team for the third Test against India.

And No.3 batsman Phil Hughes, after his fourth consecutive flop of the series, is facing a massive struggle to hold his place for the third Test in Mohali starting March 14.

The Australians need another 192 more runs to make the home side bat again in Hyderabad.

Ed Cowan is 26 not out with Shane Watson on nine.

Hughes was out for a duck on Monday - his second scoreless knock in four innings in the series - and he has just 25 runs at an average of 6.25.

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The South Australia batsman has been out to spin on all four occasions, three times to offspinner Ravi Ashwin.
Hughes and David Warner (26) were both bowled by Ashwin after attempting sweep shots.

India had resumed on 1-311 and were bowled out for 503 at tea for a first-innings lead of 266.

Debutant offspinner Glenn Maxwell claimed 4-127 and left-arm spinner Doherty removed three tailenders in his 3-131 off 46.1 overs.

"We came in today knowing we were up against it and we needed to put in a better day than yesterday," Doherty said.

"Today we took nine for 190 or something like that (9-192), which was a pleasing effort.

"But the damage was done yesterday so there's still a lot of work for us to do to get ourselves back into the game."

Doherty didn't take a wicket until his 43rd over and admitted his late flurry of three scalps was a confidence-booster after returning for his third Test and first since 2010.

Australia dropped offspinner Nathan Lyon for the Hyderabad match.

"Not even thinking about the third Test," Doherty said.

"It was pleasing in some ways to find a little bit of form during the spell.

"But the selection and that stuff, we've got a couple of days to worry about here before that.

"But Nathan is obviously a quality bowler and he's shown that over the last 18 months.

"I've got no doubt that he'll play again."

The 370-run partnership between Murali Vijay (167) and Cheteshwar Pujara (204) is the highest by an Indian pair for the second wicket in Test cricket.

No.5 Virat Kohli made 34 and skipper MS Dhoni clubbed 44 off 43 balls but India's innings fell away with the last six wickets tumbling for 43 runs.

Dhoni's India side lead the four-match series one-nil.

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Watch day four of the second Test between India and Australia LIVE, EXCLUSIVE and in HIGH DEFINITION from 2.50pm (EDT) on Fox Sports 1.

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Bombers boss promises: we'll be okay

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Message to fans ... Evans and Hird pledge to keep the Bombers afloat. Source: David Caird / News Limited

Chairman David Evans has promised Essendon fans that the AFL club will come through their doping crisis as a stronger organisation.

Evans and coach James Hird made emotional speeches on Monday night at the Bombers' season launch, thanking the players and fans for their support.

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The club is under a joint Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority and AFL investigation for supplements that the players used last season.

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Evans has also announced an independent review of the club as a result of the crisis.

The anti-doping investigation is likely to take months, meaning it will hang over the Bombers for much of the season.

"I understand the way you look at me tonight, looking for reassurance our beautiful place will be okay," Evans said.

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"I promise you that it will be.

"The hurt of the past few weeks is still raw, but it is this room that gives me strength - given how you all have stood behind the club in its hour of need.

"We will get through this and we will be a better, stronger organisation."

Evans also apologised for the circumstances that led to the crisis.

"Mistakes have been made and I sincerely apologise that they have occurred," he said.

"We will get to the bottom of what happened, we will make sure those mistakes never happen again.

"While we know some things, there is so much we don't know, and we're continuing to piece together a long and complicated jigsaw puzzle.

"I commit to you that we are making progress."

Hird said it had been humbling to coach the team in the past few weeks, adding the players had stayed focussed and disciplined.

"My family and this football club means everything to me and I will do everything that is in my power to get the club through this difficult time," he said.

"That means being the best coach I can be to this wonderful team of young men who wear our colours so proudly."

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Video: Big Merv's 'miracle' catch

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Old magic ... Merv Hughes after taking a catch in the crowd off a Dave Warner six. Source:FOX SPORTS

Merv Hughes retired from Test cricket long ago but you can't keep a good big man down.

When Australia's opening batsman David Warner hit a six at Hyderabad in the second Test against India on Monday, the last person he expected to catch the ball was Big Merv.

The former Test quick and ex-national selector was sitting in the stands at long-on with a tour group when Warner drove straight towards the most famous moustache in Australian sport.

Big Merv snapped it up like it was a chocolate cake at afternoon tea during his playing days and his former Test captain Allan Border could barely contain his excitement.

"That is the miracle of Hyderabad,'' TV commentator Border said. "If he was wearing a white shirt he would be a sight screen."

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Click on the video above to see Merv Hughes roll back the years and take a catch in the second Test!

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