Libba the next Ablett

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WHEN Gary Ablett finally relinquishes his mantle as the best midfielder in the game, the unlikely figure of Tom Liberatore has the tools to inherit his thorny crown.

Adelaide jet Patrick Dangerfield, Fremantle semi-trailer driver Nathan Fyfe or Richmond captain Trent Cotchin will all be candidates to an unofficial title that Bob Skilton, Leigh Matthews and Robert Harvey held over the years.

SCROLL DOWN FOR ANDO'S MIDFIELD MAESTROS AND A STAR SWAN WHO COULD NEED SURGERY

Then there are the kids such as Harley Bennell, Dion Prestia, Jaeger O'Meara, or even the better established in Joel Selwood, Scott Pendlebury and Daniel Hannebery.

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But it's the blue-collar worker in Tom Liberatore who I believe will eventually become the next supreme master of the midfield.

"Libba" may lack the explosiveness of Dangerfield, the marking of Fyfe or the exquisite balance of Cotchin, but he has an ability to win contested ball rarely seen from one so young.

Tom Liberatore in action on Wednesday. Source: News Corp Australia

We are talking about a 21-year-old who last year led the AFL in clearances, finished third behind Sydney's Josh Kennedy and Ablett in contested possession and ranked fourth in total tackles.

His tackling, at an average of more than six per game, is the area where he sets himself apart from most of his rivals, although Andrew Swallow, Pendlebury and Ablett also recorded strong averages.

Liberatore, 182cm, now has to add further dimensions to his inside game and that will come as his running patterns improve as they have over summer.

Kicking more goals (just 11 in 55 games) and becoming dangerous inside the forward 50m will become a focus for a lad who arrived at the Western Bulldogs via St Kevin's, Calder under-18s and St Bernard's.

He will never have the breakaway speed that has been the signature of Ablett and Chris Judd, but nor did Greg Williams or Michael Voss. Liberatore will always find the ball. And if his level of improvement continues its current trend, he will be something very special in three years.

Ablett at 21 was a very exciting small forward, but former Geelong great Paul Couch was laughed at in 1984 when he said the then 20-year-old Ablett had the ability to rival Voss, if not surpass him.

No one is laughing now. Liberatore may just be a similar package.

Gary Ablett has two Brownlow medals. Source: Getty Images

ANDO'S MIDFIELD MAESTROS

The best VFL/AFL midfielder since 1960

1960-65: Bob Skilton

1966-70: Ian Stewart

1971-75: Kevin Bartlett

1976-80: Leigh Matthews

1981-85: Tim Watson

1986-90: Greg Williams

1991-95: Garry Hocking

1996-2000: Robert Harvey

2001-05: Michael Voss

2006-13: Gary Ablett

A LIFE AFTER FOOTBALL

IN keeping with the recent trend of elite golfers on AFL lists (as in Brendon Goddard and Sam Fisher), Carlton's Dale "Daisy" Thomas shows some talent.

Thomas, 26, can hit a seriously long ball as evidenced by a booming drive on the fifth hole at Green Acres Golf Club in Kew at a pro-am on February 7.

The hole was playing 283m when right-hander Thomas stepped up and smashed his drive 4m past the cup to win the longest drive.

For his efforts Thomas won a $500 Nike driver which he promptly handed to 15-year-old club member Tom Allan with the sentence: "You will use it more than me."

Given Thomas plays off a liberal 27 he clearly spends more of his spare time surfing than driving and putting. Even so, it would probably be wise not to involve money when next playing him.

Dale Thomas Tees off. Source: News Limited

HAVE YOU HEARD?

SYDNEY gun forward Kurt Tippett is suffering from a form of knee tendinitis that may require surgery should it worsen.

Word is the 202cm ex-basketballer has been restricted of late, but will push on in the hope it improves. If not, he could head down the Steven Motlop surgery route which could mean up to three months on the sidelines.

Kurt Tippett could need surgery. Source: Getty Images

DUNSTALL FOR THE COUCH?

JASON Dunstall is expected to occupy the vacant On The Couch seat for 2014, with the line-up to be named on Monday night at the annual FOX FOOTY launch.

Dunstall, 49, will replace Paul Roos and was selected for the show's 20th season ahead of Michael Voss, Mark Ricciuto, John Worsfold and David King.

On The Couch with Bruce McAvaney hosting and Mike Sheahan leading interrogator, began in 1995 as Talking Footy on Channel Seven with Malcolm Blight in the expert's seat.

Blight was followed by Leigh Matthews, Blight again, Terry Wallace, Robert Walls, James Hird and Roos.

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Live: Warner cruises, Clarke battles

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DAVID Warner has sought redemption from his team mates in the best possible way by scoring a century but his captain Michael Clarke has received a fearful battering.

After days of controversy, a $2900 fine and in house punishment for accusing South Africa of ball tampering, Warner ensured Australia made a flying start to the deciding third and final Test at Newlands.

The powerful left hander brought up his seventh Test century in just 104 balls with 10 fours as Australia moved to 2-195 approaching tea on the first day with Warner 121 not out and Clarke a sore, unbeaten 22.

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While Dale Steyn was off the field receiving treatment on his right hamstring, Clarke suffered some terrible blows from the dangerous Morne Morkel bowling short from around the wicket with a leg side field.

After receiving extended treatment for a blow on his left arm Clarke was then felled by a Morkel short ball which flicked the batsman's shoulder and cannoned into the side of his neck.

Moving back up the order to number four, with Shane Watson returning to the side at six, Clarke went down on one knee and stayed down for some time as team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris ran onto the field again to treat the captain.

Chris Rogers was dismissed by Dale Steyn. Source: Getty Images

To his credit Clarke continued and stood up to the assault.

It was Warner's fourth century of the summer after scoring two during the Ashes series, along with an 83 not out, and one in the first Test at Centurion Park.

In what appeared a somewhat desperate act, South African captain Graeme Smith called for a DRS review when, on 95, Warner attempted to pull a delivery from Steyn which clearly hit the left hander on the thigh pad.

The way Warner batted with such controlled aggression it appeared a very good toss for Clarke to win on the dry, shaved pitch.

Chris Rogers (25) was the only wicket to fall before lunch, caught at first slip playing a loose drive during the first over of Steyn's second spell after an opening stand of 65.

Alex Doolan (20) looked comfortable playing the anchor role in a 73-run partnership with Warner before skying an ambitious pull to mid-on.

Warner was the leading run scorer during the Ashes with 523 runs at an average of 58, including two centuries, and his scores in the first two Tests were 12, 115, 70 and 66, to make him the highest run scorer in this series as well.

Australia and South Africa both made two changes.

Watson is playing his first Test of the series, replacing Shaun Marsh, while James Pattinson has been included in the place of Peter Siddle.

South Africa included Alviro Petersen and Kyle Abbott for Quinton de Kock and Wayne Parnell.

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16 tribes vying for one big prize

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They won't want to hear this in Queensland, Melbourne or Wellington.

It would just confirm the conspiracy theory that the competition is too Sydney-centric – never mind the fact the trophy has left NSW four times in the past eight years*.

They won't want to hear it in the west or The Shire or on the northern beaches. It might entrench the feeling the cashed-up Roosters and Rusty's cuddly bunnies are media darlings.

But my ideal season is a Roosters-Rabbitohs sandwich. What happens in the other 190 games between their round one blockbuster on Thursday night and the most keenly anticipated grand final in decades would be the filling.

The only question is who would be benefit more if that mouthwatering dish hit the plate in October. The success-starved Rabbitohs faithful, the born-to-win Roosters or the Australian Rugby Union.

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Sam Burgess and Sonny Bill Williams won't be playing for the Wallabies after they finish tenderising each other in the NRL. But the sight of two rugby-bound superstars at the centre of rugby league's greatest showpiece might prompt some to toss a coin in the ARU's begging bowl.

If a Roosters and Rabbits grand final seems the ideal main course, we are still salivating over the entrée. This is a season replete with intriguing storylines, some of which involve the game's most notable and notorious characters.

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Whether you consider Ricky Stuart notable or notorious will depend on your interpretation of his troubled season with Parramatta, a club with a board room that makes the Italian parliament seem like a Buddhist temple.

Stuart's return to Canberra is as much a referendum on his coaching career as an appointment. He has won a premiership with the Roosters, taken cash-strapped Cronulla to the top four and revitalised the Blues against the rampaging Maroons. Yet Stuart's legacy remains dependant on a period of success and stability with a club with the behavioural record of Gold Coast hostel in Schoolies Week.

Rooster's Anthony Minichiello celebrates with fans at full time of the 2013 NRL Grand Final. Source: News Limited

Wayne Bennett does not have to prove a thing. Any suspicion the Super Coach was merely the Superannuated Coach in off- Broadway Newcastle was erased when the Knights fought their way to the final four last season.

But after a tumultuous pre-season Russell Packer is behind bars, Willie Mason is catching cabs to training and Jarrod Mullen's has a hamstring off the bone. If Bennett can ensure his time in Newcastle ends with an exclamation mark, not merely a full-stop, he can also win the Sydney to Hobart on foot.

Penrith seem to be in the 18th year of a five year plan. Which is not a criticism of Gus Gould's unfolding vision, but the inevitable ridicule that painfully meticulous rebuilding process has suffered in a game which does not tolerate short-term failure.

Some will also mock the Panthers' recruiting. They will tell you the only tackle Jamie Soward has is in his fishing bag. That the only thin in the gym Jamal Idris's uses too much is the mirror. That Peter Wallace might not have been Scotland's best playmaker, let alone the Broncos'.

But there is something happening in the hills. Something that, you can't help hoping, will regenerate a club that holds a more important place in the lives of its fans than the NRL does for those in wealthier areas.

Rabbitoh Warrior, as he likes to be called, a passionate Souths fan. Source: News Limited

It's still hard to tell what the Storm means to Melbourne. They are certainly respected and should Melburnians realise Cameron Smith is thinking about leaving, I'm sure they would hope the well regarded skipper stays.

But Melbourne – outside the team's loyal bunch of supporters - has never universally loved a Storm player. Not like Sydney once loved Plugger Lockett. Maybe they will love George Rose.

Even the most myopic AFL-centric Melburnian won't miss him. Gorgeous George will be a cult hero in a team replete with legends. But, pound for pound, maybe the best marketing vehicle the club has had.

The Storm visit Manly in the first game. The refereeing department has had an overhaul. Fans of Geoff Toovey's hyperbolic post-match oratory hope the whistleblowers don't get everything right.

The Burrow unveil a banner celebrating Nathan Merritt's 200th game. Source: News Limited

Toovey was the surprise hit of the 2013 season. At once passionate, savvy, heartwarming and just a decent half from clinching the premiership. Toovey might be the best – and the first – reason to hope Manly don't finish last.

What do we make of Cronulla? Besides a prosperous franchise in coastal Queensland?

Suspended coach Shane Flanagan's appearance at a trial game was ill-advised because it drew attention to the club's past problems as it attempts to move on. How can Flanagan preach self-sacrifice to his players when he won't sacrifice an afternoon in a corporate box for the Sharks' greater good?

Last year an entire season was overshadowed by the Sharks' murky dealings. This one deserves to be played out in a bright spotlight.

*Yes, I know, the Storm had to give two back.

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Hiddink ‘next Netherlands coach’

Guus Hiddink said he is already putting together a team of assistants to coach the Dutch team. Source: Yves Logghe / AP

GUUS Hiddink says he will be the next Netherlands coach, taking over from Louis van Gaal after the World Cup.

The Netherlands Football Association has not yet confirmed Hiddink's appointment, but in a Friday night radio interview he said he is already putting together a team of assistants.

Van Gaal has rebuilt the Dutch team since its disastrous group stage exit at the 2012 European Championship and Hiddink says more improvements are possible.

"I think we can get much more out of them," he said.

Hiddink coached the national team from 1995-98, leading a young and talented squad to the semi-finals of the 1998 World Cup in France, where they lost on penalties to Brazil.

The now 67 year old took South Korea to the 2002 World Cup and Australia to the 2006 edition where the Socceroos achieved their best results.

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Tahs bite back at mouthy Reds

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WARATAHS coach Michael Cheika strayed from NSW's tactic of letting shoulders do the talking against Queensland Reds, sniping back at their rivals' lippy confidence ahead of their clash tonight in Sydney.

In days gone by the lead-up to a NSW-Queensland match was awash with spicy verbal battles and insults, and one Waratahs official even kept a whiteboard checklist to tick off the barbs coming from north of the border.

NSW usually gave back as good as they got but curiously, given they still have plenty of empty seats to sell at ANZ Stadium, the Tahs have this week have deliberately kept a low profile as the Reds did their part and fired off some half-volleys.

The Reds have reminded NSW they've won their last five games, talked up their speedy loose forwards and said they'd be out to turn up the pressure on the "February champions" by knocking them off a sixth time.

The Queensland confidence clearly hasn't been missed and yesterday it finally elicited a response.

Asked on Friday for reaction to suggestions the Reds' pack could run rings around the bulkier NSW forwards, Cheika said: "They have got their analysis and the way they do it. I have heard them talking about it."

"There have been a few different theories of how they have got the wood on us, they've won a few games in a row or they're lighter or Liam Gill is better than Michael Hooper on the ground or Quade (Cooper) is better than (Bernard) Foley," Cheika said.

Michael Hooper during the Waratahs captain's run at Moore Park on Friday. Picture: Brett Costello Source: News Corp Australia

"At the moment they're probably right. We just have to prove them wrong."

Cheika was a blood-and-thunder player in his day and spoke about restoring the "hatred" for Queensland when first appointed.

Though he was well versed in the dark arts, when asked if he encouraged old-school fire-and-brimstone in the NSW-Queensland game, Cheika said all the mongrel had to be delivered cleanly.

"It's very difficult now. It's very clean isn't it?" Cheika said.

"The game has 50 million video cameras over it and it's nearly impossible to do anything anymore. So it all has to be delivered in the tackle, in the ruck contest, in the scrum, maul, any opportunity you can to get the contact."

Cheika, who added he no worries about his pack's mobility and fitness, said despite the added frequency of interstate games he was pleased to see a "different type of concentration and energy around this week".

"It's about the same intensity you deliver (in every game), but you need to just turn the dial up a notch or two because it's Queensland," he said.

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Stand-in captain Michael Hooper also shot down talk of the Reds having an advantage at the breakdown, with Stephen Hoiles replacing injured skipper Dave Dennis and Jacques Potgieter looming with malicious intent.

"It's great having … someone like Potgieter who does damage. You don't really want to put your head in rucks if he's coming at you," Hooper said.

Forecast wet weather won't affect the NSW game plan, said coach and captain.

"We are comfortable with the way we're playing so we're going to run. Maybe holding back and not pushing passes, but that's about it," Hooper said.

Cheika added: "We'll just make a few wet weather adjustments, we certainly won't be going to a kicking game, it's not in our arsenal."

Asked if the hatred still existed for Queensland, Hooper pointed to the fortunes of NSW in a rival code to answer in the affirmative.

"They have won enough State of Origins recently, we need to get one back on them," he joked.

"There's enough hatred there, definitely."

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Slater backs surfing in Olympics

American surfer Kelly Slater. Source: GAIZKA IROZ / AFP

KELLY Slater thinks surfing as an Olympic sport is a swell idea but suspects time is running out for him to be marching for the US at an opening ceremony.

Surfing is increasingly being perceived as an attractive addition to the Olympic program in the wake of snowboardings incredible popularity at the Winter Olympics.

Slater, in Australia for the Quiksilver Pro opener of the ASP World Tour on the Gold Coast, said the surfing community is divided about the sport entering the Olympic arena but he welcomes the move and believes wave pools are surfing's way onto the Games program.

The 2024 Olympics is the major target for surfing chiefs, potentially too late for the likes of the 11-time world champion and sports greatest ever competitor.

"My window of pushing myself is closing. At some point you can get too old to care or be relevant," said Slater who will be in his 50s in 2024 but is still regarded as one of the sports greatest at 42.

"If we have the right way to run the events, like maybe a really good quality wave pool, it would be possible to run fair events at all locations in the world.

"If we get the right wave pool technology that is probably the go-to for having surfing at the Olympics. Nothing replaces nature but is could be a good supplement. "

Fernando Aguerre, president of the International Surfing Association, was at the Winter Games in Sochi pushing his sports bid for Games inclusion.

Next year the IOC will draw up a list of around 30 sports that will be considered for inclusion at the 2024 Games with a final decision on who gets in made in 2017.

"I think there are people who are headstrong for and against it," Slater told The Daily Telegraph from the Quiksilver Pro on Friday.

"We have a world tour that each year determines who is the best but as far as the Olympics go you are surfing for your country. There is national pride involved.

"It is a world sport stage. It is a different thing to be exposed o and and it would add a completely different element to the sport, pressure and criticism and all that.

"I would probably welcome it."

Slater is the defending Quiksilver Pro champion with the competition expected to kick off either Saturday or Sunday.

* The writer travelled courtesy of the ASP

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How Waugh helped Turner join Reds

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PHIL Waugh will have mixed feelings if Lachie Turner scores a matchwinner for Queensland against the Waratahs at ANZ Stadium.

For one of NSW's fiercest ever warriors, a loss to the Reds will burn just as much as ever but as a good friend of Turner, there will be a hint of happiness as well.

Waugh, as it turns out, was one of the few confidants Turner approached last year when he was weighing up a move from long-time club NSW to Queensland.

Having spent the majority of the past two seasons out injured and with an uncertain future ahead under Michael Cheika, Turner has been offered a new start at the Reds by coach Richard Graham.

He looked to Waugh for the nod, despite knowing how many litres of blood his old captain had spilt in battles with the northern enemy.

"It's like with any mate. I will always bleed blue but when a mate is asking your opinion on something like that, you have to take the emotion out of it from days gone by and think about your mate, and think about "right, what's the best for you?"," Waugh said.

The short answer from Waugh was "go for it".

"What comes with experience is probably a little bit more life knowledge and I think for Lachie it was more of a life decision, and stepping out of his comfort zone to get back to his best," Waugh continued.

Phil Waugh was one of NSW's fiercest ever warriors. Source: News Limited

"By moving out of Sydney to a different province, not necessarily Queensland, it would take him out of his comfort zone.

"He'd obviously had a couple of unfortunate injuries and didn't really get the opportunity on the field, and in a lot of ways it was about rediscovering his form, and himself, and having the drive and ambition to fight hard for a spot and a new start.

"His opportunity in NSW, as he saw it, was limited. So going to Queensland, or another province, gave him that new start."

Free of leg injuries that saw him miss most of 2012-13, Turner's debut for the Reds last weekend against the Brumbies was a belter. He scored a try and saved two in defence.

It set up an intriguing rematch on Saturday night with the Waratahs — for whom he played 71 times after debuting as a teen in 2007 — but Turner has attempted to keep his headspace clear of the significance. He imposed a media ban on himself this week, and declined an interview request by the Daily Telegraph.

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Waugh has every confidence in Turner being able to return to his best, and even add to his 15 Wallaby caps.

"I thought his debut game for the Reds was excellent. His body looks good and he will only get better," Waugh said.

"In sport, everyone has short memories. He'd had some terrific games for the Wallabies in Europe at the end of 2011; that one game against Wales in particular.

"The unfortunate part as an athlete, when you are injured, is sometimes you forget that as well. For much of it, it was just about getting his body right and then having the self-belief that if his body was right, he can be one of the best wingers in Australia."

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SCG turned major league ballpark

A baseball diamond is installed at the SCG for the MLB opening series. pic mark evans Source: Mark Evans / News Corp Australia

MURRAY Cook shares a name with a Wiggle but his life's work may well have been the basis for one of Kevin Costner's characters.

Or, more accurately, that famous Costner line in the 1989 baseball movie Field of Dreams: "If you build it, they will come".

Cook has been the official field consultant for Major League Baseball for over 20 years, and after building baseball fields in 45 countries worldwide, the guru yesterday unveiled his latest effort in Sydney.

The Sydney Cricket Ground was revealed as a fledgling ballpark after Tom Parker and his groundskeepers — using the precise measurements of Cook — cut the diamond to be used in next month's historic MLB season opener.

Over the course of the next 18 days, the famous cricket ground will be entirely transformed for the series of matches between the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Australian baseball team.

a baseball diamond is installed at the SCG for the MLB opening series. pic mark evans Source: News Corp Australia

It is nothing short of an epic construction.

MLB venues must meet extremely specific standards for consistency, and given an approved clay/soil mix for the infield and nine-tonne pitchers mound couldn't be found in Australia, 250 tonnes of it was imported from San Diego in 11 shipping containers.

Parker's men tore up 3560 square metres of the SCG surface to install the infield, and the warning track, which is made of 300 tonnes of crushed terracotta and lets players know they're headed for a fence.

None of it would have happened, however, without the construction of the new Bradman stand, in front of which the home plate will sit.

"We have been trying to come here a long time, actually," said Cook.

"When we came a few years ago, we were going to be put it (the diamond) on that side in front of the Brewongle Stand. But the slope on the cricket field was too steep and they couldn't change it.

"So when they said: "well, we're going to put up the new stand, the slope might work. We checked and found it was closer, so it all moved forward.

a baseball diamond is installed at the SCG for the MLB opening series. pic mark evans Source: News Corp Australia

"We have such specific requirements of the level of the infield, and that's what we really had to shoot for here, getting that infield level, which we did."

So intertwined was the new Bradman Stand with the baseball adventure, foundations for the dugouts were drawn into the plans and were built after the Ashes Test.

In Parker and his crew, Cook at least has a cluey workforce. He has encountered all sorts in baseball's global march.

"I was in the USSR back in 1989, when it was still a Communist country. We built fields there," Cook said.

"Beijing Olympics in 2008 I was teaching 140 volunteers that didn't know where first base was. Because they just didn't know the sport.

"Here, it is different. It's been great, we've had great support."

a baseball diamond is installed at the SCG for the MLB opening series. pic mark evans Source: News Corp Australia

Parker's men will have six days to re-turf the SCG after the baseball circus moves on, with the NRL Heritage Round on a week later.

Until then, it's "an really interesting and enjoyable" ride for the veteran groundskeeper, who hasn't seen his old lady change identity like this before.

He will be asked for advice on wind conditions, too, with Diamondbacks and Dodgers hitters already keen to know if they'll have wind at their backs when trying to land home runs in the Trumper and Brewongle stands.

"There could be a nice tailwind from the northern end, and they're hitting that way to the south. So yep, that'd good for them," Parker says.

Soon it will be built by Cook, and the people are definitely coming. There are only 1000 tickets left on sale.

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Count Folau in for hybrid game

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DUAL-code superstar Israel Folau has declared his interest in the mooted hybrid match between the Wallabies and England rugby league team later this year.

Folau believes the idea of the hybrid union and league game would "attract a lot of fans" from both sports.

As a star of league and union, Folau would be the player most likely to succeed in a hybrid game and would also be the most obvious choice to market the contest, tentatively floated for December 6 at Wembley Stadium as organisers attempt to land a UK broadcasting deal.

"I think it would be a pretty good concept," Folau said.

"It would certainly be good for the fans, for them it would be interesting.

Israel Folau would be keen to play a hybrid game against the England rugby league team. Source: Getty Images

"I'm certainly up for it, I wouldn't mind being a part of that.

"It would be a good test, and a good challenge for both games to try to adapt to the two different games.

"I think it would be a lot of fun and you'd attract a lot of fans to watching the game."

The game would fuse the rules of union and league while incorporating new parameters, such as the introduction of a "shot clock".

League rules apply in a team's own half, and union rules are used in the attacking half. Each team has 60 seconds to get over halfway, and then another 60 seconds to score points once in the opposition half, with the shot clock timer restarting once teams cross the halfway line.

There will be an exhibition hybrid match held at Hitchcock Park in Avalon on March 15, organised by former Wallabies coach Bob Dwyer and playmaking legend Mark Ella, both who are part of the campaign to stage the Wallabies versus English league hybrid game.

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Meanwhile, Folau has backed NSW State of Origin powerhouse Andrew Fifita to make a successful switch to rugby if he chooses to quit the NRL.

The off-contract Fifita has been strongly linked to a code switch, and was in the stands last Sunday to watch Folau score three tries for the Waratahs at Allianz Stadium.

"I think he's a great player," Folau said.

"They're two different games, rugby league and rugby union, but he's a great footballer and I'm sure if he decides to come across he'd be good enough to go well."

Folau also welcomed news of South Sydney star Sam Burgess's decision to join English rugby at the end of the NRL season, while also giving a strong indication that he intends to remain in the 15-man game long term.

"I'm really focused on myself and enjoying my time here," Folau said.

Sharks NRL player Andrew Fifita has been linked with rugby union. Picture: Brett Costello Source: News Corp Australia

"For whatever reasons those guys are thinking about coming across, they've obviously got different reasons.

"Sam Burgess deciding to come across as well, I think it's good for the game.

"All the best to them for their transition.

"I was lucky enough that when I was playing rugby league, I managed to achieve my goals within two years.

"For me coming across to rugby, I want to be the best I can in the game, and I want to play at the highest level.

"I got to do that last year with the Wallabies but one year is not long enough for me. I want to keep doing that from year to year, experience different things, the World Cup is coming up next year.

"I want to work really hard to be a part of that.

"After that, I don't look too far ahead. I'm just thinking about this year right now."

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Cheika works magic for titanic clash

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THE combative Michael Cheika has not yet given his rip-the-Reds-apart speech in 13 months as NSW coach. It's coming tomorrow night.

Cheika is a wonderful addition to rugby's coaching landscape in Australia because he gets how important the fierce Queensland-NSW rivalry is.

He had two shots at Queensland last year as a first-year coach and on neither occasion did he start tearing up his Reds voodoo doll in front of his players.

Round 2 with a new team was too early and Round 20 was too late because the clash was ridiculously downgraded by being scheduled a week after the British and Irish Lions megatour.

A boiling speech evoking past NSW deeds against Queensland would have fizzed because his new hot-and-very cold Waratahs outfit was still forming an identity.

"You can only make those type of speeches once or twice a year," Cheika said.

"Before you evoke all the history you have to clearly identify with the past and it's now that we are building that as a running team in the tradition of NSW.''

Cheika has skipped generations to attach the Tahs identity with the vibrant teams of Nick Farr-Jones, Simon Poidevin, Steve Tuynman and co in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Randwick product Cheika loved Poidevin's passion for the annual stoushes with Tony Shaw in the old days.

"Rugby fans need a strong rivalry between all our provinces but especially between NSW and Queensland,'' Cheika said.

"It should be an event not just rugby followers connect to.''

Cheika coached Dublin side Leinster to trophy success in Ireland over Limerick's Munster in a rivalry which is as fierce as Queensland-NSW.

"When I was at Leinster, Munster was the dominant partner and they schooled us for a while,'' Cheika said.

"The Reds have dominated us. It's pretty clear they are ahead of us. It's up to us to master them. If we can, we know we'll be at the top of the tree somewhere.''

The Reds should be wary of Israel Folau but more concerned that the Waratahs' attitude has been transformed by Cheika. The coach and his men are mad for a scalp.

Just listen to the dressingroom walls quaking at ANZ Stadium in Sydney before kick-off on Saturday night.

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Pup: our biggest game of summer

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TEST cricket does not get any better than this.

The third Test against South Africa, beginning in Cape Town tomorrow, shapes as one of the biggest Tests of my decade-long career.

We all know the Ashes is special and to beat England 5-0 was amazing.

But to be lining up for the deciding Test of a delicately balanced series against the top-ranked team in their own back yard is as exciting as this game gets.

Shane Watson is hoping to return to the Test team after overcoming a calf injury. Source: Getty Images

It is a wonderful opportunity for us to finish the summer on a high.

I'm so proud of what the guys have achieved over the last few months and hope we can continue that at Newlands.

South Africa proved what a great team they are by coming back hard in Port Elizabeth but it was only a week earlier that we had a strong victory at Centurion Park, so we know that if we play our best cricket we can beat them.

It's been attacking, high-quality cricket from two very competitive teams that has seen both Tests finish in four days.

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The intensity of the cricket against South Africa has never been any different.

The last time we came here two and a half years ago the series was tied at one-all after two remarkable Tests but sadly there was no decider.

This time there is and we can't wait.

Exactly what conditions we will face in Cape Town remain a bit of a mystery. Traditionally it has helped seam bowlers, but with South Africa comfortably winning in Port Elizabeth on a dry, grassless wicket I'm not quite sure what to expect.

Shane Warne speaks to Nathan Lyon during an Australian nets session at Newlands. Source: Getty Images

There was such a contrast between what we faced in Centurion Park during the first Test and more recently in Port Elizabeth that predicting how a pitch will play can be fraught with danger, particularly during the days leading into the Test.

The Port Elizabeth pitch had a lot of patchy, tufty grass on it until midway through the day before the match, when it was shaved off.

Centurion Park proved to be a dangerous pitch that was up and down and helped raw pace.

The bottom line is that the conditions are the same for both sides.

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Adapting to a variety of surfaces on away tours is one of the most important aspects of being a successful international player and team.

We adapted well at Centurion Park but failed to do the same in Port Elizabeth.

How we handle the Newlands pitch will have a major bearing on whether or not we win the series.

One of the most pleasing things for me is that we have a fully fit squad to choose from after a few hiccups earlier in the tour, meaning we have a variety of options for whatever conditions are presented.

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There has been some discussion about my lean trot.

As captain and the team's most senior batsman it is up to me to lead the way. I haven't done that recently, but there is no better time than this Test to lead from the front given what is at stake.

I've been working hard and doing extra training sessions to be sure I'm as ready as I can be for this Test.

I am excited for the team that we have put ourselves in a position to win this series.

In my opinion, this is our biggest game of the summer.

If this does not excite you as a player you are in the wrong place.

The third Test can't start soon enough.

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Marquez to miss Phillip Island test

MotoGP champion Marc Marquez will miss Phillip Island. Source: Lai Seng Sin / AP

HONDA'S Marc Marquez said he would miss next week's Phillip Island test due to his broken leg.

Marquez, who is also absent from Malaysia's Sepang circuit this week, said his surgeon had advised him against taking "unnecessary risk" so that he is fit for the season's opening race on March 23.

The 21-year-old Spaniard, who last year became the youngest rider ever to win the world title and the first rookie in 35 years, suffered the broken leg during dirt bike training last week in Spain.

"I'm obviously disappointed that I'm not in Sepang at the moment and to miss Phillip Island is also unfortunate," Marquez said in a statement.

"So I will take time to rest and get myself as fit as possible to return to Qatar for the first race."

Since 2009 no premier-class rider has won the MotoGP title back-to-back.

It came as teammate Dani Pedrosa set the pace on day two of MotoGP testing in Malaysia.

Marc Marquez (L) and Dani Pedrosa (R).

It was a solid run for Pedrosa, who is seeking to capture an elusive first MotoGP world title, after hitting the top of the time sheet in 2 minutes 00.039 seconds and ahead of Yamaha pair Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo.

"My performance today was better than yesterday. The bike was stable on the corner. We will work on the rear tyre tomorrow," Pedrosa said.

But the Spaniard's best lap time was 0.5 seconds slower than the marker set down by Marquez in the previous Sepang test as riders again complained the track was greasy forcing the 22 riders to throttle back.

Yamaha's Aleix Espargaro who dominated early testing came in second at 2:00.320 while Honda's Alvaro Bautista who posted the fastest time on day one of a test session in this notoriously tricky circuit was in third position — 0.461 seconds behind Pedrosa.

Nine-time Italian world champion Rossi came in fourth, 0.566 seconds slower than rival Pedrosa.

Ducati's Andrea Dovizioso who came in fifth with a time of 2:00.787 was again the fastest in the Italian team.

Lorenzo — a two-time MotoGP champion — came ninth with 2:01.049.

The current session ends on Friday. Another three-day session follows at Phillip Island from Monday, followed by another at Qatar's Losail circuit.

The new season kicks off at Losail on March 23. Malaysia will host the championship on October 26.

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Live ACL blog: Guangzhou v Victory

FOLLOW our live and interactive blog as Melbourne Victory travels to China to face Guangzhou Evergrande in the Asian Champions League.

The Chinese powerhouse is led by World Cup winning coach Marcelo Lippi and is the reigning ACL champion.

Catch all the action tonight on Fox Sports 2 HD from 11.00pm or follow it in our live blog below.

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Sarota moves step closer to dream

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FORMER Brisbane midfielder Adam Sarota is a step closer to the ultimate reward for his recovery from a career-threatening knee injury – a place in Australia's World Cup squad.

The 25-year-old Cairns product, 25, was one of six Queenslanders named by Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou in a 23-man national squad for next Thursday's friendly against Ecuador in London.

Joining the Sunshine State contingent of Sarota, his FC Utrecht teammate Tommy Oar, Matt McKay, Mitch Langerak, Dario Vidosic and Ben Halloran is Brisbane Roar's Melbourne-raised right fullback Ivan Franjic.

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As expected, long-time skipper Lucas Neill, who only this week joined English second-tier club Watford after a long spell of inactivity, was left out, as was experienced trio Mark Bresciano, Josh Kennedy and Brett Holman.

Postecoglou stressed they all remained in contention for Australia's preliminary 30-man World Cup squad which will be named in May.

Postecoglou also left no doubt that the squad named for next week's clashEcuador was the first step in building the next golden generation for Australian football.

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"There is a need to balance experimentation and experience to achieve this,'' Postecoglou said.

"The Ecuador game gives this group of players an opportunity to stake a claim for the World Cup. They have been rewarded for playing consistent and strong football and shows that age and limited international experience are not barriers to opportunity.''

Former Gold Coast United and Roar attacker Halloran (Fortuna Dusseldorf), defenders Chris Herd (Aston Villa), Curtis Good (Dundee United) and midfielder Massimo Luongo (Swindon Town) are uncapped members of the squad.

Sarota is also inexperienced at national level with three caps, most recently in September 2012 under Holger Osieck.

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He damaged his cruciate ligament during a Dutch first-division game for Utrecht against Willem II days before he was to link with the Socceroos squad for a friendly against Romania. He had a knee reconstruction which kept him sidelined until three months ago.

Since then, Sarota has done enough to be in Postecoglou's World Cup selection plans.

"I watched Adam and Tommy (Oar) play against Ajax when I was there (in Holland) and you can tell he's slowly getting back into things,'' Postecoglou said.

"He's very highly rated at Utrecht. It's great to see him playing regular football."

Roar pair Franjic and McKay will travel to London after playing tomorrow nightagainst Perth Glory at Suncorp Stadiumin Brisbane.

"I have to keep form in the A-League,'' said Franjic, who is set to earn his seventh cap next week. "This is when you definitely want to be part of the Socceroos squad.''

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Cold, hard facts of Antarctic bid

Solo yachtswoman Lisa Blair aims to set a sailing record around Antarctica. Source: Barbara Yendell / News Corp Australia

IN space no one can hear you scream. In the vast vacuum between the southern tip of Tasmania and the ice floes of the Antarctic no one will be able to see Lisa Blair's jaw drop, either, as nature's agonising beauty makes her gasp in pain.

Lisa grew up on the Sunshine Coast and hadn't seen snow until two years ago. That's when a great white curtain came down onto the mountainous waves of the Southern Ocean as her yacht roared over them like a big-wave surfer on the ultimate high..

It was so cold she couldn't feel her fingers; couldn't feel her toes except for an excruciating burn as though she was standing on a hotplate instead of a heaving deck.

On December 14, Lisa hopes to celebrate her 30th birthday by sailing out of Albany, Western Australia to set a record-breaking course around Antarctica for 90 days. She wants to become the first woman to circumnavigate the frozen continent, solo, unaided and unassisted.

Only two men have performed the feat and she plans to shave 12 days off the 2008 record of Fedor Konyukhov, a Russian artist and Orthodox priest who looks like mad monk Rasputin and attacks long-distance pilgrimages to the South Pole, North Pole and the summit of Mount Everest with religious zeal.

He once rowed across the Atlantic Ocean and as Lisa prepares to chase his Antarctic record Fedor is in a row boat dodging sharks, whales and tankers on his 200-day odyssey across the Pacific from Chile to Brisbane.

Lisa reckons she can top his time for the 16,400 nautical mile Antarctic voyage by averaging 7.5 knots non-stop for three months. She says she might occasionally hit 28 knots with the teeth of the wind snapping at her stern and on a good day will churn through 300km of the world's coldest, roughest water.

She will face perils, pitfalls and savage snowstorms as gale force winds whip through her cold, wet clothes. Condensation will build up in her cabin like rain and she will be in constant danger of a terrible, lonely death amid 30m waves. Aaaaaannd loving it.

"The fact it is so hard, so challenging is what grabs me,'' she says. "There will be extreme conditions but I'm prepared for whatever Antarctica throws at me.''

Lisa's parents had their honeymoon in Nepal and her childhood holidays were spent hiking across Fraser Island and cycling across wide stretches of Australia.

In 2005, during her summer holidays from visual arts and education studies at Lismore's Southern Cross University, she took a job as a yacht hostess in the Whitsundays.

"That's where I fell in love with sailing," she says.

She and three friends then took 12 weeks to sail from Samoa to Hawaii in a 40-footer and when 16-yeat-old Jessica Watson completed her circumnavigation of the globe in 2010, Lisa tossed in her job in a jewellery shop at Maroochydore's Sunshine Plaza for life on the high seas.

With just $20 in her pocket she pledged $80,000 to be part of the crew on a 68-foot boat called Gold Coast Australia contesting the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race.

She raised the money for her entry fee partly by cycling from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast and organising raffles at pubs along the way.

Finally she sailed out of Southampton on July 31, 2011 and for the next year she and her crew under skipper Richard Hewson led the 10-boat fleet around the globe, including a stretch across the freezing Southern Ocean. For the past eight months she has been skipper of a yacht in the Whitsundays but she has moved back to the Sunshine Coast to prepare for her great race with the help of Bruce Arm, a former boat builder who helped Jessica Watson's campaign.

Lisa is entered in the solo trans-Tasman yacht race which leaves New Plymouth, New Zealand on April 20 bound for Mooloolaba and she hopes to raise money to charter a yacht for the event while she waits to find the perfect 50-foot Antarctic vessel.

"We're looking at spending $200,000-$300,000 for the Antarctic boat and then another $100,000 strengthening it," she says, "but raising the money is as tough as the race."

Lisa remembers how the Australian navy was sent to pluck the stricken English sailor Tony Bullimore out of the Southern Ocean in 1997. She says they won't be needed this time.

"I'm going a lot further south than him," she says, "and I'll be prepared as best I can for any emergency.

"If something does go wrong there's probably no point in sending anyone out to rescue me, anyway.

"I'll be so far south I'll probably freeze to death before help arrives."

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It’s finally Sal’s time to shine

Sally Fitzgibbons is believed to be dating St George Illawarra rugby league player Trent Merrin. Source: Supplied

SURFING star Sally Fitzgibbons will carry a busted hand and a mended heart into this weekend's season-opening Roxy Pro on the Gold Coast.

The world No. 3 broke two fingers on her left hand in a run-in with a jet ski during a surfing session last month and has been racing the clock in a bid to be fit for the Roxy, which kicks off an expanded 10-leg world tour.

The perennial world title bridesmaid is putting the heartbreak of near misses behind her with the support of a new boyfriend, believed to be St George Illawarra rugby league player Trent Merrin.

Fitzgibbons had her hand in a cast for a few weeks before having a splint shaped to mould around her hand.

She will shed the splint for the Pro, instead competing with her hand heavily strapped.

Speaking on the Gold Coast on Wednesday, she said her preparation had been far from ideal in a year when she finally hopes to stamp her mark on the women's tour.

"It's been a really fiddly one, so it's been pretty frustrating," she said.

"I've been surfing with a splint for the last couple of weeks, but it's been pretty tricky."

It is another setback for the perpetually bubbly Fitzgibbons, who was widely tipped for the world title last year only to finish third, putting a dampener on her documentary Sally: Behind the Smile, which has just been released.

"A crew followed me around last year and it would have been great to have had them there to capture me winning the world title, but it wasn't to be," she said.

The Illawarra 23-year-old, who has three times finished second in the world title race before last year's third, said she was drawing inspiration from the late-blooming Joel Parkinson in her title quest.

Parkinson endured four runner-up finishes before finally nailing his first world title two years ago at 31.

"You look at guys like Parko (Parkinson), who are just like gladiators the way they keep coming back,'' she said.

"You're pretty heartbroken when you get runner-up but you can draw inspiration from those guys.''

A broken heart is not something affecting Fitzgibbons, who remained coy about her new beau's identity, although she said he was "not really into surfing''.

"That's kind of refreshing because it puts everything into perspective," she said.

"We grew up in the same area. It's often hard to keep something going when you are away so much, but so far it's pretty good.''

Sally: Behind the Smile, 5.30pm Sunday on GO

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