Rebels overpower Force in style

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Entertaining ... Rebels defenders try to tackle Force flyer Alfi Mafi. Source: Justin Benson-Cooper / News Limited

Western Force lock Hugh McMeniman injured his shoulder as the Melbourne Rebels snapped a five-game losing streak with a 30-23 Super Rugby triumph at nib Stadium on Saturday night.

The Rebels opened up a 15-0 lead inside 20 minutes, but had to hold off a fierce Force fightback to secure their second win of the season and jump off the bottom of the Australian conference.

3 Tries 4
Winston Stanley 33'	Hugh Pyle 8'
Will Tupou 59'	Jason Woodward 18'
Pat Dellit 66'	Richard Kingi 49'
	Jason Woodward 69'
1 Conversions 2
Kyle Godwin 60'	James O'Connor 20'
	James O'Connor 71'
2 Penalties 2
Sias Ebersohn 39'	James O'Connor 13'
Sias Ebersohn 40'	James O'Connor 58'

Winger Jason Woodward scored a brace, including a beautiful chip-and-chase try in the 70th minute, while Hugh Pyle and winger Richard Kingi also went over for the visitors in the bonus-point win.

Not only did the result relegate the Force to last in the Australian conference, but they face a nervous wait to determine the extent of McMeniman's injury.

McMeniman, who had rocketed into Wallabies contention after a great start to the season, was forced off in the 42nd minute after copping a big hit to the top of his left shoulder.

The 29-year-old struggled to move his arm as he received treatment on the bench, with initial reports suggesting he may have injured his AC joint.peThe Force also lost five-eighth Sias Ebersohn early in the second half after he was accidentally headbutted by teammate Heath Tessman.

Force coach Michael Foley said he wasn't sure about the seriousness of McMeniman's injury.

"It's an AC injury, so it could be reasonably minor. But we won't know for 24 hours.''

Ebersohn (head), Alfie Mafi (hamstring cramping), prop Kieran Longbottom (head) and Salesi Ma'afu (knee) also suffered injuries.

The home side was left shellshocked early as the Rebels unleashed a flurry of attacking plays that resulted in tries to Pyle and Woodward.

Woodward's try came in comical fashion, with the winger able to stroll over untouched after Force fullback Will Tupou slipped over as he attempted to collect a grubber kick.

But the Force recovered to take control of the game, and levelled the scores up at 23-all in the 66th minute when Pat Dellit got on the end of Winston Stanley's well-weighted grubber.

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Re-live the entertaining battle between the Force and Rebels with our Super Rugby Match Centre, featuring video highlights.

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But man-of-the-match Woodward produced a piece of magic of his own just four minutes later to swing the momentum back Melbourne's way, with his deft chip opening up the Force's defence.

Former Force star James O'Connor missed a penalty in the dying minutes that would have made the game safe, but the Rebels survived a string of 15 phases from the Force after the final siren to secure victory.

"We toughed out a really good win. To finish off the tour with that effort was exceptionally pleasing,'' Rebels coach Damien Hill said.

"Every team goes through ups and downs, and it's about how you bounce back and what your reaction is. It was left up to those 22 players today and they did a tremendous job.''

Wallabies winger Cooper Vuna, who was sent home from the Rebels' recent tour of South Africa after getting into a punch-up with teammate Kurtley Beale, was introduced into the fray straight after half-time.

The Rebels have now won five of their six encounters against the Force, with two of those coming this season.

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Hewitt, Ebden secure doubles win

Double delight ... Australia win an epic double Davis Cup match. Source: Marcus Brandt / AAP

Australia hold all the aces heading into the final day of their crunch Davis Cup tie against Uzbekistan after Lleyton Hewitt and Matt Ebden secured a gutsy five-set doubles win on Friday.

The pair defeated Denis Istomin and Farrukh Dustov 7-5 6-7 (4-7) 6-4 3-6 6-3 on clay in Namangan to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five tie.

It left Australia needing to win only one of Sunday's two reverse singles matches to progress to September's World Group playoffs, where they would earn a shot at returning to the competition's top tier for the first time since 2007.

Bernard Tomic can wrap it up if he beats Uzbek No.1 Istomin in the first match, while Hewitt would likely come in to face Dustov if the tie goes to a deciding fifth rubber.

Australian captain Pat Rafter spared Hewitt from Friday's singles, with Marinko Matosevic losing in four sets to Istomin after Tomic won the opening rubber against Dustov.

With both Uzbek players backing up from tough singles battles, the first-time Davis Cup pairing of Hewitt and Ebden had the advantage of being the fresher duo at the Pahlavon Sport Complex.

Still, the home team came out strong and broke Hewitt's serve in the third game of the opening set.

But the Australian pair fought back to 3-3 and pounced on Istomin's service game at 6-5 to take the first set.

The home side rallied to take the second in a tiebreak but another crucial break on Istomin's serve late in the third set allowed Australia to go 2-1 up.

Istomin and Dustov fought back to send the match to a deciding set but Hewitt and Ebden displayed brilliant fight in the fifth.

They secured a crucial early break, from 0-40 down, and showed nerves of steel in holding off the Uzbeks, with a crucial hold from 0-40 down on Hewitt's serve to reach 5-2.

Ebden had battled illness in the days leading up to the match but still showed the form that helped him to a mixed doubles grand slam title at the Australian Open.

He preserved an unbeaten Davis Cup record while record breaker Hewitt improved his doubles record in the competition to 14-3.

Ebden paid tribute to Hewitt after the match, saying the veteran helped to inspire him in the deciding set.

"Rusty was incredible. He really showed me how to win a fifth set,'' Ebden said.

"He got super pumped, definitely led me and came up with some big points.

"It was a good quality match and such an important one to win.''

Hewitt felt the decision to miss the opening singles had worked out perfectly and said Australia would also benefit from keeping Istomin and Dustov on court for almost four hours.

"You really have to try and be as fresh as possible going into the key matches and that was the thinking,'' Hewitt said.

"It's nice we can keep them out there a long time today for five sets but Matty and I felt pretty fresh which is good.''

Rafter paid tribute to both sides, admitting he was surprised with how Uzbekistan kept fighting.

"It was one of the best doubles matches I've ever seen,'' Rafter said.

"... It was a match that went a long time and that sets us up well for tomorrow but we've got to get the job done, no complacency.''

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Bombers bury sorry Dees

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Comprehensive ... Jobe Watson and his Essendon team mates were one step ahead of Melbourne all night. Source: JOE CASTRO / AAP

Essendon showed no mercy to the hapless Demons, routing Mark Neeld's embattled side by 148 points on the MCG.

And Melbourne AFL supporters thought they were bad last week.

6.2 (38)	Q1	2.1 (13)
13.6 (84)	Q2	4.5 (29)
21.11 (137)	Q3	5.5 (35)
28.16 (184)	Q4	5.6 (36)

Stewart Crameri 6	Aaron Davey 2
Tom Bellchambers 4	Mitchell Clark 1
Jobe Watson 3	Jack Grimes 1
Alwyn Davey 2	Nathan Jones 1
Dyson Heppell 2
Ben Howlett 2
Michael Hurley 2
Jackson Merrett 2
Brent Stanton 2
Courtenay Dempsey 1
Brendon Goddard 1
Patrick Ryder 1

For a second successive match, the Demons were uncompetitive and simply appalling in a 148-point hammering by Essendon on Saturday night.

Essendon forward Stewart Crameri booted six goals, ruckman Tom Bellchambers four and midfielders Dyson Heppell and Jobe Watson were outstanding in the 28.16 (184) to 5.6 (36) rout.

As they did in their 79-point season-opening loss to Port Adelaide the previous week, the Demons fell apart completely in the second half.

But this time they were not competitive at any stage, trailing by 55 points at halftime and beaten in every key aspect of the game - especially deficient in their tackling and clearance work.

Coach Mark Neeld is certain to be under further pressure this week as the Demons attempt to make sense of a season in which they believed they would improve, but clearly haven't.

In fact, they may well have regressed.

Any hope Melbourne would fire up after their humiliation the previous week was laid to rest 15 minutes into the match.

The Demons had no answers as Heppell, Watson and David Zaharakis tore them apart in midfield - Heppell having 23 touches to halftime and doing what he liked.

But it was 14 unanswered goals from early in the third term to game's end which showed the depths the Dees are plumbing - the Bombers able to move the ball to goal with embarrassing ease.

Melbourne managed just 1.1 for the second half, and Essendon had 50 more inside-50s for the match.

Masked by the Dees' shambolic efforts was an excellent performance from Essendon - starting the year with a second successive victory to show they have put aside their tumultuous off-season.

They had winners all over the field, nine multiple goalkickers, and their tackle count nearly doubled that of the Demons.

Watson finished with 39 possessions and three goals, while Heppell had 36 touches and two goals.

Defender James Frawley was easily Melbourne's best.

Jack Watts, Melbourne's No.1 draft pick a few seasons ago, was subbed off midway through the third quarter after another ineffective performance.

Essendon took an injury concern away from the match, with Crameri barely playing in the final quarter because of what appeared a knee injury.

Click here to review the stats and scores in the FOX FOOTY Match Centre.

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Port honour fallen mate with victory

OMG! ... Kane Cornes gets a handball away before being tackled by Stephen Coniglio. Source: DAVID MARIUZ / AAP

Port Adelaide crushed Greater Western Sydney by 56 points in an AFL match that was literally a matter of life and death on Saturday night.

The Power honoured their former teammate John McCarthy with a 19.20 (134) to 11.12 (78) victory at AAMI Stadium.

2.5 (17)	Q1	4.4 (28)
8.9 (57)	Q2	6.5 (41)
12.17 (89)	Q3	8.9 (57)
19.20 (134)	Q4	11.12 (78)

Justin Westhoff 5	Jeremy Cameron 3
Chad Wingard 3	Dean Brogan 1
Matthew Broadbent 2	Stephen Coniglio 1
Jake Neade 2	Jonathan Giles 1
Travis Boak 1	Jonathon Patton 1
Brad Ebert 1	Dylan Shiel 1
Hamish Hartlett 1	Devon Smith 1
Kane Mitchell 1	Adam Treloar 1
Cameron O'Shea 1	Lachie Whitfield 1
Jay Schulz 1
Paul Stewart 1

Port vice-captain Brad Ebert epitomised a night of high emotion when, after kicking the match-sealing goal, he repeatedly kissed his black arm-band, worn in respect for his great mate McCarthy.

Moving tributes were held pre-match for McCarthy, who died at a Las Vegas casino complex last September while on an end of season trip with some Power teammates.

McCarthy's Victorian-based family were among the 25,122-strong crowd but the tearful tributes seemingly distracted Port players, who conceded four of the initial five goals.

But Port effectively settled the match with a 15 minute surge in the second quarter which reaped six consecutive goals.

Utility Justin Westhoff was best afield with five goals, Chad Wingard booted three and experienced trio Ebert, Travis Boak and Kane Cornes formed a dominant midfield.

The Giants were well served by skipper Callan Ward and second-gamer Lachie Whitfield while Jeremy Cameron snared three goals.

Cameron kicked two of his majors early as GWS created a 21-point break just 22 minutes into the game.

Port reduced the margin to 11 points at quarter-time and then produced an unheralded second term scoring spree - in less than 14 minutes, the Power scored six goals and held GWS scoreless to take a 25-point break.

But GWS initially refused to buckle.

They were helped in the third term when a wasteful Port logged seven consecutive points, but when the Giants' number one draft pick Whitfield kicked his first AFL goal, the visitors were just 13 points down.

But Port responded in style with eight consecutive goals - including Ebert's effort on the run early in the final term which triggered a wave of McCarthy-induced emotion.

Click here to review the scores and stats in the FOX FOOTY Match Centre.

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Riewoldt's seven paces Richmond

Besties ... Jack Riewoldt and Jake King celebrate Richmond's second straight win to start the season. Source: JOE CASTRO / AAP

The Tigers have opened their season with two consecutive wins for the first time since 1997 with a 17-point victory over St Kilda at the MCG.

The Tigers again looked vulnerable in the final quarter, but kept their nerve to win by 17 points, 14.15 (99) to 12.10 (82).

3.1 (19)	Q1	4.5 (29)
6.6 (42)	Q2	8.10 (58)
11.7 (73)	Q3	12.12 (84)
12.10 (82)	Q4	14.15 (99)

Nick Riewoldt 4	Jack Riewoldt 7
Beau Maister 2	Luke McGuane 2
Ahmed Saad 2	Reece Conca 1
Sam Gilbert 1	Jake King 1
Ben McEvoy 1	Ivan Maric 1
Stephen Milne 1	Chris Newman 1
Rhys Stanley 1	Tyrone Vickery 1

Riewoldt's cousin Nick, the Saints captain, also impressed with four goals.

Richmond captain Trent Cotchin broke a strong tag from Clint Jones to finish with a game-high 31 disposals.

St Kilda won the centre clearances 19-9, but paid for poor ball use in a game that was frequently scrappy.

Jack Riewoldt was goal-less in round one as the Tigers also grimly held off Carlton, but on Friday he was lethal.peSaints ruckman Ben McEvoy dominated, but his star teammate Lenny Hayes had a strangely-quiet night.

While the Tigers have two wins, St Kilda are in early trouble with two losses.

After the game, St Kilda coach Scott Watters revealed that defender Sean Dempster played for three quarters with a broken wrist.

Dempster came off after the initial injury, had the wrist taped and was cleared by medical staff to return to the field.

Watters described Dempster's performance as courageous.

"He was cleared, obviously - we wouldn't put a player back out there if he wasn't cleared by our doc,'' Watters said.

"It was an effort I admire and there were a number of those from our players, despite the fact we lost."

Richmond defenders Dylan Grimes and Steven Morris were outstanding, shutting down the St Kilda small forwards.

After several Saints cramped in last week's Gold Coast heat, they appeared to struggle during the final term when the game was on the line.

Richmond led by 24 points in the third term after Jack Riewoldt kicked his sixth and they were on the verge of putting the game beyond St Kilda.

But Nick Riewoldt kicked the last two goals of the quarter to reduce the margin to 11 points.

Terry Milera and Beau Maister botched scoring chances at the start of the last term before Ahmed Saad's superb kick from an acute angle reduced the margin to just four points.

It would be the Saints' only goal of the last term.

The Saints played Rhys Stanley as a spare tall in defence for the final term and he was nearly the stepladder for Jake King to take the mark of the year.

King, who had a great game in attack, somehow climbed onto Stanley's shoulders, but spilled the ball.

A dubious free kick gave Jack Riewoldt his seventh goal and the Tigers some vital breathing space.

With the Saints pressing at 24 minutes, Reece Conca made an outstanding intercept in the middle of the ground to relieve the pressure.

A minute later, Ivan Maric goalled in his 100th game to seal the win.

Tigers coach Damien Hardwick said leaders such as Riewoldt, Cotchin and Brett Deledio stood up in the frenetic last term.

But he said there was a lot of room for improvement.

"I probably rated our guys a six-and-a-half to seven out of 10 tonight and probably the same last week,'' he said.

"We need to improve another 15 per cent to get to the sides above us.

"While I'm happy to be 2-0, I still know we have an enormous amount of work to do in certain areas of our game.''

Watters said the Saints were filthy at losing, but could not question his team's effort.

"If you look at our side in its entirety, it's wanting just for some polish.

"I can't question their work rate tonight.''

Click here to view all of the stats and scores in the FOX FOOTY Match Centre.

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Broncos beat wounded Titans

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Josh Hoffman ... scores for Brisbane against Gold Coast Titans. Source: adam head / News Limited

Brisbane posted an upset 32-12 win over NRL rivals Gold Coast on Friday night, with former Titans captain Scott Prince extracting some revenge at his old stomping ground.

2 Tries 6
Albert Kelly 14'	Peter Wallace 20'
Beau Falloon 30'	Josh Hoffman 34'
	Matt Gillett 46'
	Justin Hodges 69'
	Andrew McCullough 73'
	Nick Slyney 80'
2 Conversions 4
Greg Bird 15'	Scott Prince 22'
Greg Bird 31'	Scott Prince 47'
	Scott Prince 74'
	Scott Prince 80'

In a local derby arm wrestle that had almost everything - including a brawl right on halftime - Brisbane finally went on with the job at Skilled Park after blowing leads against both Manly and Melbourne in their opening four games of the season.

Prince was booed by the majority of the 22,749-strong crowd each time he lined up a kick for goal.

But the 33 year-old veteran, unwanted by the Titans, featured in three of Brisbane's six tries and booted four goals.

Brisbane trailed 12-10 at the break after a magical early try by Titans halfback Albert Kelly in the 14th minute.

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Re-live all the action in our NRL Match Centre, featuring commentary and stats.

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Both sides entered the clash without key players, Brisbane losing skipper Sam Thaiday at the judiciary on Wednesday night and Gold Coast five-eighth Aidan Sezer pulling out late with a hamstring injury.

Gold Coast, looking to post their fourth straight win for the first time since 2010, moved Greg Bird to five-eighth, promoting big Dave Taylor into the back-row and also calling up former Bronco Steve Michaels onto the bench.

The battle was a lot closer than the scoreboard suggested although Brisbane fully deserved their victory, keeping the Titans off the scoreboard for the second half.

Brisbane started underdogs despite having beaten the Titans in six of their previous seven clashes but they were more desperate, having dropped three of their first four games of the season.

The Titans lost Kelly late in the game after he appeared to injure his right leg trying to stop Brisbane hooker Andrew McCullough from scoring.

McCullough showed great strength to get the ball down despite the efforts of Kelly and 110kg-plus giants Taylor and Jamal Idris.

Brisbane interchange forward Nick Slyney, included after Thaiday's suspension, scored only his second NRL try in the final minute of the win.

Titans co-captain Nate Myles said the loss was "not the end of the world" but admitted his team's defence was against unacceptable.

"It was a tough loss but there are a lot of good teams in the comp and have to be better than that," he said.

Bird was placed on report for the incident with Maranta just before halftime but Gold Coast coach John Cartwright said he wasn't worried about him missing any time.

"I was told there wasn't too much in it. I was surprised they (Brisbane) got the penalty to be honest."

Cartwright said Kelly's medial ligament strain was not too bad although he could miss one to two weeks.

Ben Ridge suffered a pec injury while the Titans lost Brad Takairangi early to a hamstring issue.

Brisbane's only injury concern was also a medial strain to forward Dunamis Lui.

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Drama, controversy in Victory win

Heated ... Shane Smeltz and Leigh Broxham trade barbs. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

A missed penalty, a disputed penalty, a send-off and an extra-time winner have put Melbourne Victory and coach Ange Postecoglou just one win away from the A-League grand final.

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The Victory conjured up a drama-charged 2-1 win over Perth Glory at Etihad Stadium on Friday night after spending most of the game looking destined for the exit door.

Instead the Victory booked a showdown with Central Coast Mariners next weekend, and last season's grand finalists Perth bowed out in the worst of deja-vu experiences.

After losing last year's grand final to Postecoglou's old club Brisbane Roar in controversial circumstances, they succumbed to the same opposition coach, the same referee in Jarred Gillett awarding another late game-changing penalty, and walked away with nothing to show for their efforts.

Postecoglou, whose Roar teams won two grand finals with the latest of late shows, admitted his side's win wasn't pretty but didn't believe they were lucky to win.

"In finals games, the most important thing is that you've got your nose in front - whichever way you can. And we got our nose in front today,'' he said.

"We've done as we've done a fair bit this year, and conceded a soft goal for no reason.

"But you keep going to the final whistle and the opportunity will come, and sometimes it does come in the final minute of a game.''

The Glory had controlled the vast majority of the match after Ryo Nagai's 15th minute goal.

The Japanese winger cleverly chested home a Scott Jamieson cross from the left which Victory goalkeeper Nathan Coe badly misjudged.

From then on the Victory poked and prodded but were unable to penetrate a disciplined and committed Glory defensive effort.

But after the Glory appeared in control and on the way to the next stage of finals, all hell broke loose with two late penalties - with vastly different results.

Firstly Gillett penalised Victory's Mark Milligan for bringing down Jamieson in the box in the 87th minute.

But Glory's Shane Smeltz missed the penalty which could have put his side two-up and sealed a win.

Then in the last minute of normal time, Gillett adjudged Glory defender Steve Pantelidis to have pulled Victory attacker Andrew Nabbout's shoulder, awarded a spot-kick, and sent Pantelidis off.

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Re-live the dramatic conclusion as Melbourne Victory escape against Perth Glory in our A-League Match Centre, featuring video highlights.

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Milligan slotted home the equaliser to send the match to extra-time.

Glory coach Alistair Edwards admitted there were "a few angry boys'' in the change-room post-match as a result of the Pantelidis penalty - in which Nabbout appeared to handball prior to the contact being made.

"I feel immense pride in the boys, the way they performed tonight, the way they performed over the last eight games to go from bottom of the table to playing in such a marvellous final,'' Edwards said.

"I'm disappointed because we should have won the game ... while the boys are pretty angry at the moment, I'm really proud of them.

"We should have won the game. We should have scored the penalty. We should have converted a few more chances.

"But it's onwards and upwards, and we push through the disappointment.''

With the Glory shell-shocked, the Victory struck just four minutes into extra-time when Archie Thompson headed home from close range after a Marco Rojas cross.

With both sides out on their feet, the Glory also had a penalty shout turned down in the second period of extra-time, when Nagai fell in the box.

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Aussies share spoils in Davis Cup

Loss ... Marinko Matosevic fell to Dennis Istomin in four sets. Source: Mark Humphrey / AP

Marinko Matosevic responded to his selection ahead of Lleyton Hewitt with his best Davis Cup performance but still fell short of victory as honours were split on the first day against Uzbekistan.

After Bernard Tomic got Australia off to a winning start in Namangan by beating Farrukh Dustov, a gallant Matosevic couldn't follow suit in a tense 6-4 7-6 (7-1) 3-6 6-4 loss to Uzbek No.1 Denis Istomin on Friday.

It left the must-win clay court tie square at 1-1 and Davis Cup legend Hewitt once again shapes as the key as Australia aim to progress to the World Group playoffs in September.

The 32-year-old will team up with Matt Ebden in doubles against Istomin and Dustov on Saturday and he looks likely to replace Matosevic in a potentially decisive reverse singles match on Sunday.

Australian captain Pat Rafter had surprisingly given unproven Matosevic the nod to compete on the first day, with Hewitt missing the opening singles for only the second time in his record 15-year career in the competition.

And despite the loss Rafter stood by his decision and was delighted with how Matosevic pushed Istomin, ranked four places higher at 46, to the limits ahead of the doubles.

"Marinko played by far his best Davis Cup match. He was very, very good against a very solid player,'' Rafter told AAP.

"All in all it was a really good day.

"It would have been great to be up 2-0 but 1-all is not a bad scoreline and pushing Istomin the way he did was really good.

"We didn't want to take it out Lleyton of today, he's got a big match tomorrow and that match is really important.''

The performance at a packed Pahlavon Sport Complex means Australia's bid to earn a shot at returning to the top 16 for the first time since 2007 remains alive.

Tomic marked his return to the team with a hard-fought 7-6 (8-6) 6-4 6-4 win over Dustov, whose performance belied his ranking of 216.

Having been dropped for the last tie against Taiwan due to attitude problems, Rafter had challenged the 20-year-old Tomic to prove his commitment to Australia's cause through his on-court attitude in Namangan.

And the former US Open winner would have been delighted with what he saw in the first set.

Despite taking issue with some early calls and trailing 5-3, Tomic remained focused, clawing back on level terms and winning the first set in a tense tiebreak.

From there he always seemed in control against his 196cm opponent, although the pair traded breaks several times in the final set.

"I think I lost a bit of my concentration and maybe should have won it more easily,'' Tomic said.

"But a win is a win and I am happy I won and got my team up in the tie.''

Matosevic was made to pay for one poor service game in the first set before being easily accounted for in the second set tiebreak.

He showed guts to claim the third with two breaks but the ultra-solid Istomin broke late in the fourth and served it out.

Uzbekistan are unbeaten in six Davis Cup ties at the venue.

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Farah: Potter will hook me again

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Cranky ... Robbie Farah was fuming to be benched against Manly. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

Robbie Farah has admitted to being "a little bit cranky" with Wests Tigers coach Mick Potter when he brought the skipper off at a crucial time during their clash with Manly last Thursday night.

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A renowned 80 minute workhorse, Farah was controversially hooked just before half-time, at a time in the game where the Sea Eagles had taken a 4-0 lead and were starting to gain ascendency.

History will show that Manly went on to record a comfortable 26-0 win over the Tigers at a sodden Bluetongue Stadium and a fair bit of the damage was done during the 17 minutes Farah was off the field.

Reflecting on the match on Sterlo on Thursday night, Farah admitted he felt Potter had got his timing wrong.

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"I've spoken to him and I think we both agree that there's time when he can afford to bring me off but at that stage of the game, at 4-0 just before half-time, I would have prefered to stay on the field," Farah said.

"But definitely there's going to be times during the year when he can afford to bring me off."

Farah said Potter had always planned to give his skipper some bench time at different stages through the season as a strategy to keep him fresh for big moments.

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But Fox Sports rugby league expert Matthew Johns disagreed with the philosophy saying the Tigers weren't good enough to leave the best players on the sidelines.

"At the moment at the Tigers I don't think there's the depth there," Johns said.

"All respect to (Farah's replacement against the Sea Eagles, Masada Iosefa) but when you went off the field things went wrong.

"I think we all agree (Farah) needs to play the 80 minutes, or close enough to."

That won't always be the case.

"It's never nice sitting on the bench and to come off for that period of time made me a bit cranky but I could understand why the coach did it, and he's got my welfare in mind," Farah said.

"It's going to be a long year and there'll be times when I'm a bit flat and he's going to look to give me a rest and I can understand that." 

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NRL leaves door open for Dugan

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Path cleared ... NRL leaves door open for Josh Dugan. Source: Penny Bradfield / AAP

The path for Josh Dugan's return to the NRL is clearing, but nobody knows just how long it might be.

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NRL chief executive David Smith left the door for Dugan's return ajar on Thursday, but also revealed no club had made a formal request to register a new contract for the troubled star.

On Tuesday Dugan met with NRL representatives to reportedly undergo psychological analysis - where it was established the 22-year-old had "no major issues'' and no clinical diagnosis that would hold him back from returning to football.

Dugan's social media faux pas led to the termination of his contract at Canberra, while a second online outburst ended negotiations on a $2 million deal with Brisbane.

But it is believed Dugan has convinced those at the NRL that he will be able to navigate this turbulent period of his career and make a successful return to the football field.

		W	L	D	B	PD	Pts
1	Storm	4	0	0	0	52	8
2	Rabbitohs	4	0	0	0	37	8
3	Sea Eagles	3	1	0	0	64	6
4	Titans	3	1	0	0	54	6
5	Knights	3	1	0	0	44	6
6	Roosters	3	1	0	0	42	6
7	Sharks	2	2	0	0	11	4
8	Tigers	2	2	0	0	-35	4
9	Broncos	1	3	0	0	-6	2
10	Bulldogs	1	3	0	0	-17	2
11	Panthers	1	3	0	0	-18	2
12	Dragons	1	3	0	0	-36	2
13	Eels	1	3	0	0	-37	2
14	Cowboys	1	3	0	0	-40	2
15	Warriors	1	3	0	0	-54	2
16	Raiders	1	3	0	0	-61	2

"We're positive that we can get him playing football again,'' NRL welfare and education manager Paul Heptonstall said on Thursday.

"We had a positive meeting.''

But just how soon is dependent on whether the one-time NSW representative can entice an offer from St George Illawarra, understood to be his last option to stay in the NRL.

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Smith said Dugan and the NRL were working through "a process'' but refused to put a timeframe on how long that might take.

"I think that's running through the process,'' Smith said.

"I've got nothing more to say in terms of whether he'll be registered or not registered, but the process is under way and I'm comfortable with the way it's playing out.

"We haven't received a request to register yet so the salary cap auditor (Ian Schubert) is working it through as are all ongoing discussions with Josh in terms of welfare and other things.

"The process is underway, there's no registration (that has) been applied.

"We'll let the process run its course. I'm really comfortable with the way the clubs have reacted and responded and we'll work with the player.

"At the end of the day it's about (Dugan's) welfare.''

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