Storm rookie shines in thrilling win

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YOUNGSTER Kurt Mann produced a moment of magic on debut to help Melbourne Storm sink Manly in another epic battle between the great rivals at AAMI Park on Saturday night.

The undermanned Sea Eagles lead by nine points late in the second half before Melbourne exploded with two tries in the final 10 minutes to clinch a 22-19 victory.

The 21-year-old – who was a late inclusion for Mahe Fonua in the centres – scored the match-winner after pulling down a tough cross field kick from Cooper Cronk.

Melbourne Storms Kurt Mann scores the winning try. Source: News Corp Australia

Manly – missing Glenn Stewart, Jamie Lyon and Kieran Foran – looked like winners after scoring three consecutive tries in the second half.

But, just like at Brookvale Oval in Round 1, Melbourne was able to fight back and snatch a crucial win.

It was a scrappy opening in slippery conditions with Manly failing to capitalise on four early penalties it received.

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It might have had something to do with the five errors it committed in the first 20 minutes.

Both sides had a number of good chances to break the deadlock before Manly went over in the 37th minute through Peta Hiku.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy goes off after a Manly try was awarded by the video ref. Source: News Corp Australia

Referee Shayne Hayne ruled sent it upstairs but ruled no try, believing David Williams – who went up for the high ball with Storm's Young Tonumaipea - knocked on before Hiku pounced on it.

But video referees Ashley Klein and Ben Galea inexplicably overturned the decision, ruling that Williams did not touch the ball.

A visibly angry Craig Bellamy could not believe the decision.

Manly's Steve Matai trys to stop Storm's Kevin Proctor. Source: News Corp Australia

But his side was soon on the board after a deft pass from Ryan Hoffman put Billy Slater over.

A Manly field goal from Jack Littlejohn right on half-time gave the visitors a one-point lead heading into the second half.

The lead was erased early in the second half when Slater burst through a hole to score his second try for the night.

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But Slater was soon on report for a high hit on a falling Williams, who was dazed by the incident and had to leave the field.

Williams did not return to the game.

Cameron Smith tangles with Matt Ballin. Source: News Corp Australia

The penalty gave Manly valuable field position and it took advantage with Brett Stewart crossing to cut Melbourne's lead to a solitary point.

The Sea Eagles were soon in again through winger Jorge Taufua, who was somehow able to put the Steeden down in the corner despite pressure from Sisa Waqa and Cooper Cronk.

Melbourne's defence has been an ongoing issue this season.

It was again exposed when forward Jamie Buhrer broke through off the back of a scrum to make it three tries in a row for the Sea Eagles.

Billy Slater celebrate's his try. Source: News Corp Australia

Manly looked like winners when Cronk decided to take matters into his own hands.

The star halfback was able to score off his own grubber kick to give his side a sniff.

Mann then did the rest – scoring his first NRL try at the best possible time.

Melbourne face another tough test against South Sydney at ANZ Stadium next Friday night.

MELBOURNE 22 (B Slater 2 C Cronk K Mann tries C Smith 3 goals) bt MANLY 19 (J Buhrer P Hiku B Stewart J Taufua tries S Matai goal J Littlejohn field goal) at AAMI Park. Referee: Shayne Hayne, Adam Gee. Crowd: 13,273.

Re-live the match in our blog below:

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‘F1 threatened by cash crisis’

Cost-cutting ... Claire Williams, pictured with Force India Deputy Team Principal Bob Fernley, says Formula One is facing a serious cash crisis. Picture: Getty Images Source: Clive Mason / Getty Images

FORMULA One faces a serious cash crisis if it does not introduce serious cost-cutting measures, Williams' deputy team-principal Claire Williams has warned.

Williams, speaking at Spanish Grand Prix qualifying, said that some teams could be forced out of the sport if no action is taken.

On Friday, Renault said they could face difficulties in maintaining their level of involvement because of problems caused by late payments made by F1 customer teams.

Williams told autosport.com : "As an independent team, we've always wanted, and will always want, cost control in Formula One, however that comes about, but this conversation has been going on for so long now — and we don't seem to have got anywhere, which is really disappointing.

"At the end of the day, it is just going to affect the long-term sustainability of our sport and we all have a responsibility to protect our sport — but also protect the teams who have been racing for a very long time."

She added: "I think we are at a really critical junction now where if we don't do something about it and take responsibility, then we are going to be causing ourselves some serious damage.

"Williams is working really hard to make sure that we keep pushing and driving the conversation, coming up with proposals that will save costs in F1. But they have to be significant."

She revealed that the paddock was divided on proposals for a costs 'cap' and had accepted that it was unlikely.

Renault added to the concerns about the sport's future when their F1 boss Jean-Michel Jalinier said that their recovery following a disappointing pre-season test could be compromised by late payments.

Some of the funding for the Renault recovery was delivered by the Renault car company, but the rest came from payments from customer teams — whose alleged late payments are undermining the plan.

Jalinier said: "On this part, I must say that we are not at an acceptable situation because some of the teams are just late in payments and, at the time you need to spend resources, to catch up, you cannot afford to have those [late] payments ...".

He declined to identify the teams who had not paid, but it is unlikely that they included Red Bull or Toro Rosso.

He said the situation is critical and must be resolved within weeks.

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SuperCoach: Studs and Duds

Essendon skipper Jobe Watson was a big SuperCoach stud, finishing with 158 points against Brisbane. Source: Chris Hyde / Getty Images

Swans studs: Dan Hannebery (159) starred in the midfield with 40 disposals including four score assists and a goal. Josh Kennedy (153) torched his former club with 36 of his own, while Jarrad McVeigh (131) was pivotal in driving the Swans forward.

Swans duds: Adam Goodes (39) lacked the required match fitness to impact the contest. Substitute Jake Lloyd (34) was solid from limited opportunities.

Hawks studs: Ben McEvoy (105) led the way with 30 hitouts to go with 15 disposals. Taylor Duryea was next best on 99 from Jordan Lewis and Shaun Burgoyne on 94 and 93 respectively.

Hawks duds: Brad Hill (34) had his moments while Cyril Rioli (40) faces a stint on the sidelines after pinging his left hamstring.

Swans midfielder Josh Kennedy in action against the Hawks. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: News Corp Australia

PORT ADELAIDE v FREMANTLE

Power studs: Robbie Gray (126) was best afield with 30 disposals - 12 contested - and four score assists. One-time super sub Kane Mitchell (114) laid eight tackles, while Chad Wingard's five goals wasn't enough to crack the tonne.

Power duds: Young gun Jarman Impey (42) played a negating role on Hayden Ballantyne thereby limiting his ability to score well. Jay Schulz (40) failed to fire a shot in his milestone game.

Dockers studs: Nat Fyfe (141) starred with 34 disposals including six clearances and two goals. David Mundy (119) registered eight clearances while Aaron Sandilands (118) dominated the stoppages as expected.

Dockers duds: Take your pick... Clancee Pearce, Hayden Ballantyne, Danyle Pearce, Paul Duffield all scored below 50 points. Stephen Hill was subbed out with 56 after a knock to the knee.

Chad Wingard takes a screamer in the win over Fremantle. Picture: Simon Cross Source: News Corp Australia

MELBOURNE v WESTERN BULLDOGS

Demons studs: Dom Tyson silenced his doubters with 27 disposals and two brilliant goals. Mark Jamar (108) held his own in the ruck against All Australian Will Minson. Daniel Cross (102) collected 23 disposals while tagging Jackson Macrae and Matthew Boyd.

Demons duds: Christian Salem (46) need only avoid the substitute's vest to make an impact. Surely he gets a full game next week. Chris Dawes (61) operated at 64 per cent efficiency while Jay Kennedy-Harris (64) chased Bob Murphy for much of the first half.

Bulldogs studs: Tom Liberatore (171) put on a clinic with 27 disposals - 16 contested - and two goals. Libba also laid a game-high 14 tackles. Minson (114) and Stewart Crameri (113) kicked four goals.

Bulldogs duds: Lachie Hunter (44) had a tough night while Shaun Higgins (65) committed four clangers.

BRISBANE LIONS v ESSENDON

Lions studs: Tom Rockliff (133) continues to keep his SuperCoach owners happy, racking up 35 disposals, 11 tackles and eight clerances. Star. Partner in crime Jack Redden (106) gave great support with 25 diposals.

Lions duds: Popular pick Nick Robertson (12) started as the Lions' sub, frustrating many SuperCoach owners. Despite finishing with 17 touches, Andrew Raines (41) scored poorly, along with Jonathan Brown (48).

Bombers studs: After a couple of quiet weeks, skipper Jobe Watson was colossal (158), willing his team to victory with 35 disposals, nine tackles and eight clearances. Paddy Ryder's score (152) received a big boost by kicking the match-winning goal. Dyson Heppell (129), Brendon Goddard (117) and Cale Hooker (109) all cracked the ton.

Bombers duds: Bubble boy Pat Ambrose (43) was quiet after half-time, but will make plenty of cash for his owners. Marty Gleeson (18) only managed eight touches in three quaretrs before being subebd out.

Bomber Dyson Heppell finished with 36 disposals against the Lions. Source: Getty Images

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Bannister’s historic 4-minute mile

Doctor Roger Bannister breaking four-minute mile at Oxford, 06 May 1954. Source: News Limited

SIXTY years later, Roger Bannister is busy reliving the four minutes that still endure as a transcendent moment in sports history.

It was on a wet, blustery spring day — May 6, 1954 — that the lanky English medical student became the first runner to break the fabled four-minute barrier for the mile, a feat many had thought was ­humanly impossible.

Helped by two pacemakers, 25-year-old Bannister, 25, completed four laps around a cinder track in Oxford in 3min 59.4 sec, a milestone that captured the world's fascination andstill resonates.

"It was a target," Bannister, now 85 and suffering Parkinson's disease, said in an interview with The Associated Press at his Oxford home, a short distance from the Iffley Rd track where he made his name.

"University athletes had been trying for years and it just didn't seem to be capable of being broken. There was this magic about four symmetrical laps of one minute each.

"It was just something that caught the public's imagination. I think it still remains something that is of interest and intrigue."

Bannister's record lasted only 46 days, and he considers his victory over Australian rival John Landy a few months later as his greatest running exploit.

Yet, as the 60th anniversary attested, Bannister's 3:59.4 remains part of track and field lore, a symbol of boundary-busting endurance that stands the test of time.

It is only a slice of Bannister's life story. He retired from running at the end of 1954 and pursued a long career in neurology, which he considers more significant than anything he accomplished on the track.

Chris Brasher (44), Roger Bannister (41), Chris Chattaway (42) at Iffey Rd athletics track, Oxford. Source: News Limited

"Medicine without a doubt," Bannister said when asked about his proudest achievement. "I wouldn't claim to have made any great discoveries, but I satisfactorily inched forward in our knowledge of a particular aspect of medicine. I'm far more content with that than I am about any of the running I did."

The man knighted Sir Roger in 1975 is slowing down as the years pass. He's coping with the effects of Parkinson's, a neurological condition that falls into his medical specialty.

"I know quite a bit about it, which is both helpful and unhelpful," Bannister said, sitting in his living room lined with photos and mementos of his running and medical career. "But I'm 85 and something has to happen."

Bannister's right ankle was shattered in a car accident in 1975, and he already has been unable to run since. Now, he walks with crutches inside his home and uses a wheelchair outdoors.

Hundreds of athletes have run the mile in less than 4 minutes since Bannister did it, and the world record has been ­broken 18 times since then. The current mark of 3:43.13 was set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.

The next barrier in the sport? Bannister believes the two-hour mark in the marathon will be broken in the next few years. The fastest time stands at 2:03.23, run by Kenya's Wilson Kipsang in Berlin in 2013.

"It involves a 2 per cent improvement," Bannister said. "It has to be run on a day with the right temperature and on a course which isn't too hilly, preferably a course which is a single line with the wind at your back all the way. It'll be done."

Bannister and his wife of 58 years, Moyra, this week marked the May 6 anniversary at Oxford University with family and friends — a lunch at Exeter College, where Bannister enrolled in 1946, and a ceremony at Vincent's Club, an elite 150-year-old sports club.

Missing were Bannister's pacemakers, Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway. Brasher, who founded the London Marathon, died in 2003 at the age of 74. Chataway passed away in January at 82.

"I miss them very much," Bannister said. "We used to meet on the anniversary with our wives and sometimes with children and have a kind of party and reflect."

Bannister has just written his autobiography, titled Twin Tracks. The book — which grew out of letters to his 14 grandchildren — traces his family's origins in Lancashire in northwest England, growing up in London and the story of his athletic, medical and academic life.

"If I don't write my auto­biography, there may be bio­graphies written, and I think I'd rather like to tell it myself," he said.

Bannister went to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics as a favourite in the 1500m — the shorter metric mile distance run in the Olympics — but struggled with the addition of an extra day of heats and finished only fourth.

Roger Bannister, 85, who as a young man was the first person to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile in 1954. Photo: AP/Lefteris Pitarakis Source: AP

Retirement plans were put aside, and Bannister decided to run for two more years and chase the four-minute mark.

Sweden's Gunder Hagg's mile record of 4:01.4 had stood since 1945. Landy and Wes Santee of the United States had both run 4:02 and were competing with Bannister to be the first under four minutes.

"At one point, Landy said, 'It's like a brick wall. I'm not going to attempt it again,"' Bannister said.

"As a medical student, knew there wasn't a brick wall. If you could run it in 4 minutes and 2.2 seconds, then you would find somebody else somewhere who trained a little better, had better conditions on the day, was able to use the pace judgment better, and they could do it. That was the frame of mind in which I approached it."

Bannister chose to make his attempt during a meet between Oxford and the Amateur Athletic Association.

He lined up Chataway and Brasher as pacemen. The weather was cool and windy. Bannister decided to go ahead with the race only after the gusts died down.

After going through the first three laps in 3:01, Bannister knew he had to run the final lap in under 59 seconds.

Here is hown he describes the final, gruelling 300 yards in his book:

"I felt at that moment that it was my chance to do one thing supremely well. I drove on, impelled by a combination of fear and pride. ... Those last few seconds seemed an eternity.

" I leapt at the tape like a man taking his last desperate spring to save himself from a chasm that threatens to engulf him. Then my effort was over and I collapsed almost unconscious, with an arm on either side of me."

When Norris McWhirter read out the winning time, the crowd drowned him out after he announced the first number: "3 ..."

Landy lowered the record to 3:57.9 six weeks later in Finland. The two men then went head-to-head in August in the "Mile of the Century", or "Miracle Mile", at the Empire Games in Vancouver. Bannister passed the Australian on the final bend and won in 3:58.8. Landy clocked 3:59, the first time two runners went under 4 minutes in one race.

Bannister capped his remarkable year by winning the 1500m at the European championships in Berne. He then retired to go full-time into medicine.

"By then," he said. "I could feel that honour was satisfied."

AP

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Roosters run riot over Wests Tigers

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THERE was a reaction when Roosters coach Trent Robinson first learned his team had not received a bye before any of this season's three Origin matches.

But even if Robinson had agreed to share his feelings after Friday night, the real response would probably not be suitable for a family newspaper.

"I've got my thoughts but today is not the time," Robinson said.

GET ALL THE KEY STATS AND VIDEO IN THE MATCH CENTRE

Michael Jennings grabs the first of his two tries against the Tigers. Source: Getty Images

The Roosters scored 30 points to secure a comfortable victory over Wests Tigers last night, and all of them were shared between the five NSW Origin candidates from Bondi Junction.

Daniel Tupou and Michael Jennings both claimed doubles to advance claims that their left edge double act should be replicated in sky blue.

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Their combined efforts bankrolled a match-winning 20-0 lead by the 45 minute mark, before Blues certainties Mitchell Pearce and Boyd Cordner iced the win with late four-pointers. To complete the sweep, five eighth James Maloney marked his courageous return from a shoulder injury with three conversions and try assists.

But while Laurie Daley's selection dilemma might have eased as a result, Robinson's contingency planning skills will be tested over the upcoming ten weeks. With Aiden Guerra and Jake Friend also on the cusp of Queensland selection, the Roosters could miss as many as seven players during the annual grind.

The Tigers gang up to try to stop Sonny Bill Williams. Source: Getty Images

Incredibly, the NRL draw has exposed them to playing a second string side before all three Origin matches - against Canterbury, Newcastle and Cronulla.

"We've planned for it. It's going to be tough," Robinson said. "That's what a squad is there for, rather than a team.

"We've got a total of 33 players in our squad, and some of them haven't played a game yet this year."

Sonny Bill Williams gets a pass away under pressure from the Tigers. Source: News Corp Australia

The positive for the Roosters is a clean bill of health, with Daniel Mortimer, Remi Casty, Kane Evans, Samisoni Langi and Tautai Moga all waiting below at NSW Cup feeder side Newtown for a chance. The fact the premiers have now entered the top four thanks to their third straight win has also eased the pressure on them slightly.

It wasn't a victory to rejoice.

Aaron Woods makes his point to referee Chris James. Source: Getty Images

Fumbles and poor execution kept the injury-ravaged Tigers within four points until the shadows of halftime. But a total of three tries in five minutes either side of the interval finished the contest as the opposition attack never seriously threatened with a spine boasting less 40 matches of NRL experience.

"We were a little stop-start tonight," Robinson said. "It could have been better, but we'll take 30-6."

James Maloney was on target in his return from a shoulder injury. Source: Getty Images

Robinson revealed Maloney needed pain-killing injections in his shoulder before kick-off and at halftime to get through the match.

It's a regimen the No. 6 will be required to endure for the next six weeks until the grade two tear in his AC joint is healed.

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Maloney said the bid to retain his Origin jersey had motivated last night's early return, which could have been even better had he not fumbled the ball over the line midway through the second half.

The 27-year-old also admitted his shoulder was "tender" after the game, and that the pain restricted his ability to throw long passes.

Michael Jennings breaks away to score his second try. Source: News Corp Australia

Obviously it's a game I want to be involved in, so the more games I can be involved leading into (Origin), I assume it's going to be better for myself," he said.

Tigers coach Mick Potter said Braith Anasta and Sauaso Sue were expected to return from ankle injuries for next week's clash against Cronulla, while club doctors will monitor the health of veteran winger Pat Richards, who was replaced with concussion shortly before fulltime.

SYDNEY ROOSTERS 30 (M Jennings 2 D Tupou 2 B Cordner M Pearce tries J Maloney 3 goals) bt WESTS TIGERS 6 (C Lawrence try B Austin goal) at Allianz Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Chris James. Crowd: 16,024.

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Barrett sinks boot into Rebels

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MELBOURNE's flickering finals hopes have been all but snuffed out by the mercurial Hurricanes, tumbling to a 25-15 defeat to Super Rugby's most unpredictable and dangerous outfit.

Stoic defence kept Melbourne in the contest for a half before the 'Canes edged clear, testing the Rebels with flair and aggression.

MATCH CENTRE: Full scores, stats, video highlights

Beauden Barrett's supreme kicking delivered 20 points, while Melbourne did well to restrict free-scoring opposition to Conrad Smith's fine second-half try.

Bryce Hegarty showcased his development with a deserved first-half try, while Tamati Ellsion punished his former club with an excellent late try.

The Rebels' underrated pack more than held its own — again — against vaunted opposition as Melbourne refused to yield.

Rebels halfback Luke Burgess hurdles Hurricanes skipper Conrad Smith. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia

As willing as Melbourne was, it struggled to contain the Hurricanes' vast armoury of threats as Jason Woodward's usually reliable kicking deserted him.

The fullback landed only two of five goals, detracting from much of his stunning playmaking creativity.

Outgunned, Melbourne also found itself on the wrong side of the penalty count as second-game referee Matt O'Brien repeatedly left Rebels supporters bewildered — particularly in the opening stages of the second half.

At one stage, Melbourne was handed six penalties in succession as O'Brien struggled to exert authority on increasingly confused and frustrated players.

Ironically, All Black Smith was marched with 13 minutes to play after being warned by O'Brien that the visitors were constantly infringing.

Rebels flanker Colby Fainga'a makes a desperate tackle on Hurricanes No. 8 Victor Vito. Picture: Colleen Petch Source: News Corp Australia

Even more incredibly, the penalty tally ended at 12-11 in the Hurricanes' favour as Melbourne was belatedly rewarded for endeavour.

Discipline, however, remains an issue

"It's just penalties that are killing us at the moment," Scott Higginbotham said post-match.

"Our attack was good tonight, we were constantly on their tryline.

"It's frustrating."

Four of Barrett's penalty goals came in the first half as the Hurricanes dominated possession, patiently searching for holes in the Rebel defence.

Tony McGahan's men withstood the onslaught, snaring a deserved try when Bryce Hegarty and Jason Woodward combined with Luke Burgess to briefly claim the lead.

Bryce Hegarty dives over to score for the Rebels. Source: Getty Images

Defence was again Melbourne's signature strength, perfectly evidenced by Woodward's jolting try-saving tackle on Julian Savea.

Scott Fuglistaller epitomised Melbourne's commitment, tackling relentlessly against mountainous odds as fellow flanker Colby Fainga'a unleashed several cutting runs.

Trailing 10-12 at half-time, Melbourne clung grimly to hopes of an upset triumph.

If the first 40 minutes had been about gritty survival, the second half was brutal reality.

Barrett drilled a pair of penalties before Andre Taylor's stinging counter-attack eventually led to Smith swivelling over the tryline.

Melbourne drove forward repeatedly when down 25-10 and was denied a try when Tom English was held up over the chalk.

Ellison powered over minutes later, triggering a last-gasp flurry from the Rebels.

HURRICANES 25 (Conrad Smith try Beauden Barrett con 6 pens) bt MELBOURNE REBELS 15 (Tamati Ellison, Bryce Hegarty tries Jason Woodward con pen) at AAMI Park. Referee: Matt O'Brien. Crowd: 12,072.

Relive all the action from AAMI Park with our match blog below.

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Villain Buddy turns hero to sink Hawks

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LANCE Franklin went from villain to hero, kicking two vital goals as the Swans upstaged reigning premiers Hawthorn to claim a fourth successive victory.

The season-defining 19-point win against Franklin's former club at ANZ Stadium has set the Swans up to push for a top four finish after a slow start to the season.

Franklin was upstaged by another expensive key forward, Kurt Tippett, who kicked four goals for the Swans in his first game of the season.

Franklin celebrates a last-quarter goal. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: News Corp Australia

For much of the night Franklin's kicking was as bad as his driving during his highly anticipated first outing against a club he helped win two flags.

Just a fortnight after crashing into four parked cars Franklin kicked seven behinds in a row.

Then he kicked two goals in three minutes at the start of the last quarter to put the Swans in front and then given them a 10-point break.

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Despite Hawthorn's best efforts the Swans were never headed and it was fitting that Dan Hannebery sealed the match with a desperate snap.

Like the Swans, all the early questions about Hannebery's form have now been erased and he was best on ground last night with an astonishing 40 possessions.

INJURY, BUMP ADD SALT TO HAWKS' WOUNDS

Josh Kennedy wasn't far behind with 35 possessions, 22 of them contested.

Hawthorn suffered a huge blow early in the third term when dynamic small forward Cyril Rioli limped off with yet another hamstring strain.

And key forward Jarryd Roughead,who kicked three goals, is likely to be in trouble with the match review panel when a crude bump flattened former team mate Ben McGlynn.

Despite their injury woes Hawthorn hit the front midway through the third term during a run of four successive goals that left the reigning premiers nine points in front.

Hawk Cyril Rioli goes off with a hamstring injury. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: News Corp Australia

The Hawks were inspired by the Rolls Royce of midfielders Shaun Burgoyne, who gathered 13 clever and damaging possessions during the third term.

Sydney's early wastefulness appeared more and more costly as Hawthorn came at the Swans late in the second quarter.

Midway through the second term the Swans led by 26 points when Franklin kicked his sixth straight behind.

But then the game changed as the Hawks began to play more of the co-ordinated football which won them last year's premiership.

Swan Josh Kennedy starred in the midfield with 35 disposals. Picture: Phil Hillyard Source: News Corp Australia

Rebounding through Grant Birchall at halfback and the contested work of Jordan Lewis, Hawthorn kicked the next three goals leading into half time to trail by just seven points even though the Swans had seven more scoring shots.

The only problem with Sydney's explosive first quarter was a failure to make the most of their utter domination.

The most telling statistic was that Sydney had 22 inside 50s to seven during the opening term and should have been much further in front.

Hawthorn was always going to have trouble containing the Hawks tall forward line without injured full back Brian Lake but the defence was decimated when Luke Hodge was a late withdrawal, joining fellow rebounding half-back Sam Mitchell on the sidelines.

Goodes was subbed out late in the third quarter after a modest 10 possessions. He failed to manage a score.

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Lucky Black Cats’ miracle EPL escape

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IN all the frenzy surrounding the title race, a small miracle closer to the bottom of the English Premier League table may have been overlooked: Sunderland's story of survival.

It was Sunderland manager Gus Poyet who declared barely a month ago, following a 5-1 drubbing by Tottenham, that his team would need divine intervention to remain in the Premier League.

The Black Cats were bottom of the table, with a daunting schedule in front of them, and facing certain relegation to the Championship.

Fast forward to their final game of the season against Swansea and Sunderland have already completed the great escape — if not the greatest escape.

It's the reason Uruguayan Poyet has been dubbed the miracle manager.

Sunderland are unbeaten since that loss to Spurs on April 8 and have picked up 16 points out of a possible 18. But the numbers alone simply do not do justice to the wondrous achievement.

The Black Cats travelled to Manchester on April 17, where they earned a 2-2 draw against this season's likely champions City.

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And they backed that up with an historical 2-1 win over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. It was Jose Mourinho's first home defeat in 78 games as Blues boss and effectively ended their title challenge.

Two weeks later and Sunderland were back in Manchester, this time in search of their first triumph at Old Trafford since 1968. Seb Larsson struck the only goal of the game and the 1-0 victory over United — Ryan Giggs' first loss as interim manager — was enough to lift Sunderland out of the relegation zone. The result also condemned both Fulham and Cardiff to the drop.

Sunderland fans have stuck by their man Poyet. Source: Getty Images

By the time West Bromwich Albion arrived at the Stadium of Light last week Sunderland needed just one more win to secure their stay in the Premier League for another season. First half goals from Jack Colback and Fabio Borini got them over the line and, in the elation that followed, Poyet described the last month as the greatest achievement of his career.

"I don't know if you will see something similar ever again,'' he said after the game.

"We are the second team in the Premier League to be bottom at Christmas and stay up. With (wins over Manchester) City, Chelsea and United away from home, to be seven points away from safety and to do it with a game to spare is amazing.

"It's been an incredibly difficult season. For moments it looked like we were going down.

"I will start believing in miracles from now on and it's one of the best days of my life today.''

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Former Socceroo Robbie Slater experienced a similar escape in 1997 when his club Southampton narrowly avoided relegation.

He remembers how his manager Graeme Souness motivated the players to fight to remain in the top tier and can only assume Poyet was as inspirational with Sunderland.

"Poyet must have got his players together and said to them, 'Do you want to play Championship football next year or do you want to still be going to Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge and Anfield?', Slater said.

"In 1997 we were last with eight or nine games to go and I will always remember everyone saying Southampton are going down.

"We went on a pretty amazing run where we didn't lose, except for our very last game against Aston Villa, but we were practically safe by then. It was an amazing escape.

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"The only difference is we didn't do what Sunderland have done in respect to the quality of the teams they've played. That week when they went to City and took a point, then went to Chelsea on the Saturday and won, and won again at Old Trafford, is just extraordinary."

Just two years before helping the Saints win the fight to stay up, Slater picked up a Premiership medal with Blackburn. It may have been a completely different achievement, but Slater says the feeling was almost the same.

"Two years before I had won the Premiership with Blackburn and the feeling of elation was just as good," he said.

"With the Premiership battle you were so nervous that you had butterflies in your stomach, but the relegation battle on the last day was like having wasps in your stomach."

There will be no final day "wasps" in the stomach for Sunderland, who made a miracle look ridiculously easy.

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Brumbies secrets give White the edge

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JAKE White has revealed that not only did he walk out on the Brumbies — he took some of their secrets with him back to South Africa too.

White, who quit the Brumbies last year after missing out on the vacant Wallabies job and took over the Sharks in his native South Africa, said he had returned home with plenty of new items in his coaching kitbag.

"It's amazing how many things I took from the Brumbies back to South Africa," White said on Fox Sports' Rugby HQ, ahead of the ladder-leading Sharks' clash against his old club in Canberra on Saturday night.

"The culture, the things that we did in terms of getting up in the morning and starting early, the kitchen — making sure we can eat properly.

"There were a lot of things that I learnt in Australia that were really helpful in my development as a coach. There's no doubt that I was set in my ways in South Africa, growing up as a South African coach there's only one way that we did things.

"To come to Australia to see how things can be done differently, there's obviously added things that Australians do — the way that they prepare for games and the way they do off-season programs et cetera.

"When I went back and shared those with a guy like John (Smit, the Sharks CEO) it was obviously easy for me to sell. I said we need this in place."

Jake White coached the Brumbies for two seasons, before heading back to South Africa. Source: Getty Images

White's return to Canberra this week for a top-of-the-table clash has been much hyped due to the circumstances surrounding his departure from the Australian capital last year.

The World Cup-winning coach with South Africa in 2007 had transformed the Brumbies from Super Rugby strugglers to grand finalists in just two seasons.

But after missing out on the Wallabies post to McKenzie, he pulled the pin on the Brumbies and headed home to South Africa.

White admitted that leaving the Brumbies players halfway through a four-year contract had been extremely difficult.

"That's probably the thing that hurt me the most, I obviously did ask a lot of guys to commit to Australian rugby," he said.

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"But at the same time I've sort of rethought about that. If Ben Mowen had come to me and said 'listen coach I've given you four years of my time and now after two I've worked out I'm not going to play in the World Cup, Ewen (McKenzie) has made it quite clear that I'm not in the mix, would you begrudge me if I now take a deal in France?', I would be really unkind in saying 'no, no, no, no, you've committed for four years at the Brumbies'.

"I think the human part of me would say, 'listen Ben, if the door's closed for you here that's only human nature I've got to wish you well.'"

White said he had "fronted" the Brumbies contingent of the Wallabies squad that toured South Africa during the Rugby Championship in September last year to explain his reasons for leaving.

"When I did explain that to the Jesse Moggs and the players that I bumped into in Cape Town, they understood that," he said.

"They obviously weren't too happy and I appreciate that. That was the toughest thing. But don't forget, the thing I promised them by coming to the Brumbies was a program, great opportunity, a winning culture, a great rugby club — and all those things have continued.

"I still believe that all the promises that were made to those players, they were fulfilled."

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Logic wins the day for our game

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THIS was a cock-up on the grandest of scales, and you can quote the AFL on that.

At the end of a dramatic week full of legalese and confronting questions about the fabric of the game, football breathed a sigh of relief.

Jack Viney's suspension was overturned, even if the decision by appeals board boss Peter O'Callaghan to "uphold" the appeal momentarily flummoxed the player himself.

JACK VINEY FREE TO PLAY

"Yeah, there were lawyers in there talking lawyer-talk and I had no idea what was going on," a relieved Viney said. "(My lawyer) David Grace said, 'Well done, you won', and I was like, 'Sweet'."

Sweet indeed, and yet for so long on Thursday night it seemed Viney would be bumped from a game about to descend into crisis. If this appeal was knocked out of the park, every player would second-guess every collision, bump, bracing moment and intersection they arrive at, starting with Friday night's Hawthorn-Sydney contest.

AFL appeals board chairman Peter O'Callaghan leaves AFL House after the Jack Viney hearing. Picture: Colleen Petch. Source: News Corp Australia

Yet as prosecutor Jeff Gleeson outlined what a difficult threshold it was to overturn a tribunal decision after just a solitary successful appeal, the futility of the Viney's resistance seemed certain.

Gleeson spoke of the experienced trio of former players on the jury and that "what the regulations say is that they have to cock it up massively for the board to overturn the appeal".

and that Wayne Schimmelbusch, Emmett Dunne and Wayne Henwood did, because it took just 14 minutes to uphold the AFL's case appeal, even if the official reasons won't be presented for days.

So we will attempt to fill in the gaps for the appeals board. The only decision they can reasonably have made is that the trio of former players made a dramatic error of judgment.

That instead of accepting the totally legitimate premise that Viney was involved in a collision but not guilty of a bump, they suffered a collective brain explosion.

Did the Appeals Board get the Jack Viney decision right?

Where are we at now after a turbulent and confusing week full of raw emotions and anger from fans, coaches and players alike? We seem to be back to commonsense, as Melbourne football manager Josh Mahoney said after the appeal.

If you actively bump a player and he is hurt, you face the dramatic consequences. But this is football, a chaotic, wonderful 360-degree game where accidents can and do happen. And thankfully there is still room for accidents of the type that saw Viney doing everything in his power to minimise injury bar leaping out of the way of the contest.

"People just putting themselves in contested situations is not something you want to see go out of the game. We will just go back to normal now," Mahoney said.

Now we need one final piece of resolution: clarity on Friday from the AFL on the bump, especially given Andrew Demetriou's stated position that the bump rule has "perhaps gone too far". If it takes the AFL releasing 30 illegal and 30 legal incidents on its own website to provide that guidance, then so be it.

As Dogs coach and Saturday night opponent Brendan McCartney said on Thursday night, this was a "good result for the game".

Can players brace for contact, or "stop and prop" (as Grace said)?

For those still confused, Melbourne should release the six camera angles shown by Grace on Thursday night before Gleeson attempted to strip his argument to the bone. He showed that rather than bumping, Viney actually stopped in his tracks when it was inevitable Lynch would win the ball.

"At no stage does Viney move forward towards Lynch and (Alex) Georgiou. They cannon into him. He has hardly moved," Grace said.

Let us hope the appeals board ignored the legal framework and burden of proof to overturn an appeal and just relied on gut instinct. That they could see one bad tribunal decision could undermine everything we love about the game, and they had a chance to fix it — because fix it they did.

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