With Luke Bailey already consigned to the sidelines for virtually the rest of the 2008 NRL season, you can now throw prominent halfback Scott Prince into that mix after the creative half broke his arm in State of Origin Game 3.

X-rays confirmed today that Prince had broken the bone is his forearm and plans immediately began for the repair and recovery of the untimely injury.

Prince went into surgery at Brisbane’s Mater private hospital, having a plate inserted into his arm.

He is expected to be out for up to 12 weeks.

There are just 10 regular season rounds left in the 2008 NRL season.

It ensures Prince’s return will depend on how far the Titans advance into the NRL finals.

Prince earned his unwanted tag after enduring horrific leg breaks, a knee reconstruction and the tragic loss of his father.

He emerged from each hard luck story throughout his career with a brave smile on his face - and today was no different when he touched down in Brisbane.

“I’ve had a fair run up `til now,” Prince said.

“I look back now and I’ve had close to four seasons straight and that’s the nature of the game I guess.

“One positive to take out of it I guess is you would rather do something like this in such a game.”
Prince set up the first try for flying winger Israel Folau with a pinpoint crossfield kick before breaking his arm in a 15th minute tackle.

“It was a bittersweet night for myself, disappointed about the injury but very proud and honoured to be a Queenslander today,” Prince said.

While it took X-Rays to reveal the full extent of the damage, Prince admitted he knew he was in big trouble.

“There was a bit of movement in there when I made the tackle and when I pushed myself off the ground I could feel it crackle and grind away there so I knew something serious was done,” he said.

“It wasn’t too flash.”

At least Prince had one of rugby league’s greatest players for a shoulder to cry on in Sydney.

TV cameras in the Maroons dressing sheds showed Immortal Wally Lewis - technically working for Channel Nine - tending to Prince, even helping the doctor with the half-back’s dressing.

“He helped us out immensely. Wally was tremendous and I was very thankful for his help in the dressing room and he even helped put my shoes on,” Prince said.

“Steve Walters, the manager, said it was the first time he’d seen ‘The King’ do that.”

Prince wasn’t giving up on the Titans despite being added to a worrying injury list that also includes the other co-captain Luke Bailey (ankle).

Bailey also faces up to three months recovery.

“My initial thoughts were that I couldn’t be out there doing my best for the (Queensland) team and then later on at the end of the game I started to think about the Titans and how we’re travelling there,” Prince said.

“(But) With me going down and Bails (Luke Bailey) and (prop Aaron) Cannings (out) it gives another guy an opportunity (at the Titans).

“We missed Bails at the start of the year but won four or five straight, there’s no reason why they can’t do it now.”

Titans coach John Cartwright tried to put on a brave front.

“It’s a big blow to us and a bigger blow to Princey,” he said.

“I am sure he would have loved to have finished the game on a high with his mates.

“You’ve got to have played Origin to know what it feels like and to get busted like that in the first 15 minutes would be very disappointing for him.

“Take your general out of any side and it’s going to hurt. But life goes on.”

Post from: NRL News Rugby League

Prince pain adds to Gold Coast Titans woes

In a gutsy affair, Queensland outpointed the New South Wales side 16-10 in a physical and at times fiery match. Its the first time in recent years that sparks flew and punches were thrown, with both sides hell bent on going out on top.

The Maroons dominated in the air and hung on through vital periods to again have the edge at the end. Queensland have the Origin stars and the desire to really make the next decade theirs, as NSW struggle to work out what went wrong yet again. NSW had a crop of talented players, but ultimately their skill level wasn’t anywhere near what the likes of Israel Folau, Greg Inglis and Jonathan Thurston boast.

NSW captain Danny Buderus unfortunately ended his Origin career on a sour note, but toiled hard for his side - proving a handful for Queensland most of the night.

The game had everything – end to end action, gritty defence, injuries, brawls – before Queensland motored home through a Jonathan Thurston dummy line break with a sweet offload to Billy Slater to put them ahead by 6. NSW never looked like recovering after the late counter punch.

The Maroons did it largely without Scott Prince, who lef the field with a broken arm early in the match. The loss of Prince saw Queensland look flat in attack for a good majority of the match, while they hung in tight during wave after wave of NSW attack - many thought they ultimately would falter without Prince and JT combining mid-field.

New South Wales led 10-8 at halftime despite a first-half try scoring double to Queensland’s Israel Folau, with Matt Cooper scoring a try and Craig Fitzgibbon kicking three goals. Folau was dynamite in the air and NSW had no answer, even with protection and time to defuse bombs - Anthony Quinn will have nightmares, as his Storm teammate Folau continued to fly above him, looking more like a Harlem Globetrotter than an NRL player.

The Blues were let down badly by Cronulla hard man Paul Gallen, considered by many as one of the dirtiest players in the NRL - Gallen gave away some mind boggling penalties and compounded them all with a silly late hit on Thurston which gave Queensland much needed thrust in the middle of the game.

A second-half try to Billy Slater swung the momentum well and truly the Maroons’ way, and the Blues couldn’t breach the Queensland defence to get back into the contest. Cool hand Cameron Smith played patiently all game, he worked well with referee Tony Archer and where the Blues shouted and screamed at some 50/50 calls, the ice man Smith always approached Archer well and continued to keep his side poised to strike.

In the home straight with the final battle on, it looked like the Maroons could have blown it when Karmichael Hunt spilled a pass on his own 30-metre line to give NSW a great attacking opportunity. But the cane toads held firm and showed their famous passion and desire, to again deny the disappointing NSW side.

The Maroons were first to break the rules, with an early penalty comin from a high shot from Petero Civoniceva – and then all hell broke loose. Tempers flared and it errupted, players came running from everywhere. Referee Tony Archer knew he had his work cut out for him from then on in.

It was suddenly an Origin game of old, with players from both teams filing in, ready to throw haymakers after Kurt Gidley gave Civoniceva a retaliation push.

Essentially this first melee was mostly push and shove, but the main course was around the corner. In this first flare up the penalty went to NSW with Fitzgibbon nailing the penalty goal and the crowd getting into the game from the start; knowing this was going to be firey right the way through.

The roar of the local NSW crowd was quickly hosed down after Blues flanker Anthony Quinn – such a rock solid performer in game one – dropped a simple bomb to allow Folau to score in right corner. The former Knights, now Storm winger did however manage to regain his confidence quickly with some bullocking runs - but there was more arial attack set to come his way later in the game.

Johnathan Thurston missed his kick at goal, denying the Maroons any extras, and the Queenslanders led 4-2 after only 5 minutes.

Gidley proved to be a smart insertion into the starting side, having plenty of touches early on and threatening at times - the Knights flyer instrumental in the Blues’ initial touchdown - taking the ball to the line before getting an offload away to send Matt Cooper crashing over out wide.

Fitzgibbon potted the conversion from the touchline to give the NSW team a 4 point lead.

Queensland were dealt a shocking early blow, with playmaker Scott Prince ruled out of the match after just 15 minutes with a suspected fractured arm. The news was horrible for the Queensland and Titans faithful, but to their credit the Maroons somehow kept themselves in the contest without their main man and the assistance of an additional reserve.

Thurston did well as he took on the solo playmaking duties and showed he is more than capable on his own as he setup Folau’s 2nd touchdown with an inch perfect bomb. It may well go down as one of the great Origin tries; Folau leaping extremely high, getting massive hangtime to take the bomb on the full. Folau easily above the shoulder height of his opposite Anthony Quinn and as Folau fell backwards with ball in hand he reached while upside down to plant the ball perfectly for a try.

It was a stunning try, leveling the scores at 8-8, and that’s where the scoreline stayed after Thurston missed his second conversion. The freakish play broke NSW hearts and realistically, the Blues did well to remain upbeat after such a heavy hit from the enemy.

Ftizgibbon restored NSW’s lead with another penalty goal after a surging 25-metre run from outgoing captain Buderus. But too much of the Blues points was from penalties, they looked likely to score at times but never had the final play. NSW were probably guilty of not risking things enough, playing too safe and staying too close to the ruck.

Queensland had their final attacking wave of the first half, sending the ball through the hands down the left for Darius Boyd to run clear, but Boyd’s scrappy final pass infield went to ground just out of reach of Hunt.

The crowd eventually saw legitimate punches on the night after Maroons forward Nate Myles speared Ben Cross into the ground, in a dangerous tackle. Players ran in from all directions and Cross at least was seen throwing some decent haymakers at his enemy. It was refreshing to see a ‘genuine’ scrap, unlike the recent melee’s similar to AFL where players chest each other and push - ultimately looking silly and laughable.

Myles was put on report by referee Tony Archer before being hooked by head coach Mal Meninga.

Michael Crocker was then involved in a bizzare incident after copping a Mitchell Pearce bomb in the back of the head – the ball crashing into the rear of the Queenslanders skull and blacking him out for 30 seconds. The big man was clearly dazed and unable to walk for some time, before being assisted from the field.

The Maroons may have been losing players but the ones they had left were getting the job done, with Thurston splitting the NSW defence before sending a flying Billy Slater in to score the visitors’ 3rd score. The movement was simple, but looked slick and certainly did the job. JT running wide and using the cross-field dummy, Brett White becoming slightly lazy in defence and Mitchell Pearce staying wider to mark Inglis; allowing JT to cruise through and position the dashing Billy Slater to dive over.

The Blues continued to bombard the Queensland line but Pearce couldn’t find the last-tackle play to unlock the Maroons defence. A story that was true for most of the night for the Blues, they looked fast and played good depth but didn’t have that final play to pierce the gritty Queensland defence line.

NSW had one last throw of the dice in the final minute, with a full set inside Queensland’s 20 metres, but when Archer called a Braith Anasta pass forward the game slipped out of their grasp.

There would be no fairytale finish for Buderus, with Queensland running out Origin champions for the third successive year.

Queensland take another Championship and prove themselves the ultimate Origin side. Regardless of personnel, circumstances or bounce of the ball - The Queenslanders are simply the best when it comes to the clash of States, they are positioned to hold the throne for many years to come.

How did you see the game? Please post your thoughts below, comments appear after review.

Queensland 16
Tries: Folau 2, Slater
Goals: Thurston 2

New South Wales 10
Tries: Cooper
Goals: Fitzgibbon 3

Post from: NRL News Rugby League

Queensland; the ultimate Origin force win series

It was a bizzare situation and many felt Misi Taulapapa would be charged today after video footage was reviewed.

Allan Tounge feels he is a victim due to the fact he is a low profile player, playing for a regional club.

“Imagine if it was Brett Kimmorley and I came in and busted him and he was out for the rest of the game and we came back and won the game, imagine how much (Cronulla coach) Ricky Stuart would be blowing up,” Tongue said.

“I’m not as influential in the game as someone like a Kimmorley.

“Imagine if someone came out … when it’s so close with the top eight, and took out another side’s main playmaker, I definitely think there’d be people jumping up and down.

Tounge raises a very valid point, this kind of bizzare interference could be used by a team to directly or intentionally hurt an opposition player. Consider the likes of Israel Folau or Justin Hodges targeted in a semi-final, or a half-back such as Matt Orford or Cooper Cronk being attacked by player totally independant of the ball carrier?

A physical clash could put the player out for the match and the culprit is free to play the rest of the game and the following week.

Any prowler type tackle in the NRL should be outlawed, there were a few in the Storm/Eels game on the weekend by both sides. Ball carriers were being held up by two tacklers and a third tackler was chopping legs and lower body in a dangerous fashion.

This latest unique method by Misi Taulapapa should have been stamped out quickly by the review committee, now it’s been let go - will Cronulla and other teams try to use it to their advantage?

Post from: NRL News Rugby League

Allan Tounge fuming; Pappa escapes Prowler

Friday
Gold Coast v Manly at Skilled Park, 7.45pm
Titans: Preston Campbell, Ben Jeffery, Luke O’Dwyer, Brett Delaney, Jordan Atkins, Mat Rogers, Scott Prince (capt), Michael Henderson, Nathan Friend, Michael Hodgson, Anthony Laffranchi, Mark Minichiello, Ashley Harrison. Interchange: James Stosic, Brad Meyers, Daniel Conn, Josh Graham.
Sea Eagles: Brett Stewart, Michael Robertson, Steve Bell, Steve Matai, David Williams, Jamie Lyon, Matt Orford (capt), Brent Kite, Matt Ballin, Josh Perry, Anthony Watmough, Glenn Stewart, Steve Menzies. Interchange: Heath L’Estrange, Glenn Hall, Adam Cuthbertson, Mark Bryant, Michael Bani (one to be omitted)
Referee: Jared Maxwell

Saturday Newcastle v St George Illawarra at EnergyAustralia Stadium, 7:30pm
Knights: Kurt Gidley, James McManus, Wes Naiqama, Adam MacDougall, Cooper Vuna, Chris Bailey, Jarrod Mullen, Steve Simpson, Danny Buderus (capt), Jesse Royal, Chris Houston, Cory Paterson, Zeb Taia. Interchange: Scott Dureau, Ben Cross, Richard Fa’aoso, Danny Wicks.
Dragons: Brett Morris, Jason Nightingale, Josh Morris, Matt Cooper, Wendell Sailor, Jamie Soward, Ben Hornby, Justin Poore, Dean Young, Jason Ryles, Beau Scott, Chase Stanley, Lagi Setu. Interchange: Kirk Reynoldson, Dan Hunt, Jarrod Saffy, Rangi Chase, Michael Lett, Matt Prior, Stuart Webb (three to be omitted)
Referee: Sean Hampstead

SundayMelbourne v Canberra at Olympic Park, 2pm
Storm: Billy Slater, Steve Turner, Matt Geyer, Israel Folau, Anthony Quinn, Greg Inglis, Cooper Cronk, Jeff Lima, Cameron Smith (capt), Brett White, Michael Crocker, Ryan Hoffman, Dallas Johnson. Interchange: Jeremy Smith, Adam Blair, Sika Manu, Joseph Tomane, Antonio Kaufusi (one to be omitted)
Raiders: David Milne, Justin Carney, Colin Best, Joel Monaghan, Bronx Goodwin, Terry Campese, Todd Carney, Troy Thompson, Glen Buttriss, Dane Tilse, Glen Turner, Joe Picker, Alan Tongue (capt). Interchange: Josh Miller, Ryan Hinchcliffe, Trevor Thurling, Michael Weyman, Brett Kelly (one to be omitted).
Referee: Ben Cummins

Parramatta v Penrith at Parramatta Stadium, 3pm
Eels: Luke Burt, Taulima Tautai, Krisnan Inu, Joel Reddy, Jarryd Hayne, Feleti Mateo, Brett Finch, Nathan Cayless (capt), Mark Riddell, Josh Cordoba, Nathan Hindmarsh, Daniel Wagon, Chad Robinson. Interchange: Matthew Keating, Fuifui Moimoi, Weller Hauraki, Brendan Oake, Todd Lowrie, Tony Williams (two to be omitted)
Panthers: Rhys Wesser, Lachlan Coote, Michael Jennings, Maurice Blair, Brad Tighe, Wade Graham, Luke Lewis, Tony Puletua, Masada Iosefa, Petero Civoniceva (capt), Frank Pritchard, Trent Waterhouse, Nathan Smith. Interchange: Matthew Bell, Junior Moors, Tim Grant, Keith Peters, Jarrod Sammut, Shane Rodney (two to be omitted).
Referee: Shayne Hayne

Monday

Bulldogs v South Sydney at Telstra Stadium, 7pm
Bulldogs: Brent Crisp, Hazem El Masri, Daryl Millard, Tim Winitana, Heka Nanai, Arana Taumata, Ben Roberts, Jarrad Hickey, Corey Hughes, Fred Briggs, Sonny Bill Williams, Andrew Ryan (capt), Reni Maitua. Interchange: Lee Te Maari, Brad Morrin, John Kite, Aaron Groom.
Rabbitohs: Luke Capewell, Nathan Merritt, Jamie Simpson, Beau Champion, Fetuli Talanoa, Craig Wing, Chris Sandow, Scott Geddes, Issac Luke, Roy Asotasi (capt), Luke Stuart, David Fa’alogo, John Sutton. Interchange: Beau Falloon, Shannan McPherson, Manase Manuokafoa, Michael Greenfield, David Kidwell (one to be omitted).
Referee: Jason Robinson

Post from: NRL News Rugby League

NRL Teams Round 17, 2008

Here’s how the Grubber saw the NRL Power Rankings for Round 16, 2008

1. Manly Sea Eagles: Really put on a show in Gosford. Steve Matai working his physical magic in the centres, having a huge impact and Jamie Lyon is developing well in the five-eighth role. Well oiled machine at the moment, traveling well.

Grubbers Comments: Chances of Jamie Lyon ever getting a call-up for State of Origin or the Kangaroos again; slim to none.

2. Sydney Roosters: Won without a stack of their regular stars and are starting to believe in themselves. Have better depth this year and the carefree coaching of Brad Fittler. A real contender, can beat anyone on their day.

Grubbers Comments: Odds that the Roosters players will be allowed in Kings Cross if they win the comp? 25/1

3. Cronulla Sharks: Starting to win by larger margins, a good away win in tough conditions. Their attack is starting to get more depth and fluidity about it, another side enjoying confidence and starting to believe. Defence remains perfect, Ricky has a good mix of playmakers now and has enforced strong defensive ideals.

Grubbers Comment: Odds that ‘Tell Your Pappa’ will go down in history after one of the craziest reverse-prowler tackles ever seen? 5/1

4. St George Illawarra Dragons: What’s happened at Kogarah? Is the shadow of Wayne Bennett forcing players to play for their contractual lives? Whatever it is, it’s working. The Dragons win again and have themselves on a big roll. The NRL Top 8 is a real possibility and the St George Illawarra side only have to win a handful more to lock themselves into the mix. Depth might be a concern, need to stay injury free.

Grubbers Comment: Odds of big Wendell Sailor getting another run anytime soon? 30/1

5. South Sydney Rabbitohs: What a form reversal. We tried to tell Jason Taylor back in the early rounds - stick with the same halves combination and side make-up for more than a week and things might just work. Should improve even more as Craig Wing gets more match time and works up combinations. Have plenty of players fighting for positions, so things are uptempo in the camp. Don’t write the Rabbits off yet.

Grubbers Comment: Odds of George Piggins ringing every media outlet bagging the Bunnies administrators if Souths start losing badly again? 2/1

6. Melbourne Storm: Gutsy showing from the Storm rookies. Forward pack looked frightening at times, have a tonne of talent in reserve for their assault on the Premiership this year. Copped some tough decisions by the referee and almost snatched victory at the end. Overall a good performance considering the situation.

Grubbers Comment: Chances of NRL Referee Ben Cummins ever getting to officiate a semi-final or representative fixture in the next 12 months? 500/1

7. NZ Warriors: Won away from home; even the intimidating Leichhardt Oval couldn’t de-rail them. Ruben Wiki’s 300th game had the boys fired up and even without a solid, dominating halves pairing - the Kiwi’s did enough in the forwards to win this game. Ian Henderson is going great guns at hooker, really providing the Warriors with an uptempo ruck-speed and the driving thrust they need at times.

Grubbers Comment: Amount of games the NZ Warriors would win away from home if they changed their black jerseys to a lighter shade, to avoid the Australian heat? Plenty.

8. Brisbane Broncos: Impressive display considering the State of Origin and injury toll that is hampering the Broncos. A draw will suffice and keep them in the mix. Will be interesting to see their Origin hang-over and how they handle the ongoing battle with injury. I fear they could drop off in coming weeks.

Grubbers Comment: Odds of a Broncos player or official ever finding Peter Wallace’s lost ‘ball’ on the Suncorp Stadium turf? 200/1

9. Penrith Panthers: Have done well to stay out of the media spotlight and have chipped away OK considering injuries hampering them at the moment. Are playing an exciting brand of footy in attack, unpredictable and risky but working to their advantage. Face a tough test against neighbouring Parramatta this week, in a match that is critical for both sides in the scheme of things.

Grubbers Comment: Truth in the rumour that Matt Elliot’s family have finally been allowed out of witness protection after earlier fears that rowdy Penrith locals could have turned on them after months of poor results? Possible to Highly Likely.

10. Parramatta Eels: No one knows what to expect from the Eels each week, possess good firepower in various positions but rarely do they all fire at once. In fairness, it would have been hard to mentally prepare to play a team massively understrength. Need to improve close quarters defence and work to grind out a win, rather than try to overplay their hand at times.

Grubbers Comment: Possibility that NRL referee Ben Cummins is secretly a big Parramatta Eels supporter? Strong to Certain.

11. Gold Coast Titans: Fought bravely at home, but wheels look to be wobbling. Losing Luke Bailey was a killer blow and confidence plus depth remain big concerns. Seem to be fragile in the air on the fringes at times and need to start winning away from home too. Scary times for the NRL newboys.

Grubbers Comment: Odds of John Cartwright putting in a double order of Diet Coke for his next session in the coaching box, to help him get over the nerves? 10/1

12. Newcastle Knights: Have been a touch unlucky in recent weeks, haven’t really played badly - just need somethings to swing their way. Missed a few Origin stars that probably could have got them home, the likes of Danny Buderus, Kurt Gidley and Ben Cross. Face Dragons and Panthers in coming weeks, games that they simply need to win to get them up in the hunt for the Top 8.

Grubbers Comment: Odds that Brian McMannus is the most underrated player in the NRL? 5/1

13. Canberra Raiders: Didn’t play too bad, but needed to win badly at home to keep things on track. Their poor away record means they must take everything they can in the ACT, especially a big Monday Night game. Could really suffer from this loss. Todd Carney however is still playing well and when their attack clicks, it really has the potential to cause serious damage.

Grubbers Comment: Likelihood of the Canberra Raiders making the Top 8 in 2008? 25/1

14. Wests Tigers: Are fading faster than any team at the moment, had everything in their favour at Leichhardt on the weekend but never looked ‘up’ for the contest. Forwards aren’t rolling through the ruck, to make things worse - silly penalties are killing them. Missing depth due to massive injury toll and confidence is leaking away with each week. Benji still has some issues in defence and is making things hard for coach Tim Sheens to keep him in the mix. Will sorely miss Brett Hodgson next season.

Grubbers Comment: Amount of ‘kava’ handed around to teammates by Ruben Wiki before and after the game on Sunday?  34 (2 per player)

15. Bulldogs: Boys trying to play as men. Sonny Bill Williams was a threat, but otherwise didn’t look like a genuine NRL team. Severely down on confidence, personnel and have an axed coach at the helm. All spells disaster and there doesn’t look to be light at the end of the tunnel. Need to work hard to avoid the spoon now as Souths start to accelerate out of the cellar.

Grubbers Comment: Odds that Steve Folkes has been calling brother in law Chris Anderson for coaching tips? 100/1

16. North Queensland Cowboys: Had their hearts broken by a plucky Souths side. Did very well considering their injury toll and lack of genuine gamebreakers. Have found so many ways to lose now, it must be a habit. Losing Carl Webb is a massive blow and I can’t see things getting any better. Firming weekly for the wooden spoon and this will play on their minds no doubt.

Grubbers Comment: Odds that former coach Graham Murray has been praying at his local church for his side to get a win? 500/1

Post from: NRL News Rugby League

NRL Power Rankings Round 16, 2008

The Raiders flew out of the gates as they generally do on home soil - quickly setting up a 12-0 lead within 15 minutes, but the Sharks rose to life and quickly got back into the contest in the latter stages of the first half with 3 touchdowns in the space of 7 minutes, and took it up a notch in the 2nd half.

The Raiders did look composed at the start of the 2nd period, looking to chip away at the 18-6 halftime deficit, and they went extremely close to getting over the Sharks line through Brett Kelly, but that rock solid Cronulla defence reigned - letting virtually nothing through, and soon after the locals had their hearts broken with a 60 metre movement from the following set.

Issac De Gois shot out of dummy half and linked with Brett Seymour in space, who in turn sent Brett Kimmorley surging up over the half way line and into space.

It looked as though the play would break down as the Raiders defence converged, but the former Test half produced a perfectly weighted kick into the in-goal and David Simmons won the race to open the second half scoring in the 58th minute.

Luke Covell added the extras, extending the Sharks lead to 24-12 and setting the home side a huge mountain to climb with 20 minutes left to play.

The Raiders refused to shirk the task, and hit almost immediately through Ryan Hinchcliffe, with Todd Carney’s conversion cutting the margin to just a converted try.

But the Sharks countered with another piece of magic three minutes later when Covell plucked a Kimmorley cross-kick out the air and touched down despite heavy attention from the Raiders’ Bronx Goodwin.

Kimmorley then engineered another stunning four-pointer with an impressive grubber and regather, before putting it through the hands for Ben Pomeroy to finishing off, with Covell’s sideline conversion capping a stellar 6 from 6 with the boot.

Raiders fullback David Milne added a consolation four-pointer for the Raiders in the 77th minute to round out the scoring.

The visitors put themselves under the hammer from the outset when Ben Pomeroy knocked on with the Sharks first possession of the match, and they eventually cracked despite a spirited defensive effort.

Canberra manufactured three consecutive sets at the Sharks line, and a brilliant floating offload in traffic from Raiders prop Troy Thompson found Carney and the Raiders were over.

The rising Raiders half converted his own four-pointer and the home side had a 6-nil lead.

Carney was instrumental in extending Canberra’s lead five minutes later, but some poor Sharks defence was also to blame.

Canberra again peppered the Sharks line, and Carney delivered a sharp cutout pass to Goodwin on the right wing, who stood up Covell pointlessly to go over in the corner.

Carney then hit a bullet-like conversion from the touchline to put the Raiders 12-nil up inside the opening 15 minutes.

The Raiders talisman was doing the job at both ends, producing a booming 40-20 (that in effect, was more like a 30-10) to give the Raiders more attacking ball.

The youngster then showed that he is human after all, spilling the ball as he attacked the Sharks line to give the visitors some much-needed respite.

It was at this point, that fans at Canberra Stadium witnessed a momentum shift of gargantuan proportions.

A cleverly worked set play finished off by Covell in the 23rd minute gave the Sharks their opening points in the 23rd minute, but there was more to come.

A spilled ball from boom Raiders youngster Justin Carney gifted the visitors a their second try in the space if two minutes courtesy of Issac De Gois, and the Sharks were level in the blink of an eye after Covell’s conversion.

But they weren’t done yet a chargedown from Kade Snowden was regathered by David Simmonds to give the visitors more attacking ball, and prop forward Ben Ross barged over on the half-hour mark.

The Sharks made a shocking start to the second half, with a number of handling errors and needless penalties, but the visitors toughed it out in defence, and momentum started to swing back the visitors way as the injury curse that has plagued the Raiders in 2008 struck again.

Injuries coming out of the Monday Night game were; Joe Picker (corked thigh) and Alan Tongue (ribs) and Glenn Turner for the duration of the contest.

After the finish of Round 16, the NRL Ladder and Table now sits as follows;

Post from: NRL News Rugby League

Sharkie showtime as Raiders go down 36-24

The NSW Blues should really look at starting the game with Kurt Gidley at fullback. Manly flyer Brett Stewart certainly hasn’t put a foot wrong, but his offensive impact has been limited at best so far in State of Origin.

Craig Bellamy could look to start Stewart on the bench and inject him when defence has tired, in a similar way Queensland smartly use Billy Slater.

Many believe that for Kurt Gidley to have a strong impact he needs to be out there for the full 80mins. This is how he does it for Newcastle on a weekly basis. The Queensland Origin side has four kickers in their team; Jonathon Thurston and Scott Prince on either side of the ruck and the Storm’s Cameron Smith can kick from dummy half, with Karmichael  Hunt as a fallback.

For Game 3, NSW have only two genuine kickers in the side with Braith Anasta and Mitchell Pearce. Danny Buderus is not a noted kicker therefore putting a lot pressure on the new halves combination.

Although he has a good kicking game, Pearce will be under a lot of pressure as an Origin rookie and probably doesn’t have the distance kicking game under pressure that others possess.

This is where Gidley can play a crucial role.

Gidley not only has a good kicking game but he has the options and speed, thus he can run the ball as well when the situation arises.

The Sydney Roosters do score the majority of their tries through kicks, however Queensland won’t be easily beaten in the air on the fringes. Pearce and Anasta will certainly give the Maroons more to think about on final tackle plays.

Queensland have worked overtime to ensure high balls won’t be a problem and developed a good counter-strike from these attempts in Game 2.With Gidley starting the match it will help relieve pressure on both Anasta and Pearce from the outset. The more options NSW have on tackle 5, the more difficult the situation is for the Queenslanders to defend against. Having defenders in two minds, unsure whether to stay in the defence line or drop back - this could prove very handy for NSW.

NSW will lose nothing with Gidley at the back; his defence is sound and he is a good positional player, his speed is also comparable to Brett Stewart. He is the ace up the sleeve for the Blues.

Another player who was unlucky to have missed out on State of Origin selection is Sea Eagle Anthony Watmough . He has a strong running game and can tackle with aggression. Anthony Tupo is lucky to have retained his spot after having never really fired up at Origin level, he has lost that running edge and does come up with the odd error.

From a NSW point of view, a new look side was always going to find it tough against the quality of Queensland right across the park. In Game 1, NSW had the right mix of players to frustrate the Maroons. A solid gameplan from Craig Bellamy, carried out to the letter by players - it all worked.

With several key members from that NSW side now suspended or injured; the new look side has a huge task at hand. It will probably take more than a few positional changes to get this NSW side home, they will need a full house at ANZ Stadium and the bounce of the ball to come their way all night. Buckle up NSW, this is going to be tough.

Post from: NRL News Rugby League

How can NSW revive their State of Origin hopes?

One of our more active users that goes by the nickname ‘HateQld’ has provided us with the first ever - ‘Fan Feedback’ article. We always encourage visitors to send us detailed feedback or articles, so if you’d like to have your article posted at NRL News.com simply email: NRLfeedback@gmail.com

Suburban Home Grounds

By HateQld

Think of the suburban home grounds etched in the memories of so many Rugby League players and supporters; the likes of Belmore Sports Ground , Kogarah Jubilee Oval, Brookvale Oval, Leichhardt Oval, North Sydney Oval,and the SCG.

I remember hearing stories about the home teams hosing down the
visitors dressing rooms before a game leave them feeling cold - trying to put them
off their game or leaving the grass slightly longer to combat a kicking game that might be employed by a certain team.

The atmosphere was always electric as you approached any of those grounds.Two to three vendors selling hot food outside the grounds, with young kids selling the big league programs as you filed into the ground.

Regardless of the suburban Rugby League ground, the opposition feared enemy territory. The fans from both teams loved to travel to those grounds to see the teams do battle. Some of those grounds would hold between 20,000 to 30,000
with an atmosphere strong enough to run a small power plant.

Where the seating capacity was smaller, you still felt the power of the hits and you were able to sit close enough to the game to provide the crowd support and cheering of twice as many people in a bigger venue.

Come September all the finals and grand finals would be played at the SCG or the Sydney Football Stadium. Teams from both sides would not an advantage due to the mutual venue.

I’ve been to ANZ Stadium (formerly Telstra Stadium) several times and it’s impossible to experience anything like the atmosphere a traditional venue can produce. The advantage to the home team is non-existent, even with a large home crowd - most of the players admit they can’t hear them at the large Homebush Stadium.

It’s simply hollow.

The ANZ stadium is now used by four clubs and it doesn’t feel like a home ground to any of them at all. Everyone you talk to says the same thing; they all want their clubs to have a specific local venue.

While corporate sponsors and amenities must be considered, the attraction of a suburban home ground still holds many advantages for clubs. When done right, a balance between a traditional ‘hill’ such as at Leichhardt Oval or Brookvale Oval combined with state of the art amenities, media and corporate areas - the best of both worlds could even be possible.

As clubs look for a quick cash grab and move operations to ANZ, they are failing to see the big picture - their future direction and earnings are being forfeited. The short sighted ’stop gap’ solution is happening too often and hurting several clubs as the Sydney crowd squeeze continues.

After watching the NRL clash today between the Wests Tigers and the NZ Warriors at Leichhardt Oval, the venue was near full even before the preliminary matches got underway. The vibe, the roar and all the family atmosphere that Rugby League was built on was totally evident. Even the lower grade players got to experience it, the place was packed.

The strong local support was most evident when a Warriors player was attempting a sideline conversion. You could see and feel the roar’s and boo’s from Wests Tigers fans putting the the kicker off. Youngsters were literally metres away from their hero’s as they watched them do battle right before their eyes; a far greater experience than sitting in a deserted ANZ Stadium and trying to get a peek at the action on a TV Screen Replay.

As the clock winds down on Sunday afternoon at Leichhardt, the sun casting a shadow over the stand, the great Australian salute is in full cry as people on the hill shield the sun from their eyes, some of them making an early exit to avoid traffic.
Some say the game must only look to the future and build bigger stadiums. While progress is always important, you still need to give the fans what they want. With crowd figures so far in the NRL season being average at best, maybe it is time to truly go ‘Back to the Future’ and use suburban grounds albeit with some future proofing? Lets try for that ‘balance’.

All that was missing from Leichhardt Oval today was Laurie Nichols shadow boxing on the sideliens, as his team did battle right before the fans eyes.

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Fan Feedback: Suburban Home Grounds

Tigers full-back Brett Hodgson missed a sideline conversion after the bell which, had it been successful, would have sent the match into golden-point extra time.

The Warriors, missing State of Origin stars Steve Price and Brent Tate, held on for victory in Ruben Wiki’s 300th match after the Tigers scored two tries in the final three-and-a-half minutes in an entertaining clash.

The rare away win boosts the Warriors’ play-off ambitions but harms the Tigers chances of making the finals.

Inspired by Wiki’s landmark game, the Warriors peeled open some feeble Tigers defence in the first half to lead 16-0 after only 29 minutes.

Hooker Ian Henderson scooted over from dummy-half for the first try in the ninth minute - barely being touched as he found plenty of space behind the ruck.

The Kiwis were in again 15 minutes later but this time the final pass from Grant Rovelli looked like it drifted forward before Sonny Fia crashed over in the corner.

Warriors half-back Nathan Fien then brushed off some ordinary goal-line defence five minutes later before Tigers playmaker Benji Marshall provided a touch of magic after collecting the ball in the middle of the paddock 30m out from his line.

With little on, Marshall danced around three defenders before shedding a fourth seven minutes from half-time.

Just as the defence looked to have closed him down, he delivered his trademark flick pass to barnstorming winger Taniela Tuiaki, who sprinted 50m to reduce the deficit to 16-6 at half-time.

The Tigers looked like making further inroads in the early minutes of the second half but Lance Hohaia shut down the long-range movement with a trysaving tackle on Liam Fulton.

The home side only had to wait until the 50th minute with Robbie Farah stretching out for the tryline following another controversial call with the ball appearing to go well forward from Mathew Head to Tuiaki.

Two minutes later, the Warriors looked like self-destructing with Aidan Kirk dropping the ball near his line but Head pushed the pass and the New Zealanders mopped up the mess.

But the Tigers were full of running by now and the 56th minute Chris Lawrence stormed over out wide.

The Warriors rallied eight minutes later with Marshall’s being caught out in defence as Hohaia sprinted clear to end a brilliant 75m movement.

Warrior Sam Rapira then capitalised on a Tigers error by bumping off opposite number Bronson Harrison close to the line and crossing near the posts for a subsequent 28-16 lead in the 69th minute.

Tuiaki breathed life back into the match after being put through a big hole by Marshall as the Tigers moved back within a converted try with three minutes remaining.

After plenty of adventurous play, Tuiaki scored his third try of the match in the corner but Hodgson pressure shot was off target.

The Tigers and Warriors both have the bye next week, each side receiving 2 NRL competition points.

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Warriors upset Wests at Leichhardt 28-26

The Eels were forced to come from behind after the Storm, minus nine players due to Origin commitments, stunned the home side with two early tries for a 10-0 lead. While missing plenty of stars, Melbourne used their forward muscle to arm wrestle the Eels midfield and surprise the fancied locals with some opportunist tries.

The Storm took a leaf out of the Sharks book and slowed the Eels damaging ruck speed, keeping under the guard of referee Ben Cummins and perfecting a pre-game tactic of kicking dead in goal on the final tackle to ensure set restarts for the Eels to keep the pace controlled.

Parramatta eventually got going with 3 touchdowns in the space of 12 minutes to throw themselves clear, but there was more than a touch of controversy to their charge with the Eels benefiting from an apparent crackdown on kickers being hit by defenders.

A total of 3 penalties, all dished out after Eels halfback Brett Finch was taken down late, the last of which led to Krisnan Inu’s 64th minute match-sealer to put Parramatta’s finals hopes back on track. The contact with Finch was extremely light and surprised many when penalties were awarded to the Eels. However, the Storm continued to push their luck and kept hitting the kicker and feeling the consequences. Parramatta scoring directly from 2 of the 3 penalties awarded for late contact on Brett Finch.

This issue of penalties for kicker interference along with some bizare calls around the ruck, will keep the pressure squarely on NRL referee Ben Cummins. The whistle blower having a poor run of form in 2008 and somehow managing to keep his first grade spot.

Melbourne threatened a late upset when Cronk, arguably the best player on the field, stepped his way over from close range, but there was no miracle for the visitors who must be thankful the Origin period is just about over. Assisting Cronk was upcoming forward Sika Manu, the big man proving a handful all day and bagging himself 2 tries. Manu was busy and when he wasn’t carting the ball up at full speed, he was in perfect position to bag himself some tries and showing the way to his fellow rookies.

Kris Inu was a villain early for the Eels when his knock on gave the Storm an early opportunity to get on the board, Sika Manu crashing over out wide off a Cooper Cronk flat ball. Inu along with several Eels, looked to relaxed against a keen Storm and it took too long for the locals to ’switch on’ and start creating opportunities. Frustration was a concern for the Eels, with Parramatta having 2 tries disallowed and seemingly had nothing going their way early on. However, the situation changed when the home side began receiving a long run of penalties from Ben Cummins - enough to get themselves on the board and back into the match.

It was still panic stations in the first 15 minutes of the match when rookie winger Joe Tomane raced 90 metres to make it 10-0, a Finch pass clipping Nathan Hindmarsh’s shoulder before the young Melbourne centre showed too much toe for the cover defence.

Parramatta while frustrated early, were eventually rewarded when they stopped running all their traffic mid-field and started working from one side to the other, Taulima Tautai doing exceptionally well to get the ball down in the corner after Joel Reddy had flopped out a Finch kick he had regathered.

Tony Williams crossed to give the home side the lead before the second penalty in Finch’s favour, for dubious contact from Storm debutant Sinbad Kali, put the Eels in position to send Reddy over out wide.

The Storm were unlucky not to close the gap just after halftime as Brett Anderson was taken out as he chased a Cronk kick down the touchline. Williams was binned for ten minutes for what referee Ben Cummins deemed to be a professional foul. Many feeling a ‘penalty try’ or a ‘no call’ was the best option, but Cummins came up with the professional foul call and Storm didn’t receive anything in the way of points from the lesser numbers in their opponents defence line.

Melbourne failed to take advantage of the one-man overlap several times, but when parity was restored they again gave the Eels a fright with Manu getting his second of the afternoon after Sam Joe had tapped back a Cronk bomb.

Brett Finch took out the man of the match honors for the home side, but the Eels will be concerned they couldn’t put a spare parts Storm side away on a day where they could have improved their points difference against competing sides. Opponents are beginning to heavily mark Eels pivot Feleti Mateo and the big man is finding it hard to generate his magic every game as opposing teams study his form. In saying that, the Eels have certainly found a quality replacement for forgotten winger Eric Grothe Jnr; new boy Tony Williams beginning to look at home on the flank and proving a handful for opposition players to stop.

The Storm and their coaching staff would be pleased with their efforts, massively undermanned - the Melbourne club showed they have massive depth and another batch of quality players coming through. The loss today is the 5th for the Storm in 2008 and while they will certainly be in the mix for a Top 4 finish - another minor premiership looks tougher now they have been so heavily hit by State of Origin requirements.

Next week the Storm are at home to the Raiders and should get back into the winners circle with their front line players back. The Eels have a local derby against neighbours Penrith, at Parramatta Stadium as both teams look to get themselves into the middle of the Top 8.

PARRAMATTA 24 (K Inu, J Reddy, T Tautai, T Williams tries; L Burt 4 goals) bt MELBOURNE 22 (S Manu 2, C Cronk, J Tomane tries; S Turner 2, C Cronk goals) at Parramatta Stadium. Referee: B Cummins. Crowd: 12,597

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Parramatta Eels hold off gutsy Storm 24-22