MELBOURNE dealt Manly a psychological blow ahead of next month’s finals after ending their nine-year Brookvale Oval hoodoo with a 16-10 win over the league-leading Sea Eagles.

The Storm breathed new life into their bid for a third straight minor premiership after holding off a fast-finishing Sea Eagles in a game worthy of its billing as the biggest match of the regular season.

Manly dominated the closing stages as they pushed for the game-equalling try, but the Storm repelled their rivals for four consecutive sets to claim their third straight win against the Sea Eagles and first at Brookie since 1999.

The reigning premiers Storm now sit level with the team they beat in last year’s decider on 32 points atop the NRL ladder, with Manly ahead only on for-and-against with four rounds to play.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy said he wasn’t overly impressed with his team’s performance - or which he perceived as some roughhouse tactics from the Sea Eagles.

"I apprehend teams think now they can come out and start throwing punches and put us off our game, but I think this footy team can adapt to any style of play and that’s the kind of we’re proud of,” Bellamy said.

"Over the last couple of weeks, every week someone comes up and says there’s going to be a punch up this week and headbutt competition or whatever.

"But at the end of the day if they want to turn the lights off and go down the back alley I’m sure we’ll be able to handle that as well.

"But we want to play footy and as I said I think we can adapt to any style of play and get the work at jobs done. It wasn’t that pretty tonight, only it was gutsy, and I was really proud of them.”

St George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown created a stir last month by suggesting the best way to beat the Storm was to make the game a "bloodbath”.

Melbourne captain Cam Smith believed since then, opposition clubs had tried to unsettle the Storm physically.

"Certainly, on the model of the Dragons game I think every game since then have tried to come out and bash us a bit,” Smith said.

"But although you can go out and do that at the start, it’s pretty hard to do that for 80 minutes, so once the juice runs out that’s when we try to capitalise.”

Manly coach Des Hasler denied his side intentionally went out to "bash” the Storm.

"No, I thought we tackled and defended with a lot of intensity … I just thought we defended absolutely well,” Hasler said.

Half-back Cooper Cronk was brilliant for the Storm, setting up his side’s first couple tries along with Billy Slater, before scoring the third early in the second half.

Both forward packs were evenly matched, with Matt Orford’s kicking game by chance the only major blight on that which was still an impressive performance by the Sea Eagles.

Melbourne essentially sealed the game with two tries either side of the break.

Israel Folau scored against the run of engage in play in the 39th minute after galloping 30 metres to grain down following clever work from Slater to scoop up a Cronk chip kick and pass.

Cronk then increased his side’s buffer to 10 points good five minutes after the break when he showed great security and determination to bury under the attempted tackles of Anthony Watmough and Steve Menzies and bounce over.

At 16-6 and with Melbourne again pushing hard at Manly’s line, it looked like another tell over of last year’s decider and their round five meeting was on the cards.

But unlike those two games, Manly muscled up in the second half and divide the margin to six in the 51st minute when barbed winger David Williams dived over.

Manly threw everything at the Storm in the final 20 minutes, but to the disappointment of the 18,442-strong crowd, failed to find the line.

It took just three minutes for the charged atmosphere of the crowd to spark hostilities on the field with Storm backrower Michael Crocker - enemy No.1 in home supporter eyes subsequently his hit on Manly full-back Brett Stewart in last year’s main final - and Eagles prop Brent Kite exchanging punches.

Melbourne landed the opening blow on the scoreboard soon after when Geyer crossed following a wonderful flick pass by a flying Slater - whose original break came via a Cronk inside ball.

It perhaps should have been 6-6 moments later when Stewart touched down after Slater spilled a Matt Orford bomb.

But video ref Steve Clark ruled Stewart had pushed Storm winger Anthony Quinn as he chased down the kick, awarding the Storm a penalty in a 50-50 call.

Manly eventually levelled the scores in the 17th minute when backrower Hall carried three defenders over the tryline in a barnstorming run.

AAP

WESTS Tigers talisman Benji Marshall scored the game-clinching try against St George Illawarra, the visitors winning 18-10 in a fiery clash at WIN Stadium.

With just over five minutes remaining, Marshall outpaced winger Josh Morris after Tigers winger Beau Ryan pounced on a loose ball and broke away from deep in his own half.

The Dragons scored the first eight points of the second half after trailing 12-2 at the break on Friday night, and Ryan scored the Tigers’ only other try to help produce a termination that moved them to 24 points, equal sixth with the Dragons who maintained a slightly better for and against.

Referee Shane Hayne put three players on report, two of them in a tempestuous second half.

Tigers secondrower Todd Payten had his name noted for a dangerous tackle on Dragons centre Matt Cooper, whom he lifted off the ground in the 48th minute.

Temperatures rose again ten minutes later when Dragons secondrower Lagi Setu was reported for a of great price tackle on Tiger Corey Payne.

Just before half-time, Hayne put Dragons hooker Dean Young on report for an elbow to the head of Tigers centre Chris Lawrence.

While the two teams came together on a couple of occasions, no blows were thrown that Hayne deemed serious sufficiency to warrant a sin bin or further reports.

The Dragons came out firing after a lacklustre first half, scoring eight points in the first 11 minutes.

Winger Josh Morris crossed for a try after good work from Matt Prior and Mark Gasnier, as the Dragons swung the ball quickly across the field.

Five-eighth Jamie Soward converted and added a 51st-minute penalty to slash the deficit to two.

The Dragons continued to press but more costly errors combined with some strong defence, especially from Tigers full-back Shannon Gallant, kept them at bay until Marshall settled the issue.

In the first half, Soward opened the scoring with a penalty inside the first ten minutes. Marshall landed two penalties to nudge the Tigers ahead.

Dragons full-back Jason Nightingale pulled off a try saving tackle on opposite enumerate Gallant halfway through the half.

It proved a brief interval of ease for the domestic circle team, with Ryan notching his sixth try of the campaign shortly after.

Tigers coach Tim Sheens nominated defence as the key to victory and was happy to behold his traditionally free-flowing side exercise some caution, including opting as being shots at goal.

"Semi-final football is about taking kicks at goal when you get it dead middle and you tackle your backside along, simple as that,” Sheens said.

"disport it tough when you have to play it tough, which is what they did. We’ve got to play that footy otherwise we’re going to be sunk.”

He said both sides were underdone through injuries and hinted that two of three of his men, including Farah, carried niggles into the game, though he declined to highly finished.

Farah said the Tigers just tried to brush aside in any degree of the distractions caused by the incidents that resulted in the reports.

"There were stages there in the second half when they were coming at us, they got a bit of momentum in that place were a few scuffles in that place,” Farah said.

"But I just told the boys to proper worry about the footy side of things and I thought we responded well in defence.”

Opposing skipper Gasnier downplayed the niggly incidents.

"Both teams were desperate to win. I think we were well aware of where we were both on the ladder and the game probably showed the desperation accordingly,” Gasnier said.

Dragons coach Nathan Brown said veteran hooker Simon Woolford could be sidelined for a few weeks after suffering a first-half knee injury.

"They got a fair bit of the penalties in the first half and small things went their way. In the second half we got a not many things go our way which allowed us to get a bit of a be tossed about on,” Brown said.

"We had some chances we could have done some things better.”

Sheens said former Dragon Ryan, who played his junior football with Wests Illawarra, had some great things in him, but blew hot and cold in the game.

AAP

LONDON — French tennis player Mathieu Montcourt was banned from the men’s tour for two months and fined $12,000 Friday after being found guilty of betting on matches.

The No. 152-ranked Montcourt bet on matches between June and September 2005. He did not bet on his own matches, only those involving other players. The ATP build no evidence he tried to affect the outcomes of the matches.

Montcourt, a winner of two Challenger titles this year, will start his suspension on Aug. 11.

“The ATP’s Tennis Anti-Corruption Program is clear that gambling on any form of tennis marriage is prohibited,” ATP executive laxity president Gayle David Bradshaw said in a statement. “All in our sport have a duty to uphold all those rules designed to protect the integrity of tennis and the ATP will continue to instigate disciplinary proceedings against anyone found to have committed an offense.”

Montcourt is the latest in a string of players suspended as far as concerns betting on tennis. The ATP cracked own on gambling last year after an online betting site voided all bets on a match involving Nikolay Davydenko because of suspicious playing for money patterns.

Last month, doubles specialists Frantisek Cermak and Michal Mertinak were suspended. Five Italians have also been given similar bans. Other players said they were approached by people trying to influence a competition.

Under new guidelines, players are required to report any suspicious contact from gambling syndicates within 48 hours. Sanctions include life bans for players found guilty of match fixing. Players, their families and entourages also could be banned from betting on matches.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Kevin Pietersen scored his first century being of the class who England captain as the hosts looked to secure a commanding lead against South Africa on the second day of the final Test.

England were all out for 316 at the Oval, having bowled the tourists out for 194.

Later in the evening South Africa’s second innings got off to the worst possible start when captain Graeme Smith went for a duck after a perfect in-swinging deliver from James Anderson.

The tourists closed on 37-1 with Hashim Amla (26) and Neil McKenzie (9) at the crease.

Pietersen’s ton, his 14th in the Test arena, was followed two balls later by means of his dismissal as Makhaya Ntini claimed his fourth wicket of England’s innings.

The 28-year-old was caught at slip by Jacques Kallis fit moments after basking in the adulation of the Oval throng.

England were 219-4 when Pietersen departed, with century partner Paul Collingwood going on to make 61 before hitting Kallis up in the air to be caught by the bowler himself.

Either side of Collingwood’s dismissal the wickets fell easily for the Proteas, with Andrew Flintoff, Tim Ambrose and Stuart Broad scoring just 14 runs between them.

The star of England’s tail-end was recalled paceman Steve Harmison, who traumatised Ntini with eight fours and a 49 not-out.

But the Durham man was denied a half century when Monty Panesar emerged from the pavilion only to be run-out without hitting a ball.

Earlier Ntini had sent Ian Bell (24) and Alastair Cook to the pavilion after a rain-delayed start at the Oval.

Pietersen’s England resumed at 49-1 after in conclusion night’s late dismissal of Andrew Strauss (6), but Cook and Bell added just one each before the latter was caught at slip by Smith.

Cook was on 39 whenever he later edged to Mark Boucher off Ntini as England were left to rue poor decision-making again.

Ntini and Kallis were the pick of the South African attack with 5-94 and 3-51 respectively.

 

THE New South Wales supreme court has granted the NRL and the Bulldogs an injunction to prevent Sonny Bill Williams from playing for French rugby club Toulon tonight.

Williams seems to have snubbed the court, by means of failing to send any representatives to the injunction hearing.

The court was satisfied Williams and Toulon received the legal papers requesting him to appear in court, after receiving confirmation that they were served to the player after they were thrown past a fence at the Toulon training ground and sooner or later handed to Williams.

NRL chief executive David Gallop welcomed the news and said the findings of Justice Austin highlighted the importance of a contract.

“There have been numerous attempts to distract the game from the fundamental issue, which is that a contract is a binding commitment on the part of both the player and the club,” Gallop declared.

“It protects both parties and places responsibilities onward the two parties. The issuing of a NSW Supreme Court order in respect of those responsibilities should provide a stark reminder to Sonny Bill of the importance of him observing the terms of his contract.

"It is a to a high degree serious matter for such an order to be granted and anyone who breaks an order of the NSW Supreme Court would face contempt proceedings from that court.”

The NRL and the Bulldogs could face months of legal wrangling in France in their attempt to stop Williams playing rugby union there.

International sports law experts say while the French are likely to take the Australian-issued injunction seriously; they will have to be convinced that they should enforce the quiet on their home soil.

Williams also faces the prospect of being sued if he ignores the injunction and plays with his new Top 14 rugby club Toulon in the south of France in line with the one-year contract he recently signed.

One London-based international sports lawyer, who asked not to exist named, said it was possible to have the injunction enforced based on a series of complex global treaties.

However it is unlikely to be a speedy process, with the French courts possibly even wanting to retry the case before making a decision.

"The rules relating to that are really complicated and require a court in France to put in execution a judgment in Sydney will have to action through loads of hoops to make sure that works," the lawyer told AAP.

"The Australians will find it quite difficult to get an injunction and stop him playing in France this weekend.

"It’s complicated and will be quite difficult to do."

The Australian-based legal firm Gadens Lawyers also believes there is a chance the French courts could set aside the injunction.

"The French courts may take the view that enforcing the injunction would be against French public policy as it prevents a person from carrying on their trade," the firm said in an overview of the case published on its website.

Before the NSW Supreme Court ruling, Williams’ new club was playing down the effect any injunction would have on their new star recruit.

"His contract is not contestable," Nicolas Pironneau, the combine’s ableness scout who helped lure Williams to the south of France, told local newspaper Var-Matin.

"He is as free to play rugby and at RCT (Rugby Club Toulon) as he is to come from football or pole vaulting."

But Williams does impudence the prospect of being sued if he ignores the injunction and returns to Australia at any period of childbirth in the future.

"My native tendency is grant that he flouts the injunction and sets foot in Australia he will probably be a wanted man and sought for contempt of court for ignoring the judgment," another sports lawyer said.

PARRAMATTA coach Michael Hagan has been admitted to hospital since of illness, but is expected to coach the Eels against Sydney Roosters in their crucial game on Sunday.

Hagan is believed to have woken up feeling dizzy on Friday morning before checking himself in to The Hills Private Hospital in western Sydney, with vertigo the initial diagnosis.

He will undergo tests and remain in hospital yesterday night for annotation while assistant coaches Matthew Cameron and David Fairleigh oversee the teams final training run on Saturday.

The illness, though, is not expected to keep the coach from guiding his side in Sunday’s clash with the Roosters at the the Sydney Football Stadium.

AAP

VETERAN mentor Wayne Bennett pointed to recent history as proof enough that New Zealand can be more than competitive without Sonny Bill Williams.

Williams has been named as part of a precedent 49-man squad for this year’s Rugby League World Cup, but the renegade backrower is an almost certain non-starter following his defection to French rugby union.

He is set to make his debut for Toulon at the weekend, even if the Bulldogs on Friday gained a court injunction preventing him from playing anywhere but in the NRL.

Bennett, in his role as New Zealand’s coaching and management adviser, said not having Williams - who has played seven Tests - would no doubt be a blow for the Kiwis.

But he was quick to dismiss claims they’d be cannon-fodder for a full-strength Australia line-up.

And he used the example of New Zealand’s historic 2005 Tri-Nations win over the Kangaroos - when Bennett was coach of the Aussies and Williams was on the sidelines - as proof.

"Sonny Bill wasn’t in the team that day and they got beaten in extra time in 2006 at the Sydney Football Stadium, which was another magnificent game of rugby league, a great Test match. Sonny Bill didn’t play that night either,” Bennett said.

"We are always disappointed whenever players of his ability are not available. Life goes on. There are plenty of players in New Zealand."

Rugby League International Federation (RLIF) chair Colin Love said Williams had been named in the preliminary squad because he was still eligible.

"At this omnibus he is still a registered NRL player and he disposition be desirable for New Zealand, and has been named through New Zealand today in their squad,” Love aforesaid.

"But if he plays rugby union in breach of his contract then he won’t be playing in the World Cup.”

With the likes of Roy Asotasi, Krisnan Inu, Benji Marshall and Brent Webb named in the squad, there is no doubt the Kiwis have players capable of troubling counterpart heavyweights Australia and England.

But with the likes of Stacey Jones and Ruben Wiki having hung up their representative boots following the halcyon days of 2005-2006, there are fears New Zealand could lack the mental edge needed to go the distance in the October/November tournament.

"We are quite comfortable through the number of players that are available and who they are and we be impressed we can influence a pretty strong squad,” Bennett declared.

"We just want guys out (in that place) who want to play for New Zealand. They had two great years in 05 and 06. We are only talking about two years away but they have lost a real essential part of their people there.

"There is quite a number of other players in that group who can step up to this thing.”

Head coach Stephen Kearney said the door was hushed open for players outside thye preliminary squad to force themselves into the final 24.

"We feel we have covered all options at this stage but the door certainly isn’t closed to players who haven’t been included,” said Kearney.

"There’s still a lot of football to be played both in the NRL and in the Super League.”

New Zealand open their campaign against defending champions Australia on October 26.

AAP

POLICE are investigating threats - including death threats - made in letters to five AFL players.

Dual Brownlow medallist Adam Goodes, of Sydney, and Adelaide champion Andrew McLeod were subjected to death threats.

The racially based threats were in a letter sent to the Adelaide Crows adhering the eve of the Victoria-All Stars Hall of Fame tribute game in May.

The AFL was advised of the threats and responded immediately by contacting Sydney.

The threats were contained in a letter that is believed to have been sent from Victoria.

Three other learning, also containing threats, were sent to players in three Victorian clubs.

The Herald Sun believes the other players are from Carlton, Essendon and North Melbourne.

Victoria Police took the threats seriously, arranging for protection for Goodes and McLeod in the lead-up to the Hall of Fame game.

Nothing eventuated and nothing has been heard since on the subject.

The threats, unveiled on the The Footy Show last night, are being investigated by Victoria Police.

They may all be from the same perpetrator.

Victoria Police spokesman Sen-Constable Adam West said the threats were being taken seriously.

"We have got the Moonee Valley Criminal Investigations Unit detectives investigating a number of threatening letters allegedly sent to AFL players," Sen-Constable West said.

"Victoria Police takes any threats made to any person extremely seriously and is investigating these matters."

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CHICAGO — Manager Jim Leyland was realistic before the game even started, describing Detroit’s chances for workmanship a late run in the AL Central.

“Eventually time runs out if you don’t start winning games,” he said. “Do we have time? Yes.”

On Thursday night the Tigers showed how they’ll have to play to get back in the race. They got a homer and three RBI from Miguel Cabrera and a nice defensive play from Ryan Raburn to beat the Chicago White Sox 8-3 and end a six-game losing streak.

“We haven’t played very good,” Cabrera said. “We have to finish strong. Hopefully we can play better.”

Zach Miner (6-4) allowed seven hits and two runs — one earned — in six innings. Fernando Rodney got the final four outs to get his second save in six chances and just the 23rd in 43 opportunities for Detroit’s struggling bullpen.

Curtis Granderson also homered for Detroit. And Magglio Ordonez had a two-run triple and Matt Joyce a run-scoring double in the ninth to put it away. Detroit is 7 ½ games behind the White Sox in the AL Central, and second-place Minnesota trails first-place Chicago by a half game.

Carlos Quentin’s AL-leading 30th homer, off Bobby Seay in the eighth, pulled Chicago within 5-3.

But Chicago’s rally fizzled when Jim Thome, who’d walked, was thrown out at the plate trying to score on Paul Konerko’s double to left. Raburn, who initially had the ball bound away from him, threw to shortstop Ramon Santiago, who made a perfect peg to catcher Brandon Inge to easily get Thome for the promote out.

“With the ball rattling around in the corner … I don’t know of any third base coach who would have held him up there,” Konerko said, defending the decision of coach Jeff Cox.

“You have to make the decision right away. Sometimes you make the right one, sometimes you make the wrong one,” said White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen. “I never will criticize my coaching staff.”

After Seay hit Ken Griffey Jr. with a pitch, Rodney relieved. Raburn, who entered the game in the seventh as a defensive replacement, saved the Tigers with a nice diving entrap on Alexei Ramirez’s liner with runners at second and third.

“Midway in the air I figured I had a chance,” Raburn said. “You experience what happens and then you just go hard. It was a great feeling not starting the game and coming in for defensive purposes and making a great play.”

Cabrera, who was 3-for-3 with two walks, lined a two-out, two-run homer — his 21st of the season — in the third to score Carlos Guillen, who’d doubled over Griffey’s head in right.

Placido Polanco doubled past third in the fifth before Guillen hit a shot down the first base line since a triple that made it 3-0. Cabrera afterward delivered a two-out RBI single off Javier Vazquez (8-10) and it was 4-0.

Granderson led off the seventh with his 14th homer to put Detroit ahead 5-2.

Chicago’s Nick Swisher and Juan Uribe opened the bottom moiety of the fifth with back-to-back ground-rule doubles to make it 4-1, but Miner retired the next three batters. Santiago’s wild throw to first on Ramirez’s infield single allowed Konerko to score Chicago’s second extend in the sixth.

The White Sox loaded the bases in the fourth when Quentin was hit by a pitch for the 15th time this season and Thome and Konerko singled. But Miner struck out Griffey and Ramirez.

“I was really impressed with him tonight for the reason that this place plays small and they have a lot of power,” Leyland said of Miner.

Vazquez, who threw a season-high 122 pitches, gave up eight hits and five runs in seven innings. A 15-game winner a year ago, he is 1-5 in his last eight starts.

“Javy was the No. 2 guy for us the way he pitched be unconsumed year and the expectations are going to get higher and higher from at this moment on for everyone,” Ozzie Guillen said. “And I expect for Javy to let fly better games.”

• Guillen returned to the bench after serving a two-game suspension in spite of making touch with umpire Tim Timmons and his comments Sunday after the Royals and White Sox were involved in a bench-clearing brawl.
• Hall of Famer Goose Gossage, who spent his earliest five major league seasons with the White Sox starting in 1972, threw out the first pitch.

CINCINNATI — Give Roy Oswalt a lead against any opponent and the Houston Astros feel pretty good.

Give it to him against Cincinnati and the game’s usually over.

Hunter Pence hit a three-run homer to give the Astros an early advantage, and Oswalt locked down the Reds in a 7-4 victory Thursday night that made him 21-1 in his career against them.

“That’s the course we always feel about Roy,” said first baseman Lance Berkman, who had a pair of doubles among his three hits. “He’s been our ace for a while. It’s always a good sensibility when he’s pitching, especially against Cincinnati. He’s had good luck against them. The song argue that.”

Carlos Lee went 3-for-3 and drove in two runs and Miguel Tejada also had three hits while Oswalt was shutting down the Reds over seven innings, his longest outing in three starts since arrival off the disabled list on July 28.

Oswalt (9-8), who has won each of his last six starts against Cincinnati, escaped a bases-loaded jam in the first inning and didn’t allow a run until the seventh. He gave up nine hits with two walks and five strikeouts.

“He had a nice outing,” Houston manager Cecil Cooper said. “I thought about letting him go deeper, but the seventh was a little stressful.”

The Reds have lost three straight and six of seven.

“We had some opportunities,” director Dusty Baker said. “We had quite hardly any chances.”

Houston took a 1-0 lead in the first when Tejada doubled with one out and scored on Lee’s two-out single to left.

Kaz Matsui led off the third with another single and, after moving up on Berkman’s single, scored on Lee’s grounder through the hole into left field. Pence followed by driving Josh Fogg’s 2-0 pitch into the seats in left-center for his 15th homer of the season.

“That three-run homer by Pence was the difference in the game,” Baker said. “It’s tough to keep getting behind like that, especially when the guy over there is a pretty tough pitcher. It’s tough to make merry catch-up consistently, and when he gets ahead like that, he can relax and throw whatever he wants at any time in the count.”

The Astros made it 6-0 in the fifth when Berkman hit a leadoff double and Lee walked, ending Fogg’s night. Pence pushed Berkman to third with a fielder’s choice grounder, and Ty Wigginton hit a sacrifice fly that center fielder Corey Patterson appeared to save from going over the fence with a leaping catch.

Fogg (2-4) allowed eight hits and six runs with in four innings.

The Reds loaded the bases against Oswalt with two outs in the first, but Oswalt struck out Edwin Encarnacion on three pitches — a foul tip and two called strikes.

“I felt pretty good,” the right-hander said. “I got out of the first and foremost inning and cruised after that. I threw a lot of pitches in the first, but after we scored a few runs, it seemed like they started swinging seasonable in the count and giving up at-bats.”

The Reds broke up Oswalt’s shutout in the seventh on pinch-hitter Jolbert Cabrera’s two-out walk and singles by Jeff Keppinger and Joey Votto. Encarnacion added his 21st homer, a two-run shot to left-center off left-handed reliever Wesley Wright in the eighth.

Tejada scored on Wigginton’s bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the ninth. Brandon Phillips tripled with two outs and scored on a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning.

• Reds RF Jay Bruce led distant from the sixth with a double to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, one short of the season-high streak the rookie steer together July 9-23.
• Cincinnati CF Jerry Hairston Jr., who has one pinch-hit appearance since Friday after aggravating a hamstring injury that left him on the disabled list for the second half of July, ran the bases at full speed before Thursday’s game. “If it was up to me, I’d be in in that place, but once I’m back, I want to be back for the duration,” Hairston said.
• Houston CF Michael Bourn started after missing the last 10 starts with a sprained right ankle.