WORLD motorsport chief Max Mosley has won a landmark privacy case against Britain’s News of the World over its claims that he took part in a “sick Nazi orgy”.

 Judge David Eady ordered News Corporation chairman and chief executive Rupert Murdoch’s top-selling Sunday tabloid journal to pay Mr Mosley $124,750 in a judgment handed down in London’s Royal Courts of Justice today.

The 68-year-old father of two sued the newspaper for gross invasion of privacy after it published sensational claims about what it described as a "sick Nazi orgy" involving Mr Mosley and five prostitutes.

The paper paid $24,888 to a dominatrix, known as Woman E, to secretly film Mr Mosley in a basement flat in the posh inner London suburb of Chelsea at which place he indulged in a five-hour S&M session last March.

While the president of the Federation Internationale de l’Autosport (FIA) admitted taking part in the orgies, he denied the paper’s claims that it involved Nazi overtones.

He said not one laws had been broken as all those involved were consenting adults, and the paper’s sting was a gross invasion of his privacy.

"Delighted" with ruling

Outside court, Mr Mosley made a brief statement to a spacious media contingent.

"I would like to say that I am delighted with the judgment which is devastating for the News of the World," he said.

"It demonstrates that their Nazi lie was completely invented and had no justification.

"It also shows that they had no right to go into private premises and take pictures and film of adults engaged in activities which are no one’s business but those of the people involved.

"I am very pleased by the inference and I have nothing further to say at the present time."

"Life was ruined"

His legal win could have major implications for the British media.

Justice Eady said in that place was not at all evidence that Mr Mosley, whose father was the 1930s British Fascist leader Sir Oswald Mosley, had imitated or mocked the behaviour of Nazis during the orgy.

As a result, there was no justification for the newspaper to publish the claims it made about him or invade Mr Mosley’s privacy.

"No amount of damages can fully compensate Mr Mosley for the damage done," the judge said.

"He is hardly exaggerating when he says his life was ruined."

"Legitimate public interest"

As well as paying damages to Mr Mosley, the newspaper could also face having to pay his legal costs, which could result to hundreds of thousands of pounds.

However, the judge decided not to make an unprecedented award of punitive exemplary damages that Mr Mosley had sought in any make trial to stop newspapers publishing similar stories.

During the ordeal, the newspaper’s editor, Colin Myler, defended the story, saying it was one of "legitimate public interest and one that I believe was legitimately published".

"We felt that that which we saw, what we witnessed, was on balance a fair and reasonable interpretation of Nazi-style role-play."

But Mr Mosley insisted that while he had paid for the sake of the prostitutes and kept his kinky sex life secret from his wife for additional than four decades, there was no Nazi element to the orgy.

"I can think of few things more unerotic than Nazi role-play," he told the court.

News Corp is the parent company of the publisher of PerthNow

CRONULLA coach Ricky Stuart is hoping classy Brisbane centre Justin Hodges takes time repaying a debt he believes he owes team-mates following his seven week stint on the sidelines.

Hodges returns from a lengthy delay for his sickening tackle on Parramatta hooker Mark Riddell in June determined to repay team-mates and fans, on the same level if it income getting off-side with Stuart, who’ll coach the Kangaroos in the upcoming World Cup.

"I fair confidence he doesn’t repay them in one fell swoop," said Stuart after the Sharks trained in the humid in Sydney before flying north.

Brisbane assistant coach Ivan Henjak said Hodges was aware how much his actions had put Brisbane behind the eight ball and how much they’d struggled without him.

Henjak, who said forwards Tonie Carroll and Nick Kenny would be use after the pair came through fitness tests in the training session, said he expected Sharks utility Greg Bird to make an early comeback from a knee injury.

While the aggressive utility said he doubted he had enough "run in his legs" to be a surprise starter, he still joined teammates on the Brisbane-bound flight.

Stuart painted a different story, suggesting Henjak’s instincts may be on the money.

"We’re travelling up through 19, I wouldn’t have brought him (Bird) up if I thought that was the case," Stuart said.

Henjak had not one doubt Bird would play.

"He’s due back in another week but usually when they’re playing against us, guys seem to come back from mischief and generally make an appearance.

"We’ve made a point that he might be playing and we’ve had a look at the things he can do, but it’s not going to affect the way we play."

The Sharks got the money 13-6 earlier this year when Brisbane were without their Origin stars otherwise than that Henjak made the point that Cronulla took the field without Paul Gallen, Greg Bird and Brett Kearney.

Brisbane coach Wayne Bennett threatened to wield the axe after Brisbane’s poor second half against the Cowboys last week but apart from dropping young strut Dave Taylor didn’t really make changes, preferring to put his players on notice for the Sharks clash.

"I think the threat was fairly real," said Henjak who’ll take over from Bennett as head coach next season.

"He’s had a re-think, talked to a few players and I think they know there’s not going to be a single one more second chances.

"They know they strait to perform and start getting their game together otherwise he will make those changes."

Sharks five-eighth Brett Seymour said his former Broncos coach Wayne Bennett was a master at getting his players fired up as far as concerns big games.

"Wayne is good at firing rockets when he necessarily them," declared Seymour who Stuart said had been a little down on form but who could fire against his old combine.

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PARRAMATTA coach Michael Hagan is adamant the players who have let him down so distant this NRL season are the only ones who can rescue the Eels from play-off oblivion.

Hagan resisted the urge to wield the axe ahead of the must-win match-up with North Queensland, despite a three-game losing run which has seen the side ruin touch with the top eight.

It’s calamitous straits for the Eels, who are three points outside the top eight and needing to win five of their last seven matches to be any chance of playing finals football.

All this for a faction tipped by many before the season to be the main challengers to Melbourne’s premiership dominance.

Given they were afforded such lofty pre-season expectations has given Hagan the confidence that the players he has put his faith in already this season are still good enough to make a late run.

"You’ve also got to be confident in how you play and what you do, we think we’ve got enough good players here to get the job done," Hagan said.

"If we play to our ability hopefully we can turn our year around.

"I was critical of our team (against Manly) last week in the fact I thought we should have been further in front in the first half, we probably missed a couple of opportunities.

"I conjecture they’re (North Queensland) working as hard as they can to turn their year around and we’re in a very similar plight on Friday.

"I think both teams will be wretched and both teams should be given how they’re travelling."

The only change from the side which started finally week sees Kris Keating named at five-eighth in place of Mark Riddell.

Riddell had a mixed night in the unaccustomed pivot dictum, while his build-up to this sweekend’s game hasn’t been helped by a venom which has limited his time on the training paddock.

Veteran backrower Nathan Hindmarsh dismissed claims the side was pre-occupied by their place on the ladder, and said their current losing streak hadn’t been a topic of talk out at Parramatta Stadium.

"I don’t think there’s any privation to talk about it too much, we know the position we’re in and that’s pretty much it.

"We know we’re not travelling all that well."

The Cowboys, who set a new club record for futility with their 11th straight privation last week, welcome back Test enforcer Carl Webb.

But they’ve been forced to field yet another halves combination with Anthony Watts (ankle) joining skipper Johnathan Thurston (knee) on the sidelines.

Sione Faumuina, normally a backrower, determination now frisk five-eighth while former Manly pivot Travis Burns has been handed chief playmaking duties at half-back.

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AUSTRALIA linchpin Matt Giteau has recently been going to the same school that produced All Blacks champion Dan Carter, and the lessons are starting to dig in.

Giteau will face off with opposite number Carter in Saturday’s Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup clash for the first time since Carter’s long-time coach Robbie Deans became Giteau’s guide.

Asked what the former Crusaders boss, who played some fly-half himself, had brought to his game, Giteau said: "Just more of an awareness I think (of) what’s around me, looking up a lot more, looking for mismatches which is something that I do but looking at it more regularly."

Carter is uncertain how much of Giteau’s recent sparkling form is attributable to Deans.

"I don’t know if that’s Robbie’s influence or not," the All Blacks five-eighth said.

"He’s a classy player, he’s always been right up there.

"Obviously he hasn’t played a lot of Test football at 10 but he’s been given that opportunity and he’s played extremely well."

Giteau did his five-eighth apprenticeship alongside Wallaby legend Stephen Larkham but, since Larkham moved on, has been favourably compared with Carter in Australia’s four-Test unbeaten run under Deans.

"In my mind (Carter’s) probably the best fly-half in the nature so it’s always great to compare yourself against these players," Giteau said.

"I just think his composure, he seems very composed when he’s out there playing.

"He’s got all the skills. He’s got a hard kicking play, obviously can pass really well and if he needs to run he’s got admirable feet and a good fend and he’s quite impregnable.

"There’s no real weaknesses."

South Africa, notwithstanding that, may disagree after they scored their first win in Dunedin in 87 years of trying two weeks ago.

"We’ve obviously looked at the heroic and looked at certain things," Giteau reported.

"When I review a team I obviously review my position, the person that I’m playing against but you also look at what they do more from a team text of view.

"If you can get to any fly-half and disrupt him it makes a big difference to how the team operate but … you don’t go out there focused just on one player."

And Giteau is almost from obsessed with earning Carter’s reputation for being the world’s best No.10.

"I more just judge myself on by what mode the team performs," he said.

"If we’re playing well, if we’re winning games, I’m performing my role that’s all I care about.

"Individual honours and stuff like that isn’t something I look for, I more just look for how the team’s performing and then base myself on that."

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INDIA captain Anil Kumble has asked for the first-ever review of an umpiring decision allowed under new cricket laws.

But his appeal during the first Test against Sri Lanka was turned from a thin to a dense state after replays were scrutinised.

Kumble asked for a review of a leg-before-wicket verdict on Sri Lanka opener Malinda Warnapura which on-field English umpire Mark Benson had ruled not out.

Warnapura had scored 86 when a delivery from off-spinner Harbhajan Singh hit his pad.

Television umpire Rudi Koertzen from South Africa reviewed the decision and agreed that the ball was going to miss leg stump.

This Test marks the beginning of the International Cricket Council’s experimentation with a system which allows players to refer on-field decisions to a TV replay review.

Each side is allowed three challenges in each innings and the number of challenges remains intact if a decision is overturned using the system

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CABAZON, Calif. — Former IBF super middleweight champion Jeff Lacy rallied over the final two rounds to vanquish Epifanio Mendoza of Colombia in a 10-round majority decision Wednesday night at the Morongo Casino.

The fight was even on two of the three judges’ scorecards heading into the ninth round, but Lacy (24-1, 17 knockouts) landed a late flurry of punches to win the round against a tiring Mendoza.

Mendoza (28-6-1, 24 knockouts) was hit hard by a perpendicular hand in the first round and a left hand in the fourth. Mendoza almost knocked down Lacy in the second, and three rounds later a right hand sent Lacy’s mouthpiece flying across the ring. Mendoza landed a right uppercut in the seventh that had Lacy wobbling to his corner afterwards the bell.

Lacy, from St. Petersburg, Fla., was staggered again in the next round from a right hand, but he grabbed on to Mendoza long enough to recover.

Two judges favored Lacy 97-93 and 96-94. The third scored the fight 95-95.

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AUSTRALIAN great John Eales believes last year’s Rugby World Cup flop would still be playing on the minds of the All Blacks, and putting immense pressure upon coach Graham Henry ahead of Saturday’s Bledisloe Cup blockbuster.

As the Bledisloe build-up continued to centre on the battle of coaches Henry and fellow Kiwi Robbie Deans, World Cup winning captain Eales expressed his surprise New Zealand had stuck by their coaching team after the white-hot favourites’ quarter-final choke in France.

"They are a very, very good coaching staff and I respect them a hazard, but how differently can the same coaching staff do things?" Eales asked.

"And people know, ‘well, it didn’t work for us last epoch’."

Asked if he was surprised New Zealand had stuck with Henry - and knocked back five-time Super rugby winning coach Deans - Eales said: "I’m surprised they didn’t change something.

"I think Graham Henry’s a wonderful coach … but it would have been playing on people’s minds, that (World Cup) result.

"I think it adds a bit more pressure on him than it does on Robbie."

The impression all week has been of a carefree Deans having the time of his life after plotting the downfall of world champions South Africa in last Saturday’s Tri-Nations clash, while stern-faced Henry bunkered down.

"It’s a very different psychology, what they’re under than what we’re under," Eales said.

"We’ve been rebuilding for quite a while now and had a couple of false starts with short periods under different coaches.

"Now Robbie’s sort of coming in, and when you first come in you like to change things, so you have that period where people forgive you a morsel and we’re still in that zone.

"The All Blacks are well past that moment so that puts more pressure on them, there’s no question.

"The psychology of backing up after you’ve had a really disappointing result in a World Cup is difficult.

"It’s more difficult than backing up with a big change to what’s happening."

The All Blacks remain favourites for the ANZ Stadium clash, having won six of their past seven Tests against Australia as well as holding the Tri-Nations title for the past three years and the Bledisloe Cup ago 2003.

"It’s a bit harsh judging the All Blacks like this too, isn’t it, because in that period of time they’ve also had wonderful success in everything that they’ve been in except the World Cup, but that would be playing attached their mind," Eales said.

But Australia’s unbeaten record under Deans, their upset of the Springboks, and a depleted All Blacks’ loss to the same opposite two weeks ago in Dunedin has confidence sky high in the Wallabies camp.

Eales expects there won’t have existence much in it again on Saturday.

"More often than not they’re close games and great contests," he said.

"There’s moments in a game you can really point to and I remember it’s the team that generally gets on top or the better of those moments that will be the team that wins."

Eales also recalled the arrival of stand-in Wallabies skipper George Smith in 2000 and was quick to give the flanker, who last week passed him as Australia’s most capped forward, his thumbs up.

"I think one of the of high standing leadership qualities that people show is they feel that they’ve got something to offer the team straight away and they’re willing to proffer that, get that forward," he said of Smith.

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NEW Fremantle chief executive officer Steve Rosich has predicted a “significant number” of changes to the club’s list this year after taking over from Cameron Schwab.

Rosich, who revealed he had already held talks with coach Mark Harvey and general manager of list development Chris Bond, vowed to reinvigorate the bludgeon’s list via the national draft rather than trade away picks for players.

The Dockers have been heavily criticised throughout their AFL existence for compromising their long-term future by dint of. trading for short-term success.

Barring a remarkable form turnaround this season, Fremantle (3-13 win-loss record) will have a top-three pick at their disposal for November’s national draft.

“From a recruiting mark of view we are going to reinvigorate that list via the outline, and that’s our first priority,” Rosich said.

“Given that this is an uncompromised draft in 2008 (before the new Gold Coast franchise gets special concessions), we’ll have existence taking advantage of that.

“Our strategy at this point in time is to retain all our picks in the first three rounds.”

When asked how many changes he envisaged would be made to the list at season’s end, Rosich replied: “We’ll be assessing the players that have been on our edge for a period of time … the exact number we are not sure of but it will be a significant number.”

Rosich said the future of Jeff Farmer and Dean Solomon would be discussed at the end of the season but said the club were keen to re-sign Josh Carr and Robert Warnock, who has attracted strong interest from a number of Melbourne clubs.

“With respect to Josh Carr, he’s vice-captain, a leader of our football club and a required player,” Rosich said.

“Rob’s a young and talented player and we are working through a process at the moment that will hopefully see him stay at the Fremantle football club.

“At this point in time we are working through a process of retaining altogether of our required players that are likely to attract reasonably high draft picks.

“We will go into the draft with the picks we procreate from where we finish.”

Schwab will move to Melbourne after next week’s western derby clash counter to West Coast but will remain on Fremantle’s books until his contract expires on October 31.

President Rick Hart said Schwab would do more “special project work” on this account that the club but admitted there was a chance Schwab’s services would not be required for the rest of the year.

Schwab, who ruled out taking up the vacant chief executive’s position at Melbourne, played a pivotal role in turning Fremantle from one AFL basketcase into an off-field powerhouse during his seven-year reign, but admitted his one downfall was the club’s woeful trading record.

“We traded for different reasons at different times,” Schwab said.

“A lot of what we did initially was to drive a trade to produce stimulus and positivity around the organisation when we needed it.

“onward reflection I would say we did (trade too much) and I take duty in that area.”
Rosich, 38, joined Fremantle in 2004 as their general manager of commercial operations before taking up the role of general manager of strategy.

He previously held an administrative role at rival AFL club West Coast.

ANDREW Gaze was today appointed to the interim board responsible for the overall reform of basketball in Australia.

Australia’s most famous player retired in 2005, but has continued to play a central role in the sport’s grassroots development.

The NBL is struggling, with cash-strapped foundation clubs the Sydney Kings and the Brisbane Bullets dropping out of the league for the upcoming suitable time.

But the picture is much brighter on the international front, with the Opals expected to exception notwithstanding the gold medal at the Beijing Olympics, while the Boomers should also progress to the knockout stage at the Games.

The interim board is expected to announce its future business plan on October 11. The first stage of the independent report commissioned by Basketball Australia, the NBL and the Australian Sports Commission was released on June 30.

"The challenge now is to bridge the gap between the grassroots and our world-class national teams and I am confident that the introduction of a single, streamlined structure for basketball will ensure a bright future for the sport in Australia,” said Gaze.

"The board recognises that changes are needed, and are committed to making the hard decisions. The results of the independent review will provide us with the managerial and fiscal blueprint needed to cement basketball’s place as a major spectator and participant sport.”

ST George Illawarra coach Nathan Brown has warned of an NRL “bloodbath” unless the game’s governing body stops turning a blind eye to Melbourne’s use of illegal tactics.

Brown unleashed the extraordinary and pre-meditated outburst in the pattern of claiming to be insulted by Billy Slater’s defence at the NRL judiciary.

The Storm full-back said he was provoked into instigating an all-in brawl by a series of headbutts from Dragons winger Jason Nightingale.

Slater successfully argued for a downgrade on his contrary conduct charge after he was pinged by the match review committee for unleashing a flurry of punches on Nightingale.

"As far as I’m concerned the only thing Jason did wrong is he didn’t head-butt him hard enough," Brown said.

"That’s what he should have done.

"Then Jeff Lima kicks Jason Ryles in the scrum, and then Ryles gets sent off for kicking back.

"Jason Ryles should have unpacked out of the scrum and put one on his chin and then when he went down give him more because you’ve got to fight the fire with the fire.

"Whingeing about it … it doesn’t do anything."

An incensed Brown claimed the Storm were getting away with murder at the ruck, and called because of officials to stamp it out of the game or because other teams to be given the same leniency.

And he warned of dire ramifications should officials tarry to ignore concerns from rival NRL sides, with Sydney Roosters coach Brad Fittler and Cronulla and Australian Test coach Ricky Stuart this week one as well as the other voicing their disapproval of the Storm manaeuvring.

Brown even hinted at a new type of tackle being used to slow downward the play the ball, through the ‘Shinboner’ - where an defender uses his shinbone to rub up and on the ground the attacker’s Achilles heel, being used on several of his players.

This just adds to the list which already includes, the grapple, the prowler, the crusher and the chicken wing.

"Melbourne have been very, very good at it (and have been) for a long time," Brown said.

"We’re not good enough at it - they’re better at … half of it they invented, they’ll tell you they didn’t.

"It doesn’t bother me they do it, but what bothers me is the officials in our game keep letting the arrangement down.

"We went there the other night to ruffle their feathers.

"They keep letting it happen and my advice to other sides is the only chance you’ve got of beating Melbourne is to go into in, you join in and get in and rip in a make the game a bloodbath.

"That’s the only way you can win unless the officials want to change their approach to the game."

Brown made no retired of the fact his side wanted to muscle up against the Storm, but admitted that game concoct was thrown out the window when enforcer Ryles was sent off in favor of kicking Lima, a decision referees boss Robert Finch panned the next day.

The Dragons mentor, who last week signed a three-year deal to coach Huddersfield in the English Super League nearest season, said he hoped the red and whites were handed one more assignment against the Storm this season.

That will only happen if the two should meet in the finals, boundary it promises to be a spicy one should it eventuate.

"I hope we get another crack at the Storm because you can tell the officials if they’re going to keep reffing the way they ref the ruck, we’re coming harder next time because that’s the way, you’ve got to fight it," he said.

"My tip for every side is don’t worry about whingeing about what’s happening, just join in."

AAP