Melbourne Storm blew Manly away in the second half of the NRL Grand Final in Sydney yesterday, running out 34-8 winners.
The outpost club were disappointed to lead only 10-4 after dominating the first half, with tries from Anthony Quinn and the man of the match, Greg Inglis, partly redressed by one by Steve Matai. But three quick tries after the break from Mick Crocker, the Warrington-bound Matt King and a second from Inglis, took them out of sight.
Serena Williams
Stuttgart, Germany (Sports Network) – U.S. Open runner-up Svetlana Kuznetsova and Australian Open champion Serena Williams were a pair of second-round winners Wednesday at the $650,000 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix.
The second-seeded Kuznetsova held off Poland’s Agnieszka Radwanska 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 6-3, while the sixth-seeded former world No. 1 Williams handled Ukrainian Julia Vakulenko 7-5, 6-2 at Porsche Arena.
LIVERPOOL is facing a huge fight for survival in UEFA Champions League Group A after Marseille won 1-0 today to become the first French club to win at Anfield.
Liverpool now has just one point from its opening two games in the group, and the latest result will only fuel the controversy over Rafael Benitez’s love of endlessly rotating his line-up.
Having named a side in which the totally ineffective Sebastian Leto was making only his second start of the season, and striker Peter Crouch his third, Benitez was rewarded with a performance as disjointed as any in his three and a bit seasons in charge.
The New Zealand No 8 Sione Lauaki has been cited for an alleged dangerous tackle during this Pool C victory in Toulouse on Saturday and will face a disciplinary hearing in Paris today. Lauaki was reported by the match citing commissioner, John West, for a tackle on the Romania wing Gabriel Brezoianu.
Crouch: Given warning
Liverpool chief Rafa Benitez has warned Peter Crouch that he must fight for his place at Anfield.
Didier Drogba
VALENCIA, Spain – Didier Drogba scored a second-half goal Wednesday to give Chelsea a 2-1 win at Valencia in the Champions League.
Drogba ran on to Joe Cole’s long through ball before beating goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand in the 71st minute.
ST. LOUIS (AP) – One day after insisting he’d stick with Marc Bulger, St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan benched his banged-up quarterback.
FORMER Great Britain rugby league stars Andy Farrell and Jason Robinson have been brought into England’s backline for Saturday’s Rugby World Cup showdown with Australia.
Robinson has recovered from a torn hamstring to be picked at fullback while Farrell is a contentious selection at inside centre for the Marseille quarter-final.
Coach Brian Ashton also restored veteran prop Phil Vickery to the front row and captaincy in making five changes to his starting side. Ashton punted on the 110kg Farrell to contain classy Wallabies centres Matt Giteau and Stirling Mortlock ahead of smaller incumbent Olly Barkley.
CHARLESTON, S.C. — New York Knicks coach Isiah Thomas said Wednesday his mind “never left basketball” throughout a three-week trial where he was found guilty of sexually harassing a former Knicks executive.
“Honestly, my head never left basketball. This is what I’ve done. This is what I do and this is what I think about the majority of the time,” Thomas said after the Knicks’ second day of training camp.
