7th February 2011
Rugby Leaguer & League Express
www.totalrl.com
7
suffering from a groin injury and will not be able to play for the NRL All Stars against the Indigenous All Stars this Saturday night on the Gold Coast “It is a recurring injury from the days when he had some hernia issues that needed surgery,” Tigers coach Tim Sheens explained. “We don’t think it is anything major.
We just want to make sure that it doesn’t become a nagging thing that plagues him throughout the year and leads to more surgery. He just needs rest.”
GARETH Ellis last week became the second England Test forward to drop out of the season-opening All Stars game, joining Sam Burgess on the sideline. The Wests Tigers second-rower is
ELLIS OUT OF ALL STARS GAME FORMER ROBIN ARRESTED
By MALCOLM ANDREWS
HOW THE ALL STARS LINE UP (at Skilled Park, Robina, Saturday)
INDIGENOUS ALL STARS 1 Matt Bowen (Cowboys) 2 Nathan Merritt (Rabbitohs) 3 Willie Tonga (Cowboys) 4 Beau Champion (Storm) 5 Jharal Yow Yeh (Broncos) 6 Scott Prince (Titans)
7 Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys) (c) 8 Tom Learoyd-Lars (Raiders) 9 Travis Waddell (Raiders) 10 George Rose (Sea Eagles) 11 Carl Webb (Eels) 12 Jamal Idris (Bulldogs) 13 Greg Bird (Titans) Subs:
Ellis was not the only star to withdraw last week. So, too, did the Gold Coast Titans fullback Preston Campbell, the man who thought up the idea of the All Stars game and would have captained the Indigenous side.
14 Ben Barba (Bulldogs) 15 Jamie Soward (Dragons) 16 Cory Paterson (Knights) 17 Joel Thompson (Raiders) 18 Ryan James (Titans) 19 Anthony Mitchell (Eels)
Coach: Laurie Daley Coach: Wayne Bennett By MALCOLM ANDREWS
But although international scrum-half Johnathan Thurston will take over the captaincy, Campbell will make a cameo appearance to lead the indigenous players onto the pitch at the start of what is likely to be the 33-year-old’s final season in the NRL. He has not recovered from a hamstring injury. “I was really hoping to be able to make the game,”
he said.
“Every week my hamstring is getting stronger. But it is not yet strong enough to play. “I have to think about the Titans as well. We have got a long season ahead of us and I would like to be able to play every game this year.” Saturday night’s match is certain to attract a sell-out attendance of 27,000 at the Titans’ home ground, Skilled Park.
FORMER Kiwi Test winger Taniela Tuiaki has retired – forced out of the game by a broken ankle that has refused to heal properly.
The 28-year-old, who toured Britain with the
2007 Kiwis, bowed to the inevitable last week after he was unable to regain sufficient strength in the right ankle after three operations. “It isn’t getting any better,” the Wests Tigers star
said.
“I just can’t run properly.” Tuiaki, dubbed ‘The Tank’ by fans and media alike, suffered the horrific injury in a match against Parramatta in late 2009. He was in peak form at the time, leading the NRL tryscoring lists with 21 tries
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1 Josh Dugan (Raiders) 2 Akuila Uate (Knights) 3 Michael Jennings (Panthers) 4 Jamie Lyon (Sea Eagles) 5 Brett Morris (Dragons) 6 Darren Lockyer (Broncos) (C) 7 Benji Marshall (Tigers) 8 Ben Hannant (Broncos) 9 Cameron Smith (Storm) 10 Matt Scott (Cowboys) 11 Nathan Hindmarsh (Eels) 12 David Taylor (Rabbitohs), 13 Paul Gallen (Sharks) Subs:
14 Ashley Harrison (Titans) 15 Feleti Mateo (Warriors) 16 Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Roosters) 17 Michael Ennis (Bulldogs) 18 Petero Civoniceva (Panthers) 19 Kurt Gidley (Knights) 20 Joel Moon (Warriors)
By MALCOLM ANDREWS
CANTERBURY Bulldogs have stood down Ireland international Ryan Tandy (right) following his arrest last week by police investigating an alleged attempted betting scam on a 2010 NRL game. Tandy, who played for Hull KR in the 2007 Super League and also had stints with Doncaster, Widnes, Whitehaven and Barrow, was charged with giving false or misleading evidence to law enforcement officers. He was granted conditional bail and will appear in court on March 3.
There had been a huge betting plunge on a penalty goal as first scoring option.
The police were investigating betting irregularities in a Bulldogs-Cowboys game last year.
TUIAKI CALLS IT A DAY
from his 22 appearances. He was later named Dally M Winger of the Year. Many believed his absence was a major reason
why the Tigers lost to the Gold Coast the following week, a loss that cost them a place in the finals series. Tuiaki made 78 senior appearances for the
Tigers, scoring 42 tries. He played four Tests for New Zealand in 2007 after turning out twice for Tonga two years earlier. Wests Tigers will trial another former Kiwi, Matt Utai, against North Queensland on Friday night as a possible replacement for Tuiaki.
Tandy committed an unusual foul in the first set of six tackles, giving the Cowboys the option of an easy attempt at goal. The plunge failed when the Cowboys ignored the chance of two points, and went instead went for a try, which they scored. The Bulldogs issued a statement that explained: “Following receipt of legal advice, it has been determined that it would be in the best interests of the club and Mr. Tandy that he should be excused from his obligations until further notice. “The club makes no comment about the charges laid against Mr. Tandy or their merits. These are matters before the court and Mr. Tandy is entitled to answer those charges in due course. “The club has informed Mr. Tandy that it reserves its rights concerning his contract as the situation develops and more information becomes known.” Police have not released any details of the allegations which led to Tandy’s arrest.
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