Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Photo: Photosport
Latest - Warriors edge Titans in Robina.
The Warriors have claimed a 24-20 National Rugby League win over the second-to-last-placed Titans on the Gold Coast
Tries to Ken Maumalo and former Titan Karl Lawton had put the Warriors ahead, before two tries in as many minutes for the hosts by Ryley Jacks and Brian Kelly cancelled out that advantage.
With scores level at 12-12 at halftime, the Titans came out firing in the second half despite being without Arrow or Tyrone Peachey (pectoral).
They could only turn their dominance into two points before a terrible defensive read by Nathan Peats allowed Blake Green to send Roger Tuivasa-Sheck over.
A second try to Maumalo, who ran more than 200m, opened up a 10-point gap with five minutes to play and the Warriors looked home.
However, when AJ Brimson burnt Warriors centre Peta Hiku, it set up a grandstand finish.
The Titans came close but couldn't find a way past the Warriors in the dying seconds, despite Adam Blair being sin-binned in the final minute of his 300th NRL match for a late hit on Tyrone Roberts.
The victory is the Warriors' sixteenth from their past 18 matches against the Titans and lifts them to tenth on the ladder heading into next weekend's representative round.
The Titans remain in fifteenth place with four wins.
- AAP
Jaguares move up to second in Super Rugby
Argentina's Jaguares have secured second spot in the Super Rugby standings with a rampant 52-10 victory over the Sunwolves in Buenos Aires.
Jaguares hooker Julian Montoya Photo: Photosport
The Jaguares will host a playoff quarter-final next week and, if they get through that, the bonus point win means they are now assured of welcoming their opponents to Argentina in the semi-finals for a trip few sides will relish.
Coach Gonzalo Quesada made 12 changes from the Jaguares side that locked up a maiden South African conference title last week to rest some of his top players, but they were still far too strong for the Sunwolves in an eight-try demolition.
Wingers Santiago Carreras and Sebastian Cancelliere continued the outstanding form of the Jaguares outside backs with first half tries, and the home side were awarded a penalty try on the stroke of halftime.
The forwards took over in the second half with hooker Julian Montoya the beneficiary when the pack rolled a maul 40 metres to the line and lock Guido Petti's rampaging 56th minute run setting up a try for replacement Juan Cruz Mallia.
Replacement back Matias Moroni crossed with his first touch of the ball and loose forward Javier Ortega Desio was rewarded for his support play with a try in the 64th minute before flyer Cancelliere added his second.
For the Sunwolves, winger Gerhard van den Heever scored off a chip and chase, and fullback Semisi Masirewa got his 11th try of the season after a flowing move before his deliberate knock down gave away the penalty try and earned him 10 minutes in the sin-bin.
They were reduced to 13 men when their replacement hooker was injured in the second half and are now condemned to finish bottom of the standings for the third time in four years.
-Reuters
Storm end Newcastle's winning run
Melbourne have extended their lead at the top of the NRL ladder and ended Newcastle's winning streak with a 34-4 victory in their Saturday afternoon clash at AAMI Park.
The Knights went into the riding a run of six successive wins but it was the Storm who emerged with their 11th victory of the season with another dominant display.
While both teams struggled with some early errors, the Storm got the scoreboard ticking over in the 13th minute when giant prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona broke through to find fullback Jahrome Hughes.
Despite controlling the match, the home side only led 12-0 at halftime, with their other try coming off a Will Chambers grubber kick into the in-goal for a chasing Josh Addo-Carr.
The floodgates opened for Melbourne in the second half, as they scored four tries including a double for Bulldogs-bound second-rower Joe Stimson.
Newcastle centre Hymel Hunt scored the visitors solitary try after Queensland Origin fullback Kalyn Ponga created the opening in the 47th minute, but the rest of the half was one-way traffic.
Yesterday, the Wests Tigers won ugly in Townsville beating the North Queensland Tigers 27-26 in extra time thanks to a 73rd-minute penalty try to winger Michael Chee-Kam and a field goal to the evergreen Benji Marshall.
Chee-Kam was in the process of putting down the ball when he was caught across the head by Cowboys fullback Jordan Kahu which knocked the ball free.
The incident was sent up as a no-try by the on field referee's but upon closer inspection the bunker reversed the decision to give the Tigers the lead.
But after a Cowboys penalty goal equalled the scores, it was five-eighth Marshall who won the match, potting over a field goal in extra time.
- AAP
Larkham lands Munster role
Stephen Larkham, who was sacked by the Wallabies earlier this year, has been appointed senior coach under Johann van Graan at Munster, the Irish province has announced.
The former Australia second five-eighth, a World Cup winner in 1999, carried the can for a miserable 2018 for the Wallabies and was relieved of his duties as attack coach by Michael Cheika.
Once considered Cheika's successor-elect, Larkham now follows the path trod by his former boss, who won the European Cup with Leinster, on his way to the top job.
"We are very pleased to add Stephen to our coaching team and look forward to welcoming him to the province in August," said Munster's acting chief executive Philip Quinn.
"Stephen is a very successful coach who had offers from other clubs so we are delighted that he has decided to join Munster."
Larkham, who coached the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby before joining the national set-up, said he was "very excited and honoured" to sign the three-year deal.
-AAP
Marshall NRL magic winds back the clock
In other matches, the Wests Tigers won ugly in Townsville beating the North Queensland Tigers 27-26 in extra time thanks to a 73rd-minute penalty try to winger Michael Chee-Kam and a field goal to the evergreen Benji Marshall.
Chee-Kam was in the process of putting down the ball when he was caught across the head by Cowboys fullback Jordan Kahu which knocked the ball free.
The incident was sent up as a no-try by the on field referee's but upon closer inspection the bunker reversed the decision to give the Tigers the lead.
But after a Cowboys penalty goal equalled the scores, it was five-eighth Marshall who won the match, potting over a field goal in extra time.
- AAP
Taupau quits Kiwis for Samoa
The Pacific rugby league revolution has rolled on with Manly enforcer Martin Taupau defecting from New Zealand to pledge allegiance to Samoa.
Martin Taupau Photo: Photosport
After mulling over the move for the several years, Taupua has followed in the footsteps of Tongan converts Jason Taumalolo, Andrew Fifita and Tevita Pangai by promising to turn out for the tier-two nation in next week's test against Papua New Guinea at Sydney's Leichhardt Oval.
It represents a big coup for To'a Samoa as they attempt to keep pace with their Pacific Island rival Tonga, having been knocked out of the 2017 World Cup in the quarter-finals.
Less than 24 hours earlier Taupau was named in Michael Maguire's preliminary 27-man squad to take on Tonga, but after some soul-searching he phoned Kiwi officials to inform them of his change of heart.
New Zealand-born Taupau played 24 tests for the Kiwis after earning a solitary cap for Samoa.
- AAP
Frank Lampard the next Chelsea manager?
Chelsea are expected to seek talks with Derby over an English Premier League deal to install Frank Lampard as the next Blues manager.
Derby are understood to be braced for Chelsea to make contact, with Lampard the front-runner to replace Maurizio Sarri at Stamford Bridge.
Juventus are poised to confirm Sarri as their new boss on a three-year deal, with Chelsea having secured a compensation package which it is understood might rise to as much as $20 million.
Lampard notched a club-record 211 goals in a stellar Chelsea career from 2001-14, and racked up 106 caps for England.
The 40-year-old, with just one year in management, steered Derby to the Championship playoffs in his sole campaign.
- Reuters
Black Sticks men lose to Spain
The Spanish Men have come away with a tense 3-2 win over the Black Sticks Men in a highly entertaining Pro League hockey match between two sides who were desperate for the win.
The match was incredibly close all the way through and this was reflected in the shots on goal between the two sides being six shots each.
The New Zealand looked to finish the match confidently, however the Spanish side held their nerve and took the result 3-2.
