SPORT lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll lllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll l l ntnews.com.au Magnussen back in business Moffatt out to shake hoodoo US facing exit in baseball JAMES Magnussen took less time to answer questions TWO-time world champion Emma Moffatt is branching THE Dominican Republic staged a ninth-inning about his form than he did in winning the 100m out in 2013 but first she’s aiming to get a monkey off comeback to beat the United States 3-1 and book freestyle title in 48.61 seconds at the NSW swimming her back at the Mooloolaba Triathlon. Moffatt will line their place in the semi-finals of the World Baseball championships last night. Magnussen and three others up among the favourites in tomorrow’s World Cup Classic in Miami yesterday. Erick Aybar’s pinch-hit RBI members of the controversial Olympic 4x100m race, but first she has a home state hoodoo to single keyed a two-run rally in the ninth as the freestyle relay team — Cameron McEvoy (2nd, 49.31s), overcome. The Gold Coaster has never won at Dominicans scored a victory in front of a crowd of Tommaso D’Orsogna,(4th 49.58s) and James Roberts Mooloolaba, finishing second in 2009 and 2011, while 34,366 at Marlins Park stadium. The defeat leaves (6th, 50.20s) — all contested the final on the first night trailing home in ninth last year as London Olympic the star-studded United States facing a must-win of the meeting at Olympic Park Aquatic Centre. teammate Erin Densham took the spoils. game against Puerto Rico to avoid elimination. Williams needs time to find feet

AUCKLAND: Sonny Bill Williams is preaching patience, saying it’s going to take him a few weeks to get back into the groove of playing league again.

PUB: Williams will make the second appearance of his return to the NRL from rugby union when he runs TNEWS NT out for the Sydney Roosters against the Warriors at Auckland’s Eden Park to- night. The dual internat- ional, who had a pectoral injury heading into the new season, made his comeback DATE: in the Roosters’ 28-10 defeat to South Sydney on opening 16-MAR-2013

It’s been five years out of the game

PAGE: night, scoring a try during Brisbane’s and St George Illawarra’s Jamie Soward get tangled up in Wollongong last night Picture: MARK EVANS a solid performance off the bench. Williams is happy with the effort he put in, but 50 says he is working on nail- ing the basics of operating

COLOR: in the backrow again. ‘‘It will take me a few weeks yet to feel fully com- Price far from right fortable,’’ he told reporters after Roosters training in Auckland yesterday.

C ‘‘It’s been five years out of the game and coming M back from injury, as well. ‘‘I’m just trying to do the Y basics well and concentrate K as Dragons blow it on my preparation.’’ Noted for his offloading skills, Williams, 27, was NRL DRAGONS 6 despite dominating possess- take,’’ Price admitted. ‘‘We In fairness to Price, the aware that ‘‘everyone is ion for most of the game fin- completed reasonably well problem is he is going looking for the magical STEVE Price sat at the post BRONCOS 22 ished with only one try in (32 of 41 sets), I think they into the fight each week play’’ from him. match media conference last BRISBANE 22 (B Hannant J the heartbreaking 22-6 defeat were exceptional with their firing blanks. ‘‘But for me, it’s just night with an invisible axe Hoffman C Norman D Stagg in front of a crowd 13,156 in completion rate (33 of 37). The fact is he doesn’t have about doing my core skills swinging over his head as tries S Prince 3 goals) d ST the first home game of the ‘‘We had our chances in a playmaking superstar on as good as I can and making the inquisition began into GEORGE ILLAWARRA 6 (M season. the first half and come in at his roster and the combin- that ‘ad’ line in attack and Weyman try J Soward goal) what the hell is going wrong at WIN Stadium. Referees: This is the type of post 6-all which was a little bit ation of Nathan Fien and Ja- defence,’’ he said. with the Dragons attack. Gavin Morris, Jason mortem that usually ends in disappointing. mie Soward just isn’t offer- ‘‘When I keep it simple Off contract at the end of Robinson. Crowd: 13,156. tears in the cut-throat world ‘‘We are just having far ing up enough options. like that, the big plays the season and with club of NRL football. temporary lapses with our It’s not a question about usually come off.’’ boss Peter Doust saying warra should have won and Asked to explain what attack at the moment.’’ the Dragons commitment There was no doubt in his Price will go if he can find a won comfortably. went wrong with the Asked what he put it down but rather a roster that mind that things would ev- better alternative, the ques- Instead they wake up this Dragons attack last night, to, Price said: ‘‘Well, we will doesn’t have the strike entually click into place. tion Dragons fans will be morning with a headache no Price sounded like a coach have a look at the video (to- power to compete with the ‘‘It’s going to take me a asking today is how much Panadol can fix. clean out of excuses with day) and go from there. We best teams — other than the while, but it’s a long year longer can this go on? They blew at least four frustration building. still have a lot of work to do danger whenever Brett Mor- and I have confidence in my Last night St George Illa- first half tries last night and ‘‘It was a tough one to in that regard.’’ ris touches the ball. ability that I’ll get there.’’ Veteran knows Cowboys must dig deep to weather the Storm

NORTH Queensland centre Queensland Canterbury convincingly Tate, who is off contract at sively but we’ll be up for the what they’re great at doing to Brent Tate says it will take a alongside Mel- with five-eighth Johnathan the end of the season, says challenge,’’ he said. other teams.’’ ‘‘Storm-like’’ effort to beat bourne’s big Thurston turning on a clinic there’s no great secret to ‘‘You know what Billy and Tate wasn’t saying the premiers in three players at times. beating Melbourne — the Cooper and those guys are Cowboys would abandon tonight’s second-round NRL , Melbourne eased to a 30-10 best NRL team at doing the going to do, stopping them is their entertaining flair but clash in Townsville. win over lacklustre St little things right. a different story. rather that they needed to do It was the ultimate compli- Brent Tate and . George Illawarra, just over ‘‘Billy Slater and Cooper ‘‘We’ll have to deep deep, everything well. ment from 31-year-old Tate, Both clubs were impress- two weeks after travelling to Cronk are the best in the do all the little things right ‘‘Melbourne kick well, they who’s played many of his ive first-round winners. Leeds and beating the hosts business at exposing edges so and put in a real Storm-like kick out of trouble. They wait State of Origin games for The Cowboys disposed of in the World Club Challenge. it’s a huge job for us defen- performance because that’s for you to make mistakes.’’

50 NT NEWS. Saturday, March 16, 2013. www.ntnews.com.au