SPORT llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll ntnews.com.au Serb pair out of Hopman Cup Evans targets Giro d’Italia Reservations over Redskins THE Hopman Cup has missed out on Novak Djokovic FORMER Territorian and 2011 Tour de France BATTLE lines have been drawn over the name of and Ana Ivanovic for the mixed teams tournament in champion Cadel Evans says he is unlikely to compete Washington’s beloved American football team, after Perth. The event starting on December 28 will be at the 2014 edition of the race as he concentrates on President Barack Obama indicated he’d favour without last year’s Serbian runners-up and includes targeting a win in the Giro d’Italia. Evans, 36, who something less racially charged than Redskins. The only three players ranked in the world top 10. was among the Tour de France’s oldest champions, casino-rich Oneida tribe in New York state is However, organisers remain confident the field for produced an impressive performance in this year’s spearheading a campaign to get the NFL franchise to 2014 will be the most complete and even in the Giro d’Italia. He came to the cycling world’s attention rebrand itself. Dan Snyder, the marketing mogul who 26-year history of the event. Djokovic and Ivanovic in 2002 when he almost won the Giro d’Italia on bought the Redskins in 1999, has insisted that he will have teamed up three timesfor the Hopman Cup. debut, and admits he has unfinished business there. never change the name. Silent Knight ready to roar against Kiwis RUGBY UNION Marlor, who is the Territ- By DAMIEN McCARTNEY ory’s only representative in the game, has just 40 per cent HIGH hopes will rest on the hearing capacity. shoulders of a Territorian in Marlor was injured during one of the most hotly con- his 2005 appearance — which tested international rugby ga- the Knights lost in New Zea- PUB: mes of the year. land — and spent more than a Darwin’s Nicholas Marlor year out of the game. will line up in the front row ‘‘I didn’t really play much NT NEWS for the Australian Silent after that — I was busy with Knights against the New Zea- work and stuff, but I got back land Deaf Blacks in the Coch- into it and I’ve been having lear Plate rugby match in fun,’’ he said. Canberra on Sunday. ‘‘They phoned me a couple The Cochlear Plate is of times while I wasn’t playing exclusively for the deaf and and asked me if I wanted to DATE: severely hearing-impaired. play, but I had to keep saying This will be the second time no. It felt great to be able to Marlor, 29, has played for the say I could. Silent Knights — having ‘‘Some of the guys in the 9-OCT-2013 participated in the 2005 team this time were in the edition of the match. 2005 team, and I know a few Marlor, who plays for the others through deaf rugby in Darwin Dragons B-grade the past, so I’ll know a few of team in the NTRU, said play- the players, but we have a ing for his country was a three-day training program in great honour. the days leading up to the ‘‘This game is like the game and we will have to PAGE: Bledisloe Cup — but better,’’ bond then.’’ he said. Deaf rugby is played to full ‘‘We’ll be favourites with IRB rules and referees control the home-ground advantage, the game with a whistle — 46 so I think we will have better aided by eye contact and chances to control the tempo.’’ hand signals. Nicholas Marlor will represent the Australian Silent Knights against New Zealand this weekend Picture: DANIEL HARTLEY-ALLEN COLOR: C M Turner set to spark Reds Y RUGBY UNION Cooper in a Test- old knows he’ll have a tough with his skill set — he’s a big past four Tests and Graham K By JIM MORTON laden backline job to earn and keep his Reds’ man, he’s tall, he’s quick and said he’s never harboured LOOKING AHEAD in Brisbane that sparked his spot with Dom Shipperley loves being involved in the concerns about Cooper’s tack- 2014 Super Rugby Draw two-year deal. and Chris Feauai-Sautia game — will really suit our ling ability. Round 1 (February 16): Cheetahs v THE Queensland Reds will ‘‘It was a big boasting wing Test caps and game in that outside channel.’’ A bigger worry for Reds Lions (Bloemfontein), Sharks v Bulls trial NSW wing recruit La- inspiration for Rod Davies to return from a Turner interchanged be- fans has been the loss of their (Durban), Bye: Stormers, Crusaders, Chiefs, Highlanders, Blues, Brumbies, chie Turner at fullback as Lachie Turner me in coming up knee reconstruction. tween fullback and wing in try-scoring potency from the Reds, Hurricanes, Waratahs, Force, they plan to boost their flag- here, a big reason for it,’’ he However, Graham fore- his first two seasons at the 2011 title triumph, lighting up Rebels. ging attack with extra speed. said yesterday. shadowed a move away from Waratahs in 2008-09 and is the code as the competition’s Round 2 (February 21-23): Crusaders A surprise defector from Turner said new coach the sideline where he’s been open to the move. top entertainers. v Chiefs (Christchurch), Cheetahs v Bulls (Bloemfontein), Highlanders v the Waratahs after two Richard Graham’s expansive viewed as France-bound If he did beat the likes of Last season, they scored the Blues (Dunedin), Brumbies v Reds (Can- injury-affected seasons, vision also ‘‘sold’’ him on the Digby Ioane’s replacement. Ben Lucas, Aidan Toua and fourth least tries of all teams berra), Sharks v Hurricanes (Durban), Turner made a fresh start as a move after a torn hamstring ‘‘I’d like to see how he Mike Harris to fullback, it with just 31 from 17 matches Lions v Stormers (Johannesburg), Wara- tahs v Force (Sydney), Bye: Rebels. Red yesterday at the first day and broken leg ruined his trains over the next three would give them a super- as stout defence saw them Round 3 (February 28-March 2): of pre-season training. 2012 and ’13 seasons. months,’’ the coach said. ‘‘I pacey back three and also finish fifth. Blues v Crusaders (Auckland), Rebels v The 15-Test Wallabies Kurtley Beale’s return to see him playing 15 equally as force Cooper to defend in the Graham argued only slight Cheetahs (Melbourne), Stormers v Hur- speedster revealed it was his the Waratahs may have made well as he does on the wing. front line. The mercurial five- changes were required, start- ricanes (Cape Town), Chiefs v High- landers (Hamilton), Waratahs v Reds desire to combine with the li- it tougher to return to NSW’s ‘‘The Reds want to play an eighth has muscled up at ing with better interplay be- (Sydney), Force v Brumbies (Perth), kes of Will Genia and Quade back three. But the 26-year- exciting brand and Lachie No.10 for the Wallabies in the tween forwards and backs. Bulls v Lions (Pretoria), Bye: Sharks. FOOTROT FLATS New names for sevens squad AUSTRALIA has named Shannon Walker. Australia debutants Alex Gibbon and have been drawn alongside Tom Lucas in a 12-man squad Samoa, Argentina and Scot- for the opening round of the land in Pool D of the tourna- rugby sevens World Series on ment, which kicks off on the the Gold Coast this weekend. holiday strip on Saturday. Gibbon and Lucas have It is a tough draw for Aust- both earned selection after ralia, who finished equal fifth impressive performances for at June’s World Cup sevens in Australia at the Oceania Russia. sevens championship in Fiji AUSTRALIA: Ed Jenkins (c), Jesse last weekend. Parahi, Paul Asquith, Cameron Clark, Con Foley, Alex Gibbon, Laloifi Junior Laloifi, The squad also includes for- Tom Lucas, Nick Malouf, Sean McMahon, mer Gold Coast NRL player James Stannard, Shannon Walker. 46 NT NEWS. Wednesday, October 9, 2013. www.ntnews.com.au.