Late News SANTIAGO: Chile is still planning to host its Davis Cup tie against Israel this weekend despite Sunday’s earthquake which killed at least 700 people. Singles player Nicolas Massu arrived home on Monday, saying he was ready to play.

Baptism of fire for Socceroos whiz-kid By MARCO MONTEVERDE in Brisbane BOY wonder Tommy Oar will be thrust into the cauldron of senior international football at Suncorp Stadium tonight, having earned the trust of Socceroos coach Pim Verbeek. The 18-year-old Brisbane Roar winger is set to win his first Socceroos cap in PUB: Australia’s crucial Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia, with a brief to supply a stream of aerial ammunition from the left

TNEWS NT wing for towering striker Josh Kennedy to use to blow Indonesia aside. The supply lines will be vital with the Socceroos needing a point to guarantee qualification for next year’s Asian Cup in Qatar. While comparisons to are

DATE: inevitable, Oar has the backing of Verbeek, who yesterday admitted he wasn’t convinced the young gun was quite ready for the responsibility when selected in an extended Socceroos squad 3-MAR-2010 for Australia’s 2-2 away draw with Kuwait in January. ‘‘Last time I had my doubts — he was very inexperienced and it was a very big game in Kuwait,’’ Verbeek said. ‘‘But if you see how he developed in the past few months, playing with the Roar and training with us, he is playing

PAGE: with confidence. ‘‘Last time he was not even on the bench but he will be in the final selection (tonight). He has a good attitude, a nice

64 guy and (he’s) hard-working. ‘‘I think he can do a job.’’ However, Verbeek warned Oar — COLOR: recently named the A-League’s Young Footballer of the Year despite the Roar’s poor season — that his challenge was to now make the most of his prodigious YOUNG LION ROARS: Socceroos new boy Tommy Oar, centre, is challenged by teammate Jonathan McKain, right, during training for Continued Page 59 tonight’s vital Asian Cup qualifier against Indonesia. Picture: GETTY IMAGES C M By GREY MORRIS Y WARATAHS captain-coach Lin- K coln Withers can’t work out what all the NTFL preliminary final fuss is about. The first year Tahs coach con- cludes that three big defeats at the hands of this week’s opponents Tiwi Bombers in the home and away Don’t write season entitles the Islanders to pre- match favouritism. Not so, according to Sportingbet Australia and the Darwin football public, who have Waratahs odds-on favourites to win for Saturday night’s knockout final at TIO Stadium. Sportingbet has Tahs at $1.75 to advance to the March 13 grand final against St Marys while the Bombers are at $2.05. ‘‘I don’t know how we can be favourites if we haven’t got within 10 goals of them all season,’’ Withers (pictured) said. ‘‘Let’s just say I Tiwis off hope the hoodoo (five successive finals losses) continues for the Tiwis when we meet them on Saturday.’’ The Bombers have lost Wayne Pilakui and Sammy Puruntatameri to suspension, while utility Rupert Pupangamirri will contest a kicking Tahs coach wary of favourite tag charge at tonight’s tribunal. Continued Page 62 Tuqiri certain to play from Round 1 >> P63 64 — Northern Territory News, Wednesday, March 3, 2010 www.ntnews.com.au