Collingwood Belt Carlton Black and White

Life is great for Collingwood supporters. With four rounds of the home and away season left, they are on top of the ladder and just smashed Carlton by 48 points. Carlton only managed 12 points for the first quarter and eight for the next two meaning that at three-quarter time the score stood at 80-20.

Elsewhere, Essendon defied their recent form and had a good win over St Kilda. Even though they have done well in recent times against the Saints, the Saints were still the favorites. It was hard to find a betting site that didn’t recognize this. Thus all those who wagered on Essendon found themselves receiving a very healthy payback.

Port Adelaide didn’t help Hawthorn’s chances of doing well in the finals with a eight point win while Geelong just had too many answers for the Swans who simply struggle against the better sides in the competition. Round 5 now seems a million miles away as that is when the Swans were on top of the ladder and flying high.

Melbourne are definitely the surprise packets of the competition and showing that their years being mired at the bottom of the ladder could be over. Same too for Richmond who had a 20 point win over the Crows.

For the Bulldogs, it was a far for stress-free game against North Melbourne as opposed to what happened last time when Barry Hall was tormented. Finally the Dockers smashed the Eagles in the Western Derby with a 75 point thumping.

The tables have definitely turned from the early days when the Eagles were the big brother and the Dockers couldn’t lay a glove on them. Now the Eagles have no answer for their more polished opponents.

Looking at the ladder, Collingwood have a two point lead over Geelong which makes a difference as the Cats have the superior percentage. Likewise the Saints have a two point lead over the Bulldogs and Dockers for third spot. If the Saints slide any more they could finish as low as fifth which is just unimaginable. There is a fierce tussle between the Dockers and Bulldogs for fourth spot and then there is the rest which you could say are making up the numbers.

Hawthorn was in sixth spot and 10 points behind the Dockers. Carlton, Sydney and the Kangaroos are fighting over the last two spot but in all honesty, none of them deserve it.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about live betting odds.

Cricketers In Their Childhood - Rare Photographs

Rare Childhood Photographs of Cricketers

Childhood Picture of Andrew Staruss

Childhood Picture of Chris Cairns

Childhood Picture of M.S.Dhoni

Gautam Gambhir with his sister Ekta

Childhood Picture of Imran Khan

Childhood Picture of Rahul Dravid

Childhood Picture of Ricky Ponting

Sachin Tendulkar with Coach Mr. R. Achrekar

The Great with The Greatest- Sachin Tendulkar (right) with Sir Don Bradman (left)

Childhood Picture of Sachin Tendulkar

Childhood Picture of Saurav Ganguly

Childhood Pictures of Steve Waugh and Mark Waugh

Childhood Picture of Wasim Akram

Childhood Picture of Yuvraj Singh

Childhood Picture of Zaheer Khan

Stephanie Rice, Queensland Cricket, Brisbane Lions Helps 5-year-old Zachary Archer

Australian Olympian swimmer Stephanie Rice is leading from the front for a noble cause. She is leading to help 5-year-old Zachary Archer who becomes the first Australian to receive cutting-edge cord-blood therapy in a US trial.

Five-year-old schoolboy Zachary Archer, who had suffered a stroke aged four months will travel to North Carolina’s Duke University in September for the ground-breaking treatment.

If successful, the cord-blood therapy will reduce muscle spasticity in Zachary’s right side caused by cerebral palsy and ease epileptic seizures.

Rice has donated a signed Australian tracksuit as the Archer family muster items to be pitched at a fundraiser for Zachary. Organisations such as Queensland Cricket and the Brisbane Lions, along with a variety of local businesses, including Stefan Hair and Westfield, have contributed to the school disco fundraiser at StDympna’s Primary School in Aspley on September 3.

But the medical treatment is expensive, with the Archer family not expecting to see any change from $40,000.
To donate, phone Mr Archer on 0403698866.

Image Courtesy: Northside-chronicle.whereilive.com.au

Koby is the Love Child of Dean Jones (Australian Cricketer) and Kerri-Anne Hamilton

Former Australian Cricketer Dean Jones admits that Koby is his and Kerri-Anne Hamilton's love Child

(From Left) Dean Jones with his wife Jane, Kerri-Anne Hamilton (Below) Kerri-Anne Hamilton with her Dean Jones's son Koby

Former Australian cricketer Dean Jones has admitted fathering a child with flight attendant Kerri-Anne Hamilton from Sydney. The 49-year-old Victorian cricketer has admitted to the nine-year affair with Kerri-Anne Hamilton.

35-year-old Hamilton, gave birth to a boy, Koby, in August last year. The pair first met in the late 1990s at a celebrity golf day.

Dean Jones has been married to wife Jane for 24 years and has two teenage daughters, Phoebe, 19 and Isabella, 14. In a statement released to the Sunday Herald Sun, Jones pleaded for privacy after the long-term extramarital affair.

As reported from News.co.au Jones pleaded for privacy after the long-term extramarital affair.

In a statement released to the Sunday Herald Sun, Jones pleaded for privacy after the long-term extramarital affair.

"Following an on-and-off relationship with a woman, a child was conceived and subsequently delivered," Jones said.

"I can also confirm that I have supported the mother and child more generously than was agreed.

"At no stage, have I not met my obligations. My immediate aim is to seek the forgiveness and understanding of family.

"I am therefore asking that you respect our privacy."


Ms Hamilton was working as a promotions model at the time. A source said the relationship soured last year when a six-months pregnant Hamilton asked Jones for child support payments. It is believed Jones has not yet met his 11-month-old son, however, he agreed to pay child support after a positive paternity test.

Image Courtesy: Whatsonxiamen.com, Womansday.ninemsn.com.au

This the year for St George?

Once again St George are sitting on top of the NRL ladder but the question remains how they will play in September during the finals. Last year they were in the same position and bowed out in straight sets. Will this year be any different?

The salary cap scandal that engulfed the Storm means they are out of the running. Otherwise they would be in fourth position and a serious contender for the title. Currently in second spot you have Penrith, behind them you have the Tigers, Manly and Roosters.

Interestingly enough each of those teams won the title in the past decade so they know what it takes in order to win won. The Broncos are always up there but currently they are in ninth spot. They are on 22 points which is level with South Sydney.

This past round there were some interesting results. Gold Coast defeated St George by a point in extra time. Melbourne defeated Penrith and Souths took out the Warriors in a high scoring game. Manly defeated the West Tigers in a spiteful encounter while the Broncos and Roosters are still to play.

Round 21 is going to throw up some more interesting matches. Parramatta host the Roosters in what should be a fierce match. What will be a huge game is the one which sees the Broncos host the Dragons. Over the years, the two have played some intense matches. Obviously Wayne Bennett coaching the Dragons gives the game an extra dimension. He was very successful at the Broncos and for a long time symbolized the team. He is now at the Dragons trying to bring them their first title in over 30 years.

He is already a huge legend of the game but should Bennett be responsible for breaking the drought for the most famous club in the competition, he will be the greatest of all time. At the moment, there is a lot of betting action on the Dragons but on the other hand, people are wary of them collapsing in the finals.

Adding more to the Dragons and Broncos rivalry is the two grand finals they played in consecutive years in the early 1990s. The Dragons just weren’t able to get over the line and continued their years without anything to show for it. Also you have players who have played for both clubs such as Gorden Tallis and Wendell Sailor.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He is also an expert on live bets.

2010 AFL Season Heats Up

here are just six rounds left in the home and away part of the 2010 AFL season. Collingwood sit on top of the ladder and deserve to be there. They are playing great football as testament by their win over St Kilda. It has been a while since neither Geelong or St Kilda are on top of the ladder.

These two are both behind Collingwood with 12 wins and then there is Fremantle on 11 wins. It is hard to see anyone other than these four teams winning the premiership. Everyone else is just too inconsistent. In recent years the Bulldogs have been up there and they are again this year with 10 wins to date which puts them in fifth spot.

The Sydney Swans have rebounded from their embarrassing loss to Richmond with two wins on the trot against North Melbourne and Carlton respectively. They have nine wins as do Hawthorn.

Then you have Carlton and North who are both on eight wins. You would be hard pressed to find a bookmaker who thinks either of these sides is a genuine premiership contender.

Essendon are a bit of a rabble at the moment. Their season has descended into a farce and it remains to be seen if coach Matthew Knights will see out the season. Melbourne would feel happy with five wins although it can only be so long until they have such low expectations.

Brisbane and Port are also on five wins. Mark Williams has left Port Adelaide because of this. It was only at the beginning of the decade that Port Adelaide were the most powerful side in the competition. They eventually won their deserved flag in 2004 but could have won more.

Richmond and West Coast are also mired down the bottom of the ladder. For the West Coast it is also hard to remember how good they were but when you see Chris Judd and Ben Cousins running around playing for different teams you are reminded of it.

Richmond have done well to win five games but again there is only so long that can have such low expectations for.

In terms of Round 17 there are some interesting games. St Kilda take on Hawthorn which could go either way although you would have to say St Kilda are favorites. The match between the Bulldogs and Dockers should be a fiercely contested one and it will be a good test for Fremantle. Then there is the Adelaide showdown which is always an entertaining game.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about live betting.

Too Little Too Late

So in the end the Socceroos finish on the same amount of points as they did in 2006. Except then they were making their way to the Final 16. Now they are on their way out. Of course goal difference is the big factor. Now it was the four goal loss that blew them out of the water – this provided a huge mountain which they just couldn’t overcome.

It was a shame as Australia are a pretty good team and one that could have gone far in the tournament.

So where did it all go wrong for Australia? First of all, they were far too negative against Germany. Not only did they lose the game and not only did they get thumped but it was the manner in which they lost which was the most upsetting. Australia should have backed itself and that could have resulted in a far better outcome. Instead they meekly surrendered. Live betting hammered them in the opening game with no-one betting on them once the game began.

It didn’t help for Australia that they finished two games with 10 men. They only took one point from these two games. Against Ghana they could have won but it was hard with 10 men and hard without the suspended Tim Cahill. Australia did well to take four points from the final two games but like South Africa and Slovenia they will bow out.

The next assignment is for Australia to find a coach. It is alleged that the replacement will be one of the other 31 coaches at the World Cup. The successor to Pim Verbeek needs to be more aggressive and needs to have greater faith in the A-League. Verbeek was ok but he wasted opportunities. Now he heads to Morocco.

Four years ago, following the departure of Guus Hiddink, Australia went to the Asian Cup without a coach. Graham Arnold was the caretaker and Australia paid the penalty. Hopefully they learned that lesson. Australia are in a group containing South Korea, India and Bahrain. Obviously South Korea will be tricky but Australia should have no problem taking maximum points from the other two games. It isn’t an easy tournament and hopefully the new coach will have the reins to steer some of the next generation through.

The thing about tournaments is that you never know what is going to happen next. You can recreate what you had and when they are four years apart they are even more previous.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about online betting.

Stephanie Rice Dating Nick D'Arcy?

Stephanie Rice has been dating fellow swimmer Nick D'Arcy for six months, it has been claimed.

The 21-year-old Australian Olympic gold medallist, who has previously dated swimmer Eamon Sullivan and been romantically linked to sports stars Michael Phelps and David Williams, was rumoured to be seeing D'Arcy after they were seen attending a friend's 21st birthday party together.

A friend of Rice told The Sunday Telegraph: "Steph and Nick have been spending a lot of time together. It's been going on for at least six months."

News Courtesy: Digitalspy.co.uk

World Cup 2010: Family Tragedy Makes Socceroo's Reserve Keeper Brad Jones Leave Squad

Brad Jones- Australia's reserve goalkeeper has been granted leave because of a family illness. It has been learnt that he received the news that his four-year-old son Luca had been diagnosed with leukemia.The Australian federation (FFA) released a statement today confirming Jones has returned to Perth to be with his family.

It is still uncertain whether the Middlesbrough goalkeeper will return to the squad but the FFA have revealed they are in discussions with FIFA over the possibility of calling up a replacement if needs be.

Lions Find Their Roar

We are at an interesting stage of the AFL season, one week short of the halfway mark. At the moment Geelong and Fremantle are on top with eight wins from their 10 games. Geelong had a good win on the weekend against Melbourne while the Dockers were too good at home against the Kangaroos.

Next up is Collingwood who will want to halt their downward slide. They lost to the Lions who would have been thrilled to have snapped the losing streak of their own. Then comes St Kilda who defeated the Crows in what wasn't the easiest of weeks for them. It was a great time for them to play Adelaide who are simply awful. St Kilda though are still coming to terms with the loss of Nick Riewoldt.

The Bulldogs have been up and down and lost to Essendon on Friday night. Carlton have also been up and down but would be thrilled to be in the eight and with six wins from 10 games. They defeated the Eagles on the weekend.

After such a promising start, the former ladder leaders Sydney have lost their last four to have slumped to 5-5.


Port Adelaide were just woeful against Richmond which was the Tigers first win of the season.

There are some interesting games in Round 11. It opens with Richmond against St Kilda and you would think St Kilda would be far too strong for the Tigers.
Sydney hosts Essendon at the SCG which is a venue where the two have played some magnificent games over the years. You would think the Swans would be too good and will snap their losing streak this weekend.

Collingwood hosts the Bullldogs in what is just a massive game for both sides. Online betting doesn't know how to split these two. There is some tension between the two and neither would want to lose this game. You would think Carlton would be too good for Melbourne and likewise you would expect the Dockers to win in Adelaide against the Crows. The Power have to travel to Melbourne to take on the Hawks. It will be interesting to see if the Power can bounce back after that loss to the Tigers.

As always should be a fascinating round of AFL and will set up the season nicely for the second half.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about live bets.

Magpies Flying High

The Magpies are on a high after going to Western Australia and defeating the Dockers. Now they have another big game against Geelong. These two sides should combine for a Friday Night classic at the MCG. This game is so big that Channel Seven have decided to broadcast it live into Melbourne.

The Dockers need to rebound against the Swans in Sydney. After a great start the Swans have dropped their last two losing to both the Cats and Bulldogs. Now they have to host the Dockers in what should be a good game.

Richmond will be hoping to open their account against Essendon in the Dreamtime match. The Tigers have been close but just haven’t been able to seal the deal. They lost by three points to Hawthorn while Essendon will be feeling very confident after defeating St Kilda.

Melbourne will host Port Adelaide in what is a game which should be pretty even. Neither have set the world on fire this year and the Power will be licking their wounds after their loss to Carlton.

The Blues on the other hand will be euphoric of their recent form of not which has seen them topple both St Kilda and Port. They have five wins from their eight games which is a pretty good return. They play Hawthorn in a game which should be quite fiery.

Adelaide host the Lions and the visitors will be desperate for a win after their season has come off the rails of late. Still you would think they should be too good for the Crows.

The Eagles host St Kilda and this is a tricky game for the Saints. They aren’t in the best of form and now have to travel all the way there while the Eagles are on a high after their win over the Demons.

The Bulldogs play North Melbourne in a game which could go either way. Live betting should be pretty even here with there no apparent favorite.

After eight weeks, the ladder is starting to separate and you would have to say that things are tough for the teams on three wins or less. This means you have 10 teams playing for eight spots. Will the ladder stay as it currently is come September? Will the eight teams now in the eight be the ones all playing in the finals. We’ll have to wait and see.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about online betting.

Australia World Cup 2010 Squad

Australia's World Cup 2010 Squad Announced

Goalkeepers

Adam Federici (Reading/England)
Eugene Galekovic (Adelaide Utd)
Brad Jones (Middlesbrough/England)
Mark Schwarzer (Fulham/England)

Defenders

Michael Beauchamp (Al-Jazira/United Arab Emirates)
David Carney (FC Twente/Netherlands)
Scott Chipperfield (Basel/Switzerland)
Shane Lowry (Aston Villa/England)
Mark Milligan (JEF United/Japan)
Craig Moore (uncontracted)
Lucas Neill (Galatasaray/Turkey)
Jade North (Tromso/Norway)
Luke Wilkshire (Dinamo Moscow/Russia)
Rhys Williams (Middlesbrough/England)

Midfielders

Mark Bresciano (Palermo/Italy)
Tim Cahill (Everton/England)
Nick Carle (Crystal Palace/England)
Jason Culina (Gold Coast Utd)
Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers/England)
Richard Garcia (Hull City/England)
Vince Grella (Blackburn Rovers/England)
James Holland (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands)
Brett Holman (AZ Alkmaar/Netherlands)
Mile Jedinak (Antalyaspor Kulubu/Turkey)
Tommy Oar (FC Utrecht/Netherlands)
Carl Valeri (Sassuolo/Italy)
Dario Vidosic (Nuremberg/Germany)

Forwards

Josh Kennedy (Nagoya Grampus/Japan)
Harry Kewell (Galatasaray/Turkey)
Scott McDonald (Middlesbrough/England)
Nikita Rukavytsya (FC Twente/Netherlands)

Swans Brought Down a Notch by Cats

Even though the Sydney Swans were playing good football, they were not playing good enough to defeat Geelong at Skilled Stadium. Down there, you have to play exceptional football and missing a few key players, the Swans just didn’t have enough fire-power. Inversely, the Cats were well-served by the return of Gary Ablett Jr who carved up the Swans.

Elsewhere it was an interesting Round 7 in the AFL. The Dockers continued their excellent start to the season with a win against the Lions in Brisbane. The Dockers aren’t playing like they have previously and look to be somewhat of the real deal. They now host the Magpies in a Friday night blockbuster.

At 6-1, both teams are on top of the ladder and this game should be a massive contest and one of the biggest home and away games Fremantle has ever played in. There are some interesting subplots. As a former coach of the West Coast Eagles, Mick Malthouse has no issue with playing at Subiaco. There is also interest to see how the Dockers will do under the bright lights of Friday night football.

The Bulldogs have had an interesting two weeks – choking against St Kilda and then just getting over te line against the Demons. This weekend they will have an interesting test against the Swans. This will be a better indicator for the Swans where they are at as opposed to the Geelong game.

The Cats now go to Brisbane to take on the Lions. At home they Lions will want to do well but you would think the Cats will have too much purr in them. You would think that nearly all live bets would favor Geelong.

Hawthorn are struggling so they will welcome having to play the hopeless Richmond. At one stage Richmond were a chance against Adelaide but fell in a heap conceding the last eight games. Hawthorn are coming back from a trip to Perth but still you would think they would be too good for the Tigers.

Carlton has to travel to Adelaide to take on a resurgent Port. The Power are playing well and you would think would be too good for the Blues. Essendon were good against Port and maybe could have won but against St Kilda you would think they have no chance. St Kilda are just too good.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about sports betting.

Aimee Watkins, Stephanie Rice Rated World's Sexiest Sportswoman

Lindsay Vonn (Skier), Stephanie Rice (Swimmer), Nicole Vaidisova (Tennis), Aimee Watkins (Cricketer)
New Zealand women's cricket captain Aimee Watkins has been rated among the world's 64 hottest female athletes alongside American skier Lindsay Vonn, Aussie swimmer Stephanie Rice and Czech tennis player Nicole Vaidisova.


27-year-old Watkins admitted the ratings by Yahoo!Xtra came as surprise, as she does not consider herself as one of the world's sexiest sportswomen.

"I didn't know anything about it," Watkins said. "I've seen it now. Mum gave me a call and she was pretty excited and told me to go on and have a look. Since then I've had a bit of stick but, oh well. It's all a bit foreign to me."


Sports editor of Yahoo!Xtra, Mike Kilpatrick, the main driving force behind the idea of finding the sexiest sportswoman, said he had been following Aimee Watkins' career since he was at university and she seemed like a natural choice for the top 64.

"We equally appreciate field talent as much as their looks," he said. "I consider Aimee one of the foremost talents in women's cricket.


News Courtesy: Stuff.co.nz/sport/cricket

Olympic Champion Daniel Kowalski: "I'm Gay."

Former Olympian Daniel Kowalski has joined the small number of elite Australian sportsmen who have publicly announced that they are gay.

Kowalski, who has won four Olympic swimming medals, told The Sunday Age that he was "tired of living a lie" and that he wanted young gay people to know that others have had their experience.

The few elite male Australian athletes who have announced publicly that they are gay include the retired NSW rugby league player Ian Roberts and, more recently, Olympic gold-medal winning diver Matthew Mitcham.

Kowalski said he was inspired to make today's announcement after reading about the Welsh rugby player Garth Thomas, who announced last December that he was gay.

News Courtesy: http://www.smh.com.au

Top of the Table Clash Awaits Dockers and Saints

At the start of the year, who would have thought that the Dockers taking on St Kilda would be a big game? Now it’s the biggest game thus far in season 2010. Both sides are striving to be undefeated after four rounds of the season.

No doubt Fremantle are on a high. For the first time in their history, they have won their opening three matches. Now they face St Kilda in an absolutely massive match. The two have had some amazing matches over the years and this promises to be the best of them all.

Geelong were valiant over in the West and will bounce back against Port Adelaide when they unveil the 2009 Premiership flag.

Elsewhere the Bombers travel West to take on the Eagles in the opening game of Round 4. The Bombers are fresh off their win against Carlton and would love nothing more than to make it two on the trot.

Sydney have rebounded well since losing to St Kilda in their opening match. They have defeated the Crows and Richmond but these two are the bottom two sides on the ladder so who knows where their form is really at. What can be sure is that their new players such as Daniel Bradshaw and Ben McGlynn are fitting in well. Being in such good form, most of the live bets are going to be on the Swans especially at the start of the game.

Adelaide host Carlton in a game between two strugglers. Will this be the game that sees Adelaide win their first game of season 2010?

Collingwood meet Hawthorn in a game between two losers from Round three. These sides will both be licking their wounds after these losses and be keen not to make it two losses in a row.

Brisbane are also undefeated and host the Bulldogs up at the Gabba. The Bulldogs are doing well but the Lions seem to be playing better. The combination of Fevola and Brown is working like a charm and the other recruits are also playing well.

Richmond meet Melbourne in a game between the two sides favorite for the wooden spoon although saying that Richmond would be ahead of Melbourne after the Demons defeated the Crows in Round three. They also showed a lot of heart in their narrow loss to Collingwood. The truth of the matter is that Richmond look like a rabble and who knows how much more their supporters can take.


Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about online betting odds.

Dockers Looking The Goods

For the first time in their history, the Fremantle Dockers are looking to win their first three games of the season. They have already had good wins against the Crows and Bombers but this week against Geelong will be a massive test for where they are as a side.

There are actually two other games involving the other four undefeated sides of the competition to date. Collingwood is taking on St Kilda in a clash of two of the traditional Victorian powerhouses. Both are in good form and both would be desperate to win this game. The betting odds are pretty even for both sides, but if anything St Kilda are slight favorites.

There is no love lost between the two, even less so since Luke Ball switched to Collingwood in the off-season.

The other game involving two unbeaten teams sees Brisbane to travel to Adelaide to take on Port Power. Both sides have defeated the West Coast but the Lions took out Carlton in round one as opposed to the Power who toppled North Melbourne in their opening game. The Lions look good with Jonathan Brown and Brendan Fevola in tandem. They will be a handful for the opposition back-men all over the league. Out of the Melbourne spotlight, Fevola seems to have settled down.

Normally Carlton taking on Essendon is a huge match – it still will be will Essendon winless and Carlton on just the one win. Neither would want to give the other the satisfaction of going down to the other. The has been much criticism of coach Matthew Knights and expect that to intensify should they lose to their arch-rival.

Sydney are flying high after their win against the Crows in Adelaide and complacency should be their biggest obstacle against a Richmond side who are clearly not good enough.

Melbourne takes on Adelaide in a massive game for both sides. Neither side has won yet and would love to put a stop to that now, especially the Crows who would be expected to dominate the more inexperienced Demons.

The same will happen when the Kangaroos play the Eagles. Both are also looking for their first win of season 2010.

The Bulldogs meet Hawthorn in a game that should promise much. Neither side is at its best and it will be interesting to see how Hawthorn handles Barry Hall.

It should be a fascinating Round 3 of AFL football.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about live bets.

Allan Langer Apologises for Unacceptable Behaviour

A remorseful Allan Langer has apologised for his unacceptable behaviour which he regrets let down so many people.

The former champion Brisbane Broncos halfback returned an alleged blood alcohol reading of more than three times the legal limit when stopped for a random breath test at 1.40am on Monday in the northern Brisbane suburb of Everton Park.

Mobile phone video footage supplied to TV stations also shows Langer dancing on top of a table wearing only his underwear in a popular Brisbane hotel hours before being stopped by police.

Brisbane suspended him from his position as Broncos skills coach on Monday morning and will review his coaching situation after he appears in Brisbane's Magistrates Court on April 19.

"I accept my actions were unacceptable - people do and are entitled to expect more from me," said Langer in a

statement released on his behalf late on Tuesday.

News Courtesy: news.smh.com.au

14-Year Old Yolane Kukla Books Spot in Delhi Commonwealth Games

Yolane Kukla became the youngest female to make a senior Australian swim team in a generation after trouncing reigning world champion Marieke Guehrer in the 50m butterfly at the Commonwealth Games trials. The Queensland pocket rocket blitzed the field in the non-Olympic event on Wednesday night to win in a time of 25.92 seconds ahead of Guehrer (26.28) at Sydney Olympic Park. Kukla is the youngest female swimmer to make a major Australian team since a 13-year-old Jodie Clatworthy earned a spot at the 1986 Edinburgh Commonwealth Games. After producing the upset, the baby-faced Queenslander nicknamed "Yo Yo" bobbed up and down the water with excitement.

Kukla, who trains alongside Stephanie Rice in Brisbane, only left gymnastics after blowing out her knee.

NRL Returns In Style

Rugby League returned in a big way with the start of the 2010 season. St George tried to atone for their disappointing finals exit with a defeat of the Eels. They had too much firepower for Parramatta and won 18-12. It was a bad loss for the Eels who were hoping to build on last season where they made it as far as the Grand Final.

In the Queensland derby, the Broncos edged past the Cowboys. It was a tight and torrid affair but in the end, the Broncos had too much class for their counterparts.

There were some surprises on the Saturday. The most notable of which was that the Knights were able to rebound from all of their off-season troubles to defeat the Bulldogs. The Knights have had some difficulty with drug related issues and will be over the moon after their gutsy victory. On the other side of the coin, the Bulldogs will be less than thrilled with the way they opened the season.

Penrith ran over the top of Canberra. These two teams haven’t been up there for a while and it’s hard to see that changing after the opening round. The Panthers were ok but the Raiders have plenty to work on.

Melbourne opened up the defence of their premiership with a gritty victory away to Cronulla. The game was never going to be easy, especially when the Sharks were keen to atone for their appalling 2009. In the end, it was the experience of the Storm which got them over the line. Bookmakers had the Storm as favourites but in the end they had to work for it.

The Titans had a tight win over the Warriors in an exciting match. Both of these sides like to entertain and this game was no different. The ball was thrown around a lot which made for some exciting football as well as some errors.

Both sides had much to prove in the local derby between the Roosters and the Rabbitohs. The press had been talking up the Bunnies and they were heavily favoured against a Roosters side which won the wooden spoon last year. You would have thought the two swapped uniforms giving the lesson the Rabbits were handed. The Chooks ran over the top of them for a 36-10 victory.

The round finished in a flourish with the Tigers staging a fantastic comeback against Manly. They looked gone for all money but scored four tries in the final twenty minutes to stage a famous fightback.

Darren Albert writes for this blog. He also writes about live bets as well as other types of sports betting.