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Australia will go to Games despite doubts over England

Todd Balym — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:49:36 +0000

The 2010 Commonwealth Games will proceed and Australia is set to compete even if England pulls out over security concerns, says Australian Games chief Perry Crosswhite.

Crosswhite said he had no reason to question security arrangements but was seeking more information over a London report citing senior government sources saying there’s “virtually no chance” England will send a team to the New Delhi Games in October.

The London Daily Telegraph reported British police and security advisers were concerned their team could be targeted by Pakistani terrorists at the Games and felt that athletes’ safety couldn’t be guaranteed at present.

It said Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland would almost certainly follow suit if England withdrew and cast doubt on whether the Games could go ahead.

But Crosswhite, a member of the co-ordination commission overseeing Delhi’s preparations, said Australia remained committed to the Games where it’s expected to field one of the largest teams numbering 400 athletes and coaches.

And he was confident the Games would go on even if England withdrew.

“Absolutely. The Games will happen. Whether it’s only one team out of 71 nations, it won’t be good for the Games, but they will happen,” said Crosswhite.

“I have nothing new to change our view … everything is on track to go.

“We will take the best advice we can get and at this stage it (security) is adequate.

“I have not had one athlete, one manager, one coach – no-one has contacted me with the view that they shouldn’t be going.

“We don’t want to force athletes to go, they have to make their own decision, but no-one has raised it.”

Security at the Games has been under added scrutiny since last year’s terrorist strikes in Mumbai and the March attack on Sri Lanka’s cricket team in neighbouring Pakistan.

The Daily Telegraph quoted a Whitehall source saying: “If you are an English athlete there is no way you are going to want to risk your life competing at the Games. We currently cannot see any way that England will be able to send a team to Delhi next year.”

England general team manager Ann Hogbin quickly refuted the report.

“That is definitely not the case. Our current and strong intention is to field a team for the games in Delhi next year,” Hogbin said in a statement.

“Of course, we have a duty of care to the athletes and other team members which we take very seriously.

“Despite having been given extensive briefings from relevant authorities, we have not received any indication that we should not participate in the Games and we will continue to work hard to put in place the best possible arrangements for our team.”

The English newspaper said Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul Stephenson visited Delhi earlier this month and was believed to have voiced “serious concerns” about security.

Crosswhite also attended the security briefing in Delhi this month – and while he said the sub-continent was an “unstable” part of the world – he was pleased with the progress of the local officials.

“I’m not a security expert but they’ve employed people that are and the reports are good,” he said.

“These days security is a major issue everywhere.

“Nothing would surprise me with people making comments with security in Delhi – it just seems that everybody has become an expert.”

There has been recent precedent for teams pulling out of events in India over security fears.

Australia was forced to forfeit a Davis Cup tennis tie after refusing to play it in Chennai as scheduled earlier this year and England’s badminton team pulled out of the world championships in Hyderabad.

Organisers are preparing for nearly 8,000 athletes and officials from 71 nations and territories for the October 3-14 Games.

The Department of Foreign Affairs in Australia said it was aware of the speculation about an English withdrawal and the English association’s rebuttal.

It will allow Australia’s Games officials to decide whether security arrangements are sufficient.

“Our security advisers are certainly not recommending similar action for ourselves,” Crosswhite said of the English reports.

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Article link: Australia will go to Games despite doubts over England. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Article link: FINA can’t take my history, says Trickett. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Article link: RLPA slams NRL private investigator role. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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A turf war is set to erupt in Australian sport with the two biggest codes unwilling to accept Football Federation Australia’s requirements to host a football World Cup. The FFA are bidding to host either the 2018 or 2022 World Cups but to do so it would require exclusive access to 12 of Australia’s largest [...]

Article link: AFL, NRL get tough over football World Cup. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Article link: NRL commission unlikely before end of year. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Morris twins win Test tour together

Todd Balym — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 15:24:06 +0000

Morris brothers Brett and Josh will become the first twins in 17 years to tour for Australia after the St George Illawarra star was called into the Four Nations squad on Thursday. Tryscoring winger Brett Morris was added to the Kangaroos after Brisbane’s Israel Folau withdrew with an ankle injury. Bulldog centre Josh Morris had [...]

Article link: Morris twins win Test tour together. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Todd Balym — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:37:20 +0000

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Article link: Storm’s NRL title defence looking solid. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Bellamy wants Roos reward for premiers

Todd Balym — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:35:45 +0000

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Article link: Bellamy wants Roos reward for premiers. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Todd Balym — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 14:49:23 +0000

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Article link: Bellamy blasts “hypocritical” Eels. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Article link: Lack of experience kills the Eels. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Todd Balym — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 17:44:10 +0000

Jeff Lima in action during the NRL, Round 19, Parramatta Eels v Melbourne Storm match at Parramatta Stadium in Sydney on Monday July 20, 2009. Eels won 18-16. AAP Image/Action Photographics, Robb Cox

Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy admits nothing his side produces in today’s NRL premiership decider against Parramatta will ever replace the feeling of last year’s embarrassing grand final loss to Manly.

Why Melbourne will win the NRL grand final

Todd Balym — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:50:10 +0000

Will Chambers (Melb) scores the 1st try NRL - 2009 Preliminary Finals Melbourne Storm vs Brisbane Broncos Etihad Stadium, Melbourne Saturday 26 September 2009 Â© Sport the library/Jeff Crow Â©Action Photographics

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Jarryd Hayne has been dreaming of this grand final moment his entire life and he has a simple message for Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy about the Storm’s plans to stop him: “Yeah, good luck.” The Dally M medal winner taunted Melbourne just three days out from the NRL grand final, the most in-form player in [...]

Article link: Hayne ready to do ‘something special’. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Article link: The bad blood grand final. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Todd Balym — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:22:44 +0000

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Article link: Bellamy’s leap of faith. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Storm opt against sleeping with the enemy

Todd Balym — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:13:53 +0000

Melbourne have changed their usual NRL grand final preparation for good reason – their regular match eve hotel was in Parramatta. The Storm have spent grand final eve at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Phillip Street, Parramatta for the past three years but won’t be returning this week before playing Parramatta on Sunday. You can’t [...]

Article link: Storm opt against sleeping with the enemy. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Slater should be No.1 for Roos, says Cameron Smith

Todd Balym — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:39:04 +0000

He’s the NRL’s form player of 2009 but Cameron Smith doesn’t know if he could find a spot for Dally M medallist Jarryd Hayne in the Australian Test team. The Melbourne skipper said incumbent and Storm fullback Billy Slater deserved to retain his Kangaroos No.1 jumper for the Four Nations tour, and then struggled to [...]

Article link: Slater should be No.1 for Roos, says Cameron Smith. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Finch says he’s a headline-free zone

Todd Balym — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:30:42 +0000

Brett Finch has never been far from a headline, but he won’t be providing any this week. The Melbourne five-eighth said he would take the “diplomatic” approach to Sunday’s NRL grand final against his former club Parramatta. In a bizarre twist of fate Finch will face the side he walked out on just four weeks [...]

Article link: Finch says he’s a headline-free zone. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Article link: Broncos confident of 2010 success. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

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Todd Balym — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 17:07:50 +0000

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Todd Balym — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 15:55:13 +0000

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Article link: Decade-long rivalry hots up in Melbourne. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

History can help Parramatta, says Price

Todd Balym — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 16:13:02 +0000

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Article link: History can help Parramatta, says Price. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Dogs under pressure, not Eels, says Lamb

Todd Balym — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:07:41 +0000

Bulldogs great Terry Lamb has done the unthinkable, putting pressure on his own team to win Friday’s NRL preliminary final showdown with Parramatta. As the smoke and mirrors over team selections continued on Tuesday, Lamb saw through the mist to declare the Bulldogs are the ones under pressure to convert their season of dominance into [...]

Article link: Dogs under pressure, not Eels, says Lamb. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Taylor still sad but nine out of ten ain’t bad

Todd Balym — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:18:40 +0000

Sacked South Sydney coach Jason Taylor says he has the support of at least “90 per cent” of the playing group, and former club patriarch George Piggins fears those allegiances could undermine the Rabbitohs’ 2010 NRL season. Taylor continued to fight to clear his name after being axed by the club for the `Sad Sunday’ [...]

Article link: Taylor still sad but nine out of ten ain’t bad. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Eels smash Titans to set up big clash with Dogs

Todd Balym — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:15:15 +0000

Parramatta put an end to the Gold Coast’s season with a 27-2 semi-final win on Friday night that set up the biggest preliminary final showdown in the history of the NRL. The eighth-placed Eels disposed of the third-placed Titans at the Sydney Football Stadium in front of 28,524 fans to set the stage for a [...]

Article link: Eels smash Titans to set up big clash with Dogs. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Another league star charged with assault

Todd Balym — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:51:42 +0000

The stop-start NRL career of Wests Tigers cult hero Daine Laurie is back on the skids after he was charged with assaulting his partner and stood down indefinitely on Wednesday. Laurie is alleged to have assaulted his partner, the mother of his two children, at their Leumeah home shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Campbelltown Police [...]

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Parra to live and die by the sword

Todd Balym — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 18:50:49 +0000

Parramatta have lived by the sword in their premiership campaign over the past two months and coach Daniel Anderson says he can’t be mad if they die by the sword. The Eels have been the revelations of the second half of the NRL season, winning eight of nine games with stunning football to jump to [...]

Article link: Parra to live and die by the sword. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Storm happy to ride behind AFL grand final

Todd Balym — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:04:28 +0000

Melbourne chief executive Brian Waldron says he is excited by the prospect of selling a rugby league preliminary final to Victorians on the same day as the AFL grand final. The Storm secured an NRL preliminary final after Parramatta upset minor premiers St George Illawarra on Sunday to gift Melbourne a free passage to host [...]

Article link: Storm happy to ride behind AFL grand final. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

Souths prolong Taylor and Fa’alogo hearings

Todd Balym — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:58:04 +0000

South Sydney coach Jason Taylor has five days to save his job after being issued with a formal breach notice by the NRL club on Thursday. Taylor has until 5pm next Tuesday to respond to the notice after an investigation by South Sydney management into an altercation with forward David Fa’alogo last Sunday found the [...]

Article link: Souths prolong Taylor and Fa’alogo hearings. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion

NRL qualifying finals match previews

Todd Balym — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 14:27:16 +0000

NRL preview panel for the qualifying finals. FRIDAY 4-MELBOURNE STORM (14-9-1) v 5-MANLY SEA EAGLES (14-10-0) at Etihad Stadium, 7.45pm Head to head: Storm 9, Sea Eagles 7 Last time: Sea Eagles 20 bt Storm 16 at Olympic Park (Rnd 24, 2009) Recent form: Storm WLLWW, Sea Eagles LWWWW TAB SportsBet: Storm $1.90, Sea Eagles [...]

Article link: NRL qualifying finals match previews. Written by Todd Balym, on The Roar - Your Sports Opinion