News » of 2017, beginning with the first show on Sept. 23. Gone

Call it manipulation, call it communication, Johnathan Thurston is a clear admirer of Cameron Smiths ability to deal with NRL referees.As he prepares to lead North Queensland into a blockbuster NRL qualifying final on Saturday against Smiths Melbourne, Thurston has hailed his State of Origin teammate as the best in the game at getting his message across to match officials.Smiths blow-up with referee Ashley Klein during the Storms shock round 25 loss to Brisbane aside, the wily skipper is renowned for his methodical conduct when it comes to referee-captain discussions.Thurston says its something hes definitely tried to take on board from playing alongside and against Smith.Ive tried to. Smithys always been cool, calm, collected, Thurston said.No matter what the scoreboard shows he doesnt show too much emotion.Every referees different. They show the respect to the captains and youve just got to pick your times to talk to them.Theres no better person in the comp that does that than Smithy. If I get that opportunity I need to take it as well.Thurston has declared himself a certain starter for Saturdays clash, despite a corked calf picked up late in last Saturdays 32-16 win over Gold Coast in Townsville.The playmaker is also backing prop Matt Scott to prove his fitness despite training separately from the team on Wednesday as he continues to recover from a broken finger.I havent spoken to him since he ran out there but he should be there, Thurston said.The Cowboys depart for Melbourne on Thursday and will have their final training session at AAMI Park on Friday.Thurstons men defeated the Storm at the venue in last years finals series but have been beaten twice by their opponents this season.The Queensland and Australia star says theres no doubt about the challenge that lies ahead.Travelling to Melbourne is always a big challenge. Theyve built a fortress down there, he said.Defensively theyre strong, the best in competition.Its the business end of the year and its a good challenge for us to see where were at both physically and mentally. Nike Air Max Sale Canada . The move comes after the Canadiens were approached by the Buffalo Sabres for permission to speak to Dudley - a former Sabres player and head coach. "The Sabres called for permission and I appreciate that, Im flattered, Dudley told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun of ESPN. Nike Air Max Clearance Canada . -- PGA TOUR Canada member Steve Saunders took a three-stroke lead Saturday in the Web. http://www.wholesaleairmaxcanada.com/ . Jon Montgomerys gold medal in skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre and his subsequent auctioning off of a pitcher of beer in the village square elevated him to folk-hero status. Nike Air Max Cheap Canada . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. Wholesale Air Max Cheap Candada . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. Although Premier Boxing Champions did not unveil any specific fights on Wednesday, it announced its general plans for its third year in 2017, and those plans include fight cards on at least nine television networks.PBC, founded by adviser/manager Al Haymon and funded with around $500 million of investor money for the largely time-buy series, also said it would emphasize the junior middleweight, welterweight and featherweight divisions. They are three of boxings strongest weight classes in which so much of Haymons talent fights. He has a stable of around 200 fighters.PBC announced it would continue to have fights on ESPN/ESPN Deportes, Fox, Fox Sports 1/Fox Deportes, NBC, Spike, Bounce TV and Showtime, as well as potential bouts on CBS, Showtimes sister network.ESPNs 12-card slate, which is simulcast on ESPN Deportes in Spanish, will run from April to August with the season debut taking place on April 14. That is a modified schedule from when PBC and ESPN announced their partnership in 2015 under which monthly cards were initially scheduled.We are thrilled to welcome Premier Boxing Champions back on ESPN in 2017, said Burke Magnus, executive vice president, programming and scheduling for ESPN. The PBC series has delivered exciting boxing events that have garnered solid boxing viewership for ESPN. We are looking forward to showcasing a new season of fights next year.Fox once again will air three prime-time network shows, the first of which will take place Feb. 25. Sister network FS1 will televise 25 cards between February and October. Those cards are simulcast on Fox Deportes.Were excited for the 2017 PBC series on Fox, FS1 and Fox Deportes with a robust schedule of outstanding matches at all levels of boxing, including exciting champions, contenders and prospects, said David Nathanson, Fox Sports head of business operations.dddddddddddd Weve enjoyed our thrilling Tuesday night series on FS1 and Fox Deportes and had several major title fights on the Fox broadcast network, including the heavyweight championship of the world [with Deontay Wilder]. Were looking for more great fights in the coming year.NBC was due to televise several cards on broadcast network and cable network NBC Sports net in the second half of 2016 but they were canceled. However, NBC will televise three prime time network shows in the second half of 2017, beginning with the first show on Sept. 23. Gone from the PBC schedule are regular cards on NBC Sports Net, which televised the series regularly during its first two years of operation.Spike, which typically puts on one PBC show per month, will continue to run Friday night cards in 2017, beginning on Jan. 13. It still has a Nov. 12 card and possibly a December card remaining this year. Spike featured many of the top fighters on the PBC roster this year, including Daniel Jacobs, Adrien Broner and Adonis Stevenson.Bounce TV, a network aimed primarily at African-American viewers, will feature quarterly cards with the first scheduled for March 31.Showtime, which pays significant rights fees to PBC for the fights it airs, announced a slate of five cards on Tuesday and will show fights throughout the year, while sister network CBS could air the highly anticipated Keith Thurman-Danny Garcia welterweight unification fight scheduled for March 5 much like it did in June when it televised Thurman-Shawn Porter under the banner of Showtime Boxing on CBS Presented by Premier Boxing Champions. ' ' '