Clan-Members » d thing, youre just trying to get the adv

Chad Townsend has emerged as one of the surprise packets of the NRL season, including to his Cronulla halves partner James Maloney.Maloney and Townsend have formed one of the NRLs most lethal scrumbase combination this season, in just their first year together, piloting the Sharks to 14 successive wins and the premiership lead.Sydney Roosters premiership winner Maloney was one of the pre-seasons biggest moves after he left Bondi for the Shire. Townsends move from the Warriors didnt receive nearly as much hype, but it has been almost as important.I always thought he had developed over there with the Warriors, Maloney told AAP.But he has probably surprised me just how well he has been playing. He has just been so consistent and we are reaping the rewards of that.Townsend was again a key figure in the Sharks win over the Roosters on Monday.But Maloney warned Cronulla needed to continue to improve in the run-in to the finals ahead of their round 20 clash with hapless Newcastle at Shark Park on Sunday.There are a few games we have got by but we havent been where we should be which is not a huge issue because we need to be playing our best footy down the track, he said.But the amount of points we let in against the Roosters wasnt good enough, there were some tries we should have stopped.Maloney, who led the Roosters to three straight minor premierships and the 2013 title, said he felt for his former teammates, who are languishing in second-last place on the NRL ladder, ahead of only the Knights.It is hard to watch but they are big boys they will be alright, it is a tough year but they will come out the other side and be better for it, Maloney said.Cronulla welcome back the suspended Andrew Fifita for their clash with Newcastle, who they beat 62-0 at Hunter Stadium earlier this year. Faamanu Brown falls out of the Sharks side.Dane Gagai returns at fullback for the Knights from a quad injury.Robbie Rochow and Sione Matautia are missing through injury for the visitors. Pauli Pauli and Mickey Paea come into their 17.Daniel Saifiti is suspended for the Knights, his brother Jacob takes his place.KEY STATS* The Sharks are scoring the most points this season (26.2 per game), while they are also conceding the third fewest (15.9 per game).* Cronulla are looking to become just the eighth team in history to win 15 straight matches and the first since Melbourne won 15 straight in 2012-13.* Only three teams in the history of the game have won 15 straight matches in the one season: Manly in 1995 won 15 straight, Canterbury in 2002 won 17 in a row and the Roosters won 19 straight in 1975 and were the only one of these teams to win the premiership.Source: Fox Sports Stats. Cheap Real Ray Bans .5 seconds to play in the game, Kevin Love never stopped believing that they would come out of there with a win. Cheap Ray Ban Sunglasses Outlet .J. -- Marshawn Lynch said Thursday it will be good to get back to football after the Seattle quiet talking running back wrapped up his final mandatory media session of Super Bowl week. http://www.cheapraybanfromchina.com/ . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. Ray Ban Sunglasses Sale . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. Ray Ban Sunglasses Sale Cheap .ca. Kerry, Just watched the shootout in the Coyotes/Leafs game and I have to ask, why was the James van Riemsdyk goal allowed to count? All of the video replays we were shown on TV were inconclusive about whether the puck had entirely crossed the line or not. NEW YORK -- Miamis LeBron James and Indianas David West and Lance Stephenson were all fined $5,000 by the NBA on Thursday for violating the leagues anti-flopping policy. James and West were penalized for the same play during a messy Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. James spun and fell and West tumbled toward the baseline during what looked like a poorly choreographed dance routine as the NBAs MVP defended the Indiana forward. Stephenson was fined for exaggerating the contact after a slight elbow from Ray Allen following his basket, staggering back toward the sideline after making a short jumper. The NBA began fining players this year for trying to fool referees into calling fouls when there had been limited contact. "We accept it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said Thursday. "We dont want the attention or the focus to be on the officiating. We want it to be on the competition." Game 5 of the series is Thursday night in Miami, with the teams knotted at two games apiece. "I have no thoughts on officiating or flopping," Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. "I have nothing to share. Im sorry." The Pacers 99-92 victory Tuesday was filled with physical plays and marked by a combined 55 personal fouls. One of those fouls, committed by West against Dwyane Wade with 5:57 left in the fourth quarter of Game 4, was upgraded by the NBA to a flagrant-1. "At this moment, youve got to do whatever you have to do within the guidelines of the game to try to win, whether its trying to draw fouls or whatever," West said. "Its just part of the game." Heat players were apparently unaware of the NBAs decisions while they were holding their game-day shootaround practice Thursday morning. "I didnt even know they handed out three flops," Heat forward Chris Bosh said. "I didnt know. We didnt talk about it at all. Were concentrating on other things. Those things we cant do anything about. This is the type of series where youre going to have to focus on very specific things, possession by possession. And if youre looking at something else, youre doing your team a disservice." The amount of contact in this series has been amped up from basically the beginning, though it hasnt reached the over-the-top level that the Pacers and Heat reached in theeir sometimes-bloody matchup in the second round last season.dddddddddddd The Pacers were upset earlier in the series about the perception that Shane Battier was guilty of a dirty play when he kneed Pacers centre Roy Hibbert in the midsection on a drive in Game 1. And even on Thursday, before Game 5, Battier was still a topic of Pacer discussion. "Hes got this funny way of moving into your knees," West said. "Were very conscious of that. We talk about making sure we protect our knees." Added Hibbert: "He has to do whatever he has to do to make sure his team wins, and thats fine. But Im going to protect myself when Im on the court." The fines are basically nominal given the salaries of NBA players. Stephenson makes just over $900,000 this season, while West makes $10 million and James makes about $17 million in playing salary, plus an estimated $40 million more in endorsements. "Five thousand dollars is a lot of money," West said. "I dont care how much money youre making." Steve Kerr, working the game as an analyst for TNT, said flopping has "been apparent throughout the series but I think it got worse" during Game 4. James was voted to the NBAs All-Defensive first team, but Chicago coach Tom Thibodeau accused him of flopping after a play during the Heats second-round series victory over the Bulls. The play with West came not long after James said flopping was "not even a bad thing, youre just trying to get the advantage." Kerr said flopping was "unbecoming of star players." "To me, flopping is sort of the territory of guys who are just trying to hang onto their position in the league and they have to find their way to be successful and productive somehow," he said in a phone interview before the penalties were announced. "So if Battier and (Tyler) Hansbrough are going to flop a little bit because thats how theyre going to impact the game right now, Im probably more willing to give them a pass than when I see David West and LeBron falling all over each other in the post, two of the best players in the league." Players were given a warning for a first offence during the regular season but are fined for the first flop in the post-season. The plays can be seen at nba.com/official. ' ' '