League money talks so Fifita’s in Dog house

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ANDREW Fifita will become the richest prop in rugby league's 108-year history after deciding to accept an $850,000-a-season offer from Canterbury, which has exploited Ben Barba's departure to steal the Sharks superstar.

Barba's exit to Brisbane means Canterbury are operating $400,000 below the salary cap for the next two years, enabling them to slot the Kangaroos bookend into a star-studded front row that already includes International pair James Graham and Sam Kasiano.

Cronulla's Andrew Fifita during the Cronulla Sharks and Gold Coast Titans round 1. Pic Brett Costello Source: News Corp Australia

NRL rules enable clubs with current cap space to front load future salaries, which is how the Roosters managed to recruit Sonny Bill Williams, James Maloney and Michael Jennings in a single swoop last year.

An announcement on Fifita's four-year deal is expected this week, along with news that Graham has inked an extension to remain at Belmore.

The Daily Telegraph was yesterday told Kasiano might be considering a shock defection to European rugby, but Bulldogs CEO Raelene Castle denied any knowledge and the Kiwi prop's manager, Mario Tartak, did not return calls.

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Cronulla's Andrew Fifita during the Cronulla Sharks and Gold Coast Titans round 1. Pic Brett Costello Source: News Corp Australia

Castle said Fifita had not put pen to paper as of Monday night, when he was preparing to break the news to Sharks team mates in the wake of their opening round clash against Gold Coast at Remondis Stadium.

"We have a couple of things to announce this week," she said.

When pressed on how the Bulldogs could afford to invest such a large proportion of their cap into the front row, Castle replied: "We have some significant money to spend because we don't have a fullback. The salary cap can be difficult to manage, but there are mechanisms in place to do certain things."

Cronulla Sharks NRL player Andrew Fifita watches from the crowd during the Super Rugby match between the NSW Waratahs and Western Force at Allianz Stadium, Sydney. Pic Brett Costello Source: News Corp Australia

Fifita spent the weekend in torment over leaving the Sharks, who put together an offer just $50,000-a-season shy of what Canterbury tabled.

The Daily Telegraph understands Cronulla were prepared to make Fifita their highest earning player, offering him $750,000-a-year - plus a car - to remain in the Shire.

Fifita spoke with several Sharks team mates before making up his mind to switch clubs late on Sunday.

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He also spoke with the Rabbitohs, Roosters, Sea Eagles and ARU, but, from those suitors, only South Sydney were initially prepared to match the money on offer from Canterbury and Cronulla.

Fifita's defection is a huge blow for the Sharks, who have also lost promising hooker Michael Lichaa to Canterbury.

Bulldogs coach Des Hasler has long viewed the 21-year-old rake as a successor to co-captain Michael Ennis, who is expected to hand-over the hooking reins in 2016.

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Sharks skipper Paul Gallen was desperately hoping that Fifita might display loyalty in return for Cronulla plucking him out of reserve grade at Wests Tigers two years ago.

Now Gallen is more than likely to finish his career in the front row, with Cronulla desperately short on big men in 2015.

Doubts over Bryce Gibbs's ability to continue another year leaves Sam Tagataese as the only recognised prop, meaning Cronulla will most likely have to enter a bidding war for off-contract Melbourne bookend Jesse Bromwich.

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Ange gets no-Good Socceroos news

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SOCCEROOS defender Curtis Good may have played his last club game of the season after he was on Monday ruled out for up to six weeks with hip flexor strain, sustained in last week's friendly.

While coach Ange Postecoglou has declared that regular soccer is a must to be considered for the 2014 World Cup, Good's star turn against Ecuador could secure him a Brazil berth as he faces the prospect of no club soccer between now and June.

Dundee United, where he is on loan until the end of the season, plays its final league game against Celtic on April 5 before facing Rangers or Albion Rovers in the Scottish Cup semi final on April 12/13.

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After that Dundee would only play the Scottish Cup final on May 17 if it wins its semi-final, by which stage the Socceroos will have started their World Cup camp in Gosford.

The Good blow comes in the wake of long-term injuries to Robbie Kruse (knee reconstruction) and Rhys Williams (achilles), who are both clinging onto the slimmest of hopes that they will be fit for June's World Cup.

Good, 20, was impressive in his Socceroos debut before limping off in the 68th minute of the 4-3 defeat to Ecuador in London last week while still leading.

He had scans over the weekend which confirmed a grade 2 iliopsaos (hip flexor) strain and Newcastle United medical staff have ruled him out for 4-6 weeks.

Ecuador's Luis Antonio Valencia, left, dribbles past Australia's Curtis Good. Source: AP

He has returned to parent club Newcastle United for medical treatment.

Postecoglou urged Good to seek a loan move to get regular minutes after he was impressed with his performances for the Olyroos in January's AFC U22 Championships.

Meanwhile Williams is holding out hope of being fit for Brazil although his Middlesbrough manager Aitor Karanka warned him not to become "obsessed" about making the squad.

Williams is in Perth continuing rehab on the Achilles he damaged in January, but having missed the last World Cup Karanka said the next fortnight is vital for him.

"The most important thing for Rhys is that he concentrates on his rehab and what he needs to do in the next few weeks," Karanka said.

"If he starts thinking about the World Cup in the summer, there is a risk he could suffer a new problem that would wreck everything for him.

"It is better for him to concentrate on the work that he has to do, and then if the World Cup becomes a possibility, that will be great. He needs to focus on the next couple of weeks, and then one or two weeks before the end of the season, we can all look at where his recovery is.

"It is better for us all to be very careful with him. But if his rehab goes well, then he can play the last few games here and possibly play in the World Cup too. That would be very good for everybody."

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Proof Ferguson’s back on the booze

Former Origin star Blake Ferguson leaves Sutherland Court. Picture: John Appleyard Source: John Appleyard / News Limited

EXILED rugby league star Blake Ferguson is back on the grog again, spending Sunday afternoon knocking over schooners instead of opponents.

Just four months after converting to Islam and vowing to give up alcohol, the former Canberra Raiders star is now drinking regularly.

This is the same man who also recently told a magistrate in Sutherland court, when found guilty of indecent assault, that he was no longer drinking.

Ferguson is appealing the verdict in a higher court.

From midday on Sunday afternoon, the State of Origin star was spotted drinking in the beer garden at the Caringbah hotel.

The image shows Blake Ferguson with a friend drinking from a full schooner of beer with another schooner in front in the beer garden. Source: Supplied

Our photo shows him with an unidentified male friend. Witnesses said he was there for several hours.

Only two weeks ago he was also spotted having a late session at a King Cross nightclub.

In fairness Ferguson is not misbehaving and just minding his own business.

He originally converted to Islam because his life was spiralling out of control on alcohol-fuelled benders.

"Alcohol has been my problem for the last five years," he said, "It's brought me down to where I am now. I've had enough. From here on I'm not drinking."

That was in November. He has since been spotted at the Clovelly Hotel, Kings Cross and now Caringbah.

Disgraced Origin star Blake Ferguson leaves Sutherland Court. Source: News Limited

His mate and mentor Anthony Mundine continues to stick by him, despite all the broken promises.

Mundine himself is too busy to keep a 24/7 watch on Ferguson while preparing for his next fight against former world champion Joshua Clottey in Newcastle on April 2.

He stands by the troubled footballer because "he's family."

"Blake's just looking forward to changing his direction in life," Mundine said recently, "No drinking, no drugs, no parties."

At this stage there is no indication if or when the 23-year-old centre will play football again.

Despite interest from a number of clubs, it's highly unlikely the NRL will register a playing contract this year unless he wins an appeal against the indecent assault conviction.

His best hope would be a 2015 comeback.

Ferguson did not return phone calls or text messages on Monday.

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‘Enabled’ Amy dancing her way to the top

An Instagram photo of Amy Purdy. Source: Supplied

AMY Purdy lost both her legs at the age of 19 but in Sochi this week she's snowboarding by day and dancing by night.

American TV series 'Dancing With The Stars' has sent a crew to Sochi so Purdy can practice for her debut on the show in Los Angeles next week.

The 34-year-old from Las Vegas is competing in snowboard cross on Friday as the only double amputee in the field, courageously taking on single amputees and those with both their legs but another physical impairment.

After competition she flies straight to the US for the series premiere which will be shown nationwide.

The snowboarder, motivational speaker, actor and model this week Tweeted a photo of her dance partner Derek Hough:

"Just finished snowboard training for the day and looking forward to meeting this hunk on the dancefloor."

Purdy is one of the most marketable athletes in the US and has inspired thousands of people to overcome their own obstacles.

At the age of 19 she graduated from high school and became a massage therapist when she went home one day with what she thought was the flu.

Within 24 hours she was on life support in hospital and given a two per cent chance of surviving when diagnosed with bacterial meningitis.

In the next two months Purdy lost her spleen, kidneys, hearing in her left ear and both legs below the knee.

"When my parents wheeled me out of the hospital I felt like I had been pieced back together like a patchwork doll," she says in a speech titled 'Living Beyond Limits' which has been viewed more than 625,000 times on YouTube.

"I thought the worst was over until weeks later when I saw my legs for the first time.

"The calves were bulky blocks of metal with pipes bolted together for ankles and the yellow rubber foot with the raised rubber line from the toe to the ankle to look like a vein."

Purdy, who has been snowboarding since she was 15, said her biggest fear at the time was how she would travel the world and ever snowboard again.

After weeks of struggling to get out of bed, she eventually "let go of the old Amy and embraced the new Amy".

She found feet that she could snowboard in, received a new kidney from her father, got back on the snow and in 2005 co-founded an organisation to help young people with disabilities get involved with action sports.

Purdy said she wouldn't change a thing about her journey.

"Because my legs haven't disabled me, if anything they've enabled me.

"They've forced me to rely on my imagination and to believe in the possibilities.

"In our minds we can do anything, we can be anything, it's believing in those dreams and facing those fears head on that allows us to live our lives beyond our limits."

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Opening Twenty20 washed out

The St Georges Park pitch is covered as rain continues to fall. Picture: Michael Sheehan. Source: Michael Sheehan / AFP

AUSTRALIA'S Twenty20 clash with South Africa in Port Elizabeth has been washed out without a single ball being bowled.

The three-match T20 series was set to start at 2.30pm on Sunday (11.30pm AEDT).

Heavy rain soaked St George's Park overnight, but it eased for around half an hour and umpires made an optimistic pitch inspection at 3pm (midnight AEDT).

Within minutes of the centre-wicket covers coming off, showers returned and the game was finally abandoned at 3.45pm.

Both sides had hoped to use the match as an ideal tune-up for the upcoming T20 World Cup in Bangladesh.

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"As competitive as these three games will be, I know both teams will have one eye on Bangladesh and starting to get some things nutted out for that tournament,'' Australia T20 captain George Bailey told AAP.

"They'll be hard fought games of cricket, but the results won't be as vital.''

The side's quest to win the only major piece of cricket silverware to elude Australia begins on March 23 against Pakistan in Dhaka.

The Proteas and Australia travel to Durban on Monday, with the next clash of the T20 series to be held at Kingsmead on Wednesday.

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Smith: ‘I quit for my family’

Family man... Graeme Smith with wife Morgan Deane and children Cadence and Carter. Picture: Morne de Klerk/Getty Images Source: Morne de Klerk / Getty Images

SOUTH Africa captain Graeme Smith, who last week announced his retirement from international cricket, was influenced by his family in taking the decision, media reported today.

Smith, 33, told the Sunday Times newspaper that he knew he had made the right decision while at the hospital bedside of his 18-month-old daughter, who had suffered burns from hot water.

He says the toddler reached out to him and touched his Proteas badge.

"That's all she's known of me really.''

"She sees me on the TV and that was a moment where I realised I'm pretty happy with the decision I've made,'' he said.

The Proteas captain stunned the cricketing world on Monday when he announced he would quit international cricket at the end of the Test series against Australia.

"I'll have more time to see my children grow and I'll be mentally more there.''

Smith is the most capped Test captain in the history of the game with 9,262 Test runs at an average of 48.49 with 27 hundreds and 38 half-centuries.

He has captained the Proteas for 12 years since the age of 22.

"As a captain, even when you are at home your brain is still elsewhere a lot of the time,'' he said.

The batsman, who married Irish pop singer Morgan Deane in 2011 also has an Irish citizenship, but says he has no plans of playing for his second country.

"I won't be picking up a bat for that country. I won't be playing for Ireland.''

"If am going to play for anyone, it would be the Proteas,'' he said.

He said breaking the news of his decision to his team was difficult, and he struggled to get his words out.

"After I'd said my piece, I had to get out and get some fresh air because I was a bit of a wreck.''

The skipper said his wife has carrying the load of raising their two young children while he played cricket.

"I think of her with the two kids travelling to wherever I am in the world, and making it work. She is a strong woman.''

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Sit skiing taking heavy toll

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THEY'VE been described as the craziest athletes at the Sochi Paralympics.

All it takes is one slight bump to start in motion a fall that quickly descends into out-of-control chaos for sit skiers who are locked into a chair attached to a ski and are hurtling down the mountain at over 100km/h.

The downhill race - where competitors start at the top of a steep, winding mountain and it's fastest to the bottom wins - was marred by repeated carnage on Saturday when 11 of the 27 competitors in their mono-skis failed to finish.

Some were lucky and skid off course before sliding sideways into a fence.

The picture of himself that Kyle Walker posted on social media after his crash. Source: Supplied

Others like American Tyler Walker, Briton Anna Turney, Mexican Arly Velasquez and German Franz Hanfstingl fell violently, bounced repeatedly off the ground and catapulted high into the air before finally coming to rest hundreds of metres from where the drama started.

In some cases the ski snapped from their chair and equipment worth thousands of dollars was sprawled across the snow like a train wreck.

Walker cartwheeled several times before coming to a stop where he lay motionless before medical staff arrived and he was airlifted from the mountain in a helicopter.

The US team later announced the 27-year-old, who was born with lumbar sacral agenesis and had both legs amputated at the knee at the age of four, was stable and conscious.

He later tweeted:

Great Britain's Anna Turney, who is paralysed from the waist down, remarkably emerged from her high-speed crash at Rosa Khutor with little more than a swollen lip.

"This is an extreme downhill damn it and I really wanted to win it," Turney said.

"I really wanted it and at the end of the day I got my line slightly wrong, then it was so bumpy and I just popped out," Turney said.

"It's challenging and certainly where I crashed that was bumpy, but I think the course guys have worked really hard and made it as safe as they could.

"I don't think it was unsafe, it was challenging.

"There's a knuckle you bounce over and then it's quite like undulating snow, ice really, and everyone is like 'oh, it's so dangerous' but it's a downhill at the end of the day."

Mexico's Arly Velasquez falls during the men's downhill. Source: AFP

Turney barely had time to think when her sit ski kicked into the air and she was tumbling downward.

"I was just thinking 'go straight, go straight, go straight' and trying to be on a flat ski.

"I came over that jump, I landed on one edge and bounced onto the other edge, I felt like I was thrown around a bit and suddenly I was falling because it's very quick - it's so annoying."

Some sit-skiers have no legs while others have little or no function in them and they are strapped into a large seat that sits inches off the snow with only their arms free to hold out-riggers in the hope they can stay on course.

Matthias Lanzinger: "For me in disabled sport, all the guys are heroes." Source: AFP

Austrian Matthias Lanzinger was a world class able-bodied skier before losing his left leg in a racing crash and is now at the Sochi Paralympics where he competes in the standing class with a prosthetic.

Days before competition began Lanzinger said he was in awe of the sit skiers.

"For me in disabled sport, all the guys are heroes," Lanzinger said.

"But the sitting category are all absolutely crazy and heroes."

Australia has one sit skier in its team in Sochi, Victoria Pendergast, who will compete in the slower but more technical slalom event this week.

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Sheffield Utd reach FA Cup semis

Sheffield United's John Brayford scores their second goal. Picture: Nick Potts/AP Source: Nick Potts / AP

THIRD division Sheffield United continued their remarkable journey in the FA Cup by upsetting second-division Charlton Athletic 2-0 to reach the semi-finals.

Managed by Nigel Clough, son of legendary former Nottingham Forest manager Brian, United became the first team from the third tier to reach the last four since Wycombe Wanderers in 2001.

Having previously accounted for Premier League sides Fulham and Aston Villa, as well as second-tier Forest, the Blades prevailed thanks to quick-fire goals from Ryan Flynn and John Brayford midway through the second-half at Bramall Lane.

United's Jamie Murphy, right, battles with Charlton Athletic's Callum Harriott. Picture: Nick Potts/AP Source: AP

Charlton winger Callum Harriott had just poked the ball wide of an open goal from a Marcus Tudgay cross when Flynn put the hosts in front in the 65th minute.

Former Everton trainee Jose Baxter swept an inviting cross into the penalty area from wide on the left and Flynn stole in at the back post to prod the ball home with the studs of his right boot.

Brayford's deflected shot made it 2-0 to the League One club just two minutes later, leaving United's fans to savour the prospect of a semi-final date at Wembley Stadium.

Clough's side join Arsenal — 4-1 victors over Everton on Saturday — in the draw for the semi-finals and will learn the identity of their last-four opponents later today.

Sunderland visit Hull City later, before Manchester City bid to avenge their shock 1-0 defeat in last season's final when they welcome second-tier Wigan Athletic to the Etihad Stadium.

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US sit-skier 'stable' after serious crash

A US sit-skier is reportedly stable and conscious in hospital after a serious crash during Sochi's Paralympic Games.

Tyler Walker fell heavily during the men's sitting downhill competition at Rosa Khutor Alpine Centre on Saturday and had to be airlifted from the slopes.

The 27-year-old cartwheeled several times at high speed and lay motionless on the snow before receiving attention from medical staff.

"#TeamUSA's Tyler Walker (@tbone_walker) is stable and conscious after crash in men's downhill (sitting) at #Paralympics," US Paralympics tweeted.

Competition was stopped several times as nine athletes of the men's 22-person sitting class crashed out.

They use a bucket-like seat on a mono ski, using outriggers to steer, and can race at speeds of up to 100km/h.

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Panthers belt wounded Knights

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PENRITH coach Ivan Cleary is confident his new-look side will get better as the season progresses after opening their NRL campaign with a 30-8 win over Newcastle on Saturday.

The Panthers produced an emphatic second-half display at Sportingbet Stadium, scoring 24 unanswered points against a Knights side badly hindered by injuries to hooker Kurt Gidley, fullback Darius Boyd and halfback Tyrone Roberts.

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All three were forced out of the game with Knights coach Wayne Bennett fearing Boyd could potentially face up to three weeks on the sidelines after tearing his hamstring in the first half.

Skipper Gidley left the field with concussion at halftime as did Roberts 20 minutes from time leaving the visitors with a makeshift spine for most of the game.

Despite facing patched up opponents, Cleary said he was delighted with the focus shown by his players with new boys Peter Wallace, Elijah Taylor and Jamie Soward all enjoying encouraging debuts.

``The start of the game wasn't like round one - both teams were pretty accurate,'' Cleary said.

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``It was really to and fro that first 20 minutes and it took a lot out of everyone. Our attack was a bit clumsy in the first half and that was because the boys were out on their feet a bit.

``But in the second, it was much better and the points seemed to come for us.

``They had some bad luck with injuries ... but we are very happy to get through that and get a win.

``It was a good, tough win but we had a few new faces and that is going to take time.''

Darius Boyd of the Knights seeks attention from a trainer. Source: Getty Images

Two tries from Josh Mansour and four-pointers from Adam Docker and debutants Taylor and Jeremy Latimore sealed the win for the hosts.

But Cleary was bemused by the decision to chalk off a first-half try from Wallace for a pull on Gidley's shirt in the build-up.

Wallace crossed the line following a Lewis Brown offload but the video referee overruled the on-field officials after footage showed a tug on Gidley by the back-rower.

Adam Docker of the Panthers is tackled. Source: Getty Images

``That's been going on since the game started,'' Cleary said.

``I thought it was a really tough call to take the try away.''

Bennett admitted there wasn't much his side could do in the second half with so many players and the interchange bench just down to one body and praised his side's efforts.

``We had two with concussion, one with a hamstring. These situations happen and you can't really plan for them,'' Bennett said.

``We had guys out of position and it just wasn't running for us. But I was elated with the effort.

"They didn't deserve to get beaten by 30-odd points.''

Beau Scott of the Knights celebrates scoring a try. Source: Getty Images

With key playmaker Jarrod Mullen estimated to be sidelined until about round nine, Bennett is hopeful Boyd's injury won't be too serious but is not expecting him to play next week against Canberra at Hunter Stadium.

``Hamstrings are always hard. It could be a week; it could be two or three,'' he said.pe``It will certainly be more than a week, you would assume. There is a tear in there somewhere.

``With the concussions, Kurt is still not good at the moment and will be touch and go; Tyrone is starting to come good.''

PENRITH 30 (J Mansour 2 A Docker J Latimore E Taylor tries P Wallace 4 J Soward goals) bt NEWCASTLE 8 (B Scott try K Gidley T Roberts goals) at Sportingbet Stadium. Referee: Matt Cecchin, Alan Shortall. Crowd: 11,369. AAP

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