T-Rex looms on NSW Origin radar

Canterbury Bulldogs ... backrower Tony Williams scores a try. Source: Brett Costello / News Limited

If Laurie Daley wants size and power in his NSW lineup this year, he might be tempted to ignore Tony Williams' slow start to the season and stick with the 118kg second-row powerhouse.

Williams has come under the spotlight in the early rounds of 2013 for failing to set the competition alight following a big-money switch from NRL rivals Manly in the off-season.

But the powerful second-rower, who played two games for the Blues last series, has two attributes Daley treasures - size and strength.

Williams proudly holds his State of Origin appearances as arguably his finest achievements in rugby league, despite representing Australia and winning the 2011 premiership with the Sea Eagles.

And, fresh from his best performance of the season in the Bulldogs' 40-4 victory over Wests Tigers, Williams revealed he is desperate to earn another crack at the Queenslanders.

"It's massive. It's something special, something I've always dreamed off," Williams said on Tuesday.

"To actually represent the state, that's one of the big goals I've looked up to.

"It's one of the best things that's ever happened to me. Hopefully I get back there."

It's no coincidence Williams, who scored his first try of the season against the Tigers, enjoyed his best showing of the season last weekend - the return of big boppers Sam Kasiano (shin splints) and James Graham (suspension) worked wonders for him.

With defenders drawn into the middle to look after the Bulldogs big men, Williams was able to find one-on-one situations out wide - like in the eighth minute when he opened the scoring.

"It's helped me out on the edges," he said of their return.

"It gets me involved for a bit of one-on-one (situations). It's a massive boost for us."

Williams said he had not been troubled by external criticism questioning his form or pay packet, but admitted he was still to hit top gear this season.

"(The criticism) didn't really faze me earlier in the year. The boys have faith in me and I know what I'm capable of," he said.

"A bit of confidence (is back). But there's still a lot of improvement (for myself and) as a team as well."

Bulldogs teammate, and fellow NSW hopeful, Aiden Tolman has no doubt Williams would make an impact against Queensland's imposing pack.

"I definitely think he can be damaging at that level that's for sure," Tolman said.

"He's a big human, he's got plenty of power and speed.

"If he was picked in that side I'm guessing he'd be outstanding.

"If his form warrants it, then why not? He's proven at that level before." 

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Bucks, Scott slam marking rule

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Contest ... Tom Hawkins grapples with Michael Jamison. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

Geelong coach Chris Scott believes it's hurting the AFL's power forwards. Hawthorn defender Brian Lake says it's helping the small forwards and umpires boss Jeff Gieschen thinks it's all in their imagination.

Gieschen insists nothing has changed from previous seasons in the way umpires rule on marking contests.
But Scott, Lake and Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley are among a chorus of players, coaches and fans who beg to differ.

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Where many perceive increasing inconsistency and heavy-handedness, Gieschen says for 10 years there has been a rule disallowing pushing, holding, bumping, blocking or interfering with the arms in marking contests.
He adds umpires aren't being instructed any differently now.

But Scott says if that rule was enforced to the letter, no contact would be legal.

He said interpretation had to be a factor and there had been an unwelcome change in that this year.

"My personal view is that if we've been saying you can't bump, block, push or hold in a marking contest then two of the greatest footballers of all time in Tony Lockett and Jason Dunstall would have been ineffective,'' Scott told reporters on Tuesday.

"It's not a great development in our game.''

Scott said any marking contest involved two players pushing against each other and it was sometimes just the stronger one who was penalised.

"If one is stronger than the other, the push is going to become more obvious,'' he said.

Two incidents this season have fed views of a changing interpretation.

Collingwood's Ben Reid was denied a mark on Anzac Day, with a free kick instead paid to Essendon's Tom Bellchambers for what most observers felt was good body work by the Magpie.

While Gieschen deemed that decision correct, he admitted the wrong call was made on Saturday to penalise Adelaide's Scott Thompson for putting a hand on the shoulder of Hawthorn's David Hale before marking in a crucial last-quarter incident.

Scott felt for umpires, saying even the official explanations of such incidents were extremely confusing.

Buckley, who was clearly infuriated by the Reid decision, was also left none the wiser.

"It doesn't clear it up,'' Buckley said.

"Right now, half a push is okay, but a full push isn't acceptable. I don't know (about) an 80 per cent push, how that's going to be adjudicated.''

Lake, a two-time All Australian with the Western Bulldogs, said in the past he liked to outmark forwards but now looked to spoil more to avoid infringing.

"You've probably got to be a little bit safer on that side of it, which brings in the small forwards,'' Lake told SEN radio.

"As you can see this year the small forwards are kicking bags of goals.

"The ball's probably coming to ground a little bit more because defenders are a bit afraid to take those contested marks.''

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I need to step up, admits Benji

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Wests Tigers ... Benji Marshall admits he must step-up. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

A candid Benji Marshall admits his poor form is a major factor in the Wests Tigers' disappointing start to the season and is desperate to rediscover what made him one of the best players in the NRL.

The injury-ravaged Tigers sit at the foot of the NRL ladder having lost seven top-line players with coach Mick Potter forced to include a raft of inexperienced youngsters in his side over the last month.

But Marshall said he must shoulder a share of the blame for the side's five successive defeats - the latest being a 40-4 shellacking by Canterbury last Friday. 

The New Zealand superstar is still nursing a toe problem that recently ruled him out for two weeks and knows he needs to step up against Cronulla on Friday at Allianz Stadium.

"Even before I was injured I wasn't sure with where I was at with my form," Marshall said on Tuesday.

"My job is to provide attack and direction to the team and that hasn't really happened this year.

"I don't really know what to put it down to.''

A collection of Marshall's flick passes could fill a highlights reel of their own, but the 28-year-old said he needs to focus less on the spectacular and get back to basics.

"When you become a ball player you start to believe you are a ball player more than a runner," he said.

"I want to go back to being a runner first and a ball player second.

"Instead of worrying about putting other people over I need to start going for the line myself."

The Tigers have once again named a youthful side for the clash with the Sharks and Marshall has urged the likes of James Tedesco and Curtis Sironen to have the confidence to back themselves.

"I can't say too much to those boys when I am not stepping up," he said.

"But when I came in I was a bit shy, but guys like John Skandalis, Mark O'Neill and Benny Galea would sit me down and tell me that I needed to come out of my shell.

"They said 'we may be older than you, but we're your forwards and we need you to talk to us'.

"That made me feel really comfortable and I think we have the same sort of thing here.

"A lot of the guys are a little bit shy in expressing what they think.

"You can see they want to say something but they don't want to. And that is half the battle." 

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Gallen not named for Tigers clash

Cronulla Sharks ... skipper Paul Gallen has not been named for Friday's match. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

Paul Gallen's renowned recuperative powers seem destined to fall short of getting him on the field for Friday's clash with Wests Tigers.

The NSW and Cronulla captain, who suffered a medial ligament strain on Sunday, was not named in Tuesday's team list after failing to convince coach Shane Flanagan he would be ready in time.

The inspirational lock forward is working around the clock to be fit and will be given until game day to be a late call-up, but Flanagan believes the short turnaround will prove too big a hurdle to overcome.

"It's a bit early (to completely rule him out) yet, but I don't like his chances," Flanagan said on Tuesday evening.

"It's a Friday night game, maybe if it was Sunday we might be ok. I don't think he's any chance."

In Gallen's place, off-season recruit Chris Heighington will start in jersey No.13 against his former club while fellow ex-Tigers Beau Ryan and Andrew Fifita have also been given starting roles.

Meanwhile, Manly and St George Illawarra delivered more good news to NSW fans, naming both Brett Stewart and Brett Morris despite injury concerns.

The pair, understood to be pencilled into Laurie Daley's starting lineup for the State of Origin opener, both failed to finish Monday night's tense Sea Eagles victory.

Both clubs are confident Stewart (back) and Morris (knee) will be able to take the field this weekend.

Dragons coach Steve Price said he was hopeful Morris and veteran centre Matt Cooper, who missed Monday's match with a toe injury, would face the Gold Coast on Sunday.

"Both players will be monitored by our medical staff throughout the week in the build-up to the game and given every opportunity to prove their match fitness," he said.

The Gold Coast welcome back star wingers Kevin Gordon and David Mead from injury, bolstering their backline for the Dragons match-up, while Brisbane centre Justin Hodges (hamstring) also returns.

Newcastle will be without key five-eighth Jarrod Mullen (knee), forcing skipper Kurt Gidley into the halves alongside youngster Tyrone Roberts.

Penrith coach Ivan Cleary will experiment with his fourth halves combination of the year, naming rookie Isaac John to play five-eighth alongside Luke Walsh, with Tom Humble the man to miss out.

John faces a baptism of fire against defending premiers Melbourne, who named an unchanged lineup despite having their 15-game winning streak stopped by Canberra last round.

Youngster Glen Fisiiahi gets a crack at the Warriors fullback role with Kevin Locke sidelined for one to two weeks with a back injury, while powerful centre Konrad Hurrell also returns at the expense of the injured Jerome Ropati (hamstring).

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WADA chief Fahey slams NRL

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Wade Graham ... was criticised for the casual attire he wore to an ASADA meeting. Source: John Grainger / News Limited

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president John Fahey has launched an astonishing broadside against the NRL after ASADA's interviews with Cronulla players were halted last week.

The former NSW premier has accused the NRL of lacking leadership to deal with the investigation and said the AFL's reaction to the probe, which has engulfed Essendon, was a breath of fresh air in comparison.

ASADA has been probing Cronulla since the investigation was launched in February but was only able to commence interviews with players from the club last Monday.

However, the proceedings were halted following the first interview with Sharks back-rower Wade Graham with lawyers from both parties failing to agree on the line of questioning.

More than a week on and the NRL is still investigating the transcript from the interview and Graham could be suspended should it be deemed he failed to cooperate fully with ASADA.

On Monday the Bombers revealed the findings of an internal review conducted by former Telstra chief Ziggy Switkowski, which found an alarming lack of governance over the AFL club's controversial supplements program.

Essendon players will be interviewed by ASADA later this week and Fahey said the AFL had been far more proactive in dealing with the situation than the NRL.

"I believe at the moment as a club and as an administration they've said `we took our eye off the ball, we didn't do it right. We have to improve," Fahey told Sky News.

"The AFL has conducted enquires and they've acknowledged they have a problem.

"What a breath of fresh air that is. From what I am seeing as a casual observer that is not happening in Sydney with rugby league."

"I wish I could see the same leadership in Sydney as I see in Melbourne.''

Graham was roundly criticised for his casual attire when he attended the meeting and Fahey has voiced his disapproval at the lack of answers from the NRL about why the interviews have been abandoned.

"There's been a profound silence from rugby league in the wake of what followed," he said.

"Information has been given to ASADA by the ACC (Australian Crime Commission) but it must make its own enquiries.

"It sought cooperation from rugby league and from what I can see from the first interview the lawyers there prevented any answers being given.

"So much so, it seems little point in ASADA continuing.

"But the information is not going to go away and it means it will drag on much longer.

"Ultimately it will come home to roost. It took more than two years of forensic information to get Lance Armstrong and he's now viewed as the greatest fraud in sport."

"I'm not suggesting it is a similar problem but rugby league needs to allow this to be properly dealt with and the sooner it will disappear."

Fahey also warned that the wall of silence could have major repercussions for the game. 

"There is a risk of complete meltdown if this stonewalling continues," Fahey said.

"Those who are involved could find themselves dealt with more harshly than had they cooperated."

The NRL released a statement responding to Fahey late on Tuesday:

"The seriousness of the matters announced by the ACC has always demanded an ASADA investigation and that is the authority that we support absolutely in this process," it read.

"We are ready to act once ASADA can provide information which would substantiate an infraction notice and they are aware of that fact.

"Our position all along has been that the investigation must be as thorough as the legal process will allow and we continue to assist ASADA just as we have from the outset."

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Singo tells Joey to 'man up'

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Man up Joey ... John Singleton lays into Andrew Johns over the More Joyous scandal. Source:News Limited

John Singleton has called on rugby league legend Andrew Johns to "man up" when he fronts the More Joyous inquiry early next week.

In an interview with Channel 7, the millionare horse owner labelled Johns "weak" for his role in the scandal around super mare More Joyous disappointing run in last month's All Aged Stakes.

Singleton fired long-time trainer Gai Waterhouse after the mare's flop at Randwick, citing a conflict of interests with her bookmaker son Tom.

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Singleton's alleges that Tom Waterhouse passed on information to Johns that More Joyous would not win and that Johns then passed this information on to him.

"If I found out that Andrew Johns, who I have a high regard for as has the whole Australian sporting community, has rung up and told me a lot of nonsense and has done damage not only to Gai and myself but to Tom and Robbie (Waterhouse), I'll apologise to anyone who was hurt by it," Singleton said.

"He owes me an apology. He needs to front up and man up.

"How can you be so strong on the field and so weak off it.

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"If he embellished it he owes me an apology and I owe them (the Waterhouses) an apology.

"My respect for Andrew Johns has diminished massively."

Johns and former jockey Allan Robinson were no-shows at Monday's explosive inquiry but agreed to front when the hearing resumes next week.

The duo's evidence is seen as crucial as stewards continue their investigations into what bookie Tom Waterhouse is alleged to have said about More Joyous prior to the race.

Robinson rang Singleton on race day to pass on that Johns had told him Tom Waterhouse believed More Joyous could not win.

Waterhouse vehemently denied the accusation on Monday in what evolved into a heated exchange between Singleton and Australian horse racing's most famous family.

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