Hayne plane to soar in Origin bid

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Return ... Jarryd Hayne looks to prove his fitness ahead of State of Origin III. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

Parramatta fullback Jarryd Hayne has been named to return for Monday's game against Manly as he looks to prove his fitness ahead of State of Origin III.

While Hayne's replacement for Origin II, St George Illawarra fullback Josh Dugan, will miss the Roosters clash through suspension, with rookie Adam Quinlan filling the void.

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The Dragons get back Trent Merrin following his one-game ban for fighting in Origin II.

Gold Coast coach John Cartwright is banking on the infectious enthusiasm of his batch of NRL debutants helping the Titans get their finals push back on track against surprise packets Penrith on Saturday night.

		W	L	D	B	PD	Pts
1	Rabbitohs	13	2	0	1	177	28
2	Roosters	11	4	0	1	145	24
3	Storm	10	4	1	1	95	23
4	Sea Eagles	7	6	1	2	67	19
5	Titans	8	7	0	1	17	18
6	Sharks	7	7	0	2	-16	18
7	Bulldogs	8	7	0	1	-23	18
8	Knights	7	8	0	1	71	16
9	Panthers	6	8	0	2	36	16
10	Warriors	7	8	0	1	-64	16
11	Raiders	7	8	0	1	-66	16
12	Broncos	6	9	0	1	-5	14
13	Cowboys	6	9	0	1	-17	14
14	Tigers	6	9	0	1	-157	14
15	Dragons	5	10	0	1	-79	12
16	Eels	3	11	0	2	-181	10

The Titans were woeful when hammered 46-16 by Newcastle on Sunday - the heavy loss compounded by the season-ending injury to Jamal Idris (broken leg, dislocated ankle) and one-week unavailability of William Zillman (groin).

With winger Anthony Don also relegated to an extended bench after his opposite James McManus scored four tries for the Knights, Cartwright will blood under 20s stars Jahrome Hughes and Hymel Hunt against the Panthers in Darwin - Hughes at fullback for Zillman and Hunt in the centres for Idris.

"Particularly the last six weeks, they've been doing great things for our 20s,'' Cartwright said of Hughes and Hunt.

"What they're going to bring is plenty of enthusiasm out of everyone else.

"Just the excitement that you could feel as soon as the boys knew they were flying up here - after a really disappointing performance against Newcastle - it gave us a bit of a boost to see those guys up here.''

The Titans missed a chance to move into the top four with the loss to the Knights, but could drop to the bottom of the top eight with another defeat to the Panthers.

South Sydney coach Michael Maguire has named Burgess twins George and Tom on an extended bench for Sunday's highly anticipated game against the Warriors in Perth for what could be their first NRL match together, with George returning from a club-imposed ban.

Veteran Cronulla centre Ben Pomeroy has been dropped for Friday night's crunch game against Wests Tigers, with NSW back-rower Luke Lewis to turn back the clock by lining up in the centres.

The Sea Eagles regaining the services of Kieran Foran after he missed Monday night's loss to the Sydney Roosters due to illness.

Canberra's three-quarter woes have resulted in Joel Thompson being named in the centres, with Jack Wighton - who remains in doubt to face North Queensland on Sunday with a groin injury - pushing out to the wing to replace Sandor Earl.

Earl is out for six weeks after dislocating his elbow against Souths on Friday night.

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'Essendon should cut a deal'

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Under pressure ... busienss as usual for James Hird and the Bombers. Source: JOE CASTRO / AAP

It's the story that just won't go away and Mark Robinson added his take on Tuesday night's episode of AFL 360 on FOX FOOTY.

Appearing alongside regular co-host Gerard Whateley, Robinson put a case forward for the Bombers to cut a deal with the AFL, if they are found guilty in the ongoing drug saga.

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"No one wants this to go into the 2014 season," he said.

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"If Essendon get points taken off them or banned, no one in footy wants that to play out in 2014.

"If Essendon think they're going to be found guilty, is it best they do a deal with the AFL and say, 'If you want to take all our points off us, do it this year so we can gear up and for next year?'"

Robinson said he spoke to someone very close to the situation who suggested the Bombers are a 15 to 20 per cent chance of winning the 2013 premiership.

"But what are they next year?" Robbo speculated.

"A year older, a year stronger, another year under Hird, Joe Daniher is a better player, Hurley grows in the back half. Forty per cent? So why ruin next year?"

"But Essendon aren't keen on that idea.

"Essendon are saying to the AFL, 'You want to have a really good case if you think you can walk up to us in August and take points off us.'"

"If they do that, Essendon are going to court.

"Is that worth a season?"

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Nice hosts Stage 4 time-trial

On the mainland ... The Stage 4 team time trials get under way in Nice. Source: AP

The 100th Tour de France hits the French mainland for the first time on Tuesday, with the south-coast city of Nice hosting the fourth stage of this year's race.

The short 25-kilometre team time-trial is due to get underway at 11pm AEST, with the flat route finishing on the city's famous Promenade des Anglais waterfront.

After the first three stages, all held on the Mediterranean island of Corsica, were completed under blazing sunshine, conditions are once again set to be perfect for all 22 teams taking part, with clear skies and temperatures around 23 degrees Celsius.

The 196 riders who completed the Corsican section of the Tour all travelled to the Cote d'Azur by plane from Calvi on Monday evening before preparing for the ride around Nice, which has welcomed the Tour 35 times in all but not since the "Grand Depart'' of 1981.

The Belgian Freddy Maertens won the first stage of that year's race on the Promenade des Anglais and another Belgian, Jan Bakelants, will start Tuesday's team time-trial in the overall race leader's yellow jersey.

He sits one second clear of the chasing pack in the general classification after winning Sunday's second stage from Bastia to Ajaccio, before Australia's Simon Gerrans of Orica-GreenEdge won Monday's ride up Corsica's west coast to Calvi.

Bakelants, of the RadioShack-Leopard team, is unlikely to still be wearing yellow at the end of Tuesday's stage, however.

It could be a good day for British riders on the Promenade des Anglais, with Mark Cavendish's Omega Pharma-QuickStep team and race favourite Chris Froome's Team Sky both expected to perform well.

Froome, who is based in nearby Monaco, may be especially eager to impress, but his team has been undermined by the injury suffered to Geraint Thomas, with the Welshman struggling through the last couple of days with a fractured pelvis.

Omega Pharma are also under strength with time-trial specialist Tony Martin still recovering from a nasty fall during Saturday's first stage.

David Millar's Garmin-Sharp outfit will be among those looking to take full advantage.

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Fans erupt over Warburton comments

Injured hero ... Barnes comments were made before Warburton was ruled out of the decider. Source: AAP

British and Irish Lions fans are turning on one of their own ahead of the series deciding third Test against the Wallabies in Sydney on Saturday night.

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Sky Sports rugby commentator Stu Barnes has copped a barrage of Twitter abuse after comments he made on Fox Sports following the Lions' heart-breaking loss to the Wallabies in Melbourne found their way to the northern hemisphere.

Speaking on Fox Sports' Rugby Central after Saturday night's encounter at Etihad Stadium, Barnes questioned whether Lions captain Sam Warburton should retain his place in the side despite admitting the No.7 had played and excellent game.

Warburton left the field with a hamstring injury midway through the second half and was then ruled out of the decider when scans revealed a significant tear on Monday.

"I mean it's heresy to say because Lions captains are almost sacred beasts," Barnes said.

"Sam Warburton I thought played really well today, he's a great bloke, a committed leader but you know when Sean O'Brien came on it added something different.

"And we can't go to Sydney next week and hang on, and just hope Australia will drop as many balls as they did today. We've got to turn Australia around and we've got to take the initiative.

"And I think O'Brien's the sort of guy that can do that."

Barnes's comments were only amplified when Warburton revealed he wouldn't be leading the Lions in Sydney.

Fans quickly took to Twitter to condemn Barnes. 

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North can't explain Izzy ride

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Hammer time ... North hoisted Folau above his head in Melbourne while in possession. Source:AP

George North's amazing show of strength against Israel Folau has been likened to a wrestling move but the British and Irish Lions winger says he still really doesn't know what came over him.

Showdown III ... North v Folau. Source: FOX SPORTS

The standout performer for the tourists, North's head-to-head battle with Folau has been enthralling viewing throughout the series with the duo set to clash again on Saturday night in Sydney.

Writing in his column for London's Daily Mail, North said he'd received many pictures of his amazing act.

"People keep sending me pictures of that 'wrestling' moment when I picked up Israel Folau - the truth is I still don't really know what I did," North wrote.

"I caught the ball and he was right on top of me so we grappled as I tried to stay on my feet to buy time before support arrived.

"I pushed off him, ducked under his arm and ran towards him and he came up with me. After that I didn't know how to put him down because I was the one with the ball!"

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North stayed down after the incident to seek treatment for an injured neck.

"When the cavalry arrived I ended up being 'tombstoned' right on my head like a wrestling move," he wrote.

"I got up with a bit of a sore neck. It was one of those random things – it isn't the most efficient way of going forwards."

North will once again be the key attacking threat for the tourists in Sydney although he is desperate to improve his involvement after falling well short of a targeted 15 touches in Melbourne.

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SBW sticks with NRL for 2014

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Coup ... Sonny Bill Williams has extended his NRL stay until at least the end of 2014. Source:Getty Images

Rugby league has their man - Sonny Bill Williams will stay in the NRL for another year.

The Daily Telegraph can today exclusively reveal Williams will spurn the All Blacks for 2014 and sign a new one-year contract with the Sydney Roosters.

It is understood the deal would be worth about $1 million.

Influential Roosters chairman Nick Politis has personally involved himself in coercing Williams into staying.

There were grave fears Williams, 27, would return to rugby union next season after just one year at Bondi Junction.

It is though expected that Williams will play Super Rugby in New Zealand again in 2015, the same year as the next rugby union World Cup.

The new 12-month extension at Bondi hasn't formally been signed but should be announced in coming weeks, unless there is a last-minute major hurdle.

Roosters management are understood to be flexible about Williams wanting to further his boxing career.

A source close to Williams said: "It will be done. He will be at the Roosters next year."

Williams looks to being enjoying his football this year - and why shouldn't he? Since round one this year, Williams has been simply amazing for the Roosters.

He has made 40 tackle busts this year in 15 games and run for an average of 103 metres a game and completed nearly 25 tackles per match.

In his half a season back in the NRL, Williams has earned a place in the game's top 10 current players.

His performance against Manly at Allianz Stadium on Monday - where he set-up three tries from five-eighth - was top-shelf.

Asked what the game would do to keep Williams in rugby league, NRL chief executive Dave Smith said: "We want people in our game like Sonny Bill and of course we want him to stay. He's one of many wonderful athletes in our game, you got 'GI' (Greg Inglis), Sonny Bill the list is endless.

"It would be great to keep people like Sonny in the game and I think it's really important for the game."

Luke Ricketson, who played 301 first grade games for the Roosters, said: "We are desperate to keep him. The impact he has had on the club - on and off the field - has been gigantic.

"He has come back from rugby union fine tuned and is the complete footballer."

Immortal Andrew Johns said last week the NRL should "bend the rules" to keep Williams in the game.

NRL officials feared Williams would rejoin former NRL star Israel Folau in rugby union.

After Monday night's match, Williams was reluctant to discuss his future.

"Still no talks at the moment," Williams said. "For me, I just keep humble, keep working hard.

"I know that if I do the business on the field things will happen off it and fall into place. I just keep it simple like that.

"I don't worry about the salary cap ... I just do my thing, work hard and try and earn the boys' respect through how I play or how I carry myself."

Roosters coach Trent Robinson said he wanted to give Williams time to settle his future.

"I'm not putting pressure on it because I know there's going to be a lot of pressure from outside," he said.

"I'm coaching him for the time that he's here and that's this season at the moment. We definitely hope he decides to stick around but we haven't even talked about it yet.

"We need him in our game. Sonny's added huge value to the Roosters and also to our game."

TAB Sportsbet have the Roosters paying $5 for the NRL title, equal second favourite with Melbourne but behind Souths.

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