Legends say bring back the biff

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Sam Burgess allegedly performs a "squirrel grip" on Will Chambers. Source: Scott Barbour / Getty Images

THIS is what you get for banning the biff.

That was verdict from some of the toughest men to ever play rugby league after South Sydney enforcer Sam Burgess was hit with a grade one contrary conduct charge for his "squirrel grip" that left Melbourne's Will Chambers in agony.

While the grade one charge carries a base penalty of one week, Burgess has loading from four previous offences which means he will miss two matches even if he enters an early guilty plea.

Souths are yet to decide if they will head to the judiciary tomorrow night to fight the charge to try and make Burgess free to play in Friday night's blockbuster against Manly in Gosford.

Neither the club management or Burgess would make any comment about the incident on Monday night and it was the same story at Melbourne where they said they hadn't even asked Chambers about the incident and they maintain they had no contact with the NRL.

But the "squirrel grip" controversy has sure caused plenty of debate among league fans and plenty of former greats were quick to defend Burgess's apparent action as a momentary brain-snap.

Rugby League Hooker of the Century Noel "Ned" Kelly summed up the general feeling among former tough guys perfectly when he roared with laughter: "The old Pommy get square.

"It's just frustration. It's the first time I've seen him spit the dummy."

But Kelly said he could understand how it could happen in the modern game with the banning of the biff.

"Mate, you've got to remember the old punch in the nose has been driven out of the game," Kelly reasoned.

"When you get yourself that angry you've just got to do something.

"They've driven it all underground, you can't get away with anything now.

"I mean, the sooner they bring back the punch in the nose the better. You'll get rid of all this other stuff."

Souths legendary hard man George Piggins was of a similar opinion.

Although he said he hadn't seen the incident, Piggins said it was understandable.

"What I mean if you are playing in a football side you have to put the whole thing in perspective," he explained.

"Souths were the favourites and they are getting beat and the frustration comes out.

"You know what I mean, unless he is a repeat offender.

"You put your hand on the inside of his legs and if it slides up and his nuts are at the end of it, well, what do you do?

"God strike me dead. There is no common sense with the bastards.

"The point is they are out there in battle and when you are pushed into a situation where you are getting a belting and you think 'shit, I've got to do something'. What are you supposed to do?

"Like fair dinkum. Did they read the paper the other day with that piece in The Telegraph about how much the crowds are down?

"They will want to take a bit of a look at it and start worrying about the game being good to watch.

"Isn't frustration a good defence. There has to be a bit of give and take in the game and that's not just because he is a Souths players.

"(Burgess) is an enforcer and Watmough is the same. He is an enforcer and he does enforce and he is good at it.

"Do you pull him up every time he goes a little bit over the top? You can't have it both ways."

John Sattler wouldn't buy into it, saying "Sam's a good bloke" and Mario Fenech said he totally understood how frustration can lead to moments like this.

"I know myself there were times in my career where I pulled a bit of mongrel out, too," Fenech said.

"If you don't have mongrel you are not a good rugby league player, trust me.

"As a forward you have to have an element of mongrel in you.

"We all make errors and obviously Sam has made an error. But I'll tell you, I'm a fan of Sam's and he is a very good man. I'd put my reputation on that."

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'Starc for next Test is a no-brainer'

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Mitchell Starc has been dropped twice so far in this Ashes series. Source:AP

THE sustained brilliance of Ryan Harris in the fourth Test has contrasted with the struggle of his fellow fast bowlers at Chester-le-Street.

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Harris has overtaken Peter Siddle as Australia's leading bowler in the series with 20 wickets at just 19 apiece.

It has been an exceptional performance from a fast bowler who, for much of his first-class career, never looked a chance of representing his country.

That Harris took most of the wickets in England's second innings as it amassed a lead of 298 on the fourth day raised questions about those who did not.

Australia has chased more only once to win in England, 3-404 in 1948 when Don Bradman made almost half of the score.

On a pitch which traditionally aids seam bowlers Nathan Lyon (seven wickets) claimed more in the match than Siddle (one) and Jackson Bird (two) combined.

Bird and Siddle failed to take a wicket between them in the second innings.

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Siddle looked cooked after busting a gut in back to back Tests for the second time in the series. He and Harris are co-captains of the 110 percent club.

With eight days to recover for the fifth and final Test at The Oval Siddle deserves the opportunity to finish the series as Australia's senior bowler given all he has done over the past two years.

Bird is a different story. He was chosen specifically for this match because he was regarded as a seamer not a swing bowler, yet failed to make an impact.

Accurate and unlucky at times, he still did not look threatening for long periods.

Bird should have had a wicket on day four when Tim Bresnan padded up and the ball cut back appearing to trap him in front of the stumps.

Umpire Aleem Dar gave it not out so the Australians reviewed it and lost again on umpire's call, losing a referral in the process.

As a fundamental philosophy of a bat and ball game, anyone who pads up should lose the benefit of the doubt and hence the right to be saved by umpire's call.

Australia's conundrum on what to do for selection is further complicated by Shane Watson's groin injury, which prevents him from bowling.

The first selection decision should be the reinstatement of Mitchell Starc.

While he may spray the new ball at times he also bowls wicket-taking deliveries in his early spells, something Bird has struggled to do in tour matches and this Test.

And it is a myth that Starc leaks runs. His economy rate in this series of 2.71 runs per over is better than any of the other four fast bowlers.

Starc can also bat, which is something Australia has not managed to do well for much of this year.

He has a highest score of 66 not out in the series and his average of 26 is virtually as good or better than most of Australia's batsmen on tour.

Most significantly Starc has taken eight wickets in his two Tests at 27. Anyone who can average four wickets a Test is making a significant contribution.

Just who replaces Watson will be the biggest issue but Starc playing at The Oval should be a no-brainer.

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Don't make Dons a scapegoat: Matthews

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Pressure ... James Hird admits the saga is taking a toll on players. Source: Michael Dodge / Getty Images

AFL legend Leigh Matthews has questioned whether Essendon has done anything to bring the game into disrepute and is at risk of being made a scapegoat.

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Charges of disrepute or conduct prejudicial to the interests of the AFL could be laid against the club and officials as soon as 9am Tuesday in the long-running doping saga.

But Matthews said it appeared that the Bombers had not broken any specific rules.

"We've had this leak and that leak and now we, as in the grapevine, seem to believe there'll be no specific rule breaches but the AFL will go back to its catch-all of bringing the game into disrepute to make a scapegoat of somebody," Matthews said on Brisbane radio yesterday.

"The somebody is the Essendon management, whether it's James Hird the coach or the club itself.

"But I am yet to see any evidence of what they have actually done to bring the game into disrepute, as opposed to innuendo that we read about in the paper day after day."

Hird sent a message to club members after a day of meetings at Windy Hill that included football department staff, lawyers and the club board. The club's front office was closed for half an hour from 4pm.

The coach maintained the club was still planning for finals.

"All I will say on the matter to you is that I am looking forward to dealing with the facts," Hird told members in relation to the drugs investigation.

"As a coaching and playing group we will be doing everything we can to turn around our form slump over the next three rounds to ensure we go into September primed and ready to play finals football," Hird said.

Matthews said the mooted charge of bringing the game into disrepute suggested the AFL's rules "aren't good enough".

"In other words they haven't broken any specific rule but we don't like what they've done so we'll slam them with bringing the game into disrepute," he said.

"Yes, they may have been sloppy in their governance, sloppy in their management, they might have delegated to some people that they wish they hadn't delegated to potentially. But that isn't bringing the game into disrepute in my view.

"I just think the AFL now unfortunately - and I hope the commission can look through it - it's one thing to look after your brand and your game but you've got to make sure there's an element of fairness in what you eventually do."

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou will sit on any commission hearing of charges against Essendon and its officials.

Commissioner Bill Kelty has removed himself from any hearing because of his close ties to former Essendon chairman David Evans and friendship with coach James Hird.

But it is understood Demetriou is unmoved by a call from Hird's legal team to have Demetriou recuse himself.

Demetriou has made it clear league general counsel Andrew Dillon would be solely responsible for deciding if Essendon and any of its officials should face charges.

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Ferling backs up Elliott heroics

Holly Ferling picked up her first Test wickets on day two at Wormsley. Source: Getty Images

TEEN pace sensation Holly Ferling shook up England's batting line-up - collecting her first Test wickets - including the scalp of English captain Charlotte Edwards.

England was batting strongly on day two of the women's Ashes Test at Wormsley, before Ferling came on in the 20th over, collecting 2-16 off her first four overs.

Australia made a surprise declaration just prior to lunch at 6-331 and England was 4-99 at tea off 33 overs.

Opener Heather Knight (39) and Tammy Beaumont (1) were set to resume after the break.

Sarah Taylor (33) looked dangerous for the English until she tried to pull a Ferling bouncer, in the 17-year-old's second over, and was caught at midwicket by Sarah Elliott.

Ferling then had Edwards (3) trapped LBW with the fourth ball of her fourth over (the 27th over), with the English skipper visibly unhappy with the decision.

Erin Osborne then had Lydia Greenway caught and bowled in the 31st over.

Ellyse Perry opened the bowling attack for Australia and appeared to get good movement early.

She snared the wicket of Arran Brindle (5) in the ninth over to have England 1-36.

Australia declared after 124 overs and 20 minutes before lunch, with Perry (31 not out off 24 balls ) - showing class well above her No. 8 batting position- alongside Erin Osborne (10 no).

England was 0-16 at lunch.

Elliott had earlier scored her maiden international century.

The 31-year-old came to the crease on day two on 95 not out and it took until the last ball of the eighth over this morning to make her century, which came off 269 balls in just under six hours.

She faced 24 balls this morning to move from 95 to 100.

Vice-captain Alex Blackwell resumed on 29 and arrived at the crease with an aggressive mindset, shooting to 54 off 169 balls before she was out LBW off the bowling of spinner Laura Marsh (2-74).

With Elliott out in the tenth over of the day, captain Jodie Fields joined Blackwell.

Fields came out firing, but was out bowled by Katherine Brunt (1-48) for six.

Elliott, playing in her first match for Australia since she helped deliver the Ashes back in 2011, came to the crease in the tenth over with the Southern Stars 1-17 and showed great discipline during her innings.

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Warner hits straps as Poms struggle

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Stuart Broad looks on as David Warner picks up more runs on day four in Durham. Source:AFP

THE Australian openers gave Australia an excellent start to their pursuit of 299 to win the fourth Ashes Test at Chester-le-Street.

THE Australian openers gave Australia an excellent start to their pursuit of 299 to win the fourth Ashes Test at Chester-le-Street.

Australia was 1-120, with David Warner (57 not out) and Chris Rogers (49) having put on 109 before Rogers was caught at first slip from the bowling of Graeme Swann.

Australia's first century opening partnership in an Ashes Test since Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer's stand at The Oval in 2005 had given the tourists at least some chance of achieving what remained a daunting total.

The only time Australia had made more than 299 in the fourth innings to win a Test match in England was in 1948, when Don Bradman's Invincibles scored 3-404 at Headingley.

Warner and Rogers scored at close to four runs an over in the early stages, playing some assertive shots and riding their luck against the England seamers. The 100 partnership came in 113 minutes.

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Rogers, who had made his maiden Test century in the first innings, had some good fortune before his dismissal.

He survived despite being given out caught behind from James Anderson. Upon referral, it was shown the ball had hit Rogers' back leg.

Soon after, Rogers was dropped by Graeme Swann at second slip on 14. It was a similar chance to the one-handed attempt Swann grassed in the first innings with Rogers on 49.

While Rogers didn't quite make the Englishmen pay as dearly as they had in the first innings, he and Warner established a vital platform.

In the first session, paceman Ryan Harris was given wonderful reward for perseverance with career best figures as Australia bowled out England for 330.

Harris took four wickets on the fourth day to finish with 7-117 from 28 overs. It was the best return for an Australian pace bowler since Mitchell Johnson took 8-61 against South Africa in Perth in 2008.

Having ripped through the England top order, Harris's fourth day wickets were well deserved after yet another wholehearted display with the new ball.

When Harris bowled Ian Bell for 113, and did the same to Matt Prior with his next ball, England was 7-271. But nightwatchman Tim Bresnan (46) and tailender Swann (30 not out) frustrated the Australians with some big hitting.

Bresnan's valuable cameo was tinged with controversy. He was given not out on 12 while shouldering arms to Jackson Bird, and saved from an Australian referral only on the "umpire's call".

Bresnan and Swann's late runs frustrated the Australians, who had been in sight of victory when they had England 3-49 on the third day - effectively 3-17 given their 32 run first innings lead - only for Bell to take the game away from them with his third century of the series.

While England's lead was foreboding, there was some good news for the struggling Australian batting line-up with Shane Watson taking his place at first slip after suffering a groin injury on the third day.

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