Gus fish and chip shop mystery solved

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THE great Phillip Ronald Gould fish and chip shop mystery has been solved.

The Panthers general manager and Channel Nine commentator took to Twitter on Monday to explain why he wasn't watching Penrith on TV against Melbourne Storm.

The Sunday Telegraph spotted the great man at Port Hacking Seafoods while his team was involved in a nail-biter.

Phil Gould in the commentary box with a carton of hot chips in front of him. Source: News Limited

"Fierce electrical storm caused blackout in my suburb approx 5pm Saturday," Gus tweeted.

"No TV, so I followed 5.30pm Panther game on ABC radio with great David Morrow.

"Unable to cook evening meal, approx 6.30pm wife asked me to get dinner for kids. She must be obeyed.

"Found fish shop with power to cook. Followed scores on mobile. Nail-biting.

"Thankfully power restored while I was gone. Finally got to watch Panther replay Sunday morning before flying to Gold Coast.

"Panthers were great. Hope mystery now solved."

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Irish eyes smiling at World T20

Ireland's Andy McBrine, right, celebrates with Gary Wilson after taking a wicket. Source: A.M. Ahad / AP

OPENER Paul Stirling smashed 60 off 34 balls to set Ireland up for a last-ball victory over Zimbabwe in their first-round match in the World Twenty20 championship on Monday.

Stirling's fifth Twenty20 half-century, including nine fours and a six, helped Ireland to a three-wicket victory on St Patrick's Day at the Sylhet stadium.

Ireland needed four runs off the last over but lost Ed Joyce (22) and Max Sorensen, run out without scoring, before winning through a bye off the last ball of the over — bowled by paceman Tinashe Panyangara who finished with 4-37.

Stirling and skipper William Porterfield, who scored a 23-ball 31 with three fours and a six, had given Ireland a fiery 80-run start in 8.2 overs as their run chase began confidently.

A ruthless Stirling hit paceman Panyangara for four boundaries in one over before he fell with the total on 100.

Ireland batsman Paul Stirling plays a shot as Zimbabwe wicketkeeper Brendan Taylor watches. Source: AP

Ireland then lost three quick wickets to Panyangara, including that of hard-hitting Kevin O'Brien (17), before their last-gasp victory.

Zimbabwe earlier owed their total to a solid 46-ball 59 by Brendan Taylor. The Zimbabwe skipper hit six boundaries and two towering sixes, while Elton Chigumbura made 22 and Hamilton Masakadza scored 21.

But spinners George Dockrell (2-18) and debutant Andy McBrine (2-26) restricted Zimbabwe to 163-5 in their 20 overs.

The Group B defeat has put Zimbabwe in a tight corner as only one team will go on from each of the two Groups into the Super-10 stage.

Hosts Bangladesh beat Afghanistan and debutant Nepal downed Hong Kong in Group A matches on the opening day of the World Twenty20 on Sunday.

The two top teams from each Group will join the top eight seeds in the Super-10 stage, starting from March 21.

The final is on April 6 in Dhaka.

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Brooks to be tested by Burgess boys

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HE is the most hyped rugby league rookie to emerge in years — but this Friday night little Luke Brooks will face his biggest test.

In just his fourth top grade game, the 19-year-old Wests Tigers protégé will tackle what is undoubtedly the most daunting challenge in the NRL that comes in the shape of the Burgess brothers.

Between them, big Sam, George and Luke weigh in at a combined 348kg, and no doubt the giant Rabbitohs will run out onto ANZ Stadium with the intention of making sure the 85kg playmaker never forgets his first Friday night NRL game that will be televised live on Channel Nine.

Asked if he expects Brooks to be targeted by the Rabbitohs' big men, Tigers coach Mick Potter said last night: "You will have to speak to Michael Maguire but you'd assume they will send some traffic at him".

The Burgess brothers with mother Julie after a game against West Tigers at Allianz Stadium last year. Source: News Limited

But while careful not to put too much pressure on his young gun, Potter is confident Brooks has the right attitude to handle all the attention that is coming his way.

On and off the field.

"You get what you see with him," Potter said.

"He doesn't say much. He seems quite grounded.

"He has a good family behind him which is a steadying influence."

Already Brooks is being compared to the game's greatest ever player Andrew Johns and even rugby league Immortal Wally Lewis was blown away by the similarities when he watched Brooks star in the Tigers' win over the Titans on the Gold Coast last Sunday.

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Brooks was man of the match in his debut at the end of last season against St George Illawarra but was given a reality check in round one when he fronted up to the Dragons for the second time and missed 10 tackles in the 44-24 defeat.

But he bounced back against the Titans with a performance that had everyone believing that a very special talent has arrived at the Tigers.

As for the comparisons with Johns, Potter said he just hopes everyone gives the kid time to become his own man.

Brooks races through to touch the ball down in-goal after a kick from James Tedesco. Source: News Corp Australia

"He is progressing, we just need to be patient," Potter said.

"Everyone is mentioning other people's names.

"I'd rather him just be Luke Brooks and not compare him to anyone else.

"Just let him be his own player.

"He is three games into his NRL career.

"It is a different time for him compared to other players in the past.

"I don't think it is right comparing.

"It is not the same era, it is not the same defence, it is not the same attack.

Brooks (R) is congratulated by Braith Anasta after scoring against the Titans. Source: Getty Images

"I suppose what hasn't changed is the size of the field."

But the size of the players certainly has.

"That's right," Potter added, "and the athleticism of the guys has changed which makes it that much harder for the player's to cope.

"He has a lot more to come at him and he has to handle it the best way he can.

"I thought he had a real good response (after the round one loss to the Dragons) in round two.

"Everyone is after improvement all the time and I think he showed that (against the Gold Coast).

"This will be another challenge against Souths.

"It's a hard position to play week in, week out, but I think he quite enjoys the challenge."

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DNA secrets helping athletes improve

New info ... Jenny Meadows is using a revolutionary DNA test designed to prevent injury and improve her performance ahead of the Commonwealth Games. Source: David J. Phillip / AP

BRITISH runner Jenny Meadows is using a revolutionary DNA test designed to prevent injury and improve her performance ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

The test is a brainchild of London-based company DNAFit, which obtains genetic profiles — using a simple mouth swab — to identify genes that make athletes prone to certain injuries. It can also ensure they can tailor a program of training and nutrition to fit their DNA.

Meadows, a world indoor silver medallist in the 800 metres in 2010, became the first athlete to publicly reveal the secrets of her DNA on Monday.

"I only wish I'd had this information years ago,'' said Meadows, who has discovered she has the gene that makes her prone to the kind of tendon injuries that forced her to miss the London Olympics in 2012.

"To get to the top as an athlete, it takes a combination of hard work, luck and timing. But if I'd have known what my genetic strengths and weaknesses I could have trained more effectively.''

Dr Keith Grimaldi, DNAFit's chief scientific officer, said two Premier League teams and another leading club in Europe have also commissioned genetic profiles of their players. He said they can't be named for confidentiality reasons.

"The idea of having knowledge of genetic variation is such that we can give personalised advice on training programs and nutrition and also give an idea of any increased risk of tendon injury, if there is any, so that preventative measures can be taken,'' Grimaldi said.

The DNA test revealed to Meadows that she has an even split of power and endurance, making her ideally suited for 800 metres instead of 400 metres, and that the potential of her sustaining a sports-related soft-tissue injury was high, causing her to make changes to her training schedules that included reducing her running sessions and doing more cardio work on a bike. It also told her that her recovery times were quicker than average.

In winning the 800 at a meet in Prague last month in 2 minutes, 1.67 seconds, she is among the top six in the world this year and could be one of the favourites for gold in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"The real eye opener has been the prediction that I have a high risk of potential sports injury,'' she said. "This is the biggest fear for any athlete wanting to excel at their sport.''

Dr Grimaldi said the test — it takes two weeks from taking the mouth swab to getting the results — could help football teams going to the World Cup know which players are more at risk of sunstroke or sunburn, for example.

"What we are trying to emphasise is that the genetic variants are very common,'' Dr Grimaldi said. "There's no hint of any bad news in the results. The only thing you can get out of the result is useful and important to know.''

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Malaysia F1 race going ahead

The festivities surrounding this year's Malaysian Grand Prix will be more subdued. Source: CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT / AFP

MALAYSIA'S Grand Prix will go ahead as planned this month despite the national crisis over a missing airliner, but proceedings will be more subdued out of respect, the organiser said Monday.

"Whatever it is, Formula One will go on and the concert after that will proceed but we will be sensitive and not go overboard," said Razlan Razali, chief executive of the Sepang International Circuit where the annual race and subsequent musical extravaganza are held.

The race is set for March 30.

The Sepang circuit is next to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, from where Malaysian authorities are coordinating an international effort to find missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370.

Cambodian residents of a community light candles as they pray for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. Source: AFP

The plane disappeared early in the morning of March 8 with 239 passengers and crew aboard, spawning a massive international search across Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean that has so far turned up no trace of wreckage from the Boeing 777.

Malaysia Airlines also has housed anxious relatives of passengers in a pair of hotels not far from the airport as they await news.

"People are not in the mood for an event like this. Everywhere, be it on radio, newspaper, TV or social media, it is all about finding MH370," Mr Razlan said.

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