Alonso prevails in China

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Happy man ... Alonso stayed away from the carnage to claim a comfortable win. Source:AFP

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso emerged unscathed to win Sunday's drama-packed Chinese Grand Prix, with the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton holding on for second and third.

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Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel came fourth, just 0.2 seconds behind Hamilton, after adopting a different tyre strategy, while his Red Bull teammate Mark Webber failed to finish.

Driver		Team	Pts
1	Sebastian Vettel (GER)	Red Bull	52
2	Kimi Raikkonen (FIN)	Lotus	49
3	Fernando Alonso (ESP)	Ferrari	43
4	Lewis Hamilton (GBR)	Mercedes	40
5	Felipe Massa (BRA)	Ferrari	30
6	Mark Webber (AUS)	Red Bull	26
7	Nico Rosberg (GER)	Mercedes	12
8	Jenson Button (GBR)	McLaren	12
9	Romain Grosjean (FRA)	Lotus	11
10	Paul di Resta (GBR)	Force India	8
11	Daniel Ricciardo (AUS)	Toro Rosso	6
12	Adrian Sutil (GER)	Force India	6
13	Nico Hulkenburg (GER)	Sauber	5
14	Sergio Perez (MEX)	McLaren	2
15	Jean Eric Vergne (FRA)	Toro Rosso	1
16	Valtteri Bottas (FIN)	Williams	0
17	Esteban Gutierrez (MEX)	Sauber	0
18	Jules Bianchi (FRA)	Marussia F1	0
19	Charles Pic (FRA)	Carterham	0
20	Pastor Maldonado (VEN)	Williams	0
21	Giedo van der Garde (NED)	Carterham	0
22	Max Chilton (GBR)	Marussia F1	0

Webber broke the front wing of his Red Bull and damaged the car's rear right wheel after hitting Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne 17 laps into Sunday's 56-lap race.

He was on his way back to the pits when the broken tyre fell off and rolled across the track at Shanghai International Circuit.

It follows a horror weekend for the Australian, who started the race from pit lane after his team decided to change his gear box and make other modifications.

Webber was originally meant to start from the back of the grid, having been excluded from qualifying on Saturday after a technical error left his car with not enough fuel for a sample.

Fellow Australian Daniel Ricciardo recorded his best-ever finish in F1, crossing the line in seventh spot to claim six championship points.

Jenson Button, of McLaren, was fifth, and Alonso's teammate Felipe Massa sixth.

Alonso said he was delighted to get his season back on track after retiring early in Malaysia last month.

The two-time world champion was second, behind the rejuvenated Raikkonen, in the season-opening race in Melbourne.

"It feels good, it is a long time from my victory here eight years ago,'' said the Spaniard, who narrowly lost out to Vettel for the world title last season.

"It was not easy to understand this race sometimes, not an easy race. The risk is there when you overtake.

"This is a good reward for the team after the disappointment in Malaysia. Let's hope this is now the start of the championship and we need to keep going like that.''

In warm and dry conditions, and in front of a packed grandstand - not always the case at the Chinese Grand Prix - the race got off to a clean start.

But there was soon drama, as Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez slammed into the back of Adrian Sutil, of Force India.
Engineers battled to save Sutil's race, but both cars were out.

Vettel, who started ninth on the grid, was moving ominously up the field.

Likewise Webber, who started the race from the pits after a disastrous qualifying session. That run to the front was curtailed though on lap 16 when Vergne cut across him.

Webber was called into the pits, but shortly afterwards he inexplicably lost a right-rear tyre. Several cars had to swerve as the tyre rolled across the track.

Raikkonen was in the thick of it, suffering slight damage when Sergio Perez, of McLaren, attempted to snuff out the Finn's overtaking manoeuvre.

"What the hell's he doing?!'' exclaimed the straight-talking Raikkonen over the team radio.

"I was surprised there was not more damage,'' the Finn said later.

"I hit him quite hard, and was also surprised I didn't have more problems. It was a good fight for second place and quite a good result in the end.''

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Pearce injury gifts Reynolds City cap

South Sydney Rabbitohs ... Adam Reynolds gets the nod for City. Source: Gregg Porteous / News Limited

A calf injury to Mitchell Pearce has opened the door for South Sydney's Adam Reynolds to make a play for the NSW No.7 jumper after being named halfback for the City Origin side.

Jarryd Hayne, Nathan Merritt, Michael Jennings, Chris Lawrence, Jorge Taufua, Josh Reynolds, Adam Reynolds, Aaron Woods, Robbie Farah, Tim Mannah, Tony Williams, Ryan Hoffman, Feleti Mateo. Interchange: Wade Graham, Andrew Fifita, Tom Symonds, Tim Grant.

Despite NSW coach Laurie Daley repeatedly making it clear that Reynolds is not in contention for an Origin spot this year, he was named to partner the Bulldogs' Josh Reynolds in the City halves for their clash with Country at Coffs Harbour.

Michael Gordon, Akuila Uate, Jamal Idris, Jack Wighton, James McManus, James Maloney, Josh McCrone, Trent Merrin, Boyd Cordner, Josh Jackson, Aiden Tolman, Michael Ennis, Willie Mason. Interchange: Sam Williams, Tariq Sims, Ryan James, Alex McKinnon.

City Origin coach Brad Fittler has urged Reynolds to crank up the pressure on NSW halfback Pearce by replicating his NRL form in next Sunday's match.

"The important thing from his point of view is that he can come into a group of strangers and be able to instill what he wants out of the team," Fittler said after announcing the City team on Sunday.

"I think it's a massive test for him. We need blokes like Adam and (Country halfback) Josh McCrone to come good and put pressure on Mitchell."

Out-of-form Tony Williams was named in the City back-row after being axed from the Test side following his below-par start to the year with Canterbury.

However, Fittler insists the giant 24-year-old should not be written off too soon ahead of June's State of Origin opener in Sydney.

"With some people you go back and look at their history and I think if I remember Origin I (last year), if it wasn't for him I don't think we were going anywhere," he said.

"He broke them open on that left-hand side and then we scored just after that.

"I watched him the other night and I thought he was better although they (Bulldogs) were pretty ordinary.

"He ran that really nice line off Josh Reynolds when he got the ball off speed so that was a good enough sign for me."

Country coach Trent Barrett also has his share of injuries with NSW incumbents Todd Carney and Brett Stewart unavailable.

Stewart damaged his hamstring in Manly's win over Cronulla on Sunday and Carney is still recovering from a foot injury.

"Todd is still not right, he came out of a moonboot today so he wouldn't be able to train at all this week," Barrett said.

"(Ryan) Hinchcliffe's got a knee injury and (Jarrod) Mullen's got a knee injury and we had four blokes in the Australian side.

"So it gives a lot of blokes an opportunity, we've got seven debutants so it's going to be an exciting week for a few young blokes."

Newcastle prop Willie Mason will make his first representative side since 2010 when he runs out against City and Barrett said the controversial former Test star will be a welcome presence around the camp.

"His form deserves it, he's been good this year and has played a stack of Origin games and over 20 Tests," he said.

"He's matured over the last few years and with seven debutants he will be good to have around."

Jamal Idris is also recalled after a disappointing two years since making his NSW debut in 2011 and Barrett has warned the giant Gold Coast centre he must grab the opportunity with both hands.

"It's now or never for Jamal," he said.

"He's been part of the `Blues in Waiting' camps for the past few years, but we can't be in waiting forever."

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McBreen stunner helps Mariners win

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Stunner ... Daniel McBreen celebrates his goal. Source: PAUL MILLER / AAP

Central Coast will face Western Sydney in the A-League grand final after beating Melbourne Victory 1-0 on Sunday to book a place in their fourth decider in eight seasons.

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Daniel McBreen, this season's golden boot winner, scored the lone goal at Bluetongue Stadium to add to his already impressive tally and hand the Mariners another shot at sealing their maiden championship at Allianz Stadium next Sunday.

The result however, spoils the faultless finals record of coach Ange Postecoglou.

The Victory mentor, who led Brisbane to back-to-back championships, had yet to taste defeat in seven A-League finals matches.

The last time Victory travelled to Gosford they were dismantled 6-2 by the Mariners.

The Victory's defence, their Achilles heel this season, was again exposed by the hosts, although not to the same degree.

Melbourne mentor Ange Postecoglou pin-pointed his team's defence and McBreen's goal as the match-deciding events.

"It is a tough one to take,'' an extremely dejected Postecoglou said.

"Being so close to getting there, it's always really disappointing.

"I thought we were solid enough early on, not threatening, but the first goal was always going to be the key.

"Unfortunately that's been our weakness all year. We conceded a goal and that made things difficult because they're a very hard team to break down.

"We just weren't good enough to get back into the game.''

This was the fourth game in 16 days for the Mariners, who had to also contend with the Asian Champions League.

Mariners manager Graham Arnold praised his players determination, in particular Michael McGlinchey, one of the standout performers in the league this season.

"Tactically the boys carried the gameplan out perfectly,'' Arnold said.

"If you ask where we won the game I thought it was our defensive structure.''

But with most key players rested from this week's trip to China, Central Coast were too strong for a lacklustre Victory side in front of a crowd of 10,651 - including Wanderers coach Tony Popovic.

With the two most potent forward packs in the league it was always going to be an attacking encounter.

Pint-sized striker Marco Rojas and veteran Archie Thompson looked dangerous from the get-go.

But it was the Mariners who forced the first save of the match with Victory goalkeeper Nathan Coe clearing a long-range effort from Mile Sterjovski 14 minutes in.

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Re-live Central Coast's win over Melbourne Victory in our A-League Match Centre, featuring video highlights.

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Pedj Bojic, Bernie Ibini and McBreen continued the first-half assault.

And McBreen finally broke through just before the break to put the hosts 1-0 up in the 42nd minute with his 18th goal of the season.

Young gun Ibini did all the lead-up work, getting past two defenders to set the veteran striker up for the shot from outside the box.

The Victory tried to find the leveller in the second half with Thompson forcing Mariners gloveman Mathew Ryan into action with half an hour to go.

Mitchell Duke looked like doubling the Mariners' lead in the 70th minute but sent his powerful strike wide.

The stadium erupted in the 80th minute when Joshua Rose slotted one home, only to be ruled offside.

But there was late drama for the Mariners with Nick Montgomery sent off in stoppage time for his second yellow card for a foul on Mark Milligan, meaning he will now miss next week's grand final.

Oliver Bozanic or Anthony Caceres appear the likely replacement.

"Montgomery is a big loss,'' Arnold said.

"But (Wanderers winger) Youssouf Hersi is suspended as well so that's one each.''

Despite the Mariners having failed in three previous grand finals, Arnold feels win or lose in next Sunday's Allianz Stadium decider his side has already had a successful season.

"The Wanderers will be a huge challenge for us, especially with their '12th man' the 30,000 plus supporters there. So we'll have to be at the top of our game,'' Arnold said.

"But it's already been our year in my view.

"To finish in the top two three years in a row. Three years in a row we've gotten more than 50 points, we've scored more goals than anyone.

"So the season has already been a massive success.''

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Gutsy Power remain undefeated

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Showdown ... Travis Boak celebrates a huge win for Port Adelaide. Source: Simon Cross / News Limited

A heroic four-goal haul by Justin Westhoff inspired Port Adelaide to a remarkable nine-point comeback victory against arch rivals Adelaide on Sunday.

The Power came from 31 points down in the third term to post a stunning 17.16 (118) to 16.13 (109) triumph at AAMI Stadium.

5.2 (32)	Q1	4.4 (28)
6.9 (45)	Q2	9.6 (60)
12.13 (85)	Q3	13.7 (85)
17.16 (118)	Q4	16.13 (109)

Justin Westhoff 4	Taylor Walker 3
Travis Boak 3	Richard Douglas 2
Chad Wingard 3	Josh Jenkins 2
Angus Monfries 2	Rory Sloane 2
Oliver Wines 2	Patrick Dangerfield 1
Matthew Broadbent 1	Ricky Henderson 1
Jake Neade 1	Graham Johncock 1
Jay Schulz 1	Andy Otten 1
	Jared Petrenko 1
	Jason Porplyzia 1
	Brent Reilly 1

Westhoff kicked all his goals in the second half as Port booted nine of the last 12 goals of the game to bank their third consecutive win.

While Westhoff was best afield, the unbeaten Power were also sparked by captain Travis Boak (three goals) and Chad Wingard, who kicked three goals.

Adelaide spearhead Taylor Walker booted three majors while on-ballers Rory Sloane and Scott Thompson were solid performers.

When Walker kicked his third in the 11th minute of the third quarter, the Crows skipped 31 points ahead and appeared home.

But Westhoff triggered a comeback which was defined by a game-turning incident late in the quarter. 

Adelaide midfielder Matthew Wright had a set shot at goal from 45 metres to give his side a two-goal buffer, but inexplicably handballed to his teammate Matthew Jaensch, charging from behind.

But Crows players didn't factor in Port veteran Jay Schulz, who was hot on Jaensch's heels and tackled the Adelaide player, who was forced into a wild handball.

The ball sailed straight to Port, who swept the ball down field and captain Boak goaled to level the scores at three-quarter time.

The Power then rode their momentum before a 40,707-strong crowd with a commanding last quarter.

Wingard kicked all three of his goals in the final stanza, his last coming after being collected high by Adelaide's Bernie Vince, who was reported for charging.

The Crows, now with one win and two losses, host Western Bulldogs next Sunday while Port travel to play Gold Coast on Saturday night.

Click here to view all of the stats and scores in the FOX FOOTY Match Centre.

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'Best two teams into grand final'

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Glory awaits ... The Wanderers need just one more victory to cap an amazing season. Source:AAP

Fox Sports football commentators Robbie Slater and Mark Bosnich review the A-League preliminary finals, which saw Western Sydney Wanderers and Central Coast Mariners advance to the decider.

Western Sydney Wanderers 2 def Brisbane Roar 0

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Bozza: I think we've seen Brisbane transcend the game of football in Australia over the last two years and I think Western Sydney Wanderers have done the same thing in one season. They play at such high intensity and it's so important to have a player like Shinji Ono, who when they get the ball is capable of doing things like this; to be always in support of their attacking players and to be able to hit pin-point balls like this to keep possession.

Robbie: He's (Youssouf Hersi) unbelievable. His engine as well is unbelievable. When you watch him play it's what every player does but he does it with such energy - it is quite incredible. And you can't get beyond the stat, every time this guy has started they've won. So look, he is going to be missed. There's no doubt that his position on that right-hand side, when he plays he's something exceptional. Defensively he does so well for them, it's not only about him attacking it's about him defending as well.

Central Coast Mariners 1 def Melbourne Victory 0

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Bozza: I think he (Nathan Coe) was just moving a little bit just before he (Daniel McBreen) struck his goal. You'll see eventually when he dives he's actually diving from a position which takes him away originally from the strike and makes it that much more difficult. He (McBreen) actually missed two easier chances earlier on … but he's had a fabulous season.

Robbie: The Victory were better than they were against Perth. They just lacked it in the final third but you can put that down to their defensive structure that Graham Arnold spoke about – how they cut the supply to particularly (Marco) Rojas and Archie Thompson. He (Ange Postecoglou) has turned that club around. There's no doubt that the club now has a culture, they've found their identity again. Melbourne Victory are only going to get better.

Bozza: I thought they (Victory) were a little bit disappointing. We saw them last week against Perth pretty much get out of jail, even though they kept on daring. I thought they started off very well this evening, then were nullified by what was a superb performance from Central Coast defensively. But if you're a Melbourne Victory supporter you would have expected a little bit more from the likes of Rojas and the likes of (Marcos) Flores and Archie Thompson. The Mariners defended brilliantly but you would have expected a little bit more from the Victory – it just didn't seem like they were going to score at all.

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Titans clinch thrilling victory

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Gold Coast Titans ... Anthony Don scores on debut. Source: Adam Head / News Limited

Written off by critics as not up to NRL standard, a physical Parramatta gave Gold Coast a mighty scare at Skilled Park on Sunday evening.

4 Tries 3
Anthony Don 13'	Jarryd Hayne 22'
Ashley Harrison 57'	Ryan Morgan 29'
Mark Minichiello 68'	Jarryd Hayne 49'
Albert Kelly 71'
4 Conversions 3
Beau Henry 15'	Chris Sandow 23'
Beau Henry 58'	Chris Sandow 30'
Beau Henry 69'	Chris Sandow 51'
Beau Henry 72'
2 Penalties 2
Beau Henry 20'	Chris Sandow 8'
Beau Henry 62'	Chris Sandow 26'

The Titans escaped 28-22 after trailing 22-8 but they had their fair share of luck, especially with halfback Albert Kelly's match-winning try in the 72nd minute.

Kelly scored after his own bomb took a deflection off teammate Luke Douglas as the Parramatta defence, including fullback Jarryd Hayne, let the ball bounce.

Hayne had pulled off a spectacular AFL-like leap to score a try in the 49th minute that put the Eels out to a 14-point lead.

Hayne also saved the day when he took debutant winger Anthony Don into touch with Parramatta clinging to a 22-16 lead.

An average spectacle for the first 40 minutes, the contest came alive after Titans forward Ashley Harrison crashed over to make it 22-14 before five-eighth Beau Henry kicked one of his six goals to reduce the deficit to six points.

Titans interchange forward Mark Minichiello levelled the scores after Kelly put him through a narrow gap 10 metres out.

Parramatta were hammered in the second half penalties 8-1 which helped the Titans' recovery mission.

But for a team beaten 50-0 three weeks ago they took the Titans to the wire.

The visitors, coming off a confidence-boosting upset over Cronulla last weekend, muscled up on their rivals.

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They led 16-8 at halftime and could have had a bigger lead just after the break had Kelepi Tanginoa not been called back for a forward pass after he raced across the Titans tryline.

"Over the last two weeks we've thrown two passes that were ruled forward but they were just too good for the refs," Parramatta coach Ricky Stuart said.

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"That wasn't a forward pass tonight to young Kelepi scoring under the posts. The pass was too good for the ref."

"We've got to sit here and front the media and I try to be as honest as I can ... get those referees in here to talk about their bullshit errors."

Stuart said his players deserved the win - and a better deal.

"We got beat 50-0 two weeks ago. We handled it. We copped it on the chin," he said.

"Tonight should have been our game. You can't have a seven-nil penalty count and win a game of football.

"I'm up in the box and I'm hearing two referees saying `hand on ball, hand on ball', yet no penalty.

"Jarryd (Hayne), Reni Maitua go to the ref and ask for an explanation.

"They get an explanation in frigging Spanish."

The Titans, who had co-captains Nate Myles and Greg Bird named in Australia's Test side to play New Zealand on Friday, were ordinary at times while committing a comedy of errors.

They dropped passes, dropped kicks and threw wild passes over the sideline.

Parramatta were clearly the more enthusiastic side, starting the second half well before Bird and Harrison stepped up and provided some energy to start the hosts' comeback.

An angry and emotional Stuart slammed the refereeing and warned the game was going backwards after his players were buried under a mountain of second half penalties.

The former Australian and NSW Origin coach let rip at referees' boss Daniel Anderson during the post-match interview and didn't spare referees Jason Robinson and Adam Gee who copped a spray from Wests Tigers coach Michael Potter recently.

"I thought we were the better team. I just feel sorry for the players. It's happened every single week," bristled Stuart.

"Were just a very, very easy team to penalise.

"I'm sick and tired of (referees' boss) Daniel Anderson talking to my coaches during the week and saying he understands in regard to a penalty, no penalty, yet it still happens week-in, week-out.

"It's only because were a very easy team to penalise.

"We don't have any of the higher profile players where we can get penalties.

"It's bullshit. I just feel so sorry for the players."

Stuart said the penalties against his side were probably warranted - he just couldn't believe it was such a one way street.

"I'm not blowing up about that. But there's no way they were that clean. It's just wrong. It was unfair," he said.

"That out there tonight, that was very, very obvious."

Titans winger David Mead was taken to hospital for x-rays for a suspected broken jaw which he played on with for the last 10 minutes of the match.

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'Never write off a champion like Hodge'

Champion ... Luke Hodge looks to drive Hawthorn into attack. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

Fox Sports AFL expert Julian de Stoop reviews round three in the AFL and discusses his likes and dislikes.

It was another big weekend in the AFL with some gusty wins and unlucky injuries, we bring you the best and worst from the week that was.

Do you agree? Tell us what you liked to disliked from the weekend by leaving a comment at the bottom of the page.

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Likes

Luke Hodge
A knee injury restricted Luke Hodge to just 10 matches in 2012 and when word filtered out that Hawthorn had wrapped its skipper in cotton wool at times over summer some began to question whether we had seen the best of the 2008 Norm Smith Medallist. The answer appears to be an emphatic no! In his first game of the season last week Hodge was amongst the Hawks' best but against Collingwood he was the standout player on the ground. With his team down by 22 points in the second term it was Hodge and his fierce attack on the ball and the man that dragged his team back into the contest. The skipper finished with 31 disposals and two booming goals, both from good old fashioned torpedos.

Port Adelaide
When the Power suffered the indignity of losing to the Giants in Round 19 last season they hit rock bottom. Matthew Primus was sacked and given the club's financial problems their very existence in the competition was questioned. But under new leadership in president David Koch, coach Ken Hinkley and captain Travis Boak the Power are rejuvenated. Wins over Melbourne and the Giants were encouraging but the showdown was their first real test for the year. When they trailed the Crows by five goals all seemed lost but led brilliantly by best on ground Boak and a born again Justin Westhoff the Power ignited for one of the best wins in recent times. The form of young players Chad Wingard, Hamish Hartlett and rookie Ollie Wines would bring a huge smile to Hinkley's face.

Jake Carlisle
Naturally all the focus was on James Hird before, during and after the Bombers' amazing come-from-behind win over Fremantle but the real star at Patersons Stadium was Jake Carlisle. The young defender kept Dockers skipper Matthew Pavlich  scoreless and his composure under pressure late in the game led to Paddy Ryder's match-winning goal. Carlisle has played on and beat Taylor Walker, Mitch Clark and Pavlich in the opening three rounds and with just 31 games under his belt he looks to be a star of the future. His improvement gives Hird the luxury to leave Michael Hurley forward where his strength and presence is so important.

The Tigers big three
Richmond and star power haven't been commonplace in the past 30 years but in Trent Cotchin, Brett Deledio and Dustin Martin the Tigers have three genuine stars through the middle. The trio combined for 98 disposals and five goals as Richmond continued their unbeaten start to the season with a thumping win over the Dogs. Memo to opposition coaches… don't bother tagging Cotchin, like Gary Ablett, he is basically untaggable. Instead focus on negating the finisher in Deledio. Martin will be frighteningly good when he is a fit enough to play four quarters but the trio will have to be at their best when the Tigers play Collingwood in a blockbuster at the MCG on Saturday.

Sydney's midfield
Not only are the Swans midfielders big and strong, they kick goals. With Sam Reid struggling for form and Kurt Tippett unavailable until the second half of the season, the reigning premiers have to find goals from other sources and so far so good. Jarrad McVeigh, Kieran Jack, Josh Kennedy and Daniel Hannebery all regularly hit the scoreboard as does Ben McGlynn who cruelly missed last year's grand final with a hamstring injury. As usual no one is talking about the Swans but it's business as usual for the reigning premiers

Dislikes

The Slide Rule
I must admit initially I thought the slide rule was a good one but on the evidence of the weekend it is going to frustrate coaches, players, fans and even umpires for the entire season. The incident in which Harry O'Brien was reported for rough conduct on Luke Hodge - when O'Brien really should of got a free kick because Hodge slid in - highlights how tough the rule is to interpret for the umpires. If a player slides in feet first or slides in and takes a players legs out from under them when they have the ball then pay a free kick but when the ball is in a disputed situation let it go. It's an overreaction to what was a terribly unfortunate injury to Swan Gary Rohan last year.

Injuries
In the opening two rounds the club medico's weren't kept too busy but that all changed in Round 3. The season ending knee injury to Giants youngster Jonathan Patton is sad for all football followers while two luckless players in Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer and Geelong's Travis Varcoe are set for significant spells on the sidelines due thumb and shoulder injuries respectively.

Sleepy Demons and North Melbourne
On the evidence of the opening three rounds Brad Scott and Mark Neeld need to work on their half-time pep talks. Both teams conceded 11 goals in what is commonly referred to as the premiership quarter after promising first halves. North Melbourne have led in all three of their matches at half-time only to be outscored 144 to 38 in third quarters. Hard to believe the Demons have actually been worse. They have kicked a paltry 2.2 compared to their opposition who have scored 24.14. And one more on Melbourne… why would Jack Watts not play in the VFL after being dumped from the seniors? The way he's been handled continues to bemuse.

Leaky Blues
Mick Malthouse has built a coaching career on defence but he's got some work to do at Visy Park. The winless Blues have conceded over 100 points in all three matches this year and if they don't tighten up their finals dreams will be over before they know it. Marc Murphy was criticised for his defensive work against Collingwood in round two and against the Cats his opponent Taylor Hunt kicked three goals in the opening half. I'm sure some stern words will be heading the skipper's way this week.

Matthew Pavlich
As we have learnt with Luke Hodge you never write off a champion but it's been a slow start to the year for Matthew Pavlich. The Dockers skipper didn't have a great pre-season due to Achilles surgery and a hand injury which required surgery after Round 1 hasn't helped his cause. If Ross Lyon's men are to jump into the top four they need more from the skipper. The good news is 'The Pav' started slowly last year before producing a stellar final three months to finish the season with 69 goals.

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Noddy's Weekend Wash Up: R6

Sonny Bill Williams ... celebrates for Sydney Roosters against Canterbury Bulldogs at Allianz Stadium. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

In his weekly column, Fox Sports expert and Canberra assistant coach Brett Kimmorley offers his thoughts on round six of the 2013 NRL Premiership season.

Sydney Roosters v Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Allianz Stadium

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This may have been billed as a grudge match but that never really got off the ground. Sonny Bill Williams made an outstanding play with his first touch, providing a magnificent cut-out pass for his winger, scored two tries of his own and he has class beyond that as a powerful, hole running back-rower. He would have walked away from the match proud of how he handled the pressure and with his head held high against a Bulldogs outfit that struggled. Many tipped the Bulldogs to win the grand final this year but poor errors and slow starts are hurting them. 

Brisbane Broncos v North Queensland Cowboys at Suncorp Stadium

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The local derby wasn't a high scoring game but that doesn't mean that it wasn't a quality match. Scott Prince is starting to show the fans the reason why he was brought to the club, he added a lot of options in attack as did Corey Norman. Norman is settling into the role of fullback very well while Corey Parker produced some nice offloads to create some second phase play. I thought Johnathan Thurston was extremely good on a losing side while it was terrific to see Clint Greenshields back in the NRL following a stint in England. It shows younger players can go to England and come back to make an impact on the NRL.

Newcastle Knights v Penrith Panthers at Hunter Stadium

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It is amazing to look at the names that were on the field for this game yet the match managed to have no excitement at all. This was just two sides trying to grind out an ugly win. The Panthers have been struggling to score points which isn't being helped by a changing halves combination. This game summed up a Wayne Bennett coached side, he is willing to win messy, he likes no fuss and has brought a lot defensively to the club. I must admit, I expected a lot more from the Knights' attack. If you look at their roster, they have some real athletes in their squad, so I hope they are more enterprising in the future. That would be a better way of winning two points rather than the dower performance we saw on Saturday.

South Sydney Rabbitohs v Melbourne Storm at ANZ Stadium

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This game certainly lived up to its hype. It was played at a fast pace and had the feel of a grand final qualifier. These two sides are a prototype of each other. They both have similar men in key positions but it came down to which club knew the other better. I thought South Sydney's big frame in the forwards would have hurt Melbourne but the Storm turned up for the entire 80 minutes. Defensively they were brilliant on their try line. Adam Reynolds was rushed but he handled the occasion well, he will come out of the game a better player. The difference for the two sides was Cooper Cronk. The Storm blows me away by how good they are at taking their one opportunity and capitalising on it. 

Canberra Raiders v Warriors at Canberra Stadium

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This game didn't reach any great heights until after half-time. A few errors from Canberra allowed the Warriors to race ahead but the return of Terry Campese lifted the home side. Campese's class allowed the team to build pressure and create chances. For two weeks in a row the club has showed they have enormous character to fight until the end. Edrick Lee's try with two minutes to go typified the belief they have to come from behind. The Warriors looked like they were trying to slow the play down and get a gritty win but Josh McCrone moving to hooker added deception around the ruck and Tom Learoyd-Lahrs led from the front in a well fought performance. 

Manly Sea Eagles v Cronulla Sharks at Brookvale Oval

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This was a lot closer than I expected. I thought Manly's quality halves along with Brett Stewart at the back would have kicked out to a big win when they got in front but the Sharks were determined. I don't know if the Sharks were ever going to win the game but some spectacular tries kept things entertaining. Manly's near unbreakable right edge was finally penetrated so that will give the Sharks a lot of confidence. Daly Cherry-Evans was brilliant but their unknown forwards in Justin Horo, Tom Symonds and Brenton Lawrence bring enthusiasm to the side which allows their stars to add the polish. Unfortunately while Cronulla are missing Todd Carney and Michael Gordon is injured they will struggle to match it with the top sides.

Wests Tigers v St George Illawarra Dragons at Sydney Cricket Ground

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While it was a low scoring affair, you couldn't help but think the Dragons were home. They are playing a brand of football that works for them and getting high completions rates. Trent Merrin produced another magical performance and I hope NSW pick him for Origin because I can see him being a real x-factor for the Blues. The Tigers were 12-0 down and ended up having an opportunity to win the game but they didn't take their chances and Jamie Soward's left foot proved to be the difference. The Tigers will walk away knowing the game was theirs for the taking but the Dragons were the more dominant side and deserved to win. On a side note, I question why these teams had to use a new football for their match. I know it is heritage round but when you only have a few days to practice with the ball I'd like to hope both sides weren't disadvantaged by using a different football.

Gold Coast Titans v Parramatta Eels at Skilled Park

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Talk about a thriller. With the representative scene around the corner it is great to see so many of our stars hitting form. Jarryd Hayne is playing consistently well while Chris Sandow is beginning to find a nice balance between structure and adlib football. Ryan Morgan showed last week against the Sharks that he has pace on the edge and backed it up again this week. I don't think Ricky Stuart will be too upset by the loss, he will just be looking for some consistency from his side. Both sides weren't overly confident they were going to win the game so took the penalty goals when they were on offer and after a fast comeback by the Titans it was a player who wasn't meant to play who stole the show. I changed my tip to the Eels when I thought Albert Kelly wasn't playing. I thought they may have struggled to score points but John Cartwright's faith in recruiting Kelly has been re-paid. It was good to see Beau Henry play well and be perfect with the boot. Having stood down Dave Taylor for disciplinary reasons, Jamal Idris played very well in his place on the edge and expect to see him eventually make it a permanent move.

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