Neymar has anaemia: report

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Neymar directs a child during a Barcelona coaching clinic with Palestinian children in the West Bank city of Hebron during the club's Middle East visit. Source:AP

BARCELONA striker Neymar has reportedly been put on a special diet by the club's medical staff to ease signs of anaemia just days after he made his debut for the club, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Barcelona striker Neymar has reportedly been put on a special diet by the club's medical staff to ease signs of anaemia just days after he made his debut for the club, according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

The Brazilian international joined the Catalan giants in June for 57 million euros ($75.7 million, 49.5 million) and made his long-awaited debut last week in a 2-2 friendly draw against Lechia Gdasnk in Poland.

However, according to the paper signs of anaemia were detected on his return to training after an extended summer break due to his participation in the Confederations Cup.

"Neymar is being treated by Barcelona's doctors for signs of anaemia with an adequate diet and complementary course of vitamins," it said on Saturday without quoting a source for the story.

Barcelona were not immediately available for comment, but the club had previously confirmed that the player had his tonsils removed after leading his country to victory in the Confederations Cup.

Anaemia is a treatable condition but is thought to be extremely debilitating for top athletes as a low level of hemoglobin in the blood stream can cause excessive levels of tiredness.

The news is also likely to disrupt the club's plans to work intensively on building on the 21-year-old's strength after club doctor Ricard Pruna expressed concerns at his slight weight of 64.5 kilos (142 lbs, 10.2 stone) when he underwent his medical.

Neymar made his home bow against old club Santos on Friday night as he played 45 minutes in Barca's 8-0 destruction of the Brazilians and has travelled with his teammates to take part in coaching clinics in Palestine and Israel before they embark on a tour of Asia with friendlies in Thailand and Malaysia.

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Mourinho considered England job

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho says he once had discussions with the FA about becoming England manager but realised he would be bored in the job. Source: AFP

CHELSEA boss Jose Mourinho has claimed he was close to taking charge of England in 2007 before realising he would be bored by the low-key nature of international management.

The Football Association maintained Fabio Capello was always their first choice to succeed Steve McClaren following England's failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

But Mourinho, who returned for a second spell in charge of Chelsea in June after leaving Real Madrid, insists he was in talks with the FA six years ago and briefly considered accepting the job.

However, with only a relatively small number of internationals scheduled for each season, the Portuguese coach decided he would miss the frenetic pace of club management too much.

"My plan at that time was just to try to motivate myself for a job (with England) that doesn't fulfil me," Mourinho told the Independent.

"What do I do? During the day I'm not training players, so I have to go and see them train in their clubs. I have to send my goalkeeper coach to work separately. I have to do this, I have to do that.

"At weekends, I see every match. I need a good apartment. I need to analyse and monitor the players.

"When they were speaking to me, the next match was France against England, a friendly in Paris. I thought, 'France-England' (is an attractive prospect)'.

"After that, what's the next game? The next was one month later against Kazakhstan - no, no, no, no. We have contact and I thought about England. I was very young and I was very proud."

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Battle on all fronts

James Hird's Essendon is under pressure. Picture: Wayne Ludbey

IT was the perfect storm for Essendon.

It came three-fold in the first quarter at the MCG and the consequences could affect the remainder of its season.

Foremost it was Collingwood and a relentless first 30 minutes that yielded 5.3 to 0.2 in pouring rain.

The Pies won the disposal count 121-73, contested ball 47-29, tackles 22-14 and inside-50s 19-11.

It was Collingwood of yesteryear, or at least at its absolute best: Oppressive with pressure, workrate, numbers at the contest and wonderful spread.

Secondly, Essendon's attitude was shot.

Players were either second to the ball or pushed off the ball. They coughed it up, fumbled, their workrate was poor, and soon enough the Bombers' coaching staff had so many spotfires it would've looked like an inferno.

Then the Dons lost half-back flanker Courtenay Dempsey, who was gone with a hamstring injury.

Hindsight is easy, but the game was over by the quarter-time siren.

Thirdly, moments before the game, the Dons confirmed they had the ASADA report from the AFL.
 

That had no bearing on the effort. You have to ask, however, what bearing it had in the build up.

Coach James Hird has been savaged for several weeks, culminating with former high-performance manager Dean Robinson unloading in a paid interview on Wednesday night.

The players threw their support behind the coach, but on Friday night the same players would have been anxious about what was in the ASADA report, which was in the hands of the AFL.

After seven months, their anxiety choked them as much as the Magpies.

Clearly, the Bombers were shellshocked.

Maybe it was mental exhaustion that led to physical exhaustion. Certainly, it was a ferocious Collingwood.

Arguably, it was both.

Essendon's season is on the cliff edge.

They will play finals but don't appear capable of being a threat to anyone.

They have been munched in the dry and in the wet by Hawthorn and the Magpies in consecutive weeks.

While Richmond, Fremantle, Collingwood and Port Adelaide approach September with confidence, the Bombers are laboring.

Pick just about any Essendon player and there's a query about an aspect of their game. For example, Jake Carlisle (in the air), David Myers (efficiency), Jake Melksham (consistency), Brent Stanton (clearances), Travis Colyer (impact), Nick Kommer (impact) and even Dustin Fletcher (body on body).

In 2012 they gave up the ghost at Round 15. This year it appears it was Round 18.

Of course, yesterday wasn't about cry me a river for the losers. The Magpies were magnificent.

In the conditions, they had numbers at the contest, had numbers free at the back to rebound, were first to the ball, and tackled as if the mantra was lay three tackles or be dropped.

Fourteen players laid three or more tackles, led by Heath Shaw and Jarryd Blair with eight each.

They had winners everywhere and a winning attitude everywhere.

At the back, Steele Sidebottom continues to be a masterful tactical move, and he and Heath Shaw, Marley Williams and Ben Sinclair gave the Magpies rebound and attack.

Harry O'Brien as a defensive wingman left Brendon Goddard waving his arms more than usual, Swan and Pendlebury had 30 and 26 respectively, Ball and Blair were torpedos with their intensity, Beams just glides on his way to collecting 25-plus possessions and ruckman Brodie Grundy is beyond his years.

The rest of them all played their role: Maxwell, Keeffe and Brown at the back, Dwyer down the wing, Cloke kicked five, Reid three and Jamie Elliott three, and Quinten Lynch was back to early-season form.

It was a complete performance. The issue is making yesterday's effort the norm. It's Sydney this week, and they don't have mental demons knocking on their door.

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Milford asks for Raiders release

Anthony Milford of the Raiders catches the ball. Source: Stefan Postles / Getty Images

EXCLUSIVE: Anthony Milford is on a collision course with the Raiders after formally asking for a release from the club Sunday, with the Queensland sensation's manager saying Canberra should stop whingeing and let him go.

On a day when Canberra were flogged 68-4 by Melbourne, the Raiders confronted their worst nightmare with Milford - the NRL's next rising star - officially wanting out.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Milford's manager Sam Ayoub has written to Raiders boss Don Furner wishing to activate a get-out clause at season's end relating to family illness.

The move is definitive evidence Milford wants to return to his sick father in Brisbane. It appears he will be in Broncos colours in 2014, despite Canberra's desperate fight to keep him.

Milford, who scored Canberra's only try in Sunday's drubbing, told The Courier-Mail he would put "family first" when deciding his NRL future.

The Raiders have taken legal advice and indicated they will play hardball to ensure Milford honours the final year of his Canberra deal next season.

But Ayoub hit back Sunday night, confirming Milford wants out of Canberra after a week of speculation about his future.

The leading player agent said he would take the issue "further" - possibly to the NRL or Rugby League Players Association - if the Raiders refused to honour the get-out clause in his Canberra contract.

"I have written to Canberra asking them to favourably consider a release, in accordance with the clause in the contract that they agreed to at the time," Ayoub said.

"When they agreed to the clause, they acknowledged it would be a possibility Anthony would one day have to return home. Now that time has come.

"The Raiders can't whinge about this. We had the clause put in there, it was there to serve a purpose, Canberra agreed to it. Unfortunately for them the timing of that purpose has arrived."

Ayoub made it clear Milford's request for a release was motivated by family, with doctors last month preventing father Halo, 49, from moving to Canberra after a heart attack last year.

He said there had been no dialogue with any NRL rival, although the Broncos are favoured to sign Milford, who plans to return to family at season's end.

"This has nothing to do with more money, or the Broncos, the Cowboys or the Titans," Ayoub said.

"Will the Raiders take responsibility if something happens to his father while Anthony is away?

"There is no good Canberra trying to blame everybody else for the fact his old man is crook.

"They knew he was ill, that's why we asked for the illness clause, and all of a sudden because the kid is going great they don't want to show the same consideration they said they would.

"It can be activated at any time during the course of the contract, and that time has arrived.

"The Raiders have done everything possible to help Milford settle. The boom utility has lived with the family of Canberra teammate Josh Papalii, who also hails from Brisbane and understands the close-knit culture of Polynesian clans.

If the issue was purely about football, chances are Milford would happily stay in Canberra. But the Queensland under-20s skipper admits he was profoundly affected by Halo's heart attack last year.

"I want what is best for my family at the moment," Milford told The Courier-Mail.

"I guess I have to (look at returning home) at this time. I am blessed with what the Raiders have done for me. But my family is real special to me, football comes and goes, but your family is always in your life.

"So I will look after them first and do what is best for them."

Asked if he would be at the Raiders next year, Milford said: "I am contracted for next year, but I'm not sure what the Raiders will do. I will just focus on my football for now and see what happens.

"My dad was in that situation last year. I am a family person and I look after my parents first.

"Family is the No.1 thing for us Polynesian people. Especially moving away from home, I am not used to it because we are used to staying together, being close and looking after each other.

"Dad is better than he was last year but he is still ill. He has check-ups every week and that is ongoing. The doctors said the family won't be able to move down because of Dad, he can't travel down."

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Exclusive: How we made the final

The leadership of club coach Jake White (right) and skipper Ben Mowen inspired the Brumbies. Source: Getty Images

HE transformed the Brumbies from stragglers in 2011 to the fittest side in Super Rugby. Much-vaunted strength and conditioning guru Dean Benton, who now departs the club, exclusively explains for News Limited readers the eight key factors that saw the club make the 2013 grand final.

1. The support of Brumbies chief executive Andrew Fagan from the outset was exceptional. Andrew supported the ambition of having the world's best rugby program despite operating with the second lowest budget of all Australian Super Rugby franchises. He strategically provided the human and financial resources to support this goal.

2. Know what you can do with available resources – and do it. Know what you can't do – and do not even try. For the Brumbies to elevate from a bottom three team to a top three team, coach Jake White was prepared to take a risk and  "do different things" and "do things differently".

3. We recognised that money, facilities and equipment are not the answer. Good qualified coaches and a systematic approach to coaching is crucial.

4. Assistant coaches Laurie Fisher and Stephen Larkham were incredible to work with. Integration of the rugby program to all other areas of player preparation was unprecedented. Laurie's technical ability is comparable to the best Olympic sport coaches I have worked with. Stephen, if developed and retained by Australian rugby, could be one of the best attack coaches in world rugby if he isn't already.

5. Nothing occurs in isolation. There was a genuine performance paradigm in place from day one. All sport medicine, athletic performance, nutrition and analysis staff bought into a "can do", rather a "can't do" philosophy to all aspects of player preparation. This allowed the acceleration of the gap between a bottom three team to a top three team to be analysed and bridged very quickly.

6. Captain Ben Mowen and senior players were wonderful leaders. All players bought into the program and worked their butts off. The infamous Narrabeen camps that began in August 2011 were the foundation.

7. We accepted we may not have been the most talented group, but we made ourselves the best prepared physically. Rather than "train like you play", we adopted an attitude of "play like you train".

8. The Brumbies-Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) partnership was a tremendous asset. Being able to gain access to AIS facilities, expertise and services that have underpinned Australia's success in world sport over the last 20 years was tremendous. We utilised expertise and services from the AIS Nutrition, AIS Sport Science/Medicine and AIS Strength and Conditioning Departments. This allowed our players to be exceptionally educated in terms of recovery and training strategies.

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Bring on ASADA says Toovs

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Manly Sea Eagles Coach Geoff Toovey. Source: Mark Evans / News Limited

MANLY coach Geoff Toovey has come forward to claim his club has never breached any ASADA "protocols or procedures".

Toovey on Sunday gave The Daily Telegraph an exclusive sit-down interview where he predicted his looming interview with ASADA would be "very short".

Bulldog: What do you make of the overall ASADA investigation?

Toovey: It has dragged on for long enough. I think we should get into the meat of it. ASADA is interviewing people over the next month or so. Hopefully something will come of that, either a positive or a negative which we will deal with and move on.

Bulldog: Two of those to be interviewed are your players, Brett Stewart and Anthony Watmough. 

Toovey: I know there are players at our club that need to be interviewed. The club has stayed out of that, it is meant to be a confidential issue. I would imagine everyone would respect their privacy and confidentiality until the process is over.

Bulldog: Has Manly got anything to worry about? 

Toovey: As far as I am concerned, I have never been aware of Manly breaching any protocols or procedures in regards to the ASADA drug policies.

Bulldog: So you have never seen anything untoward? 

Toovey: Never.

Bulldog: Do you know Steve Dank? 

Toovey: I probably said four words to him over all the time he was at the club.

Bulldog: You also have to be interviewed, Geoff. 

Toovey: Yes, that's true.

Bulldog: What are you expecting to be asked? 

Toovey: I am expecting it to be a very short interview.

Bulldog: What will they ask you? 

Toovey: I have no idea. As Sergeant Schultz says (in TV show Hogan's Heroes), "I know nothing.' They said, "Follow the procedures," so I am going along with that.

Bulldog: Will you co-operate? 

Toovey: Of course I will co-operate. I've got nothing to tell them.

Bulldog: NRL CEO Dave Smith wants everyone to tell the truth. 

Toovey: I can only speak on my own behalf. I will be telling the truth because there is nothing really to tell.

Bulldog: Recapping. Manly, in your opinion, will be cleared? 

Toovey: Our staff are professional. We will go through the process and deal with any outcomes and move on.

Bulldog: How do Manly keep winning despite the angst at board level? 

Toovey: Those matters are probably blown out of proportion, which happens from time to time. The sporting business is a competitive environment and, at the end of the day, the players and football group need to get on with their business. The other stuff, we don't need to read things in the paper because some of it is a bit over-the-top. We are sure those issues will be sorted out.

Bulldog: Do you protect your players from the squabbling in the boardroom? 

Toovey: I don't think it is a major issue.

Bulldog: Manly, are you where you want to be on the field? 

Toovey: I have said over the past month that we have been fortunate to have a very stable roster in regards to injuries and suspensions. The more we can get a quality group of players on the field, the better you are. But, again, that won't matter if you don't have those players available come semi-final time. The next goal is to make sure everyone is fit and firing in another month's time.

Bulldog: Did that big loss to Melbourne in the grand final qualifier last year change you as a coach? 

Toovey: It didn't change me but it's funny though how you realise that you can't control everything. The players were at a loss too. If you're one per cent off in a game, against a quality team, you are going to get beaten convincingly, which is what happened.

Bulldog: That was a theory going around that, after that heavy loss, you decided to take more control. 

Toovey: No, not really. I think the players realised the season had finished and they hadn't performed at their best that one time and it was all over. That's the hard thing about semi-final football ... if you're not "on" that day then you are wasting your time.

Bulldog: Is there one thing you would like changed in rugby league? 

Toovey: I would like to see more resources put into the grassroots of the game. It is a tough, competitive environment out there, particularly around this area, like other areas, competing for exposure and membership.

***

GEOFF Toovey says the stress of coaching an NRL team is enormous.

Bulldog: Manly has now made the finals in nine successive seasons. Love or hate Manly, you have to respect them.

Toovey: It is a real credit to the players and coaching staff over those years. Manly has a good culture. That culture hasn't just been there for the past nine years - it has been there for several decades. It is a positive place to play football and a great environment to live.

Bulldog: I have always admired Manly's mental toughness.

Toovey: This club has a lot of history and a lot of successful history. It is a culture that has been formed over many years and many decades.

Bulldog: Some suggested - and I was one of them - that you had an ageing roster and were on the slide.

Toovey: You can't underestimate experience although you do need to develop your youth, which is what we have done. We have been fortunate in our development with players in key positions that will hopefully be there for many years to come.

Bulldog: When Des Hasler left Brookvale, many were suggesting doom and gloom. Were you ready for the top job?

Toovey: Like any successful team or club, when there is dramatic change, people tend to talk about the negatives. But there is a lot more to a club than an individual player or coach. It's important that the culture and environment remains stable, no matter what happens.

Bulldog: Is coaching at NRL level 24-7?

Toovey: It's not but it does put a lot of stress on your life. Any coach would admit that. It does become all-consuming at times but it's not something I think of - apart from a couple of coaches - that you could do all your life. It is very much a moving landscape and whilst there you have to envelope yourself in the role and do your best.

Bulldog: Do you have a social life?

Toovey: It is difficult, particularly if you have a family. It is tough on many people in your life that aren't involved in football.

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Verdict on Dons may be delayed

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Gillon McLachlan is back from the US, but Andrew Demetriou doesn't return until Wednesday. Source: Jay Town / Herald Sun

THE AFL could not guarantee it would make a decision before the finals on whether to punish Essendon over the supplements saga.

The league took possession on Friday of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority's 400-page interim report into the Bombers' controversial sports science program and has forwarded a copy to the club.

It's understood the AFL, which has stated its determination to protect the "integrity" of the finals series, pushed for the interim report to give it time to take action against the club, if deemed necessary, before September.

But, after returning from an equalisation fact-finding mission to the US, league deputy chief executive Gillon McLachlan said he was unsure if that was possible.

"We'll see where the report takes us," McLachlan told Channel 9 on Sunday.

AFL boss Andrew Demetriou won't be back in Melbourne until Wednesday after deciding to stay in the US for a sports conference.

McLachlan's comment came as Adelaide chief operating officer Nigel Smart predicted Essendon would be stripped of its points this season.

AFL general counsel Andrew Dillon will make the decision on whether the league pushes to charge the Bombers with bringing the game into disrepute.

Coach James Hird could also be pursued for conduct unbecoming.

It's believed the league will make its position known before next Monday when the AFL Commission is next due to meet.

That would give Essendon two weeks to respond before the commission meets again on August 26. The league has made it clear those dates are fluid.

Any decision on whether Essendon players will face individual sanctions doesn't appear possible until ASADA completes the full report.

Bombers sources were confident the players would not be penalised.

They were also of the belief that no decision should be made on whether the club should be punished until the report was finished.

That report may not include input from sacked sports scientist Stephen Dank, who has again told the Herald Sun he will fight any push to be interviewed by ASADA investigators, despite the agency gaining powers to force people to be interviewed, with daily fines of $5100 if they refuse.

Smart said Essendon was about to take a big penalty.

"The report will detail what it will detail, but I think Essendon will get hit by the AFL in terms of bringing the game into disrepute and I wouldn't be surprised if they lose their points for the year," Smart told ABC radio.

"It's not good for footy, the Essendon situation. It will come out in the report, which is only a few days away."

It also emerged yesterday that Essendon interim chief executive Ray Gunston had moved to clear the air with Collingwood, which had been linked to the drugs saga in an interview given last week by the Bombers' former high performance manager, Dean Robinson.

Magpies president Eddie McGuire asked Gunston to stand up at a pre-match function at the MCG yesterday.

"Ray was good enough to ring up and apologise on behalf of the Bombers, which was gratefully accepted, knowing full well you had nothing to do with it (drug allegation)," McGuire said.

"We didn't take offence."

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Root revenge as Aussies go for tonk

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Joe Root celebrates after taking the catch that removed David Warner. Source: Ryan Pierse / Getty Images

JOE Root had his revenge, catching his nightclub assailant David Warner in the deep, as Australia's top order collapsed in the pursuit of quick runs on the fourth day of the third Test at Old Trafford.

Promoted to open the batting, Warner made 41 before pulling Tim Bresnan's short ball to Root, who dove forward to take an athletic catch near the boundary.

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Warner's dismissal sparked a collapse, with the wickets of Shane Watson (18), Usman Khawaja (24) and Steve Smith (19) leaving Australia at 5-137 when tea was taken early because of light rain.

But the Australians still held an imposing lead of 296, as they looked to keep the series alive, having dismissed England for 368 in reply to their 7-527 declared.

The first rain interruption of the game, however, made the Australians even more desperate to press their advantage.

Although the baffling local forecasts have seemed more the work of the DRS than the weather bureau, more showers are forecast and Australia will need some time to bowl England out again on what remains a good batting wicket.

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Australia signalled those intentions immediately, promoting the pugnacious Warner to open with Chris Rogers. Australia's haste brought about one early victim, with Roger caught behind off Broad for 12.

Stuart Broad thought he had Warner caught behind hooking on 19. But while Snicko - not used by the third umpire – suggested there might have been a fine edge, the referral was refused.

Watson was caught at third man from an upper-cut, Khawaja bowled by Swann when he failed to cover his leg stump and Smith was run out looking for a second run, which captain Michael Clarke refused.

Before they had their chance to set England a total, the Australians had to overcome some stubborn resistance from the tailenders. Resuming on the fourth day at 7-294, the last three England wickets cost a further 74 runs with Prior making a stubborn 30.

Although, given the home teams needs only a draw to retain the urn, the 80 minutes taken to finish the innings on the fourth morning might prove just as valuable for the home team.

Broad was particularly punishing and hit 17 runs from one Ryan Harris and looked capable of making a substantial dent in Australia's lead. However, on 32, Broad nicked a sharply turning ball from Nathan Lyon and was caught behind by Brad Haddin.

More remarkable than the dismissal was that Broad did not wait for the umpire to raise his finger, perhaps chastened by his controversial refusal to walk at Trent Bridge when he got a much thicker edge that went from Haddin's glove to first slip.

Graeme Swann's 11 included one straight six from Lyon, before he got an inside edge to sharp in-swinger from Peter Siddle. Like Broad, he did not wait for the umpire's decision.

After a good batting performance, Australia owed its strong position to some stout-hearted bowling by the pacemen on a pitch that provided little assistance. Peter Siddle (4-63), Mitchell Starc (3-76) and Ryan Harris (2-82) all worked hard.

This despite a brilliant third day century by Kevin Pietersen, whose 113 was laden with the customary array of attacking strokes.  Given England's perilous position, it was a further vindication of the team management's decision to reintegrate Pietersen with his teammates after a very public falling out.

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