| Gilmour threatens to poop Saints' party Giants' ex-Saint will not let sentiment get in the way for the last match at Knowsley Road, with Keiron Cunningham bowing outKeiron Cunningham has been mentally preparing to wish Knowsley Road a fond farewell throughout his own swansong season. Back in January, halfway up Millbank Tower overlooking the Thames for the official Super League launch, the great St Helens hooker dismissed the possibility that he could be tempted to play on for one more year and therefore appear at the new stadium that is due for completion next August."People have asked me about going on for another year so I can play in the new stadium but I'm happy to finish with the old one," he said. "My heart is Knowsley Road – it is a bit of a shed but the atmosphere is second to none."Tomorrow night Cunningham will adorn that shed for one last time in his 495th Saints appearance, as they aim to reach a fifth successive Grand Final."It's going to be an emotional night, of course it is," said the 33-year-old. The worry for Cunningham and Saints ahead of a tricky semi-final against the under-rated Huddersfield Giants is that they have already used up their allocation of happy endings. The club staged its official farewell to the ground three weeks ago for the last league game of the season against Castleford, to avoid the uncertainty surrounding play-off fixtures and to ensure all the gate receipts went into their coffers rather than being split between all 14 Super League clubs.Cunningham provided the perfect finish on that occasion, crashing over for a last-minute try that secured the 10-point victory necessary to earn another home game the following Friday in the first round of the play-offs against Warrington. "You couldn't have made that up," he later agreed.The Warrington game also stuck to a suitable script, with Cunningham rumbling down the blind side for another crucial score as Saints maintained their hold over the Wolves with plenty to spare.But whereas Saints went into that derby with confidence – and the knowledge that even if they lost they would have another opportunity to sign off from Knowsley Road in more fitting style – this time there is a hint of unease. Everyone at the club, from the coach, Mick Potter, and the captain, Cunningham, downwards, was uncomfortable at being forced to select their opponents under Super League's controversial Club Call system.They tried to take emotion out of the decision by stressing they were always going to choose the lower-ranked of the two available teams, which meant sending Wigan across the Pennines to face the champions Leeds and inviting Huddersfield to be the last opponents at Knowsley Road, where they have not won since 1978. But Cunningham knows that the Giants are dangerous and that in Lee Gilmour they possess a player who also has a host of happy memories of the Saints' shed – and, like him, is 80 minutes away from a record-equalling eighth Grand Final appearance.Gilmour played 146 times in six seasons with St Helens from 2004‑09, lining up alongside Cunningham at Old Trafford in each of the past four years having already reached two of the first three Grand Finals with Wigan and another with Bradford. He already shares one distinction with Cunningham, as the pair will have appeared on opposite sides in the last game at each of old Lancashire's most celebrated rugby league venues, having been involved in the grand farewell to Wigan's Central Park back in 1999.But only one of them will be at Old Trafford on Saturday week to match the tally of Grand Final appearances shared by Jamie Peacock and Leon Pryce. "Keiron's a mate," said Gilmour. "But if I have my way, it's going to be a sad day for him. It's a shame. I'd like to be able to cheer for him but I can't. We've worked hard this year and we want to get to the Grand Final and win it."St HelensSuper LeagueHuddersfield GiantsRugby leagueAndy Wilsonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Cowboys team up with MJ training The Dallas Cowboys have named McKinney-based Michael Johnson Performance as the team's official training partner. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Chisora to fight Klitschko for world title • Chisora lines up title chances against Wladimir and Vitali• Haye has failed to land bouts despite protracted negotiationsDerek "Del Boy" Chisora, from Zimbabwe via north London, would seem to have landed the most audacious double in recent heavyweight history: consecutive world title chances against the Klitschko brothers, Wladimir and Vitali.The unbeaten British and Commonwealth champion says he has signed to challenge Wladimir for his WBO and IBF titles in Mannheim, Germany, on 11 December. If he were to win that fight (not altogether impossible even though he has had only 14 professional contests), he claims he is guaranteed a date against Vitali for the elder brother's WBC belt.Beating both the Klitschkos would eclipse the deeds of Britain's other world champion heavyweight, the WBA title-holder, David Haye, who has failed to land a fight with either of them despite protracted negotiations over the past couple of years. A unification fight between the two Londoners would send profits and ratings off the scale.But it is way too early to contemplate such an improbable script. Haye still has a tricky defence against his one-time friend Audley Harrison in Manchester on 13 November. "This is about glory for me and becoming the heavyweight champion of the world," the 26-year-old Chisora said."Haye will not fight the Klitschkos as long as they are champions, but I'm up for the fight. The Klitschkos have ruled for too long and I can't wait to get into the ring in Germany and smash the living daylights out of Wladimir first. Vitali is waiting in the background and I'll deal with him once I've dealt with Wladimir."Chisora, who stopped Sam Sexton to add the Norwich fighter's Commonwealth title to the British belt he already owned, acknowledged that, "Wladimir is a good strong champion, technically excellent," but added: "I'm a young, fresh and hungry challenger and I've got the punch to back me up. An opportunity like this may not come around again or for a long time so I've got to take it now and believe me, one shot is all I need."Chisora's promoter, Frank Warren, concedes the fighter will not make a huge amount. "When I talked to him," Warren said, "he insisted that I take it. Unlike David Haye, for Derek this is about the challenge, not the money. He really believes that he can beat Wladimir. It's in the contract that, if he beats Wladimir, then he has to face Vitali next."He's taking himself out of London and into a training camp, away from any distractions, to totally focus on the fight."BoxingKevin Mitchellguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Halftime: NFL needs to keep a clear head on helmet hits I'm all for making the NFL a safe place to earn a living, but it's kind of comical to see the league take up this crusade about two decades too ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
Joachim Löw’s men on a high after thrashing Australia Read Simon Barnes on Capello's mistakes and live coverage of the World Cup latest at The Times's new website timesonline.co.uk |