| Browns QB Delhomme still out with injured ankle By TOM WITHERS 2010-09-16T16:34:18ZBEREA, Ohio (AP) -- Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme missed his second straight practice because of an injured right ankle.... hosted.ap.org |
George Blanda dies Pro football Hall of Famer and Bay Area sports legend George Blanda has died at age 83. feeds.bizjournals.com |
Robinson's call-up derails wedding plan • Scrum-half hopes to make England debut against Kiwis• 'There have been a lot of heart-to-hearts, a lot of tears'Luke Robinson was expecting to fly to Las Vegas this week for a five-day stag party, ahead of his wedding in Cyprus on 25 October. But thanks to a very understanding fiancee, the baby-faced Huddersfield scrum-half will instead head for New Zealand with England's Four Nations squad, and hopes to make his senior international debut against the Kiwis in Wellington two days before the marriage had been planned."There have been a lot of heart to heart talks in bed, and a lot of tears," said Robinson – whose intended, Laura Towler, has become a familiar sight at Huddersfield matches in recent years, joining the 25-year-old's sister and a few other friends in the various lurid uniforms of the Luke Robinson Fan Club."But how can you turn this down? She understands, even if she was crying when saying it – that's why I'm marrying her. She's still going to Cyprus with 60-odd of my family and friends, and six of my mates are heading for the stag do in Las Vegas without me this week. There have been a few difficult phone calls to make to people, explaining they're going to my wedding that I'm not going to be at."Towler, a schoolteacher in Halifax, is now rearranging the wedding for later in the winter. "She's got straight on to that," added Robinson. "She's booked us in for a week after we get back. I think she might be looking at new cars as well."Robinson is so desperate to seize this chance of making a mark at international level that he assured the England coach Steve McNamara of his availability even when his selection was only provisional. "I'd heard a little whisper that Luke was getting married, so I phoned him up last Monday," McNamara said. "At that stage I couldn't guarantee anything, I just wanted to check if he would be available. He said yes straight away, without any hesitation. I don't think you could have any better example of the sort of commitment we're looking for from the players on this tour."Robinson is the latest example of a player who has prospered since being prematurely rejected by Wigan – although it has taken him a while. He was one of the most highly-rated young talents in the game when he joined them as a teenager, and a key figure in the England Under-19s team who claimed an historic series victory over the Junior Kangaroos under the coaching of Mike Gregory in 2002. But Wigan offloaded him to Salford because of salary cap pressures two years later, and it is only in the last two years since the Australian coach Nathan Brown arrived at Huddersfield that he has started to fulfil his potential.Brown has described Robinson as "pound for pound one of the toughest competitors I've seen", and compared him to Geoff Toovey, an Australian scrum-half famous for the aggression hidden by his cherubic looks and diminutive physique.Robinson finalised his wedding date shortly after being omitted from an initial squad of 36 named by McNamara earlier this summer, which seemed to leave him well out of the Four Nations picture. But while he impressed in Huddersfield's run to within one match of the Super League grand final, the established England half-backs Danny McGuire and Kyle Eastmond have been ruled out by injuries, leaving Robinson with a real chance of being selected in the key No7 position for the first game of the tournament against New Zealand.McNamara also highlighted his ability to fill in at hooker, a position where he will be challenged by his Huddersfield team-mate Shaun Lunt as the back-up to James Roby of St Helens. Four more Huddersfield players have been included, leaving the Giants with greater representation in the squad than any other Super League club. Eorl Crabtree has been recalled after missing the mid-season international against France, Kevin Brown retains his place, and they are joined by the promising three-quarter Leroy Cudjoe and Darrell Griffin, a prop who started playing rugby league for the Oxford Cavaliers.Tony Clubb, a Harlequins centre from Gravesend, is the second southerner in the squad, and there is a well-deserved recall for the experienced Wigan prop Stuart Fielden four years after his last Great Britain appearance in the 2006 Tri-Nations series. Fielden also had a tricky personal decision to make, with his wife due to have their first child any day. England will fly out to Auckland on Friday to prepare for a warm-up match against New Zealand Maori on Saturday week. As expected, the Warrington prop Adrian Morley has been appointed captain following the loss of Jamie Peacock with ruptured knee ligaments.England Squad:Backs R Atkins (Warrington), T Briscoe (Hull), K Brown (Huddersfield), T Clubb (Harlequins), L Cudjoe (Huddersfield), D Goulding (Wigan), R Hall (Leeds), L Robinson (Huddersfield), S Tomkins (Wigan), M Shenton (Castleford), G Widdop (Melbourne). Forwards S Burgess (South Sydney), E Crabtree (Huddersfield), G Ellis (Wests Tigers), S Fielden (Wigan), J Graham (St Helens), D Griffin (Huddersfield), B Harrison (Warrington), S Lunt (Huddersfield), A Morley (Warrington, capt), S O'Loughlin (Wigan), J Roby (St Helens), J Tomkins (Wigan), B Westwood (Warrington).England rugby league teamFour NationsHuddersfield 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 |
Barnes gets off to fast start for North Carolina at first practice Freshman Harrison Barnes had 13 points to lead the White team in North Carolina's intrasquad scrimmage to start the preseason practice Friday ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |
NCAA study reveals football graduation rates at all-time high The NCAA delivered some encouraging off-the-field news for major-college football Wednesday: Player graduation rates took a three-point jump ... rssfeeds.usatoday.com |