Warriors favourites to sign Blair
The Melbourne Storm moved a step closer to securing the NRL minor premiership by beating the North Queensland Cowboys 26- 8 in last night’s late game. The sixth- placed Cowboys led 8- 6 after kicking a 19thminute penalty but didn’t score again. The Storm scored a try in the last minute of both halves on their way to a win which puts them four points clear at the top of the table. The Wellington Phoenix have made a major statement of intent ahead of this year’s A- League football campaign, signing fringe Socceroos playmaker and former Western Sydney and Adelaide player Dario Vidosic. The versatile Vidosic, who can play on either flank, or even as a deep- lying striker, departed the Wanderers in 2016 after one season in red and black to sign for Chinese club Liaoning Whowin. He quickly moved on to Korean outfit Seongnam FC, before signing for the Nix yesterday, where he’ll be joined by father and assistant coach Rado. Silver Ferns netball midcourter Grace Rasmussen will return to Auckland for next year’s ANZ Premiership, signing with the Northern Stars. The Stars confirmed Rasmussen as their first player signing for the new season after the midcourter was let go by the Waikato- BOP Magic. Newly- named Stars coach Kiri Wills said it was great to be able to build the squad. Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane scored centuries and shared an unbroken 211- run partnership as a dominant India ended the first day of the second cricket test against Sri Lanka at 344- 3. Pujara was unbeaten on 128, his 13th century in his 50th test. Rahane was not out on 103, his ninth test century. The Tall Blacks have crashed to a heavy loss to a Chinese selection at the four- team basketball tournament in Chengdu. A day after losing by five points to Lithuania, the young New Zealand side had no answer to the home team, who shot with relentless accuracy in an 89- 62 win. Coach Paul Henare wasn’t too dispirited at his team’s performance, saying the attitude was better than during the Lithuania loss. “Once the floodgates opened it was tough to stop,” he said. Two leading Kiwi medal hopefuls have cruised into semifinals at the doubles squash world championships in Manchester. Women’s top seeds Joelle King and Amanda LandersMurphy continued their unbeaten form from pool play, beating seventhseeded Welsh opponents Tesni Evans and Deon Saffery 11- 9, 11- 8 in yesterday’s quarter- final. Nearly as emphatic were fourth- seeed New Zealand men Paul Coll and Campbell Grayson, who beat English sixth seeds Richards and Selby 11- 7, 11- 7. Coll and King haved book a berth in the mixed double quarter- finals. Wallabies rugby coach Michael Cheika has named seven uncapped players, including former league stars Curtis Rona and Marika Koroibete, in a 34- man squad for the first Bledisloe Cup test against the All Blacks. Rona and Force midfield partner Billy Meakes, wing Koroibete and Reds three- quarter Izaia Perese, lock Izack Rodda, backrower Adam Korczyk and hooker Jordan Uelese are the newcomers in a squad partially shaped by injuries. Parramatta’s Frank Pritchard has laughed off suggestions he was bitten by good mate David Klemmer during his side’s NRL win over Canterbury at ANZ Stadium on Thursday night. In a strange post- script to the 20- 4 win — the Eels’ sixth on the trot — Pritchard was forced to deny suggestions he was bitten on the face by his former teammate. Pritchard said it was a joke between the pair which had gone too far.