Meninga cleared of wrong doing

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Cleared ... the NRL will take no action against Mal Meninga. Source: Adam Head / News Limited

Queensland coach Mal Meninga has been cleared by the NRL integrity unit of any wrong doing after he was asked to leave a Brisbane hotel on Tuesday night.

The newly formed unit reviewed a report from the Queensland Rugby League and conducted their own interviews into the incident and found Meninga had no case to answer.

"The inquiries found no suggestion of intoxicated or anti-social behaviour that would warrant further action," the NRL said in a statement on Thursday evening.

Earlier, despite admitting he broke team protocol by being asked to leave the hotel, Meninga blamed the media for creating yet another off-field rugby league controversy.

Hours after declaring he was fed up with rugby league's image being tarnished by alcohol-related off-field behaviour, Meninga earned the ire of staff at a Brisbane CBD hotel as the Maroons celebrated the 30th birthdays of skipper Cameron Smith and fullback Billy Slater.

Staff intervened and told Meninga to leave after he stepped behind a service area asking for a beer at around 1am AEST on Wednesday morning.

Meninga fronted a media conference at the Queensland team's Sunshine Coast camp on Thursday morning to acknowledge the incident - then took aim at the media, accusing them of blowing it out of proportion.

"When national TV uses it as a lead story this morning I find it quite ludicrous really," he said.

"I am a little bit disappointed with the way it has been managed by the media to be honest.

"I know I have said some things in recent times about behaviour, about acting responsibly, but I thought I did that.

"It was very, very minor. Now all of a sudden it is national news. I think it is a bit silly.

"It's a bit of a storm in a tea cup."

Meninga admitted he broke the team's "culture of trust" with his hotel gaffe but was gobsmacked that the incident had been added to the code's long list of off-field scandals by the media.

Those scandals include the indecent assault charge against NSW winger Blake Ferguson and high range drink driving charge against NSW prop James Tamou, both of whom have been suspended.

"That's the whole issue isn't it, about what happened to me and trying to lump it in with all the bad behaviour that is happening in the game," he said.

"It's disappointing because I haven't been charged with anything.

"There was no confrontation - I didn't do anything wrong really.

"I wasn't intoxicated. I wasn't assisted from the bar. I left on my own accord ... I did what I thought was the right thing to do."

Meninga scoffed at suggestions the team should not have been at a backpackers bar in the early hours of the morning after recent events.

"Please. Who in this audience hasn't been out at one o'clock in the morning celebrating a milestone?" he said.

"I know we've got responsibilities. But it's about being treated as an adult.

"As long as you are accountable for your own actions. That's why I'm standing here today.

"I'm being accountable, I'm being honest. I did the wrong thing, I stepped behind the bar, that's it." 

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Carlton fan banned for bottle throw

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Sanction ... a Carlton fan has been banned for two years for throwing a bottle in Friday's clash. Source:AAP

A Carlton fan is banned from Etihad Stadium for two years and will face a police fine for throwing a bottle at the umpires at the end of last week's AFL loss to Hawthorn.

The fan threw a half-empty bottle from the top deck of the stadium and it landed near the umpires as they left the field.

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The Blues said the 36-year-old man contacted them and apologised while also giving up his Carlton membership.

Victoria Police also interviewed him and will fine him $282.

"While it was understood the offender, according to police, had acted out of character, his actions were potentially very dangerous," stadium manager Paul Sergeant said in a statement.

Blues fans were furious with the lopsided free kick count as the Hawks overcame a strong challenge from Carlton to win by 15 points.

Carlton coach Mick Malthouse was also sharply critical of the umpires in his post-match media conference.

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Mug's Guide to NBA Game 7

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This is it ... the Spurs and Heat will go head-to-head in the final game of the series. Source: Lynne Sladky / AP

It's the game the basketball world has been waiting for - and NBA bean-counters would have been praying for - Game 7 between the Miami Heat and the San Antonio Spurs.

WHEN AND WHERE?

The series-deciding Game 7 takes place at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, and starts at 11am on Friday AEST.

You can follow our live blog with basketball expert Boti Nagy below for instant updates throughout the game.

WHO'S PLAYING

The Miami Heat are the team everyone – apart from a fair amount of Floridians – love to hate. Why? Exhibit A: LeBron James.

Widely considered the best player since the great Michael Jordan, James left his home town side the Cleveland Cavaliers after a cringe-inducing live ESPN broadcast titled The Decision.

That he would flaunt said decision to flee the town to hook up with one of his biggest rivals – Dwayne Wade – in South Beach meant the sporting public didn't need persuading to make him enemy No 1.

James joined A-listers Chris Bosh and Wade at the Heat to create The Big Three, and what appeared to be an unstoppable basketball force.

To the delight of neutrals, they were taken down by a Dirk Nowitski-inspired Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, giving plenty of ammo to those saying you couldn't buy a championship.

But last year the Heat claimed the crown - with LeBron claiming the NBA Finals MVP award - as the Heat steamrolled the Oklahoma City Thunder by four games to one.

This season, the Heat took their play to another level, at one stage rattling off 27 straight wins, and LeBron was a near unanimous winner of his fourth MVP trophy. However, the feeling is the Heat will have to win on Friday for the big man to enter the pantheon of all-time greats.

The San Antonio Spurs, meanwhile, are the quiet achievers of the NBA.

Coached by the wonderfully grumpy Gregg Popovich (more of him later), the Spurs have won four championships in the past 15 years, their last coming in 2007.

They have never failed to win an NBA finals once they've made it to the final round, a record bettered only by the Chicago Bulls (six without loss).

Of course that proud record could be lost on Friday, and many feel that the Spurs' inability to close out Game 6 means Friday's result is a foregone conclusion.

But with veteran Tony Parker in close-to-career-best form, the ageless Tim Duncan and role players such as Danny Green playing out of their skin, if any team can come up with one last bloody-minded push to glory, it's the Spurs.

WHO'S IN CHARGE?

The Heat's Erik Spoelstra, a 42-year-old who started at the Heat as a video co-ordinator in 1995, is often dismissed as an irrelevance to the Heat's recent success, considering the playing talent he has at his disposal.

But although he lacks the experience and gravitas of his opposite number, that 27-game win streak has bought him a new level of respect in the league.

San Antonio's Gregg Popovich, or Coach Pop, as he is commonly known, doesn't need to earn anyone's respect, and probably wouldn't give a damn whether he got it or not.

One of the most experienced coaches in the history of the sport, his 118 playoff wins as a coach rank him third in NBA history behind only Phil Jackson and Pat Riley, and he holds the record for wins with a single team.

He's also a hilariously spiky presence both during and after games, as the video below clearly demonstrates.

THE SERIES SO FAR

The finals series stands at three games each, after an unusual amount of one-sided contests.

The Spurs shaded a tight opening game in Miami before being humbled at the same venue by 19 points in Game 2.

The first game in San Antonio was an embarrassment for the champions, with the Spurs demolishing them by 36 points.

Famously though, this Heat team do not lose two on the trot (not since January at any rate) and stormed back to take out Game 4 by 16.

San Antonio won their last home game to sit just one game away from glory, which they came agonisingly close to achieving on Wednesday in Game 6 at Miami.

In a game for the ages, the Spurs looked most likely for most of the second half and were five points ahead entering the final minute of regulation time (leading many Miami "fans" to head to head for the exits).

NBA officials even had the yellow tape out for the post-game presentation ceremony (something the Heat players said afterwards they had noticed), but some jittery decision-making by the Spurs helped the home side creep back to within three.

The stage was set for the veteran Ray Allen - one of the greatest three-point shooters of all time - to drain a shot with five seconds on the clock, force the game into overtime and send the (remaining) crowd into raptures

The home side regrouped and eventually prevailed by three points, with Allen again the hero as he nailed some late clutch free throws.

WHO WILL WIN?

The prevailing wisdom is that the Spurs have missed their shot by not sealing the deal in Game 6 - TAB has priced a Heat win at $1.36, with the Spurs $3.20 to prevail.

If you like statistical trends though, the Spurs are due, with the Heat needing to break a trend of win-loss-win-loss-etc that they've managed to cultivate throughout the Conference Finals and this series, a sequence that now stretches to 13 games.

Follow all the action LIVE with basketball expert Boti Nagy below from 11am Friday AEST

On a mobile device? Click here for a better viewing experience

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Milne satisfied with Saints' reaction

Out ... Stephen Milne has sought assurances he will be able to play again.. Source: Wayne Ludbey / Herald Sun

Stephen Milne has left a meeting with St Kilda board members happy with how the club is treating him as he faces rape charges, says teammate Nick Dal Santo.

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The veteran forward reportedly received an assurance at Thursday's meeting that he will play again in the AFL.

A group of Saints players and coach Scott Watters met board members to clarify Milne's future, a day after the club announced an indefinite suspension for the forward.

The Saints stood down Milne on Wednesday, after Victoria Police charged him with four counts of rape.

Dal Santo, one of those who attended the meeting, said players had been left unsatisfied by the initial explanation for Milne's suspension they received from a board member on Wednesday.

"We needed some more clarity on that and I think we walked away still asking some questions,'' Dal Santo told the Nine Network's AFL Footy Show on Thursday night.

"We went to the club today, 18 of the senior boys which included Milney (and met) three board directors and the senior coach again.

"We went through it and we walked away understanding exactly what it's about.

"Milney was happy with the decision and where it's heading and so were we.''

Dal Santo, who along with Saints captain Nick Riewoldt will play his 250th AFL game on Saturday against Melbourne, said he was disappointed Milne wouldn't be part of it.

He said it had been a tough week for all of the players and coaching staff.

"I would have loved Steve to play in mine and also Nick Riewoldt's 250th game this weekend,'' Dal Santo said.

"It's obviously very disappointing.

"But with that, I understand the club's decision, fully support what they've decided to do.

"At the end of the day, it's about Milney's welfare.''

The Saints have cancelled a planned media conference for Dal Santo and Riewoldt.

The pair were originally scheduled to speak to the media on Wednesday.

When it emerged that Milne had been charged, that media conference was rescheduled for Friday.

But on Thursday night, the Saints announced the pair would not be made available and Watters would speak on Friday instead.

Milne's manager Tom Petroro also released a statement on Thursday through the AFL Players' Association, pleading for his client's privacy to be respected.

"Stephen is taking the legal matter very seriously and has engaged lawyers to represent him to contest the charges,'' Petroro said.

"Like every citizen, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

It is requested that the privacy of Stephen, his wife and his family be respected during this time.''

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Del Piero, Ono to lead All Stars

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Fan favourite ... Alessandro Del Piero Source: Brett Costello / News Limited

Crowd favourites Alessandro Del Piero and Shinji Ono will spearhead the A-League All Stars side when they take on English champions Manchester United in Sydney next month.

Voting for the All Stars side ended on Thursday when coach Ange Postecoglou and an expert panel that included Han Berger, Craig Moore, Tony Vidmar, Mark Bosnich and Stan Lazaridis cast their votes for the starting XI plus four substitutes.

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More than 30,000 fans voted on the team with the system giving most weight to their wishes, with input from the expert panel, A-League players themselves and Postecoglou.

Newcomers Western Sydney Wanderers have four representatives including Ono in the team to meet United at ANZ Stadium on July 20. The Central Coast Mariners and the Melbourne Victory also have four each.

It will be one of the English champions' first official engagements since the retirement of long-time manager Alex Ferguson.

A-League All Stars: Ante Covic (Western Sydney Wanderers), Pedj Bojic (Sydney FC), Nikolai Topor-Stanley (Wanderers), Patrick Zwaanswijk (Central Coast Mariners), Adama Traore (Melbourne Victory), Thomas Broich (Brisbane Roar), Mark Milligan (Victory), Michael McGlinchey (Mariners), Archie Thompson (Victory), Alessandro Del Piero (Sydney FC), Marco Rojas (Victory)

Substitutes: Mathew Ryan (Mariners), Shinji Ono (Wanderers), Youssouf Hersi (Wanderers), Trent Sainsbury (Mariners)

Coach: Ange Postecoglou (Victory)

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Revolutionising sports coverage

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Welcome to the revolution ... University of Toyko have developed an amazing new camera. Source: Kathy Willens / AP

Researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a high-speed, fast-tracking camera that could revolutionise sports coverage.

The camera is still in the testing phase, but in-lab demos have been highly successful and the university is starting to test the camera outside.

The camera uses a group of lenses and mirrors that flick rapidly so that the camera doesn't have to move.

The camera, which focuses on the ball rather than predicting its movement, may change how baseball and soccer are viewed.

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Warning: if squeamish, do not watch! Viewer descretion is advised. 

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Assistant Professor of The University of Tokyo Hiromasa Oku is confident explains how the camera works: "Ordinarily, to change the direction a camera faces, you move the camera mechanically," he said.

"But in this system it's not the camera that moves, it's the mirrors.

"This makes it possible to change where you're looking really quickly.

"The camera captures and processes an image every 1/1000th of a second."

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'Wilko will answer Lions' call'

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Tour ... Stephen Larkham expects Jonny Wilkinson to answer Lions call. Source: David Davies / AAP

Wallabies great Stephen Larkham says he's surprised the British and Irish Lions have named just two five-eighths in their 37-man squad to tour Australia in June and July and doubts Englishman Jonny Wilkinson would refuse a second invitation to play.

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Larkham believes Irishman Jonathan Sexton's experience may earn him the nod at five-eighth over England's Owen Farrell, but added he wouldn't be shocked if Wilkinson also got a late call-up for the 10-match tour.

"You'd expect those two to get through and if you did get an injury to those two you'd bring someone else in, but it is a fairly long tour,'' Larkham said.

"You look at the number of backs versus the number of forwards they've picked, and it's disproportionate there.

"So it wouldn't surprise me if some other backs get called over late and (Wilkinson) could be one of them.''

Wilkinson and Larkham went head to head in the first two Test matches of the 2001 Lions series in which the Wallabies won 2-1.

While Wilkinson is most well-known amongst Australians for that 2003 World Cup-winning drop goal, many believe the intercept he threw to winger Joe Roff in the second Test of the 2001 Lions Tour was the turning point for the Wallabies in that series.

Wilkinson reportedly turned down an invitation to join the 2013 Lions Tour when asked by coach Warren Gatland, yet Larkham doubts the 33-year-old Toulon-contracted flyhalf would be able to resist one last crack in Australia if injuries presented him with a second chance.

"Maybe they're just waiting to see if there's a final and are going to call him up later,'' Larkham joked.

"Initially he might have had that reluctance but the closer it gets, every player that has sort of retired, or announced retirement from international rugby, still has that urge inside them to get back out there and play.

"It's quite historic, it's not England, it's the British and Irish Lions, the next step up and a big honour.''

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Officials to pull plug on inquiry telecast

Racing NSW has denied requests to televise the high-profile More Joyous stewards' inquiry. Source: AAP

REQUESTS to televise the high-profile More Joyous stewards' inquiry have been denied, with racing officials keen to hold the hearing in the same manner as any other.

Racing NSW received applications from television networks to attend Monday's inquiry featuring John Singleton, his former trainer Gai Waterhouse and her bookmaker son Tom as the main players.

The ruling body's chief executive Peter V'landys said it was not in the best interests of anyone concerned to make an exception.

"We don't believe that it would provide the necessary forum for the people involved getting procedural fairness, natural justice and due process," V'landys said.

"We don't want any distractions. It's a very high-profile and serious case and we want to make sure all parties are given every opportunity to present their cases.

"It is a normal stewards' inquiry and it's not appropriate for it to be filmed.

"We had a number of TV stations wanting to do live coverage but it is a serious inquiry and we want to concentrate on that."

Stewards opened an inquiry into the poor performance of the Singleton-owned and Waterhouse-trained More Joyous after she finished second last in Saturday's All Aged Stakes at Randwick.

Waterhouse said the mare had received an antibiotic on Thursday morning but she did not believe it was an issue she needed to tell stewards about.

The inquiry escalated after stewards became aware of public comments by Singleton who announced after the race he had sacked Waterhouse as his trainer because her son had told people More Joyous had a problem and could not win.

Former jockey Allan Robinson has revealed himself as the person who told Singleton, saying he heard it from ex-footballer Andrew Johns.

Robinson and Johns have been asked for statements which will be tendered to the inquiry but V'landys said it would be up to the stewards whether the pair would be asked to appear in person.

Tom Waterhouse has denied saying More Joyous could not win. He said his pay-out on the winner All Too Hard was a "strip-out" and a win by More Joyous, who he backed, was a $300,000 better result for him.

V'landys said stewards were scrutinising betting records on the race from all wagering operators.

He refused to speculate on what, if any, charges might result from the inquiry.

"The stewards will determine what rules if any have been breached," he said.

"No-one has been charged. It is an inquiry and stewards will determine what action, if any, to take after that."

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Ioane off to Stade Francais: report

Au revoir ... Ioane has reportedly decided to join Stade Francais. Source: AAP

Wallabies winger Digby Ioane will leave Queensland Reds and Australian rugby later this year after signing a massive two-year contract with French glamour club Stade Francais.

It's understood Ioane will reap almost $2.5 million but the deal will severely endanger his chances of playing in the 2015 Rugby World Cup.

Queensland Rugby Union chief executive Jim Carmichael on Thursday night confirmed French radio reports the world-class back would link with the Parisian club at the end of the year.

Ioane is regarded among the best wingers in the game and his loss is a major blow to both the Wallabies and the Reds.

One of the country's highest-paid rugby players, earning a reported $800,00 per season, the 34-Test flyer had another year to run on his Reds contract but his ARU deal expired at the end of 2013.

Despite a stand-off between the Reds and Ioane's management last week over alleged third-party payments he felt were owed to him, Carmichael stressed it was an amicable departure.

The pair met face-to-face this week and Carmichael said there were no hard feelings about Ioane taking the chance to provide long-term financial security for his family.

"He goes with our absolute blessing,'' Carmichael told AAP.

"I'm reassured about his feelings toward the Reds and his teammates and he'll always be a part of the Reds family.

"If he chooses to come back to Australian rugby after a couple of years I hope he picks up the phone and we'll welcome him back with open arms.''

While the French season starts in September, the ARU would be unlikely to release him from his current contract until after the spring tour of Europe in late November.

Ioane would still be regarded among the half-dozen certain selections in Robbie Deans' Wallabies starting 15 to play the British and Irish Lions next month.

Ioane's deal looks set to end his chances of playing a second World Cup, kicking off in September 2015 in England, as ARU guidelines stipulate that players must be involved in Super Rugby to be eligible.

The addition of the New Zealand-born, Melbourne-raised 27-year-old is a huge coup for Stade Francais - formerly coached by Australians Michael Cheika, Ewen McKenzie and John Connolly - as they are currently struggling in ninth on the Top 14 ladder.

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Bold bid to takeover Heart

Huge offer ... Melbourne Heart coach John Aloisi with CEO Scott Munn. Source: George Salpigtidis / News Limited

South Melbourne FC has confirmed an offer of more than $3.5 million to buy Melbourne Heart A-League club, and raised the prospect of Brazilian ex-international Emerson as coach.

South Melbourne responded via its Facebook account to reports that they had approached Heart with the offer, only to be rejected.

The statement read in full: "Following yesterday's (Wednesday) media reports … and statements made by the CEO of the Melbourne Heart (Scott Munn) South Melbourne FC wishes to confirm the following:

• South Melbourne FC that it made an offer to acquire 100% of the Melbourne Heart Licence.
• The offer was in excess of 3.5 million
• The offer was made after several discussions between Heart & SMFC Directors.
• South Melbourne FC has received an expression of interest from Emerson (Brazilian Legend) to coach and has already secured Major Sponsors for its A-League ambitions."

Munn said on Wednesday that Heart's owners had no intention of selling.

South Melbourne, which currently competes in the Victorian Premier League – and was also in recent discussions with cash-strapped Central Coast Mariners – reportedly offered a combination of cash and shares and included relocation to Lakeside Stadium, a facility it currently shares with Athletics Victoria.

Munn confirmed the offer and revealed that two offers from overseas investors had also been received in recent months but the club's owners weren't interested in selling a controlling stake.

While Heart's crowds have stagnated, the club will turn a small profit this season and Munn said this made the model enticing to potential investors.

"We've made it very clear we have no interest in taking their offer any further," Munn said.

"We've been approached this year a couple of times, from the Middle East and a European consortium.

"Those conversations were quite open and transparent but we made it very clear that there were some non-negotiables and one of them is that the founding owners always want to retain control.

"We'd love to invest more in areas such as marketing, advertising and most importantly the footy department.

"We can sustain a club, we can post a small profit and that puts us in an enviable position for investors, knowing they won't have to reach into their pocket each year."

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