MELBOURNE recorded a 32-6 victory over Gold Coast in an historic NRL trial at Coffs Harbour, but the youthful Titans were gallant in defeat against a star-studded opposition.

The Titans' 28-man squad, drawn mainly from the Queensland Cup for the club's first ever game, put up a brave fight against the 2006 grand finalist at a packed BCU International Stadium.

Melbourne only hit the after-burners in the final 20 minutes as the score blew out after tries to winger William Chambers, who jagged a double, back rower Sam Tagataese and fullback Billy Slater.
Former Storm winger Chris Walker, who bagged his side's only try, hobbled off the field in the 78th minute with a suspected knee injury.

The anticipated payback against Melbourne's Steve Turner – who reneged on a three-year agreement with the Titans – failed to materialise as the 22-year-old was kept away from the thick of the action on the wing before shifting to fullback late in the game.

Storm coach Craig Bellamy kept 20-year-old superstar Greg Inglis on the sideline for a large chunk of the match making it difficult to gauge his performance in the unfamiliar five-eighth role, although the Queensland and Australia winger was dangerous out wide.

Storm was expected to smash the Titans, who fielded a team chock-full of state league players sprinkled with a handful of NRL first graders.
Gold Coast stars Mat Rogers, Scott Prince, Luke Bailey and Preston Campbell were rested for the match but are expected to get a run against Parramatta in Lismore next weekend.

The "baby Titans" acquitted themselves well and trailed only 12-6 after an hour's play.
Melbourne jumped to a 12-0 lead after 11 minutes through converted tries to skipper Dallas Johnson and former Newcastle centre Anthony Quinn.

The Titans were solid in defence and able to repel Storm's array of attacking weapons, including speedsters Inglis and Slater.
Walker, playing for a contract over the next three weeks, scored an opportunist 34th minute when he won a scramble for a Kaufmann grubber.

Pint-sized halfback Isaac Kaufmann was one of the best for the Titans while Johnson put in a typical tradesman-like effort for Storm.

TITANS 6 v STORM 32

Scorers Titans: C Walker try. C Walker goal.Scorers Storm: W Chambers 2, D Johnson, A Quinn, S Tagataese, B Slater tries. C Smith 4 goals.

BCU International Stadium, Coffs Harbour, NSW

7.30pm

David Myles (c) Titans, Dallas Johnson (c) Storm

Referee: Tony Archer

HALF TIME: Storm 12-6

FULL TIME: Storm 32-6

SYDNEY Roosters' delight at winning the inaugural Foundation Cup was tempered by a devastating injury to Chris Flannery with the Queensland Origin utility set to spend an extended stint on the sidelines with a suspected broken ankle.

Flannery, a late inclusion for the Roosters' first NRL trial of the season after Adam Schubert succumbed to a knee injury, was taken from the field on a medicab just eight minutes from full-time in the match won 10-4 by the Roosters at Aussie Stadium.

"I felt something go, it may be a fracture or a break in the ankle," a dejected Flannery said just before setting off for an x-ray. "When I came up here (the dressing room) it was sort of moving all over the place. It doesn't feel too good."
Club doctor John Orchard said the best case scenario would see Flannery return in eight weeks while a four-month stint on the sidelines was the worst prognosis.

The news may also be bad for new prop Chris Beattie after he was put on report for a high tackle on Tigers hooker Robbie Farah. The double blow took the gloss off what was an ideal way for the Roosters to kick off the club's 100-year anniversary celebrations, with a healthy crowd of 16,198 turning up.

Both sides rested several stars with Craig Fitzgibbon, Braith Anasta and Anthony Minichiello missing for the Roosters and Brett Hodgson and five-eighth Benji Marshall amongst the Tigers absentees.
The game never reached any great heights as both teams blew out the cobwebs following a long off-season.

New Roosters coach Chris Anderson was upset at a couple of bombed chances which cost his side an easier win.
He also admitted he was still none the wiser as to who he will play in the halves after both Mitchell Pearce and Jamie Soward impressed for the home side.

Pearce played the first 40 minutes while Soward came on after the break to score the match-winning try after wingers Taniela Tuiaki and John Williams traded first half four-pointers.
"The way we executed the things we've been doing at training I thought was good... we lost our shape a bit in attack but that's what happens when it's a new attack," Anderson said.

"I thought both the halfbacks did some good things, I was really pleased with Mitchell Pearce – first game stepping up – he copped a couple of good whacks.
"It was a bit harder for Jamie in the second half because we got a bit tired and we lost a bit of shape.
"It hasn't sorted (the halfback dilemma) out really."

Tigers new half John Morris was amongst his side's best with Tim Sheens more than happy to see no new injury worries come out of the match.

TIGERS 4 v ROOSTERS 10(Foundation Cup)
Scorers Tigers: T Tuiaki try. D Collis 0/1 goals.Scorers
Roosters: J Williams try. J Soward 1/1, S Foley 0/1 goals.
Aussie Stadium, Sydney, NSW
7.30pm
HALF TIME: 4-all
FULL TIME: Roosters 10-4
Crowd: 16,128

Parramatta Ice the Sharks
(DJ Alamo Predicts Exact Result)

MICHAEL Hagan's reign as Parramatta coach got off to the best possible start with an understrength Eels outfit beating the Sharks 36-14 in a NRL trial in Parkes.

The Eels scored seven tries to the Sharks three in what was the first hitout for both sides ahead of the season proper, which kicks off in just under four weeks.

Hagan chose to rest most of his first-choice squad for the match but the Eels still had too much class for the Sharks, with young Parramatta halves Blake Green and Feleti Mateo particularly impressive.

Despite their performance they are still likely to find themselves in Premier League for round one of the NRL with Hagan insisting he was set to go with Tim Smith and new buy Brett Finch in the halves for the trip to New Zealand when the Eels meet New Zealand Warriors in the season opener.

Stand-in skipper Mark Riddell also showed he was ready for a big season with a try and two goals in a typically robust performance, while former Sydney Rooster Richard Fa'aoso did his claims for a place in the Eels pack no end of good with a powerful debut.

"It probably doesn't mean too much but it's good to get the season off to a winning start," said Hagan, who would have been just as relieved to see his side get through the game without any injury concerns.
While the scoreline wouldn't have left on smile on new Sharks coach Ricky Stuart's face, he would have been happy to have seen Ben Ross get through the game unscathed.

The former Queensland Origin front rower was playing his first game in almost 10 months following a knee reconstruction.

Halfback Brett Kearney, former Manly three-quarter Paul Stephenson and young centre Dane Neilsen scored tries for the Sharks, while former Brisbane centre Fraser Anderson showed he was ready for a lengthy stint in the top grade with a solid display.

EELS 36 v SHARKS 14
Pioneer Oval, Parkes, NSW 6.00pm
HALF TIME: Eels 22 - Sharks 10
3/4 TIME: Eels 30 - Sharks 14
FULL TIME: Eels 36 - Sharks 14
Crowd: 8,071

Smith: Akward times at Parramatta

New Newcastle Knights coach Brian Smith says he felt let down by certain members of his former club Parramatta last year.

Smith left the Eels mid-season in controversial circumstances, when he decided his presence was hindering the side's on-field performance.
He said he was still disappointed at the way he was treated at Parramatta during his last season.

"Personally I think it was more about some of the other people in the place who just didn't react the same way they had around me in the previous seasons," Smith said.
"It's always an awkward thing, I'm not pretending it's easy but it was dissapointing for me."

This article was reported by NRL News. NRL News writes daily articles on NRL Rugby League, including predictions, assessment and unique content. We also encourage NRL fans to provide their feedback on all topics, and we also carry all NRL game reviews, and points table / ladder.

NRL News is for the fans!

www.NRLnews.com

Injuries Hit Foundation Cup Clubs

West Tigers have lost Ben Galea to a hamstring injury, he will be replaced by Bronson Harrison. The Tigers already missing Hodgson and Marshall, will find it tough against a Roosters side now packing some punch.

The Roosters while losing Halfback Josh Lewis (shoulder) and lock Adam Schubert (knee) for the Aussie Stadium trial, are able to throw in Chris Flannery to start at No.13 and Craig Wing on to the bench.

Hooker Wing said he was glad to be getting some match time.

"It was always going to be hard to watch this one from the stands," Wing said.

"The boys have been training the house down since last October and I'm just excited to be kicking-off our 100th year in front of our home fans."

Wing and Flannery will add experience to a young Roosters side attempting to make a winning start in 2007 against the 2005 premiers.

Sharks keen to start with a win

The Sharks left Sydney yesterday for the NSW country town of Parkes for their first hit out for 2007.

A squad made up primarily of young up and comers and the Sharks new recruits, the team to face the Eels will take on a new look as the Sharks take to the field for their initial outing under the Ricky Stuart 'regime'.

In the absence of David Simmons, Dustin Cooper will stake a claim for the number one jersey, with Simmons likely to miss at least one round of the competition proper as he continues to recover from off-season shoulder surgery.

In the halves, Brett Seymour and Brett Kearney have the chance to show their wares, with the incumbent half-five eighth combination of Brett Kimmorley and Adam Dykes not making the trip to Parkes for the opening trial match. Both are expected to play limited game time in the final two trials.

And in the forwards, Ben Ross, after missing the majority of 2006 with a knee injury, will play his first game since round eight last year when he tackles the Eels in Parkes. Coach Stuart has said he will give Ross extensive game time in a bid to rebuild his timing and confidence.

The Sharks play the Eels at Pioneer Oval in Parkes, with the match kicking off on Saturday night at 6.00pm.

The Sharks team, with a likely run-on side, for Saturday night;

Dustin Cooper, Matt Raftery, Dane Nielsen, Travis Robinson, Fraser Anderson, Brett Seymour, Brett Kearney, Ben Ross, Isaac De Gois, Jacob Selmes, Phil Leuluai, Paul Stephenson, Cameron Ciraldo. Interchange - Henry Perenara, Misi Taulapapa, Scott Porter, Michael Greenfield, Sitaleki Timani, Brett Finn, Dayne Weston, Wendall Wilson and Bryson Goodwin.

Mini drives to Hell and Back

Ten months - ten long and painful months of heartache, pain, agony, torment and pure hard work. This has been the story for the past year for the former Australian, NSW and current Sydney Roosters fullback Anthony Minichello.

Anthony Minichello has not played a first grade game since April last year when his L5 disc lodged against his sciatic nerve which was described by doctors as they worst they have seen.

It took not only surgery to fix the problem but it took from him his 2006 season including Origin and Australian representative jumpers as well as enforcing on him months and months of rehab.

It at one stage was so bad that not only could he hardly get up, let alone do daily every life activities there was a possibility that he may never play football again.

But the 2005 Golden Boot winner did not let that get to him as his desire to make it back into that football jumper again grew and grew each day.

"At no stage has he given in. He's always had the bigger picture in mind. He has always had it in his head that he would play again,'' said Roosters strength and conditioning Coach Ben Gardner.

"He's showed a whole lot of desire and commitment."

Minichello does whatever he can to get back to the way he used to be.

"Even now, when I'm not doing anything at home, I'll jump on the Swiss ball while I'm watching telly - it's worth it,'' Minichiello said.

Although the progress that has been shown is outstanding this unfortunate injury has also come at a permanent price as he now must not only change his running style but must restrict his training schedule to release as much pressure as possible on his back.

He is in good hands though as specialists from the Australian Institute of Sport are working on a method to alter his running style that ultimately led to the movement of his L5 disc.

"His schedule will be monitored daily. I think he'd rather modify his training than not play football at all,'' Gardner said.

Minichello is expected to take the field in the first round clash against rivals South Sydney with a possible chance of him being included in one of two upcoming trials.

Will Minichello be able to get back to his hard hitting, tackle breaking form that got him countless representative honours and the 2005 Golden Boot, or will the niggling injury cause Minichello to never be the same again?