Chambers seals NRL deal to return to Storm

Updated January 19, 2012 13:58:33

Will Chambers will return to his former NRL club Melbourne after a two-year dalliance with rugby union.

The tall centre has signed a three-year deal with the Storm, who the 23-year-old played 42 games with between 2007 and 2009 before switching codes to play with the Queensland Reds.

Chambers had a topsy-turvy stint in Brisbane, making a quick impression in his first season to be touted as a Wallabies contender before a shoulder injury halted his development.

However, on return from surgery, Chambers spent more time on the bench than on the field as the Reds swept to the Super Rugby title last year.

Chambers was subsequently released by the Reds and joined Irish club Munster on a short-term deal before the Storm's operations manager, Frank Ponissi, travelled to Limerick to discuss a return to Melbourne.

"I have been following Will's progress over the past two years and when I caught up with him in Limerick, it was clear he had a desire to come back to rugby league," said Ponissi.

"Pleasingly we (have completed) our 2012 roster, adding quality depth to our centre position with Dane Nielsen, Maurice Blair and Justin O'Neill."

Chambers, whose last game for Melbourne was in the 2009 grand final-winning team who beat Parramatta - a title later stripped due to the Storm's salary cap rorting - is excited to have sealed a long-term deal following the uncertainty of recent months.

"This was a very difficult decision with several things to consider," Chambers said.

"The overriding factor was a return to Melbourne to be coached by Craig (Bellamy) and being part of the Melbourne Storm culture once again."

AAP

Tags: nrl, rugby-league, rugby-union, sport, melbourne-3000, vic, brisbane-4000, qld, australia

First posted January 19, 2012 13:58:33

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Lambie seals close win for Sharks

Posted May 29, 2011 06:20:00

Two late penalty goals by Patrick Lambie enabled the Sharks to scrape home 26-21 in a Super Rugby clash with the Waratahs at King's Park on Saturday.

Fly half Lambie hit the left upright with his team trailing by a point 14 minutes from the end but made amends when he landed goals in the 70th and 79th minutes.

It was a hard-fought battle between two teams struggling to finish in the top six on the log and earn a place in the competition play-offs.

The Sharks win lifted them to fifth, one point and one place ahead of the Waratahs.

"We're playing for our lives every weekend," said Sharks captain and loosehead prop John Smit.

"When that kick hit the poles my heart nearly stopped."

Both teams scored two tries in remarkably similar fashion. Fly halves Lambie and Daniel Halangahu, a late replacement for the Waratahs, both went over for individual tries after breaking from scrums, while both teams scored long-range tries after turnovers.

The Sharks looked in control when they led 13-6 five minutes before half-time but after another break by Lambie they lost the ball five metres short of the Waratahs line.

Flank Dave Dennis grabbed the ball for the Australian team and Halangahu raced down the left touchline before passing to wing Lachlan Turner, who scored in the corner to make the score 13-11 at the break.

It was the Waratahs' turn to take the ascendancy after Halangahu's try in the second half.

They went eight points ahead when Sharks flank Jean Deysel was yellow-carded for an illegal tackle and full-back Kurtley Beale landed the resultant penalty.

With the Sharks down to 14 men, Beale led a Waratahs attack but lost the ball when he was tackled near the Sharks 22.

Wing JP Pietersen picked up the loose ball and sprinted 70 metres to score in the right corner. Lambie converted to set up a tense finish.

The Sharks produced most of the attacking rugby but the Waratahs had the better of the tight forward exchanges despite losing prop Sekope Kepu to a leg injury after 13 minutes.

Kepu's replacement, Al Baxter, had an impressive match alongside fellow Wallaby front-rowers Benn Robinson and Tatafu Polota-Nau.

Waratahs captain Dean Mumm blamed his team's defeat on "ill discipline and (playing) too much in our own half when it really mattered".

He said next weekend's match against the Bulls in Pretoria was crucial if the Waratahs were to retain control of their play-off destiny.

- AFP

Tags: sport, rugby-union, super-14, australia, nsw, sydney-2000, south-africa

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Late try seals victory for Stormers

Posted April 17, 2011 07:03:00

The Western Stormers needed a 79th minute try by replacement wing Johann Sadie to make sure of a 33-19 win over the Golden Lions in a Super Rugby clash at Ellis Park, Johannesburg.

The Stormers seemed headed for an easy win as they raced into a 10-0 lead after 11 minutes, with 19-year-old fly half Gary van Aswegen landing a long range penalty goal then making a break which led to a try by right wing Danie Poolman.

But Van Aswegen, standing in for the injured Peter Grant, had to leave the field with a knee injury after the try was scored and third choice fly half Lionel Cronje took over.

With the Lions putting up a spirited performance, the Stormers were unable to recapture their early fluency in a match which became a hard fought battle in damp, cool conditions.

Despite being reduced to 14 men after captain and centre Doppies la Grange was yellow carded for a tip tackle, the Lions pressed hard in the closing minutes.

It took desperate defence by the Stormers to prevent the home side from scoring what might have proved an equalising try.

But the Stormers were able to break out of their own territory and Sadie found himself in space and was able to score under the posts to condemn the Lions to their eightth defeat in nine matches.

"We were lucky to get away with a win. We had to defend for what seemed like ten minutes with about seven minutes to go," said Stormers captain Schalk Burger.

"But we were leading all the way and they had to chase the game."

La Grange paid tribute to the Stormers defence, the most effective in the competition with only six tries conceded in eight games.

"We had a few opportunities but they didn't let us in," he said.

The bottom-of-the-log Lions made seven changes to their starting line- up. Burton Francis, the third man to fill the fly half position in nine matches, had a fine game, kicking a dropped goal, setting up the Lions' only try, scored by eighthman Warren Whiteley, and landing three penalties and a conversion.

The Stormers, who top the South African conference and are in fourth position on the combined log, led 23-13 at half-time.

Their second try was scored by Springbok centre Jaque Fourie after a chip kick by Cronje was gathered by Gio Aplon and carried on by Juan de Jongh.

Stormers: 33 (D Poolman, J Fourie, J Sadie tries; D Duvenage, L Cronje 2 cons; G van Aswegen, L Cronje 3 pens)

Lions: 19 (W Whitely try; B Francis con, 3 pens, drop goal)

- AFP

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