The Sydney Morning Herald from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia • Page 79

1 Pane 79 I DM! 'Wi Kim 1 I Norths by 3 Souths by 2 Canterbury by 6 Illawarra by 1 Wests by 2 Balmain by 8 Parramatta by 18 Souths by 7 Canterbury by 10 Manly by 15 St George by 12 Balmain by 10 Parramatta by 7 Easts by 4 Canterbury by 8 Manly by 9 St George by 1 Balmain by 8 Parramatta by 4 Souths by 4 Canterbury by 4 Manly by 6 Wests by 2 Balmain by 4 Parramatta by 12 Souths by 5 Canterbury by 11 Manly by 16 St George by 8 Penrith by 7 Parramatta by 7. Easts by 4 Canterbury by 8 Manly by 12 St George by 8 Balmain by 2 Parramatta by 6 Souths by 4 Canterbury by 10 Manly by 8 St George by 8 Penrith by 3 Parramatta by 8 Souths by 4 II Canterbury by 8 Manly by 10 St George by 6 1 Balmain by 6 Alexander! Scrigni depressed 6 unjust jftji Champion basketballer Robert Scrigni, of the West Sydney Westars, whose body was found in a car at Sorrento Beach south-east of Melbourne on Thursday after he committed suicide, was last seen in Sydney on Monday. Scrigni. 25, was employed by Westars owners. Powerplay, as a development officer and was in the company office in the course of his duties.

The managing director of Powerplay, Bob Pritchard, said yesterday: "We are all deeply shocked at his death. "Bob was in the office looking at his appointments for the week and chatting with us. "He was in very good spirits. He was always a very co-operative person, bright and friendly. Sorrento police said the car in which his body was found had a pipe leading from the exhaust to the interior.

Scrigni was identified by personal papers and a police spokesman said there were no suspicious circumstances. Police said no note was found on the body. Scrigni, a talented guard, played for five years with Nuna-wading Spectres in Melbourne before moving to Sydney last year. He was a member of the Australian team at the 1982 world championships and the 1985 gold medal-winning team at the Australia Games. Recently he was dropped from the national squad.

Family and friends are baffled by the tragedy. His father, Mr Silvan Scrigni. said his son's death could have been related to the pressure he was under at Westars and the long periods away from home. "The last time we saw him was the beginning of Mr Scrigni said. "He seemed all right but, to be truthful, he wasn't the usually bubbly fellow he was." He said Robert was depressed after being omitted from the Australian squad to play the touring American Big East Allstars.

By JOHN MacDONALD Penrith Rugby League secretary Ross Gigg is concerned that unjust criticism of halfback Greg Alexander may jeopardise his representative prospects. takes the field against the competition leaders, Balmain, at Penrith Park tomor-i row needing an impressive display to grab a place in one of the City teams for next weekend's matches against Country. Gigg said yesterday that because Alexander was not scoring tries there was a view that he was not playing well. 4 "Coach Tim Sheens has said. Alexander is responsible for 70 per cent of our attack," Gigg said.

"His role as a playmaker and in cover defence has been very good. "Greg is a much more marked player now." Brad Izzard has been selected in the centre subject to his injured ankle standing up to a time trial this morning. Gary Jack and Scott Gale are both extremely unlikely to play for Balmain after being injured in Wednesday night's National Pan-asonic Cup quarter-final against South Sydney. PENRITH: Robirds; Robinson Bentley Izzard Liddiard; Clements Alexander; Izzard Geyer Cartwright Gerard Simmons (capt) Akkary. i BALMAIN: Jack; Davidson Conlon Hanrahan Gartner; Sigsworth Gale; Pearce (capt) Sfronen Brooks Hemsley Elias Clarke.

Canterbury Canberra at Bel-more Sports Ground tomorrow is father His sister, Marina, said the family had often visited the beach where Robert's godparents owned a holiday house. "He loved it there. He used to go surfing when he was young." she said. "Perhaps he went back there to remember happier times." Team-mates and officials at Bankstown became anxious earlier this week when they did not hear from him. Later they informed police of his disappearance.

They believe he visited his bank in a Sydney suburb before heading for Victoria, passing through Tarcutta on the way but not calling in at his old home in the Melbourne suburb of Forest Hills. Illawarra Hawks centre Ray Borner. a friend of Scrigni's, said he had grown up with him from the time he played for the under-1 8s to representing Australia. The Hawks and Westars are due to clash at the State Sports Centre in Sydney tonight and Borner said the clash would be emotionally charged. Borner, 22, a Telecom line serviceman in Wollongong, said: "Robert was a very excitable person, very enthusiastic.

He always wanted to be a winner. Borner once played for Coburg and represented Victoria with Scrigni and his friend Damian Keogh. When Keogh moved to Sydney to play with Westars, Scrigni followed him. Borner said: "Scrigni would get depressed after losing games, and might have been worried about not being in the national team but there must have been more than that to go so far. The first reaction by Scrigni's former Australian coach, Lindsay Gaze, was one of anger that no-one had detected the signs of "a fellow depressed enough to embark on the actions he Gaze was coach of the 1982 Australian world championships team and the 1985 gold medal Australia Games team of which Scrigni was a member.

Harold Park last night. "We have been staying out at Schofields for the week and on the way to the track tonight, the front axle on the horse float broke "We pulled into a garage and welded it back on, and luckily we got here." His decision to engage Turnbull was simple, he said. "I drive a horse once every three weeks or so, Tony drives over 30 horses a week. It cost me 52,000 to enter the race, so I wanted the best driver to drive him," Lew said. Earlier, smart filly Never There led throughout to win the 550,000 Sires Stakes event for three-year- old fillies.

Despite keeping a low-key approach, Smith could not suppress some of the excitement he was feeling yesterday. Asked how his team was, Smith they were all fit and the only doubtful player, second-rower Michael Carberry, had dispelled any worries about his injured calf muscle at training on Thursday night. This is probably the best Stee-Iers team as distinct from a set of individual players Smith has had in his four years at the club. The Steelers toughness and solidity in the forwards and the extra thrust provided by Graeme Bradley and Peter Phillips should see them in the game for a long way. Manly's only doubtful is centre Dale Shearer, who has been confined to bed with a virus and no decision on his fitness will be made until tomorrow morning.

Regardless, the extra attacking flair of Noel Cleal running back into fitness Paul Vautin, Des Hasler and company should be enough to get the Sea Eagles home at home. Inappropriately Bob Fulton, the former boilermaker from the heart of Wollongong steel country, coaches Manly. MANLY: Williams; Ronson Shearer O'Connor Ticehurst Lyons Hasler; Vautin (capt) Cleal Gibbs Brokenshire Cochrane Daley. ILLAWARRA: Phillips; Kelly Bradley Carney A Mclndoe; Kissell Haddock (capt); Hanson Upfield Carberry Spring Bolt Heugh. If there is a dancer I think it is the Jack Denham-trained Whileco.

The handicapper has tried to square up the field in this afternoon's Civic Handicap by giving At Sea 60kg to carry. But class is a very tough thing to handicap and At Sea has got that much of this commodity on his rivals I don't think it will make any difference what weight he carries. Could they have handicapped Reg Gasnier by tying lead to his chest? Or do you think Bradman would have come back to the field if they had nailed him to his crease? Champions are champions and they overcome problems. The way At Sea won the Pacesetter at Gosford with 58.5kg last run was good enough for me to be backing him again today. a1.

Perkins to ask ASF to censure Emery By RAY GATT Charles Perkins, a vice-presi dent of the Australian Soccer Federation, will ask his executive to censure executive director Brian Emery over his comments on Thursday about Young Soc-ceroo coach Les Scheinllug. The comments, reported exclusively in the llvrahl yesterday, have' caused a furore in soccer circles. Emery suggested Scheinflug could resign after the youth coach said a lack of international games before the world youth championship finals in Chile in October could leave his team under-prepared. Scheinflug was concerned that the team might lack suitable top-class international match practice in the three weeks before the finals. Emery replied: "If he doesn't like it he can resign and you can quote me.

We can get another coach. "I am sick and tired of some of these coaches whingeing to the press about programming and evervthing else. "He agreed to the present program and we are not going to change it now. "If he doesn't like it, too bad." Perkins, recently appointed to the ASF executive and a member of the World Cup committee, said Emery's comments were "most "As secretary of the ASF he should be more cautious in what he says." Perkins said. "There is a lot of truth in what Scheinflug says.

Les knows better than anyone what preparation is required, and he should be listened to. "Making public comments like those made by Emery is not what a secretary should be doing. I will certainly be raising the matter at the next executive meeting. Sir Arthur George, president of the ASF, said he could not comment on the matter at this stage. "I have been away on business for the last two days and I cannot say anything until I have spoken to Brian and Les." Sir Arthur said.

"I will say that occasionally coaches think we have a printing machine for money. I would like to strenuously deny that rumour." Former Socceroo coach Rale Rasic and former Australian captain John Warren both expressed astonishment at Emery's outburst. They said it was the executive director who should be made to resign, not Scheinllug. "Emery's outburst is most unacceptable," Rasic said. "Maybe the time is right for administrators, not coaches, to be sacked." FTBMI 871'SPNccdhiiin TICKET NUMBER OA' Not a sop for the women Robert Scrigni He seemed all right but, to be truthful, he wasn't the usually bubbly fellow he was.

not the round's most publicised match but could well be its most important. If Canterbury lose tomorrow they may be four points away from the top three after 1 1 rounds, a position no-one would have tipped at the start of the season. Canberra have lost two matches in a row and are without Mai Meninga for an indefinite period. Another loss tomorrow and many will be tipping the beginning of the end, just a fortnight after they were riding high in the top three. Coach Don Furner said that although regular halfback Chris O'Sullivan was packing down at lock he would be given a roving commission.

Canterbury coach Warren Ryan's patience was finally exhausted after the 14-12 loss to Easts last Sunday. He made five changes, not the least important being the return of Kangaroo centre Chris Mortimer, bracketed with Michael Hagan subject to passing a fitness test tomorrow. CANTERBURY: Potter; Mortimer Mortimer or Hagan A Farrar Currie; Lamb Mortimer (capt); Langmark Donnelly Dunn Tnnks Bugden Jarvis. CANBERRA: Belcher; Kinna Carey Jackson Corkery; I Henjak Walters; O'Sullivan Brennan Lance (capt) Backo Walters Todd. Illawarra coach Brian Smith maintains that tomorrow's Win-field Cup match-of-the-round against Manly at Brookvale Oval is "no big returns to Newcastle he won't be able to say Brian Mayfield-Smith failed to give him chances on good horses when he was in Sydney.

Again today the lad has been given a great list of rides. I regard the pick of them as Cool Action, who I think will win the opening race. Cool Action turned in a first class effort at Randwick last Saturday when second to Gold Trump, beaten three-quarters of a length. his sprinter At Sea "He beat only an ordinary field over six and a half furlongs last time in the wet, but it wasn't a bad effort because he prefers it shorter, like the Civic Handicap. "One thing is for sure, though, At Sea won't be running if the track is heavy." Green believes that At Sea would have won The Rothwells Galaxy, on a harder surface.

"Darren Beadman said it was a little shifty and that it had made all the difference," he said. New Atlantis is At Sea's obvious danger on the strength of his last-start Randwick win. Rain-affected going today could see Cimarra come out of the $25,000 Orlando Lord Mayor's Cup, Cud horje Limitless has done well since being beaten at Wagga. I 7 'B zj JnJ Lew hits the big time Most women I know are gentle and sweet and their language is as pure as the water in the raindrops that fetl on Rosehill racetrack yesterday afternoon. After my criticism of some "female jockeys in recent weeks I have received letters and phone calls from women of a different ilk.

Their language, or that I could understand, would have brought blushes to the faces of the drinkers in the toughest pubs. Having mentioned this, I don't want you to think I have picked Bigamy, to be ridden by Maree i Lyndon, as my best bet today in an attempt to stem the tirade of abuse. I genuinely think Bigamy will get i the cash in race six and, what's more, the mighty mite Maree tisually rides the horse a treat. When young Mark Peters -4 Becker's NEW YORK, Friday: Top-seeded Boris Becker pulled off the shot of the tournament last night on his way to a 6-4 7-6 win over Argentina's Horacio de la Pena and a berth in the quarter-finals of the Tournament of Champions. The 19-year-old West German was leading 5-4 in the second-set tie-breaker when de la Pena hit a shot that Becker could return only with a defensive lob that landed near the baseline.

De la Pena, seeded 16th in the 64-player tournament at the West Side Tennis Club, then hit a smash from beyond the baseline that looked like a certain winner. By MICHAEL COWLEY Part-time Dubbo trainer, Barry Lew, last night registered his biggest success in harness racing when his three-year-old gelding Karloo Frost (66-1) took out the $100,000 Foster's Sires Stakes event at Harold Park. The win was also the auto-electrician's first success at headquarters. Karloo Frost, driven by champion reinsman Tony Turnbull, rocketed home to score a four-metre win over 40-1 shot Gipsy Gary, with Copper Regent (20-1) a further 1': metres away third. Lew revealed after the event that he almost did not make it to Avenger, the very honest Classic last start and will be running ENGER 1 Classic Hand 2 Bigamy 3.

Top Avenger raced on strongly in The Rothwells Galaxy last start at his third start this time up and will be the horse to beat in the Cheers Cellars Southern Cross Series Handicap, at Rosehill today. Last spring Top Avenger finished second to Imprimatur then beat Sound Horizon at level Special Finish mixed with the silk department over the autumn carnival and held her own. She appreciated the drop in class when she finished strongly over at Randwick and faces similar company here. Racidity finished on nicely in the same rtce and should have benefited from the SPECIAL FINISH 1 Racidity 2 Soda Springs mm weights. well when second to Shinak-ima Of The Turf Stakes over this commands plenty of respect from her good draw.

Noise could have been right in the Gosford but for racing wide race should be run to suit but rider is very inexperienced. Reuter's News have claims. I Signal To Noise 2 Jaks 3. luck holds Becker somehow responded with a diving forehand half-volley that plopped over the net into the open court for a winner. The two-time Wimbledon champion, his shirt and shorts covered with green clay and his knee bloodied from numerous diving volleys, closed the match with a booming service winner.

"It was one of the best points I've every played," Becker said. In Rome, West German teenager Steffi Graf cruised into the quarter-finals of the Italian Open women's tennis tournament with a cool 6-1 7-5 win over Sandra Cecchini, of Italy. Cross off the amount you want to bet Decide what you think the final score fnr P3rh team. In this examDle. weVe Like Top Hand raced well home strongly.

TOP AV Kanacea went in the Queen course and she again, especially Signal To finish at throughout. This her apprentice Jaks and KANACEA Glomunda first-up in six-year-old was well in welter Justifiably being pushed finish for fifth meets Hot Zephyr GLOMUNDA King 3. Tristep did not cope with his first run in blinkers at Randwick when he pulled himself into the ground. He had beaten Mighty Willem in good style at Warwick Farm. Cool Action is a strong threat to the topweight.

He raced well when second to the very smart Gold Trump last week and has a suitable draw. Watch for a strong first-start showing from Weight In Gold, who has triallcd impressively. TRISTEP I Cool Action 2 Weight In Gold 3. Cimarra was highly impressive in the Gosford Cup last start, going to the post full of running to win in course record time. The extra 300m today will suit.

String Of Pearls is another who will find the to her liking. She has raced well since joining the Tom Smith stable. CIMARRA I String Of Pearls 2 Counterfeit Coin 3. Green hopes won't be all By IAN MANNING i Theo Green will "take the odds" to running At Sea in today's Liquor Stop Civic Handicap, at Rosehill provided the -track is no worse than slow. Racecourse manager John Jeffs said last night that Rosehill had received 16mm (63 points) of rain up to yesterday afternoon.

He gave out an early report as "dead at "The overnight weather always determines the official report and who knows what is in store. If i there was no more rain I would expect to report the track as dead," Jeffs said. Green said that At Sea preferred a fast surface but he would not panic if it was just dead. "It would not be an ideal i surface for At Sea, but he has won ort dead going and I would be prepared to try him again. Kiernan When you bet PhoneTAB you give your code numbers and our operator gives you hers.

You always know your balance. And all calls are recorded on voice tape to be sure. was responsible for a strong effort stronger company at Gosford. The wide throughout and has raced class. Proud caught the eye first-up too.

deep on the turn before his strong to Hot Zephyr at Randwick. He 3kg better. 1 Justifiably Proud 2 Rama Fiorita was unlucky not to win her latest start outright after suffering a chequered passage in the straight. In a difficult event she appeals with her light weight. Sand Dollar's last run should be forgotten as she will be much better suited by the extra 300m today.

She refused to race when buried back between runners at Randwick. At Sea is the one to beat despite his big weight. He has too much class for most of his rivals and a draw to suit. From barrier two. Timothy will again run an honest race, but the major threat would be Courier Bay if the track happened to be good.

A rain-affected track is a major drawback to him. AT SEA I Timothv 2 Courier Bay 3. PfooneYAB. FIORITA I Sand Dollar 2 Adara in thick of things I i fMi JLJi 3. Check the official TAB list for the correct match number and cross it off here.

BALMAIN CRONULLA JL 5 iii liJL JL 21 iL TTj6 23 30 37 44 TT1? 23 30 44 TjO J7 24 38 TJiX 24 45 25 32j jTjFH 32 39 46 TjX-fPTfO Tj2 J9 26 33 40 77 112? 3 48 jTj32 27 Tj4 IT 28 35 42 49 Tj4 IT 28 35 42 49 Kiernan, who will finish sixth or seventh, completed the race in 156 days 16hr 3min 38s. He began the final leg from Rio in seventh place and five days ago he said he was holding second place. Kiernan was in high spirits last night, feeling fit and well. "I feel excellent," he said. "It's really been wonderful, and we've had tremendous support from the Prime Minister.

I was hoping for a third or fourth." Twenty-five yachts began the race on August 30 and only 16 completed the course. The final Rio-Newport leg was won by John Martin, of South Africa, sailing Tuna Marine, who crossed the finishing line more than four hours ahead of the four boats clustered behind him. Spirit of Sydney had led Tuna Marine for much of the race up from Rio. Kiernan's time was better than the winning effort in the inaugural BOC Challenge, which Jeantot won in 159 days. By PAUL SHEEHAN WASHINGTON, Friday: After 156 days of racing around the world Kirribilli's Ian Kiernan battled his rivals right to the finishing line last 7 night in the BOC Challenge solo yacht race.

"It was wonderful having all the other boats about so close at the end," he told The Sydney Morning Herald last night from Newport, Rhode Island. Kiernan sailed Spirit of Sydney into fifth place, just minutes behind Frenchmen Philippe Jeantot and Guy Bernardin, whom he had been pacing for 'more than 5,000 miles, all the way from Rio de But Jeantot, although finishing third on the final leg, dominated the race overall, just as he did the first BOC Challenge in 1982-83. Jeantot, sailing Ecureuil d'Aquitaine, completed the race in 134 days 5hr 23min and 6s. He finished iyi days ahead of yet another Frenchman, Titouan iLamazou. 4 minimum bet will be and cross the appropriate square Dicked Balmain to beat Cronulla by 19-17 WRESULT FTB3Q367 UNMdNm 0.