Under-Strength Australia Face World Champions in Brisbane

Joe Burns might make his international debut for Australia (Getty Images)

Three years ago, Cricket Australia's chief executive James Sutherland suggested that Twenty20 was such a specialist game that the day might come when Australia could have completely separate Test and T20 teams playing on opposite sides of the globe at the same time. Effectively, that day has arrived, although this one-off occurrence is not quite what Sutherland had in mind.

Australia's Test players have now flown to Chennai to prepare for the first Test against India, unquestionably the correct priority. But the packed schedule means they still need to put out a national team for this T20 against West Indies at the Gabba, without David Warner, Shane Watson, Matthew Wade, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Starc and Xavier Doherty, to name but a few.

Apart from the captain George Bailey, it is hard to say for certain how many members of the squad for this match would be part of Australia's first-choice T20 side. Shaun Marsh, perhaps. James Faulkner might soon get to that point, and so might Aaron Finch. And that's about it. That's not necessarily a bad thing, although the fans buying tickets for the Brisbane match might disagree.

A year out from the next World Twenty20, it gives the selectors a chance to have a look at some men who could push their cases. There is the uncapped quartet of Ben Rohrer, Joe Burns, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Coulter-Nile, there is Faulkner, Ben Cutting, Ben Laughlin and Clint McKay, all jostling to become regular members of the T20 attack, while the batsmen Adam Voges and Aaron Finch hope to make the most of their last opportunity of the international summer.

For West Indies, this is a chance to finish on a high after a miserable five-match ODI series. They are the reigning world champions in the Twenty20 format and there is no question that the short matches suit their dynamic style. But after such a lacklustre display in the 50-over games, can they switch on for their last outing of the tour?

See this Article and keep track of the score at Cricinfo.com

Ringo Starr Arrives in Brisbane

Ex-Beatles drummer Ringo Starr has arrived in Brisbane to kick-off his Australian tour.

Starr is touring the country with his newest All-Starr Band this month, starting in Brisbane on Monday night.

The supergroup is the twelfth incarnation of the All-Starr Band and includes Steve Lukather from Toto, Gregg Rolie of Santana and Journey fame, Mr Mister's Richard Paige, Gregg Bissonette, who played drums for Dave Lee Roth, and multi-instrumentalists Todd Rundgren and Mark Rivera.

While the likes of 'Yellow Submarine' and 'I'll Get By With A Little Help From My Friends' are regularly dusted off during an All-Starr tour, the show also sees each band member perform hits from their own career.

Starr hasn't played an instrument in Australia since the Beatles twisted and shouted their way across the world on their legendary 1964 tour.

He remembers the "screaming atmosphere" and says he can't wait to return for longer shows than The Beatles' historic performances.

Ringo and his All Starr Band tour dates:

February 11 - Brisbane Convention Centre

February 13-14 - Sydney Hordern Pavilion

February 16-17 - Melbourne Festival Hall

February 19 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre

February 21 - Perth Challenge Stadium

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British & Irish Lions Legend Jim Telfer Recreates Famous Everest Speech To Fire Up UK Fans

British & Irish Lions coaching legend Jim Telfer has recreated his famous 1997 players pre-match gee-up meeting in an online video that provides a rallying cry for the men of Great Britain and Ireland to travel to Australia for the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour.

The video is a tongue-in-cheek parody of the original "Mount Everest" motivational speech, which has become a part of the rich Lions folklore. The recreation sees Telfer preparing the men of Great Britain and Ireland for the battle that faces them in overcoming their greatest challenge - convincing their wives and girlfriends for permission to travel to Australia and follow the 2013 Tour.

"The British & Irish Lions Tour is the absolute pinnacle for players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There are no excuses to miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I'm urging every UK man to climb their Everest and support our team," Jim Telfer said.

While the video takes a lighthearted approach, The British & Irish Lions Tour is sure to be an incredible experience for players and fans alike and shouldn't be missed, according to Jim Telfer, who represented The British & Irish Lions both as a player and a coach.

As well as giving rugby union fans the opportunity to be part of sporting history, the event is also a stimulus for Australian tourism, with 20,000 fans from the UK alone visiting Australia for the 2001 Tour. Organisers anticipate a  similar level of support for 2013.

"British & Irish Lions fans are some of the most avid in the world, and we await the "Sea of Red" to invade our shores later this year. With nine games, including three Test matches, played throughout Australia, this will be a great boost for tourism and a wonderful opportunity to showcase the best of our country to as many as 20,000 travelling fans," said Andrew McEvoy, Managing Director, Tourism Australia.

"We have had a lot of fun making this video and hope rugby fans in the UK and Ireland will take it in the spirit it is meant, sharing it widely and encouraging as many of their male rugby friends to dig out their rugby jerseys and book their trip Down Under. A Lions Tour is special and you can't underestimate the impact the support of the fans has on a players' performance. 

Nothing will encourage the team more than running out to a sea of red Lions supporters, and we urge you to follow Jim Telfer's words of wisdom and come out to Australia with us," said Charlie McEwen, British & Irish Lions Director of Sales and Marketing.

The British & Irish Lions will play nine matches during the six-week Tour of Australia (5 June - 6 July), including three Test matches against the Qantas Wallabies and games against all five Australian Super 15 Rugby teams. The three Test matches will occur in Brisbane (22 June), Melbourne (29 June) and Sydney (6 July), with the Tour also including matches in Perth, Canberra and Newcastle.

This project is a joint initiative between Tourism Australia and The British & Irish Lions.

• Video - The video can be viewed on our YouTube channel
• Images - Behind the scenes images can be accessed and downloaded on our VNR site

More information about The British & Irish Lions Tour to Australia 2013 is available at - http://www.lionstour.com

Match Schedule

• Wednesday 5th June v Western Force - Patersons Stadium, Perth

• Saturday 8th June v Queensland Reds - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

• Tuesday 11th June v NSW-QLD Combined Country - Hunter Stadium, Newcastle

• Saturday 15th June v NSW Waratahs - Allianz Stadium, Sydney

• Tuesday 18th June v ACT Brumbies - Canberra Stadium, Canberra

• Saturday 22nd June v Qantas Wallabies - Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

• Tuesday 25th June v Melbourne Rebels - AAMI Park, Melbourne

• Saturday 29nd June v Qantas Wallabies - Etihad Stadium, Melbourne

• Saturday 6th July v Qantas Wallabies - ANZ Stadium, Sydney

Tool Announce Australian (&NZ) Tour 2013

Tool have announced an Australian arena tour which will kick off in Melbourne on 27th April at Rod Laver Arena. Australians are set to see a lot of Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan in 2013 with his other 2 bands

A Perfect Circle and Puscifer hitting out shores later this month for Soundwave and a tour respectively.

Tool will take time out from recording their fifth studio album to make the trip Down Under. The new album now has a 2014 expected release day after Keenan recently ruled out the album would be released this year.

The last time Tool visited Australia was for the Big Day Out tour in 2011 when they headlined the festival alongside Rammstein. They haven’t played their own Australian headline tour since 2002.
No word yet on when tickets will go on sale but be assured Music Feeds will get you the details as soon as they come to hand.

UPDATE: Ticketing details have been announced! Members of Frontier Touring’s website will have access to a pre-sale from next Thursday, 14th February at 12pm AEDT until noon the following day.
General release tickets will go on sale from 9am local time on Tuesday, 19th February.

Tool Australian Tour 2013 Dates

Saturday, 27th April
Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Tuesday, 30th April
AEC Arena, Adelaide

Friday, 3rd May
Allphones Arena, Sydney

Monday, 6th May
Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Wednesday, 8th May
Vector Arena, Auckland

Crew and Cast of Time Warp Choose Metro Hotel Ipswich International - Metro Hotels

It’s astounding, time is fleeting and madness will take its toll at the Metro Hotel Ipswich International this month when the cast and crew of Time Warp: the Original Rocky Horror Tribute Show move in.
With two performances at the Ipswich Civic Centre on February 20 and 21, Metro Hotel Ipswich International agreed to play host to the colourful cast of the outrageous Time Warp show, including the Sweet Transvestite from Transylvania, Frank N Furter.


While the hotel staff may want to take a step to the left when the cast and crew arrive, audiences will be jumping to the right, placing their hands on their hips and bringing their knees in tight as they reminisce the 70s, doing the Time Warp again with the talented cast of one of the craziest musical horror shows ever to grace the stage.


The Time Warp Tribute Show features many of Australia’s most talented musical theatre performers who boast having been involved in many of the country’s most loved musicals. The production was created by veteran theatre/television director Elissa Meyer-Thomas and has toured nationally, regionally and internationally to sell out houses.

The cast and crew elected to stay at the four and a half star rated Metro Hotel Ipswich International, which is boutique in size but equipped with all the facilities of a much larger hotel.
The hotel has 97 well-appointed rooms including 11 one-bedroom Serviced Apartments, two Executive Spa Suites, 68 Superior rooms and 16 Deluxe rooms in six storeys overlooking pristine parklands.

When not performing, the Time Warp cast and crew will be perfectly placed to enjoy everything Queensland’s oldest provincial city has to offer, including the Workshops Rail Museum, steam trains, more than 500 parks, wineries, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and shopping centres.

The hotel is also close to the many art galleries, markets, craft and antique stores that the city is renowned for, while the hotel’s signature restaurant Platform 9 serves a delicious a-la-carte menu. Adjoining the main restaurant is a stylish lounge and bar, perfect for catching a glimpse of cast members before or after the show.

For accommodation packages available at Metro Hotel Ipswich International, go to www.ipswichinternationalhotel.com.au or call the toll free Central Reservations line on 1800 004 321 or by calling the property direct on 07 3812 8077.

2013 All Stars Teams Announced

Former Internationals Willie Mason and Timana Tahu will make a stunning return to representative football as rivals after the Knights team-mates were today named as ‘coach’s selections’ for next month’s Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars in Brisbane.

Newcastle and NRL All Stars Coach Wayne Bennett chose Mason to make his All Stars debut alongside Adam Reynolds (Rabbitohs), James Tamou (Cowboys), Billy Slater (Storm) and Tim Grant (Panthers), while Tahu was chosen by Laurie Daley for his Indigenous All Stars side featuring seven newcomers. The others are Raiders’ trio Reece Robinson, Jake Foster and Jack Wighton, Aidan Sezer (Titans), Joel Romelo (Bulldogs) and Dane Nielsen (Warriors).


Indigenous All Stars captain Johnathan Thurston and Broncos NRL All Stars selection Ben Hannant joined Bennett and Daley in Brisbane today for the announcement of both squads for the fourth annual Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match to be played at Suncorp Stadium for the first time on February 9.


More than 40,000 Rugby League fans have had their say via two online voting stages to select a representative from each of the 16 NRL Clubs in the 20-man NRL All Stars squad, while fans could choose from all of Rugby League’s best Indigenous talent for Daley’s Indigenous All Stars.

Following the closing of the public online voting on Monday, Bennett was able to select two extra players alongside automatic selections Benji Marshall (New Zealand captain) and Cameron Smith (Australian captain); while Daley could pick three extra players in addition to automatic selection (as captain) Thurston.

Bennett’s other ‘coach’s selection’ is the Storm’s Cooper Cronk, while Daley also chose Wighton and Nielsen.

Daley said: “We certainly have some strike-power in our team and when you look at the calibre of players we have, I think fans will be excited at the style of footy we will play.
“The NRL All Stars is a formidable side with big, powerful, class players in key positions, but I know how determined our team is to perform well and I think we have a squad capable of achieving something special.”

Bennett said the public had selected him a balanced side that would be capable of playing the exciting brand of football that had become synonymous with the All Stars game.

“There is no doubt the fans will be in for an entertaining game with the great mix of talented and exciting backs and powerful forwards in both teams, as well as the blend of experience and youth,” Bennett said.

“Just as important as the game though is the whole week of All Stars activities and community events and I commend the players for their ongoing commitment to the All Stars concept which continues to help make a real difference to the lives of many Australians.”

The 2013 NRL All Stars team is:

Player (* = All Stars debutants)	Club
Billy Slater*	Storm
Akuila Uate	Knights
Shaun Kenny-Dowall	Roosters
Josh Morris	Bulldogs
Brett Morris	Dragons
Benji Marshall, (C) (automatic selection)	Wests Tigers
Adam Reynolds*	Rabbitohs
James Tamou*	Cowboys
Cameron Smith (automatic selection)	Storm
Ben Hannant	Broncos
David Taylor	Titans
Anthony Watmough	Sea Eagles
Paul Gallen	Sharks
Interchange
Robbie Farah	Wests Tigers
Tim Grant*	Panthers
David Shillington	Raiders
Feleti Mateo	Warriors
Jarryd Hayne	Eels
Coach’s Selections
Willie Mason*	Knights
Cooper Cronk	Storm

The 2013 Learn Earn Legend! Indigenous All Stars team is:

Player (* = All Stars debutants)	Club
Ben Barba	Bulldogs
Reece Robinson*	Raiders
Justin Hodges	Broncos
Greg Inglis	Rabbitohs
Blake Ferguson	Raiders
Johnathan Thurston (C)	Cowboys
Scott Prince	Broncos
George Rose	Sea Eagles
Travis Waddell	Uncontracted
Andrew Fifita	Sharks
Joel Thompson	Raiders
Greg Bird	Titans
Nathan Peats	Rabbitohs
Interchange
Ryan James	Titans
Aidan Sezer*	Titans
Joel Romelo*	Bulldogs
Jake Foster*	Raiders
Coach’s Selections
Dane Neilsen*	Warriors
Timana Tahu*	Knights
Jack Wighton*	Raiders

The Queensland Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, the Hon. Jann Stuckey MP, extended her congratulations to the players on their selection today and welcomed the event to the State’s capital for the first time.

“The votes are in and with such talented athletes on both sides, the 2013 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars match at Suncorp Stadium is an event not to be missed by fans,” Ms Stuckey said.
“Broadcast to an estimated 1.5 million people, the fourth annual 2013 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars will showcase our State’s capital as a premier holiday and event destination.

“The Newman Government recognises the important role events play in delivering economic and social benefits to the communities in which they are held and we are proud to support this event through Tourism and Events Queensland.”

Results

2010 Indigenous All Stars 16 def NRL All Stars 12
2011 NRL All Stars 28 def Indigenous All Stars 12
2012 NRL All Stars 36 def Indigenous All Stars 28

2013 Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars Ticket Categories and Prices

Tickets for the 2013 Harvey Norman All Stars match are available through Ticketek outlets, on 132 849 or www.ticketek.com.au. New Zealand customers can call 0800 842 538 or +61 132 849.

Categories	Cat 1	Cat 2	Cat 3
Adult	$90.00	$50.00	$20.00
Pensioner	$80.00	$45.00	$18.00
Junior	$70.00	$40.00	$16.00
Family (2A+2J)	$265.00	$150.00	$60.00

The Harvey Norman Rugby League All Stars is supported by Tourism and Events Queensland as part of a growing calendar of sporting, cultural, regional and business events across Queensland.

Find out more at NRL.com

Australia Tops US ‘Dream Destination’ List

Is topping a list of ‘dream destinations’ a good thing? On the one hand, you’d appear as an idyllic destination, a place to which people would ideally love to travel. On the other hand, you’d appear as an idyllic destination, a place to which people couldn’t travel.

Regardless of its perception, or misperception, as a pipe-dream destination, the country’s position at the top of a list of dream vacation spots for clients of US travel agents would still bring a smile to the faces of Australian tourism authorities.

According to a survey conducted by North America’s largest travel agency franchisor – Travel Leaders Group – of its owners, managers and agents, Australia was chosen as the destination clients would most love to visit – if money were no object.

With agents allowed to choose up to three destinations each, Australia garnered 47 percent of votes, followed by Bora Bora (26 percent), world cruising (20 percent), Tahiti and Italy (17 percent each). 

Other dream destinations of note included Antarctica (12th place), which earned 9.5 percent of votes, and the Galapagos Islands (13th place), which scored just over six percent of votes.  

The disparity between realistic and (sometimes) unattainable, but desired, destinations is evidenced by France’s position on the list. A constant among US travellers’ top five international vacation spots, the European nation ranks a relatively lowly 16th position on the dream destination list, with just 3.5 percent of votes.

(Source: eTravelblackboard)