Odds For Newcastle Manager

Ricky Stuart's secret NSW Blues team

Stuart took 19 players with him to Brisbane yesterday for the sell-out match at Suncorp Stadium on Wednesday, but the word out of the NSW camp was that he might not publicly disclose his team until just before the game kicks off.

Although the NRL has certain guidelines in place regarding team selection - clubs can be fined for any late changes made to a team sheet - there are no such provisions for representative sides.

"That's not what the spirit of this game is about," QRL managing director Ross Livermore said yesterday. "They'd be fining the bloody clubs wouldn't they if they started this caper. Ricky must be pulling the strings.

"You're supposed to name your top 17 and then have your reserves. And you've got to have every intention of playing your top 17."

Livermore contacted NSWRL general manager Geoff Carr yesterday to find out why the Blues still hadn't named a team and said he considered it to be unsatisfactory if Stuart was holding back for any other reason than injury.

The NSW coach was a master tactician, including late team changes and mind games, when he coached the Sydney Roosters and Cronulla. And Queensland coach Mal Meninga has already admitted his former teammate Stuart has got under his skin in the lead-up to the final game.

It was only last week Carr was questioning the tactics of the Maroons after speculation that they might exploit the system themselves to sneak backrower Dave Taylor into the team provided he beat a charge at the judiciary.

The Maroons have also named 18 players and Dane Nielsen is a chance to play on Wednesday night if Justin Hodges continues to battle a hamstring problem.

"We could do the same thing if we wanted to," Livermore said.

"Say Taylor got off - and I'm not saying we would have done it - but we could have had him as No 19 and brought him on instead of someone else.

"It is against the spirit of the game and even Geoff said it last week if we were playing ducks and drakes with Taylor. But we weren't playing ducks and drakes with him at all."

Although the Blues' preparation last week was disrupted by injury, there was better news following their final Sydney training session at Kogarah Oval yesterday with everyone - bar backrower Beau Scott who is battling the flu - able to take part.

That means Stuart will have the luxury of choosing a team from his squad of 19 as centre Michael Jennings (ankle), utility Kurt Gidley (hamstring), five-eighth Jamie Soward (hamstring), Ben Creagh (ankle) and Glenn Stewart (back) are likely to be available.

Former Newcastle United boss joint favourite with Watford manager ...

Malky Mackay is no longer the outright favourite to become the new Cardiff City manager with one firm of bookmakers following an Irish-led gamble on Alan Shearer.

The Watford boss had been as low as 1-3 to succeed Dave Jones over the weekend but Paddy Power now have him as joint even-money favourite with the former Newcastle United manager.

Mackay remains odds-on to take over the Bluebirds with three other firms, but Shearer’s odds are continuing to shorten with them and range from 6-4 to 7-4.

The Hornets have received no official approach for Mackay but the South Wales Echo is claiming the Bluebirds are “a few days away” from naming their new boss but “the majority of the Cardiff board [are] believed to be firmly behind the appointment of Mackay”.

The gamble on Shearer originated in Cork area of southern Ireland and William Hill spokesman Graham Sharpe told the South Wales Echo bets of up to 200 euros apiece were being placed from last night and “we wouldn’t be surprised to see Shearer become favourite over Malky Mackay very shortly”.

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