Liebe, Lust und Leben » never happened. Drivers were set for the unusual

Country Rugby League boss Terry Quinn wants at least two regional NRL games guaranteed each year as a replacement for the axed City-Country fixture.Quinn made the bittersweet announcement on Monday that the central-western NSW town of Mudgee would host the final instalment of the traditional NSW State of Origin audition next year.Penriths sponsored NRL clash in Bathurst is expected to be the only other game played at a country venue when the governing body releases its draw within the next week.With officials vague about their determination to take more top level league to the bush beyond City-Country, Quinn is calling for an assurance of country games in 2018.Ive had discussions with (NRL CEO) Todd Greenberg in his previous position and we discussed trying to get a guarantee of at least two competition games, possibly three if that was the case, depending on what the clubs want, Quinn told AAP.And place them strategically where theyre going to get the best bang for their buck. Keeping it in one spot, I dont think you can get the impact.Quinn, who was in favour of scrapping the City-Country game due to the growing number of player withdrawals each year, said the governing body also had to cover costs for games.Penrith are in the middle of a five-year contract to play at Bathursts Carrington Park where they have won two of three games.Dubbo, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Griffith, Lismore and Coffs Harbour are other venues Quinn believes also have the capacity.The benefits are left at the communities (involved) ... helping the junior footy clubs or the senior football clubs developing the game, he said.They cant just fly in, fly out either. Theyve got to spend a few days there doing some of the stuff like they do in City-Country week.Quinn said while the possibility of NRL games going bush was a good trade-off, there was a romanticism that would die with the City-Country match.Out of the current NSW squad, theyve all had their start in City-Country games, which is quite phenomenal, he said.People can see their heroes, kids can touch them and realise theyre only human beings. It encourages development and growth for the game. Matt Albers Brewers Jersey . They had already blown a double-digit lead, fans were hitting the exits, and a long seven-game road trip waited at the end. Josh Hader Jersey .Y. - New York City has been selected to host the NBA All-Star weekend in 2015, with the game played at Madison Square Garden and the slam dunk contest and other skills events held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. https://www.cheapbrewers.com/209y-cecil-cooper-jersey-brewers.html .com) - The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward James Neal on injured reserve Tuesday. Tyler Saladino Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants. Eric Thames Jersey . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. TORONTO -- Scott Dixon said hed never been on a stranger podium. Dixon was joined by Sebastien Bourdais and Dario Franchitti but he was the only one who appeared to be celebrating after winning the Honda Indy Toronto for the first time in his career. Bourdais, who should have been overjoyed at his first podium finish since 2007, watched his second-place trophy fall off the base and smash on the ground. Franchitti, thinking he had finished third, was told moments before being doused in champagne that hed been penalized 25 seconds and was actually 13th. After the race the call was again reviewed and Franchittis third-place finish was restored. "I felt bad for Sebastien. That sucked," said Dixon, who made a pass on Bourdais with eight laps left in the 85-lap race. "Dropping that nice trophy. It bounced twice, too, so third time lucky I guess it smashed and the funniest thing though is you see it go back past Dario and he ... just watched it. So that was pretty funny." Dixon was enjoying himself all day. Saturdays victory was his second of the week and the season after capturing Pocono last Sunday, and moved him into third overall in the points standings. It came after the New Zealand native secured the pole in qualifying earlier in the day for Sundays race, the second of a doubleheader at Exhibition Place. Dixon also joined Bourdais, Franchitti and Torontos Paul Tracy for seventh on the all-time wins list with his 31st victory. "Basically for me it means a lot," said Dixon. "To think were all tied for what, seventh or something, but to think that the next group of people have names of Unser, Andretti and Foyt, you know thats pretty special to even be on the same list as those guys." Franchitti was at a loss for words when IndyCar penalized him for blocking rival Will Power on a restart on Lap 79. The three-time champion had started from the pole, but suffered from tire degradation and had to work back through the field. The same restart that saw Dixon rocket to victory featured fourth-place Power try to pass Franchitti only to shoot straight into a tire wall. After the race, Marco Andretti passed both drivers when Franchittis penalty moved him to third. Before the penalty was reversed, Franchitti said he had just been defending the inside racing line like he had through all 85 laps of the 1.75-mile street course at Exhibition Place. He said he would protest the call if he could, but it was reversed well after the race anyway. "It will be very interesting to know how they make decisions up there sometimes," said Franchitti. "I think it involves a dice and blindfold." The comment will likely anger IndyCar officials after race director Beaux Barfield missed the event with personal reasons. He was replaced by former race director Brian Barnhart, who was removed from the job at the end of the 2011 season following public spats with Power and Helio Castroneves. Andretti, the son of Michael Andretti who won the race seven times during his career, watched Franchitti and Power duel but said he didnt want to take a side.dddddddddddd "But if it moves me up to third, that was definitely a block," he said with laughter. Bourdais meanwhile said it was right that Dixon passed him because the fastest car should always win. The 2004 winner in Toronto said he wouldnt miss the broken trophy. "Ive got plenty of trophies," said the French driver. "Its not what makes your day. What makes your day is to have a day like this ... Today we drove well, fought hard, got the result in the end." The race continued a tradition of disappointment for the Canadian drivers. James Hinchcliffe of Oakville, Ont., finished eighth after starting 13th -- his best finish in Toronto in three IndyCar seasons after being knocked out of the last two races -- while Alex Tagliani of Lachenaie, Que., ran into Simon Pagenaud on Lap 82 and ended up 17th. Ryan Hunter-Reay, last years winner and the defending series champion, was bumped into a banner and out of contention by teammate E.J. Viso on Lap 79, leading to a restart on the final lap. Power, who started third, led the race after 61 laps but conceded first place to Dixon and failed to take the lead after Dixon pitted. Power dropped back to third shortly after when a quick pit stop also put Bourdais just ahead. On Lap 64, Justin Wilson brought the pack together with a full-course caution after bouncing off the wall and into Charlie Kimball and Ryan Briscoe, who injured his wrist in the accident and was later taken to a hospital. On the restart, Bourdais moved by Dixon on a pass that was reviewed but later approved by IndyCar officials. The lead lasted until Dixons strong pass in the dying moments of the race. The much-anticipated standing start to the race never happened. Drivers were set for the unusual start -- IndyCars first since 2008 -- but it was aborted when Josef Newgardens car stalled on the grid. IndyCar immediately changed to the normal rolling start, but the race didnt get a green flag until Newgardens car was taken off the track after stalling again. Race officials later opted to try the standing start again Sunday. When the race finally began, every car made it through the slippery first turn for a clean start. Dixon, who would normally be spending the night celebrating his victory with a drink, said he would instead be preparing for a Sunday race he thinks could get testy. "Thats kind of the tough part about today," said Dixon. "If people had a bad day today theyre going to take it out tomorrow. I guess if you had a good day you just hope youre not on the receiving end of that." Notes: Takuma Sato was put on probation for five races after running into Hunter-Reay in pit lane at Pocono on Sunday. ... Justin Wilson stalled on pit road and started the race from back of the pack. ' ' '