Tampa Bay is 9-6 against the Jays this season. | Forum

Des Hasler has been a part of top-flight rugby league for over 30 years and the four-time premiership winner believes this seasons race is one of the tightest hes been involved with. Vans Scarpe Scontate .Results over the last two NRL rounds have thrown title fight wide open with the hopes of Cronulla and North Queensland taking a battering while Canberra, Canterbury, Brisbane and Penrith have had theirs ressucitated.There are 12 teams still in the finals hunt with three rounds to play and the final make-up of the top eight set to go down to the wire in round 26.Haslers Bulldogs travel to Brisbane to face the Broncos in the opening match of round 24 on Thursday in a game that will have a significant bearing on the top eight.The usual cut-off point for the final eight, 28 points, might not be enough to make the playoffs in 2016.Wayne Bennetts side can move onto 30 points and confirm a finals berth with a victory.Meanwhile, the Bulldogs need to win two of their last three games against last years grand finalists Brisbane, North Queensland and South Sydney to make the all-important top four.The top-four spot is always an advantage, said Hasler, who won the 1987 and 1996 premierships as a player with Manly and coached the club to title wins in 2008 and 2011.As long as I can remember this had been one of the closest competitions.Teams are really coming into their own and there were an assortment of results last weekend (that showed that).And with semi-final football it goes to another level again.You need any advantage you can take in those last eight places and being in the top four seems to be one of those.Cowboys coach Paul Green said after Sundays loss to Sydney Roosters, the premiers third defeat in a row, that the competition can be won from outside the top four for the first time since 1995.Fifth-placed North Queensland might have to do that. they sit four points adrift of the Dogs in fourth.The Cowboys host the ninth-placed Warriors in Townsville on Saturday in another match that will have an important influence on finals positions.A win for the hosts will seal a finals spot in the bottom half of the eight.Melbourne can wrap up a top-two spot and a home final in week one of the playoffs against Manly at Brookvale on Saturday, after suffering defeat to Canberra for just the fourth time this season on Monday night.The Raiders can seal a surprise top four berth against Parramatta in the nations capital on Sunday.St George Illawarra slim finals chances will be killed off with a loss to the Roosters on Sunday.Gold Coast should be able to hold onto eighth place when they travel to Newcastle to face the hapless Knights on Saturday.Wests Tigers can join Penrith on 26 premiership points if they defeat the seventh-placed Panthers at Pepper Stadium on Friday. Scarpe Vans Scontate Online . Meanwhile, there were huge victories for Sunderland and West Ham over fellow relegation rivals, leaving the battle to avoid the drop up for grabs with the bottom 11 teams separated by just six points. Eden Hazard and Fernando Torres scored second-half goals to seal a fourth straight victory for Chelsea, which climbed above Arsenal and Manchester City in the standings ahead of their games on Monday and Sunday respectively. Vans Scarpe Vendita Online .Y. - Nelson Mandela will be honoured by the New York Yankees with a plaque in Monument Park. http://www.vansitalia.it/ . Fellow centre Pavel Datsyuk remains out because of a concussion. Zetterberg has 11 goals and 19 assists for a team-high 30 points, and Datsyuk has a team-high 12 goals and 11 assists.(Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Rays hope to keep pace in the AL East race as they battle the Toronto Blue Jays in the final stage of a three-game series at Tropicana Field. Adam Lind homered twice and J.A. Happ delivered a solid start to lift the Blue Jays to a 6-2 victory over Tampa Bay in the second game of the series to avenge a 5-4 loss they endured in Fridays opener. Jose Bautista added a solo homer and two runs scored in the win, while Brett Lawrie extended his hitting streak to seven games by going 2-for-4 with an RBI single. "Im always trying to find my swing, no matter what time of the season it is," Lind said. "The season is so long. You just have to fight through the bad times and find a comfort zone. Its like everything else in life. When you feel comfortable, you have a better chance of success." Toronto won despite Edwin Encarnacion and Adam Gose both going 0-for-4. Encarnacion, who is tied for third in the majors in home runs with 30 and is also ranked fourth with 90 RBI, had a five-game hitting streak end in the win. Jose Reyes was not in the lineup and is out until at least Tuesday because of swelling in his right knee. The Blue Jays will send Todd Redmond to the hill as they try to steal the series. The 28-year-old righty held Boston scoreless for 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday but took a no-decision. Redmond has allowed three runs or fewer in all six of his starts. He has fanned 36 batters in 29 2/3 innnings. Scarpe Vans Offerte Online. Tampa Bay is hopeful Chris Archer can finally find success in August after being named the ALs Pitcher and Rookie of the Month in July. The 6-foot-3 right-hander went 4-0 with a 0.73 ERA last month, but is 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA in August. He fell to 6-5 after he surrendered five runs to Seattle on nine hits before being replaced after five innings on Tuesday. "Im making good pitches and sometimes, good isnt enough," Archer said after Tuesdays setback. "I take full responsibility for that loss. If I execute a couple pitches, we win that game. Its on me, and I was really hoping to go out there and reverse the fortune weve been having. Tonight wasnt the night." Archer lasted at least six innings in all five of his starts in July. He defeated Toronto on July 21, holding the Jays to a single run over seven innings. In that game, Encarnacion, Bautista, Lind and Lawrie went a combined 0-for-13 against Archer. The offense will need to be better for Archer to have a chance. On Saturday, Evan Longoria finished 2-for-4 with a run scored and Yunel Escobar had an RBI single for Tampa Bay, which had a three-game win streak halted and fell two games back of Boston for first place in the AL East. Wil Myers is 0-for-8 with four strikeouts so far in the series. Tampa Bay is 9-6 against the Jays this season. Toronto is in sole possession of last place in the AL East, entering Sunday sitting 15 games back of Boston. Cheap Hoodies From China Discount NFL Shirts Cheap NFL Jerseys Authentic Cheap NFL Jerseys China Wholesale China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Fast Shipping China Jerseys Stitched Jerseys ' ' '