Brisbane have finally jump-started their premiership aspirations - leaving St George Illawarras on life support - after claiming a sorely needed 12-8 NRL win in Wollongong.The Broncos strolled to a 12-2 lead on Thursday night before Dragons pivot Gareth Widdop took a Benji Marshall bomb in the 76th minute, however it wasnt enough to stop the home side falling to a fifth consecutive defeat.In front of a crowd of just 5662 in the wet, Broncos stars Sam Thaiday and Matt Gillett returned from suspension and injury respectively to help the side get back on the winners list.More importantly, Brisbane move to within two points of a crucial second chance in the finals.Thaiday scored the only try of the opening hour, while Gillett, in his first game since picking up a shoulder injury in State of Origin III, tallied a quality 81 metres and 43 tackles in a powerhouse outing.The Dragons remain just two points outside the top eight but face an uphill battle to make the finals.Marshalls hopes of earning a new contract also nosedived along with the Dragons season after the veteran committed five of his sides nine errors in a disappointing performance.The 31-year-old twice fumbled balls in attacking opportunities, bombed one kick out on the full and also crucially was caught on the last tackle with the Dragons in search of the game-winner late in the match.In torrid conditions in a dull first half, both sides opened conservatively, tucking the ball under their arms and completing at a rate of more than 90 per cent in the dreadful conditions.After trading penalty goals, Thaidays 23rd-minute chasedown of an Anthony Milford grubber gave the visitors an 8-2 lead by halftime.Dragons winger Kurt Mann almost scored a long-range try but fumbled a pick-up with the tryline begging in the 52nd minute, before opposite flyer Lachlan Maranta went over eight minutes later.Broncos coach Wayne Bennett was delighted with the input of Gillett and Thaiday, as well as a third star from suspension in prop Josh McGuire.McGuire chipped in running 167 metres and making 47 tackles.You have to understand thats half your forward pack and theyre all current Australian players, Bennett said post-game.Theyre not on the way up in football, so taking 50 per cent of them out of your team has a huge impact. They complemented everyone else out there.?Dragons coach Paul McGregor conceded that, with four rounds to go, the Dragons season was over.Gold Coast having a draw the other night makes it hard for us because of our for-and-against, he said.You dont like to put pressure on, pre-game, about having to win games of footy because then you worry about the outcome before you worry about the process going through it.But it makes it difficult. Its a good opportunity now to give some of these young players that are going really well and get that experience back and finish the year strong.PJ Tucker Rockets Jersey . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Tyson Chandler Jersey . Kiriasis and brakeman Franziska Fritz finished two runs in one minute 55.41 seconds -- a mere 0.01 seconds ahead of Meyers and Lolo Jones, who likely bolstered her Olympic hopes by helping give USA-1 a huge push in the second heat. https://www.rocketsrookiesshop.com/Vincent-Edwards-City-Edition-Jersey/ . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. Tyler Ennis Rockets Jersey . 24 Baylor in a Big 12 clash between teams trending in opposite directions. Andrew Wiggins made 10-of-12 from the foul line and scored 17 for Kansas (14-4, 5-0 Big 12), which capped a stretch of four straight games against ranked opponents unscathed. Michael Frazier Jersey . General manager Jarmo Kekalainen told Aaron Portzline of The Columbus Dispatch on Friday that he wants to see Gaboriks contributions go beyond the scoresheet before considering a long-term deal for the soon-to-be unrestricted free agent.KINGSTON, R.I. -- After coasting through its first two games, No. 21 Rhode Island finally played a team that wasnt out of contention by halftime.Jared Terrell scored 18 points and E.C. Matthews added 17 as the Rams staved off upset-minded Brown on Wednesday night in Round Two of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off.This is the first time we got challenged since weve been on the court, Rams coach Dan Hurley said. Its the first time we were in something tight where we had to make some plays.Some mind-boggling things went on. We got out-hustled. I think we were a little full of ourselves today and this was the perfect opponent for us to get upset. Can this be a positive for us? Yes.Steven Spieth paced the Bears (1-2) with 21 points while Brandon Anderson added 16. Hassan Martin added 12 points for the Rams (3-0).We knew we would be challenged and that if we took care of the ball we would have had a chance, Brown coach Mike Martin said. In a game like this, every possession is critical and we had a few empty chances in the second half.After trailing 36-21 in the first half, Brown pulled within 41-33 at intermission as Spieth scored six points in the last 27 seconds.Obviously Im happy to survive the game, Hurley said. My hats off to Mike and his team. He had his guys really ready to play.They were really scrappy. I thought Spieth was the best player on the court. On our end Im disappointed because we had several chances in the first half to extend it and get away like we did in our first two games.Even though Rhode Island shot 57.7 percent from the field in the second half, the fact Brown switched from man-to-man to a zone defense still gave the Rams trouble.At one point Brown trailed 58-53 before Martin and Matthews ignited a rally that enabled Rhode Island to pull away.Great teams at that point get separation, Hurley said of his teams first-half play. I have much respect for the way their guys shhowed up and competed.ddddddddddddBIG PICTUREBrown: The Bears tied for last last season in the Ivy League. But they may have delivered a message that this scenario wont be repeated after they upset Niagara 77-67 in their home opener on Nov. 13 and played Rhode Island tough on Wednesday.Rhode Island: Season-opening routs of Dartmouth and Marist enabled the Rams to move up two spots in the Top 25 poll, to No. 21. Logic dictates their road will become more difficult to traverse as the season progresses.POLL IMPLICATIONS: At the least the Rams didnt hurt their standings in the poll but how much this hard-fought victory will enable them to move up is debatable.HIGHLIGHT REEL: Martin continues to guard his teams basket like it contains the crown jewels as he blocked six shots which gave him a total of 262. That number ranks second among all active NCAA Division I players.TURNING POINT: The Bears had sliced their deficit from 15 points to 58-55 with 10:39 left in regulation. But Martin blunted that rally by sandwiching a dunk and a tip-in around a free throw by Matthews.FRESHMAN STANDOUT: Browns Anderson, who had only scored three points in his first two games, finished with 16 points and four rebounds with four steals.UP NEXTBrown should be favored when it faces Marist on Saturday in the Springfield Bracket of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Red Foxes opened their season with a 94-49 loss to No. 1 Duke and a 107-65 defeat by Rhode Island.Rhode Island will face its most challenging, early season opponent on Saturday when it plays No. 24 Cincinnati in the Naismith Bracket of the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip-Off at the Mohegan Sun Arena. The Bearcats have won their first two games, outscoring Albany and Brown by an average score of 79-53. ' ' '