THE KEY MEN IN SUNDAYS FOUR NATIONS FINAL BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND AT ANFIELD (0130 AEDT MONDAY)JOHNATHAN THURSTON V SHAUN JOHNSONTwo of the finest playmakers in the games who are blessed with match-winning abilities. Thurston will be playing his last match on UK soil and is desperate to finish his fourth Kangaroos tour on a high. Johnson was almost the match-winner against against Australia at Coventry after being held up over the line in the final minute. Both players can expect special attention from two huge forward packs.CAMERON SMITH V ISSAC LUKESmith will play his 33rd straight Test, two behind Clive Churchills record of 35 in the list of most successive Australia appearances when he runs out in the green and gold for the 49th time at Anfield. Now aged 33, the skipper shows no signs of a decline in performances and is still the best dummy-half in the world. Luke had a below-par first year with the Warriors after leaving South Sydney, but has been back to his best in this tournament.JASON TAUMALOLO V BOYD CORDNERTaumalolo - the reigning joint Dally M Medal winner - will need to be at his rampaging best for the Kiwis if they are to win and will be a huge test for Australia up the middle. But in Cordner the Kangaroos have a special talent of their own, who is strong in defence, sharp in attack and a ferocious tackler with an eye for the tryline. Has shaken off a bout of gastro to be fit to play this final. Cheap Texas Rangers Jerseys . The Browns coaching search remains incomplete. Cheap MLB Jerseys Authentic .Y. - General manager Billy King says the Brooklyn Nets are looking to add a big man and confirmed the team worked out centre Jason Collins, who would become the first openly gay active NBA player if signed. http://www.cheaptexasrangersjerseys.com/ . After a first half in which he thought "the lid was on the basket," the Toronto Raptors coach watched his squad mount a second half surge to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers 98-91. Cheap Ferguson Jenkins Jersey . Dukurs winning time was 1 minute, 45.76 seconds, a quarter-second better than Russias Alexander Tretiakov. Lativas Tomass Dukurs was third, 1.41 seconds off the pace. Jon Montgomery of Eckville, Alta. Cheap Rangers Jerseys China .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. FARMINGDALE, N.Y. -- The Ryder Cup is coming to Bethpage Black, and its going to be absolutely bananas. Just imagine a football game crossed with a stock exchange floor under a circus tent. And then imagine trying to play golf in that environment. No, not just golf. The most harrowing, nerve-inducing golf of your life.Unfortunately, none of this is happening for another eight years. Thats nearly a full decade to wonder about all the perils of contesting the biennial nail-biter in the New York-iest of muni courses. Better start clearing your throat now, just in case.This week, theres a nice, little convergence of those two worlds. The infamous Black course is hosting the Barclays, the first of four PGA Tour playoff events. There isnt exactly a Ryder Cup atmosphere in the air, but the upcoming version of that event is serving as an important subplot to these proceedings.This is the last tournament for U.S. players to claim the eight automatic qualifying positions that will constitute two-thirds of the American roster. Five of those spots already belong to Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Phil Mickelson, Jimmy Walker and Brooks Koepka. Those are locked up. Brandt Snedeker and Zach Johnson appear fairly safe in the next two spots. Patrick Reed is firmly on the bubble at No. 8, with J.B. Holmes, Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar in close pursuit.Then theres Rickie Fowler.It isnt often that the player in 12th place on the points list entering the final week would garner so much attention, but it isnt often that the worlds eighth-ranked player would find himself in this position.Its less statistical anomaly than just two lists based on different numbers, but it still qualifies as a bizarre phenomenon. And it has left Fowler trying to play catch-up in a race to make the team.One hundred percent, he said when asked how much hes thinking about it. Thats the No. 1 priority coming into the year. Id say thats always one of the main goals, for sure, coming into a Ryder Cup year. ... It would be nice to have a chance to make that team without having to get picked.Fowler indeed has thatt chance this week, but hell need a strong result.dddddddddddd So far, hes on the right track, with an opening-round 4-under 67 that left him tied for third, 2 strokes shy of 18-hole co-leaders Reed and Martin Laird.Afterward, he was still thinking about the Ryder Cup.Im thinking about it; the other guys are thinking about it, he said. So if its even on your mind at all, not that its pressure in a way, but its more to think about. I dont mind it. Ive always liked kind of being put up against the wall in a corner and having that on me. Going out, I knew that getting off to a good start today was going to be key. Im in a position where Im kind of put in a corner where I need to either earn my way on the team or at least prove that I should be there.I was excited about getting out there. The game is very close to being really good. Ive had some little glimpses of that with rounds here and there. Good, solid start. thats all we can ask for.Plenty of players talk about wanting to make the Ryder Cup team. Fowler is backing up that talk with his actions.He competed for the U.S. in the recent Olympics for more than simply Ryder Cup-related reasons, though his enthusiasm to represent his country certainly didnt hurt. Then last week, when most of his highly ranked peers stayed home, he played the Wyndham Championship, finishing in a share of 22nd place in an effort to move up the standings.Its a big deal to both of us, explained his longtime caddie, Joe Skovron, and its been a big part of our scheduling as of late. Thats why we went to Wyndham. Weve definitely paid attention to it.Fowler revealed that he hasnt spoken with U.S. captain Davis Love III lately, though he expects to in c