Sydney Roosters would be finals-bound if they had managed to field their full contingent of players for most of the NRL season, according to Cronulla coach Shane Flanagan.The Roosters have been one of the seasons big disappointments, but only fielded a full strength side for the first time this year in their round 19 loss to the Sharks on Monday night.The Tricolours have been hit hard by injury and suspension, but their poor form this season has also been blamed on the off-season departures of James Maloney, Michael Jennings and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.Premiership frontrunners Cronulla were pressed hard by the Tricolours before clinching a 32-20 win and Flanagan believes the Roosters are a side capable of featuring at the business end of the season if things had been different.The Roosters are a good footy side and they played well against us, Flanagan saidIf they had have had that team together all year they would have been playing semi finals.They are big, they are powerful, Mitchell (Pearce), if they had him there all year they would have been playing semi finals.It is probably a real good warning to the whole game that you need your best players on the field and the Roosters are a classic example of not having their best players, especially at the start of the season.Pearce missed the first eight matches of the season due to a disciplinary suspension. Star forwards Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Boyd Cordner have also missed a large chunk of the season due to injury.However, Robinson was in no mood for introspection as the second last-placed Roosters (3-14) suffered another defeat to the Sharks (15-2), who secured their 14 successive win.It is hard to reflect at the moment on what would have happened, Robinson said.It is funny. I feel like we are a really confident team but we look like we lack some confidence each time we play. We really enjoy training and playing and we enjoy each others company and we are doing some really good work.But it is not paying off at the moment. If we keep going we will.I feel that was a really good start but we better tidy up some stuff quickly.Pittsburgh Penguins Shirts .Y. - Rob Manfred was promoted Monday to Major League Baseballs chief operating officer, which may make him a candidate to succeed Bud Selig as commissioner. Pittsburgh Penguins Store . On Saturday night, the normally free throw-challenged centre did just that. Howard scored 18 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, including 13 of 19 free throws in a 2 1/2-minute stretch, and the Houston Rockets beat the Denver Nuggets 122-111. https://www.cheappenguinsjersey.com/ . 4 Villanova with a 96-68 drubbing on Monday. Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. Pittsburgh Penguins Pro Shop . Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Wholesale Penguins Jerseys . The Croatian served 21 aces and hit 42 winners against Sijsling, who double-faulted to give Cilic a 4-3 lead in the deciding set. "All the players, they know me and they were really happy to see me and they were really happy that this is over for me," Cilic said.NEWARK, N.J. -- The new owners of the New Jersey Devils are keeping long-time executive Lou Lamoriello in charge of hockey operations, bringing in a new business team and committing to make the three-time Stanley Cup champions an organization looked toward as a model of excellence. Philadelphia 76ers owner Josh Harris and business partner David Blitzer on Thursday bought the Devils and the lease to the Prudential Center from Jeff Vanderbeek for $320 million. The deal was delayed roughly 15 minutes on Thursday morning because lawyers needed more time to sign off on the transfer of the financially strapped NHL team, which the leagues board of governors approved on Wednesday. "What I am interested in is absolute success on and off the ice, and having the highest quality people and bringing the fans a great experience and winning," said Harris, the co-founder of Apollo Global Management. Harris dispelled rumours that he might consider moving the 76ers to Newark. He has a lease at the Wells Fargo Center with Comcast Spectacor, which also owns the NHLs Flyers. "The Sixers are staying in Philly," Harris said. He added that he and Blitzer viewed the purchase of the Devils, who lost roughly $25 million in the past year, and the lease as a chance to turn around a struggling franchise. "Weve had a lot of success at identifying literally the best, highest-quality management teams and then bringing them into situations and letting them do their thing and holding them accountable," Harris said. "Other people may like to meddle in it. What we like to do in essence is agree what the vision is, what the business plan is and then resource it and allow people to do their jobs." Lamoriello has been the architect of the Devils fortunes since 1987 and thats not going to change. "I hope he stays here another 26 years," Blitzer said of the 70-year-old president and general manager. Lamoriello refused to say whether the new owners have given him a blank cheque, but added "they are committed to winning." Harris and Blitzer selected Scott ONeil as the Devils chief executive officer, a job he also has with the 76ers. The former Madison Square Garden Sports chief executive will work with both teams and Hugh Weber, the former New Orleans Hornets president, will be the everyday business leader in Newark. Harris and Blitzer, who is the senior managing director of the Blackstone Group, needed about a weeek to close the deal after talks with Philadelphia lawyer Andrew Barroway fell through.ddddddddddddHarris said he had made inquiries about buying the team months ago but they were delayed because Vanderbeek has involved in talks with another suitor. Vanderbeek, who has been the majority owner of the Devils since 2004, will remain with the team as a senior adviser. He had mixed emotions after a 10-year run in which he led the effort to build "The Rock" but couldnt raise enough money to keep the team. "It certainly is bittersweet," said Vanderbeek, who refused to say whether he retained a minority share in the team. "There were other opportunities along the way to perhaps do things differently. But you know what? At some point you have to think about the future, the larger whole, and this was the right thing when it came to that." Harris said getting the lease to the Prudential Center was an essential part of the deal because concerts at what has been an under-used facility this past year will general money. The Devils won the Stanley Cup in 1995, 2000 and 2003, and won additional Eastern Conference championships in 2001 and 2012. They missed the playoffs in the recent lockout-shortened season and were stunned when 30-year-old superstar forward Ilya Kovalchuk decided to play in his native Russia. The Devils moved to New Jersey in 1982, playing at the Meadowlands after relocating from Colorado. "This is positive for this franchise, for this building and Newark," Commissioner Gary Bettman said. "There is terrific ownership with resources and talent with can take the team and the building to the next level." Harris and Blitzer continue a trend of rich financiers buying sports teams. Some may want a play thing or bragging rights. Others see their teams as legitimate investments, a way to diversify away from just stocks and bonds. While possession of a sports team isnt necessarily a great way to bring in consistent cash profits, owners can make money if they turn a team around and sell it at a profit years down the road -- exactly what private equity firms do with struggling companies. Some financiers are hands-on owners, such as Stuart Sternberg of the Tampa Bay Rays or John Henry of the Red Sox. David Tepper owns a stake in the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Mark Attansio is principal owner of the Milwaukee Brewers. Hedge fund operator Steve Cohen owns a piece of the Mets. ' ' '