AAP

It took one round for Wests Tigers and Sydney Roosters fans to begin dreaming of their sides ending long NRL finals droughts.

Melbourne Victory coach Ernie Merrick has issued a grand final eve plea to skipper Kevin Muscat - play on for one more A-League season.

League legend Brad Fittler has bobbed up as an interested spectator at St George Illawarra training.

Alcohol abuse is on the rise in the Pacific, and Australian and New Zealand beer is a large part of the problem, a new report has found.

Brisbane's first-up win over the Cowboys last weekend obviously failed to impress one big better who on Wednesday tossed $A100,000 on the Broncos to miss the top eight.

Cyclone Tomas uprooted trees and smashed houses as it tore through the Fijian island of Cikobia, a villager has told a local radio station.

It is the A-League grand final most have been anticipating all season - perhaps even since the soccer competition's inception five years ago.

Michael Clarke returned to cricket yesterday looking to put his personal dramas behind him as the Australian test squad resumed training for the first test against New Zealand.

Childhood allergy rates have hit "epidemic proportions" in Australia, prompting health experts to broaden their efforts to combat the mysterious condition.

The Adelaide Fringe is the second-biggest festival of its kind in the world but producers would like to see a greater audience from interstate and overseas.