The Cronulla Sharks were in disarray Thursday with reports that up to 14 players face suspensions for using prohibited drugs on the eve of Australia's new National Rugby League season. The Sydney club said it was fully assisting an investigation by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA), which comes ahead of their opening game of the 2013 season against the Gold Coast Titans on Sunday.

Wallaby back Kurtley Beale has been ruled out of Super Rugby for up to a month with a fractured hand, his Melbourne Rebels team said on Monday. The Rebels fly-half is expected to undergo surgery after scans on Monday revealed a fracture to his left hand that will keep him out for three to four weeks, a team spokesman said. Beale was already playing in the Super 15 with an injured left shoulder, which is likely to require surgery at the end of the domestic season, which includes a three-Test series against the touring British and Irish Lions.

SYDNEY, March 1 (Reuters) - The New South Wales Waratahs mounted a stirring second-half comeback to end their nine-game Super Rugby losing streak with a 31-26 win over the Melbourne Rebels on Friday. The Rebels had looked on course for a first win over their fellow Australians when Ged Robinson's try helped them to take a halftime lead in Sydney.

The Queensland Reds staved off a determined comeback by the New South Wales Waratahs to win their Super 15 rugby clash 25-17 on Saturday. It was the Reds' fourth win in succession over their arch-rivals, thanks largely to a pair of tries for Ben Tapuai, but they were given a scare by the Waratahs in the second half. In front of a healthy crowd of 35,801, the Reds bounced back from last weekend's loss to the ACT Brumbies to dominate the opening half against the Waratahs, playing their first game of the season.