Stan James Betting News

Shane Warne feels Australia (4/7 favs with Stan James to win the Ashes) will prove too strong for England on home soil when the two sides meet in the Ashes series later this year.

Andrew Strauss' men, currently fifth in the world rankings, will look to defend the urn they won in England last summer when they head Down Under in November.

Last time England were in Australia in 2005, the tourists were hammered 5-0, but without Warne, Glenn McGrath and Adam Gilchrist, the latest series is expected to be much closer.

Club captain Gary Neville claims Manchester United's destiny is in their own hands as they chase a record fourth Premier League title in a row (United 5/4 Outright with Stan James).

No side has won the league four times on the bounce since the Premier League was formed for the 1992/93 season, but right-back Neville reckons United stand a good chance of breaking new ground.

He said: "It is in our hands now and it has not been like that for a while.

"Chelsea have to come here - and that is where we want to be. We want to win our home games."

Wales hooker Matthew Rees could miss the rest of the Six Nations (Wales 14/1 Outright with Stan James) amid fears he might need groin surgery.

The forward missed the England defeat at the weekend along with fellow British Lion Gethin Jenkins who had a calf problem.

And while the prop is expected to be ready for the Millennium Stadium showdown with Scotland on Saturday, Rees might need to go under the knife.

The Scarlets star tore a groin muscle in the autumn against Australia and has missed much of his region's season as a result.

Arsenal do not have the right blend to challenge for the Premier League title, Chelsea star Michael Ballack has hinted.

The Blues returned to the top of the table on Sunday thanks to a 2-0 win over the Gunners at Stamford Bridge, with Didier Drogba (7/2 Top Competition Goalscorer with Stan James) bagging a brace to take his league tally to 17 for the season - four behind Manchester United's Wayne Rooney (1/3 favourite).

And Ballack says Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti had done his homework on Arsene Wenger's men.

England No.8 Nick Easter admits the Six Nations trip to Italy is a "must-win game" this weekend.

Martin Johnson's men (11/4 Outright and 6/1 Grand Slam with Stan James) are red-hot favourites to pick up their second win of the tournament when they face the Azzurri in Rome, but Harlequins star Easter says it will be no cakewalk.

He reasoned: "It is a must-win game in Italy but it is going to be tough. They are a good side.

"They have been in the Six Nations now for 10 years. A lot of their players are playing in our league and the French league.

Arsenal star Theo Walcott has played down talk of the Gunners slipping well behind Chelsea and Manchester United in the Premier League pecking order this season.

The Blues and the Red Devils have both done the double over Arsene Wenger's men, who have also been beaten by Manchester and Sunderland this term to sit nine points off the pace in third spot.

But Walcott insists the Premier League is all about fine margins and says Arsenal can beat "anyone on their day".

He told Arsenal TV Online: "We have to believe we are always in the title race, no matter where we are in the league.

Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech has told Arsenal (18/1 Premier League 2009/2010 Outright) to forget about winning the Premier League title this season.

The Czech Republic number one played his part in a 2-0 win over the Gunners at Stamford Bridge on Sunday to widen the gap between the two clubs to nine points at the too of the table.

Cech is convinced the defeat will have shattered Arsenal's confidence ahead of another tough game against in-form Liverpool at Emirates Stadium on Wednesday.

Team manager Martin Johnson has told his England players not to spend too long celebrating their winning start to the Six Nations (England 11/4 - Tournament Outright).

The Red Rose (15/8 Triple Crown) produced the perfect response to a grim November series by beating Wales 30-17 at Twickenham on Saturday thanks to two tries from James Haskell and another from Danny Care - plus a 15 points haul from Jonny Wilkinson.

World Cup winning captain Johnson was delighted with the win but accepts England are far from the polished piece.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has predicted a tight race with the likes of Tottenham, Manchester City (8/11 Premier League 2009/2010 Outright W/O Big 4) and Aston Villa in the pursuit of a top-four Premier League finish.

The Reds landed the derby spoils on Saturday when they beat local rivals Everton 1-0 at Anfield and a productive start to the day got even better when Manchester City lost at Hull and Tottenham and Aston Villa fought out a goalless draw.

Fabio Capello is in no doubt under-fire Chelsea captain John Terry can still do a job for England at the World Cup this summer (England 11/2 World Cup 2010 Outright).

Terry was replaced by Rio Ferdinand of Manchester United as the new captain of the national side on Friday in response to allegations surrounding his private life.

The 29-year-old said he respected Capello's decision and would continue to "give everything" for England in the build-up to this summer's showpiece tournament (England 3/10 World Cup 2010 Groups).