ABC NSW News

Sydney FC coach Vitezslav Lavicka is reluctant to rush back injured stars Alex Brosque and Terry McFlynn as the reigning champions try to recover from their slowest start to an A-League season.

Greg Inglis, Ryan Hoffman, Brett White and Aiden Tolman all left departing gifts as Melbourne brought the curtain down on its NRL season of woe with a clinical 34-4 disposal of Newcastle at AAMI Park.

More than 20,000 residents remain without power on the New South Wales south coast, even though relief from wild winds is in sight.

New figures show there were 20,000 violent assaults against children in New South Wales over the past year.

Penrith coach Matthew Elliott concedes he is facing a selection headache ahead of the Panthers return to the NRL finals this weekend - ending the longest finals drought of any side in the competition.

More than 100 motorbike riders are riding from Sydney to Alice Springs, and then Perth, to raise awareness about depression.

Strong winds battering the south coast of New South Wales are not expected to ease anytime soon.

More than 60 firefighters are trying to put out a blaze at a shop in Sydney's south this morning.

Police are investigating the suspicious death of a man in Sydney's east on Saturday night.

Parramatta chief executive Paul Osborne believes Quade Cooper will stay in rugby union having not heard from the Wallabies star for a number of weeks.

Defending champion Sydney FC remains winless through five rounds of the A-League, having suffered a 3-1 defeated to Adelaide United at Sydney Football Stadium on Saturday evening.

Sydney Roosters fell short of fifth spot on the NRL ladder but rescued an 18-8 victory over a feisty Cowboys outfit at Dairy Farmers Stadium on Saturday night.

The Panthers piled on nine tries to Cronulla's two to end the 2010 NRL season in second spot with a 50-12 demolition in front of their home fans at Penrith Stadium on Saturday night.

Residents and tourists in southern New South Wales are being told to prepare for extreme weather overnight.

Nathan Cayless signed off on a 14-year career with the last try of the game but could not go out a winner as the Warriors launched into the finals with a 26-12 victory at Parramatta Stadium.

Carlton coach Brett Ratten knows it is asking a lot of his men to defeat a Sydney unit playing arguably more fluent football than the 2005 premiership team.

The New South Wales Government has been accused of hiding disappointing health figures on its new Your Health Service website.

Police are looking for a man they believe indecently assaulted an elderly woman at a caravan park on the New South Wales north coast.

Newcastle Jets coach Branko Culina and his players have cast aside doubts over the A-League club's future in order to get the job done when they host Brisbane on Sunday.