Penrith admit they will be forced to up the ante in Saturdays NRL semi-final following the surprise inclusion of of Canberra strike weapons Josh Hodgson and Blake Austin.Hodgson had been rated a slim chance to play in the sudden-death showdown at GIO Stadium after suffering ligament damage and bone bruising in his left ankle last weekend against Cronulla.But the superstar hooker was given the green light on Friday afternoon, having made a miraculous recovery to complete the Raiders captains run.The England international spent three full days getting treatment by club physios and did not train earlier in the week with the team.I am a bit surprised but, at the same time, excited, Hodgson said.These are the games you want to play. This is why you play rugby league - to play on the big stage in the big games.Its going to be tough but we are aiming to make it a lot tougher for them.Five-eighth Austin also came through the teams final training session unscathed to be fit to play for the first time since having surgery last month on a broken hand.I cant wait to get out there and do my part for the team and, hopefully, we can get the win, Austin said.We are all pretty excited and like our chances. If we stick at what we need to do, we are going to be well and truly in the game.Coach Anthony Griffin said the Panthers had prepared as though Hodgson was going to play, given his importance to the Raiders.Hes a massive threat, Griffin said.He runs a lot of their attack out of dummy-half, hes got a great kicking game and hes a real smart player.(Hes) the brains of the operation and they really missed him when he wasnt there last week in the last 30 minutes (against Cronulla).Weve been concentrating really hard and watched a lot of vision of him this week. Ive got no doubt hell be out to have a great game.Griffin said the ferocity of finals football would test the talented No.9, suggesting the Panthers wouldnt go easy on him.Im sure they wouldnt have risked him unless he was close to fully fit, so its game on, he said.Griffin also rated Austin a massive in for the Raiders, looking to end their record as the only team in the NRL era to not reach a preliminary final.The playmaker is a great runner of the football and hard to contain.It just means theyve got a lot more to their attack than what theyve had the last few weeks ... and were going to have to be a level up on last week to be able to go with them, he said.The winner of Saturdays clash will face Melbourne at AAMI Park next weekend to play for a spot in the grand final.STATS THAT MATTER: CANBERRA V PENRITH:* The Raiders have won five of seven finals matches against the Panthers, including the past three* Penrith have never won a final outside Sydney, with both losses coming in Canberra* Since round 20, they have been - by far - the best two attacking teams in the competition, averaging the most points and linebreaks per game Custom Astros T-shirts . After slipping from the summit during the week, the Gunners overcame struggling Crystal Palace 2-0 on Sunday thanks to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlains second-half brace. Cheap Astros Jerseys . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/custom-jeff-bagwell-jersey-large-76y.html . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Custom Astros Jerseys . Still, Brewers manager Ron Roenicke thought taking him out before the fifth inning was an unusual move. "Im looking up at the board and hes got two hits given up and one run, and Im taking him out after the fourth inning," Roenicke said. Authentic Custom Astros Jersey . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. So much for Puig-mania sweeping the country. Give this contest to Atlanta first baseman Freddie Freeman. Freeman and Toronto reliever Steve Delabar won the fan voting for the final spots in next weeks All-Star game, meaning Los Angeles Dodgers sensation Yasiel Puig is likely headed for a few days off after a terrific stretch to begin his major league career. Freeman set a record with 19.7 million votes, and Puig was second. Major League Baseball didnt release the vote total for Puig, but said the Cuban defector also surpassed the previous record for the final vote of 15.6 million for Shane Victorino in 2009. "Its unbelievable," Freeman said. "Im kind of speechless. I wouldnt be here without the fans and I just saw that its 19.7 million votes. Its incredible and its just a dream come true." Freeman was taking ground balls during batting practice before Atlantas 6-5 victory over Cincinnati on Thursday night when general manager Frank Wren called him over and told him about his first All-Star selection. The slugger had three hits and four RBIs against the Reds and is batting .313 with nine homers and 60 RBIs in 79 games. "I never, ever thought that I would make one," Freeman said. "I just wanted to get to the big leagues, and when I got here I just wanted to win ballgames. All-Star games were not on my mind. "To win this is just beyond me." Puig wont get to play in the July 16 game at Citi Field in New York unless he is added as an injury replacement. The outfielder is batting .394 with eight homers and 19 RBIs heading into Thursday nights home game against Colorado, helping the Dodgers shoot up the NL West standings followwing a slow start.dddddddddddd "I dont have my head down at all," Puig said through an interpreter before the game. "I want to congratulate Freddie Freeman for winning the vote. Im happy for everyone who voted. I have to keep playing. Hopefully the best things come out for this team for the future." Puig has been in the majors for only five weeks, leading some to question whether he belongs on the NL team. "If he can continue to do what hes doing over seasons, then were going to see a lot of Yasiel," Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said. "How good you are really is measured over time." The final vote for the AL team also had its share of controversy, with Tigers manager Jim Leyland nominating five middle relievers for the spot. There was some talk about whether the list should have included more high-profile players, since the All-Star game is essentially geared toward the fans. Delabar won with 9.6 million votes. The right-hander is 5-1 with a 1.74 ERA in 37 appearances for the Blue Jays. The Braves and Blue Jays had partnered up in the process, asking fans to vote for each others player. The other players on the list included righties David Robertson of the Yankees, Joaquin Benoit of the Tigers, Koji Uehara of the Red Sox, and Tanner Scheppers of the Rangers. Freeman and Puig finished ahead of San Francisco outfielder Hunter Pence, Washington shortstop Ian Desmond, and Los Angeles first baseman Adrian Gonzalez. MLB said a record 79.2 million votes were cast between the two leagues, easily cruising past the previous record of 68.6 million from 2009. Votes were cast through text message, Twitter and MLB.com. ' ' '