er Nolan Arenado, shortstop Trevor Story and second baseman DJ

St George Illawarra player Tim Lafai has denied that he or any of his teammates landed a cowards punch in an early Sunday morning fight.The incident has led to both he and Siliva Havili being stood down by the NRL club after they were charged by police.However the centre said he, Havili and teammate Dunamis Lui were outnumbered by a group of men in a Wollongong nightclub before a man was allegedly hit in the head and knocked unconscious.Hope your brother [Harris] is alright but we never dog shotted any of the boys we were just trying to defend ourselves, sorry again for your bro I honestly hope hes ok. God bless, Lafai said in a text message obtained by Fairfax Media.Weve never liked fighting, its the last thing we wanted, we were out numbered [sic] there was only 4 of us and it seemed like there were a lot of boys who were trying to fight us.Two of our own mates got dog shot and thats what kept sparking things up.The texts are part of a conversation between Lafai and a friend of Reed Harris, the Port Kembla man who was left unconscious.However Lafai conceded in other messages that Harris may not have been a part of the group that sparked an earlier altercation at the night spot.Fairfax also reports that the brother of Harris has claimed the hit was made by Havili outside the Fever club.Both Lafai and Havili were later arrested for disobeying a police directive.They were charged with affray and offensive behaviour on Monday evening. 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Wragge hit 9-of-14 from behind the arc, matching Kyle Korvers school record for 3-pointers in a game set in 2003, as Creighton (16-3, 6-1 Big East broke a conference record with 21 treys in the rout. DENVER -- As a longtime shortstop, Ian Desmond knows all too well the value of a good first baseman.Hes vowing to be that reliable as the Colorado Rockies convert him to a position hes never played. He doesnt even have a first basemans glove of his own yet, borrowing one from a buddy until his arrives in the mail.Although the Rockies solution at first base seems out of left field -- Desmond did play 29 games in left for Texas last season -- its really not that farfetched. Or so the Rockies are banking on, finalizing a $70 million, five-year contract Tuesday with the two-time All-Star whos gone from shortstop to outfielder and now back to the infield.I have all the faith in the world that Ians going to be a good first baseman, Rockies general manager Jeff Bridich said.The 31-year-old Desmond will take over for Mark Reynolds, whos now a free agent. And while Desmond cant recall ever playing the position, even as a kid, he did prove to be a fast learner last season when he moved from shortstop to the outfield for the Rangers.I know what it takes to be prepared every day and thats what Im going to do, said Desmond, who had his wife and young kids sitting in the front row for his introductory news conference.Desmond played at an All-Star level for the Rangers in 2016, hitting .285 with 22 homers and 86 RBI as he split time between left and center.Before that, he was a shortstop for the Washington Nationals.The Rockies gave him a lucrative deal to learn a new skill set at Coors Field, where hes a .379 career hitter in 23 games.Yes, the ball does fly here. Yes, it is a good place to hit, Desmond said. For me, personally, the reason I play well here is because I like coming here. I enjoy coming to Colorado. I enjoy the people in the city. Im from small town in Florida, where when you put the blinker on to change lanes, the people behind you wave. Thats very common here.Desmond will get salaries of $8 million next year, $22 million in 2018, $15 million apiece in 2019 and 2020, and $8 million in 2021. Colorado has a $15 million option for 2022 with a $2 million buyout.He would get a $1 million assignment bonus if traded, and if traded he could not be dealt additionnal times without his consent.ddddddddddddTo hone his fielding skills, Desmond borrowed one of the gloves of Correlle Prime, who just so happens to be a first baseman in the Rockies system. Years ago, Desmond took Prime under his wing when Prime worked out at the same hitting facility in the Sarasota, Florida, area.Little did the friends realize one day they would be in the same organization -- playing the same position.Its bittersweet for me, Desmond said. Trying to get this young man prepared for the big leagues and hes a first baseman and Im proud of how far hes come and the progress hes made. Now, I come in and play first base. Were talking and its like, I would rather it be me than anybody else.Now I get to go to spring training with him. Now he gets to watch me work during the season. I get to see what he does firsthand and see if theres anything I can help him with. Just be there to support him.One things for sure: Desmond has a talented infield to work with in third baseman and perennial Gold Glover Nolan Arenado, shortstop Trevor Story and second baseman DJ LeMahieu.Desmond certainly wont force his way into a leadership dynamic, either. Not his style. Hes more of a quiet leader.You cant come here and expect to be the man, Desmond said. Im going to come in with a lot of respect for those guys, just get in where I fit in.Hes not sure where he might bat in a potent lineup that also features outfielders Charlie Blackmon, Carlos Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra. Hes on board with wherever first-year Colorado manager Bud Black pencils him in.Im going to work as hard as I can right now to be the best first baseman I can be, Desmond said. Ill keep the other tools fresh also, just to try to be as much of a help as I can.I think about the opportunity here and I think about how much of a sports town this is, how deserving these fans are. That is what brought me here. First base just happened to be the position I was able to fill. Its not about the ball flying (at Coors Field) -- this is about the opportunity to bring winning back here. ' ' '