It was fine day down the western side of the country, but the onshore easterly flow pushed cloud on to the eastern half. Our high is starting to lose its grip on us now, and there's a number of fronts waiting patiently in the Tasman for their turn to visit. Later in the news hour, I'll tell you where you need the brolly tomorrow. But right now, it's 6 o'clock. Due to the live nature of ONE News we apologise for the lack of captions for some items. This is ONE News, with Simon Dallow and Wendy Petrie. Tonight ` what caused the deadly Pike River mine explosion? An official investigation finally releases its findings. Protesters battle to put a nail in the coffin of plans to sell state assets as the Government begins meetings with Maori. More money from your pocket ` why your power bill's going up and by how much. And down to earth ` we check in with the daredevil preparing for a record-breaking skydive from the edge of space. Kia ora. Good evening. For the first time, the most likely cause of the fatal explosion at the Pike River mine has been revealed. 29 men were killed in one of the country's worst mining disasters. The findings of an official investigation came out at the Royal Comission of Inquiry, which resumed in Greymouth today. Lisa Davies is covering the hearing and joins us now live. AFTER EIGHT WEEKS OF HEARINGS, 66,000 DOCUMENTS, 55,000 HOURS OF INVESTIGATIONS, THE ROYAL COMMISSION GOT TO THE QUESTION OF THE CAUSE OF THE EXPLOSION BUT THE MEDIA WAS TOLD THEY CAN ONLY COME TO A PROBABLE CAUSE, BECAUSE INVESTIGATORS CAN'T GET IN TO CONFIRM THEIR BELIEFS. The violent explosion that killed 29 men. Today the Department of Labour revealed details about its most likely cause. The families' lawyer summed up the findings of five international mining experts. It is highly likely this explosion occurred because the accumulated methane in the goaf was expelled by a large roof fall. The goaf is the cavity deep within the mine where coal was extracted. It's there the experts believe the roof collapsed, injecting highly explosive methane gas into the mine. In simple terms, we're looking for a fuel source at explosive concentration, in quantity, mixed with an appropriate amount of oxygen in contact with an ignition source. The experts believe the gas ignited when water pumps in the mine were turned on by Daniel Duggan in the control room above ground. The commissioners have made it clear that Daniel Duggan, who lost his brother Chris in the mine, did nothing wrong. There is still many contributing factors that cannot be ruled out. The Royal Commission heard the electrical plant may have caused sparks deep in the mine, triggering the explosion. However, former CEO Peter Whittall's lawyer has disputed that finding, saying contraband like cigarettes or matches in the mine could have been the cause, despite warning signs and random searches. It's possible that one of the men working in the mine that day may have mistakenly taken a contraband item underground, isn't it? It's possible. The families took exception to the suggestion. She's trying to put the blame on our guys underground She's trying to put the blame on our guys underground who cannot answer them, and that really affects me by her doing that today. The family today demanded that a camera be sent down to the goaf area to give a clearer picture of what happened. AS YOU'VE JUST HEARD, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE GOAF AND A POSSIBLE ROOF COLLAPSE BRETT MURRAY SAID THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOUR SENT A REPORT TO PIKE RIVER 25 DAYS BEFORE THE EXPLOSION EXPRESSING CONCERN ABOUT THE ROOF'S STABILITY AFTER EXCAVATION WORK. A ONE News investigation's uncovered that WINZ has mistakenly handed out nearly $200m of taxpayer money in welfare payments. And that's in the last year alone. It's a big problem for the government department which often finds it hard to recover money. Heather du Plessis-Allan with this exclusive report. This is a beneficiary mistakenly overpaid $6000 in welfare money in one year. She doesn't want to be identified in case Work and Income try to punish her. She claims she told WINZ she had a part-time job, but they never adjusted her benefit payments. The manager of the department had asked for figures, but had never put them into the computer, and I only became aware of it when they rang to investigate me. Welfare overpayments are an expensive problem. A year ago we discovered Work and Income wastes millions paying beneficiaries too much. We thought things might've improved. But we've found that in the last year Work and Income mistakenly overpaid by nearly $200m. In the same period it only clawed back a $140m, leaving taxpayers out of pocket by more than $50m. It's not acceptable to have an error of that magnitude. Work and Income says most overpayments happen because beneficiaries don't say they've found a job. Sometimes what we see is that Work and Income actually got them a job and then didn't stop their benefit. In some cases that money can be recovered. Until then it's considered a debt. Right now the Ministry of Social Development has nearly $1b of debt. Here's how much a billion dollars is. In the Government's hand, it would run the Ministry of Social Development, in that building over there, for a full nine months. In some cases where WINZ is at fault, the law says it can't claim the money back. The Ministry says that since our last story, it's checking on beneficiaries more regularly. If you owe money to the Ministry, the debt stays on your record for as long as we can continue to pursue it, and we will pursue it right up until, potentially, when you have no means of paying it back. This beneficiary says she is paying the money back. It's worrying. It's worrying, because you haven't got a lot of money, so you don't want debt. A sentiment the Government itself might echo. Heather du Plessis-Allan, ONE News. A meeting between iwi leaders and the Government tonight in Hamilton as anger mounts over the sale of state assets. This follows an earlier hui in Rotorua. The Government's moving to ease fears over the removal of a Treaty clause which makes it compulsory to consult Maori over the sell-off. For the latest, political reporter Michael Parkin joins us live from Hamilton. THE THREE-HOUR HUI HAS JUST WOUND UP. FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN TODAY, THERE'S NO EVIDENCE OF A MIDDLE GROUND. MAORI WON'T ENTERTAIN ANY IDEA OF CHANGES TO THE TREATY CLAUSE. THE TIMEFRAME IS AN AGGRAVATING FACTOR Rotorua is the home of thermal energy, and there's plenty of heat in the asset-sales issue here. John Key, you've got mail. ALL CHANT: John Key, you've got mail. Aotearoa's not for sale. Aotearoa's not for sale. But it's the Deputy Prime Minister who's trying to ease tensions with Maori over plans to remove the Treaty clause known as Section 9 from private shareholdings in the four state-owned power companies. Bill English says there are three options on the table ` keep the clause, which this group overwhelmingly supports, modify it, or remove it. At the end of the day, I think the message was, 'What part of no don't you understand?' We're not going to jump to conclusions. I mean, the Government has put up some options. It's put them up in good faith and we're listening to the discussion and at the end we'll make a decision. Despite objections from the audience, our cameras were kicked out when it was time for the Minister to take questions. Just one of many problems Maori have with this consultation process as the Government looks to push changes through by March. Too quick, definitely. I think that's one of the concerns that we have, the way in which they've put this in place. Well, look, there's just some practical limitations. The point here is is the Crown going`? Are Maori going to get the opportunity to express their view? And that answer to that is yes. And is the Crown going to` likely to get the full influence of those views? And the answer to that is yes. Like Sonny Bill, Bill English then took his fight to Hamilton. Round two, though, was a little more subdued. And plenty more to come too, Michael. The road show rolls on tomorrow? ROUND THREE OF 10 TOMORROW. BILL ENGLISH IS OFF TO WANGANUI ` TARIANA TURIA'S PATCH. THE GREENS ALSO TOOK A SWING TODAY, SAYING THE ASSETS RETURN 18.5% IT'S ANOTHER FIGHT FOR THE GOVERNMENT. Your power bill is going up, and the advice is shop around and hassle your electricity company. The hike is being blamed on upgrading the national grid. Residential customers will see bills rise by up to 7%. But a consumer watchdog says that much of an increase is unjustified. Amy Kelley reports. Overhauling the country's national power grid to accommodate a growing network. And your bill's about to go up to pay for it. From April 1, grid operator Transpower is raising charges to lines companies by around 20%. And the lines companies are in turn passing those on to the retailers. So most customers in NZ will receive an increase somewhere between 1% and as much as 7%. It depends on where you live. ONE News took a leading power company and compared likely price hikes in different regions. Nelson's one of the luckiest, with an increase of just 1%. In Wellington and Christchurch, that jumps to around three. In Auckland, it's higher. And in Rangiora, higher again at 5%. Well, that seems more than double what I would've expected. Transmission charges are only about 8% of the average household power bill. Therefore the transmission charge component should only increase by about 2%. A 5% price hike means an extra $70 a year for low power users and around $97 for high-consumption households. To Denise, who's on a low income and already in debt to her power company, it's unthinkable. I don't know where the extra money's going to come from. I've got a new grandson in the house, and that's gonna be extra heating, so, yeah, I don't know what I'm gonna do. Consumer watchdogs say unhappy customers should question their company. Why the increase? 2%, perhaps, but not 5%. And with websites that compare companies, like What's My Number and Powerswitch, shopping around's never been easier. Amy Kelley, ONE News. Federated Farmers has joined the calls for a price war on milk, despite the major supermarkets refusing to budge. It comes after boutique food store Nosh started selling 2-litre bottles of milk for just $2. The promotion goes till the end of February, but Nosh now says it'll still sell milk cheaper than supermarkets for the rest of the year. Dairy giant Fonterra, which supplies most of the country's milk, says it's up to retailers to set their own price. A man's been charged with dangerous driving after the logging truck he was driving crashed into a school bus in Ruatoki last year. 16 children on board the bus were injured in the crash. An investigation found the truck driver earlier failed to manoeuvre around the bus as it pulled over to let children off. The 42-year-old will appear in court later this month. Experts are questioning a report that claims NZ children who spend a lot of time in childcare are more stressed than those who don't. But Family First ` the conservative lobby group that commissioned the report ` is standing by it and the claims of its controversial author. Nicole Bremner reports. Childcare's a topic already simmering in the minds of many parents and caregivers. Now a new report's turned up the heat. The economics nowadays are that most mothers do have to work. I'm 60-plus, so I never left my children. I worked, so, yeah, the kids went into daycare. Family First's making no apologies for a report that claims too many NZ children are spending too long in daycare. It cites elevated levels of the hormone cortisol, which causes stress, in a significant number of children who attend daycare for long periods. There's so much guilt around this issue that it's important that we get all the information so parents can make an informed choice. But some doubt that will be possible, given the approach of the report's controversial author ` UK-based Dr Aric Sigman, seen here being taken to task on British TV for warning Facebook and Bebo could be harmful to health. You can make anything look dangerous if you're selective in which evidence you quote, and that's exactly what, unfortunately, Dr Sigman does. Research has shown that under-2-year-olds in daycare do have higher stress levels than those being cared for at home. Even so, a leading NZ paediatrician has told me he believes Dr Sigman's interpretation of data is extreme and a whole range of factors need to be considered when working out what's best for a child. Experts agree there's no one-size-fits-all approach and that quality daycare is the key. There's no reason for parents to feel bad as long their child is thriving. Family First says this debate will help parents get the balance right. Nicole Bremner, ONE News. And the debate continues later on Close Up. Family First's Bob McCroskie and an advocate for working women go head to head at 7. There's growing support for a law change allowing all public holidays that fall on a weekend to carry over to Monday. Parliament will vote on the change, but we found today that not everyone likes the idea. Simon Bradwell with more on Monday-ising. BUGLE PLAYS 'THE LAST POST' The Dawn Service ` a key part of Anzac Day and Waitangi Day celebrations. Now change could be dawning for our national holidays. This year Christmas Day fell on a Sunday. We celebrated it on the Sunday, but we then had Monday and Tuesday to enjoy our Christmas Day and Boxing Day as well, and that makes sense ` workers get 11 days' statutory holiday. But we only get nine public holidays off work when Anzac Day and Waitangi Day fall on a weekend. The Government is getting some advice on that. I asked for that advice some time ago, so we'll get that advice and give it to our caucus. Australia Monday-ises public holidays, but some say the move's against the Anzac spirit. It would be a real pity if all people saw Anzac Day as was a chance to go to the beach. Remember people died overseas for our freedom, and that holiday marks a time in our history. The EMA wouldn't oppose the bill, but says it will hit business with new costs at a tough time. Actually, income is generated for many many businesses. Kiwis go on holiday. Kiwis go shopping. Kiwis have a time to relax and do tend to spend money on long weekends. A recent survey found that two thirds of Kiwis support the change, with a whopping 80% of people under 35 in favour of the idea. Let's see what they say today. Nek minnit change the law? Yep, sweet! I think that would be great. I wouldn't mind at all having an extra day off. It's a better way to celebrate these national holidays. The bill will be debated later this year, but there's no real rush. The next time one of the holidays falls on a weekend is 2015. Simon Bradwell, ONE News. Still to come on ONE News ` the bombardment continues as Syria's leadership vows to end the bloodshed, while Russia's hailed as a hero. Free-falling from the edge of space ` an Austrian thrill-seeker prepares to jump into the history books. And it's grinds and grabs in Wellington as some of the world's best skaters arrive to bomb the bowl. Then, at 7, Close Up enters the incredible world of aqua-car visionary Alan Gibbs as he takes Kiwi ingenuity to the extreme. Russia's foreign minister has been greeted like a hero in the Syrian capital as EU and Persian Gulf states recall their ambassadors from Damascus. Despite reassurances from Assad that he will stop the bloodshed, the bombardment of Homs continues. The latest violence killed at least 100 people. The BBC's Bridget Kendall reports. Thousands thronging the streets of Damascus waving Russian flags this morning. It's not often a Russian Foreign Minister gets this sort of reception when his car arrives in town, but the Syrian Government was making a point. Gratitude for Russia, keeping UN pressure off President Assad. But look closely at the picture ` at least one man seems to be organising and orchestrating the crowd. Who knows what private message was brought from Moscow for the Syrian leader? But in public afterwards, the Russian Foreign Minister said that President Assad had offered talks with the opposition, a new constitution, a new elections and pledged to do all he could to bring about peace. But there was no mention of the Arab League's crucial call for President Assad to step aside and no sign on the ground that the Syrian army's bombardment is about to stop. AIRCRAFT ZOOM, BOMBS EXPLODE In Homs, the relentless shelling continued for a fourth day. According to these pictures, Government tanks are now on street corners, some of them apparently Russian-made. The likely armed opposition fighters no match for the Government's heavy weaponry. RIFLE DISCHARGES The latest amateur pictures from Homs give a sense of the chaos and panic, desperate efforts to deal with the wounded. A snatched moment of calm apparently today to bury a body. Whatever the rhetorical pledges coming out of Damascus, the grim reality seems to be that this conflict, if anything, is getting more entrenched. Asma al-Assad, the Syrian president's British-born and educated wife, has finally gone public about the crisis, defending her husband as the right person to lead the troubled country. A new threat has emerged for the flood-stricken town of St George in Queensland. Flooding has damaged the local sewage-treatment plant, polluting the water and posing a major health risk. It could be up to 10 days before the town's 3000 residents are allowed back to their homes. As widespread flooding continues to affect much of south-east Queensland, an emergency inquiry is being held into last year's floods that killed dozens of people. Dam operators are being grilled over their decision to release enormous volumes of water that had a catastrophic impact on Brisbane and surrounding areas. Here's Australia correspondent Steve Marshall. At the height of last year's flood crisis, Wivenhoe Dam engineers were forced to release enormous amounts of water to prevent it from bursting. Water that would fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool poured towards Brisbane and nearby Ipswich every second, flooding thousands of homes and businesses. It was totally avoidable, and if they had followed the manual, it wouldn't have happened. It's alleged the dam's engineers didn't follow instructions and they should've released more water sooner. Dam expert Leonard McDonald initially gave the Wivenhoe operators the all-clear. I gave my evidence. It's on the record. But after studying new evidence, he says dam engineers ignored the manual. The engineers... I'm not allowed to comment, sorry. ...have reportedly received death threats for allegedly lying about the action they took. They are on special leave. They have not been sacked. They have not been stood aside by the organisation. Frankly, they've probably done the right thing, as professionals. Clearly from what we are seeing there are a lot more senior people involved than them, and that's the job of the commission to get to the bottom of that. The Queensland government now faces a potential billion-dollar lawsuit. We are feeling very confident at the moment that this will lead to a very significant class action on behalf of all flood victims. The inquiry's findings will be handed down next month. Steve Marshall, ONE News, Sydney. If you don't have a head for heights, this story is not you. Austrian thrill-seeker Felix Baumgartner is planning to skydive from somewhere only astronauts go ` the edge of space. To give you an idea of how high that is, the highest mountain is Mt Everest. That's just over 8km high. Passenger jets fly up to 12km. But Felix Baumgartner will have to go much higher ` around 37km ` where the atmosphere ends and space begins. The BBC's Pallab Ghosh has more on this amazing record attempt. The Earth from 20 miles up. Then this happens. Captain Joseph Kittinger jumps from a balloon to test a new parachute system for the US air force. There was a leak in his right glove, and he temporarily lost the use of his hand. But somehow he managed to deploy his chute and landed safely ` but only just. That was more than 50 years ago. Now this man, Felix Baumgartner, is hoping to break his record. This is the ultimate skydive. It is scary, but also, on the other side, I have a lot of courage. That's much bigger than my fear. And that's why I'm going there. I wanna find out how it looks up there. He'll be taken up all that way by balloon inside a capsule. When he jumps out, all that will protect him is a pressurised suit. If the suit leaks, at this altitude his blood will begin to boil and he'll pass out. (MAN) You're doing great. You're keeping it right there. So engineers have developed an advanced pressure suit to protect him. The team has carried out its final tests and say that its now ready for the jump. But some experts say there'll still be risks. You're doing good. How's the hands? Pretty cold? Felix Baumgartner will fall so fast that he may break the sound barrier. That's the moment that the new technologies in his suit will be pushed to their limit. No word yet on when the record attempt will take place, but organisers say it will be somewhere over North America later this year. Weather time now. There's some rain moving in, Karen? Had some drizzle and showers over the last few days, with the moist easterly flow. Some frontal rain now heading for the South Island. For weather, see tvnz.co.nz I'll have your Thursday forecast after sport. Up next on ONE News ` questions for the navy after they managed to run their VIP launch aground. Some of the world's best skaters grind into the capital for Bowlarama. And our reporter's on the pink carpet as Britain's acting royalty retire to an exotic hotel. From millionaire to pioneer ` tonight on Close Up we enter the incredible world of aqua-car visionary Alan Gibbs as he takes Kiwi ingenuity to the extreme. Plus,... ...I'm Jehan Casinader in Hong Kong, with the Kiwis putting wearable art on the world stage. Close Up at 7, TV ONE. 1 The navy is facing some tough questions after one of its boats embarassignly ran aground off the coast of Northland. She was carrying several VIPs at the time she hit a rock near Tutukaka after Waitangi Day celebrations. Kim Vinnell reports. Help arrived a little too late for this crippled navy vessel. A humiliating gaffe for our seafaring defence force. I think it is an embarrassment for the navy, quite frankly, and I want some clear answers as to why this happened. Of course we're unhappy with the incident itself. The barge hit a rock off the Tutukaka coast this morning. The vessel, used to transport VIPs, quickly began taking on water, and the Mayday call went out. It came to a halt. There was a hole about 50-60cm on the side. It came to a halt. There was a hole about 50-60cm on the side. Four navy personnel on board managed to get on to a support barge before the stricken vessel was towed ashore. Clearly there's been some error of judgement there. That goes without saying, but I don't want to prejudge the circumstances under which that took place. The navy won't comment on how this vessel came to hit the rock, given all on board were experienced navy personnel. They say a full investigation is now underway. Locals watched the recovery mission with surprise. They were in the middle of the harbour at that stage, and just proceeded to` Um, they were obviously having a bit of difficulty, I think, because it was quite submerged. They say the Tutukaka coastline can be difficult to navigate. There is a lot of reef around that coastline, and you certainly do have to know where that is. There's a lot of submerged reef. The plan now is to patch up the vessel enough so it can be taken back to the naval base in Devonport for full repairs. Kim Vinnell, ONE News. They've got some gnarly moves, and they're in Wellington for the hottest skating competition in the southern hemisphere. 40 riders from around the world have hit the capital for this weekend's Bowlarama skateboarding competition. Rebecca Edwards checked out their skills. It's tricks like this and other show-stopping moves from some of the world's best skateboarders that bring in crowds of up to 5000 to Wellington's Bowlarama. The talent pool is pretty high, and the riders have a pretty high profile in global skating. That talent includes international skating legend and last year's winner, Pedro Barros. They're all vying to win the largest skating event on a concrete surface in the Southern Hemisphere. The thing that brings me back, I think, is NZ itself. It's a beautiful place. It's green and organic and fresh and,... you know, there's hobbits everywhere. The event is back in Wellington for the fifth year running. For local skaters, it's a chance to see some of the best right on their doorstep. It's just raising the level. It's just upping the game and showing everyone what can be done and how far you can push it. And it's encouraging young people here to pick up a skateboard. It's gained a lot more interest and made people probably have a harder look at skateboarding and realise there's something more to it. The four-day showcase ends with a competition on Saturday with $20,000 up for grabs. All the thrills and spills will be worth it. Rebecca Edwards, ONE News. 14 years after Dame Judi Dench won her first and only Oscar, the actress is having another tilt at the prize in The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Entertainment reporter Joanna Hunkin was on the pink carpet at the world premiere in London and met the star-studded cast. They're the very best of British ` old friends reuniting for an exotic adventure. Would you like some of this? I believe it's called aloo ka paratha. No. If I can't pronounce it, I don't want to eat it. I've known all these people most of my life, and we had a pretty good time. No fun at all. No laughs at all. It was like the best treat you could have, because we all knew each other, we'd all worked together in different things, and we were all together all that time. We were all together for that nine and a half weeks. Dame Judi's joined on-screen by her old friend Dame Maggie Smith, Oscar nominee Tom Wilkinson and a line-up of famous British faces. It certainly was my dream team. I realised fairly early on that it was a piece that would potentially attract the kind of actors I hoped I would get. It's the story of six retired Brits who head to India to live a life of supposed colonial luxury. I want to stay in the other hotel ` the one in the brochure. We have a saying in India ` 'Everything will be all right in the end.' So if it is not all right, it is not yet the end. The film was shot in India ` a world away from this cold London night. Cast members told me today their biggest challenge was dealing with constant Delhi belly. But Bill Nighy had a bigger problem. The worst part was the fact I had to ride a motorcycle, which I've never done before, and I had to have Judi on the back. My nightmare was that I was going to kill Judi Dench. Fortunately both survived to tell the tale, which NZ audiences can see in cinemas next month. THUD! This man is dead. We must preserve his dignity. (COUGHS) Oh dear. Did I nod off? Joanna Hunkin, ONE News, London. Another star-studded British line-up has been announced for a special diamond jubilee concert in London in June. Artists drawn from each of the six decades of the Queen's reign will play. Those already confirmed include Elton John, Paul McCartney, Tom Jones, Cliff Richard and Shirley Bassey. A the highlight of her golden jubilee was a rock concert held in the grounds of Buckingham Palace. (PLAYS 'GOD SAVE THE QUEEN') The jubilee girl is here, possums! This year's event is set to be even bigger, and will be staged just outside the palace gates, around the Queen Victoria statue. Looking at our top stories tonight ` a Royal Commission of Inquiry has revealed that the likely cause of the Pike River mine disaster was a spike in methane gas levels caused by a roof collapse. The resulting blast which killed 29 miners is believed to have been sparked by electrical equipment, which ignited the gas. Electricity prices are set to go up, as consumers wear the cost of a major upgrade by Transpower to the national grid. This will mean a rise of about 3% on a typical power bill for most power company consumers. The higher prices will start in April. Andrew's here with sport, and it's all eyes on Hamilton. So, is the bad blood a precursor to tonight, or will Sonny Bill be able to stay out of trouble? A former heavyweight champ gives us a peek into what might happen. Plus, does anyone have a spare midfielder? The Highlanders' preseason plans hit a snag. And another remarkable milestone for our original adventure race. Love him or hate him, there is now huge interest in tonight's boxing bout in Hamilton. Sonny Bill Williams takes on Auckland-based American Clarence Tillman in Williams' fifth professional fight. After yesterday's weigh-in stoush, what can we expect tonight? Craig Stanaway reports. Hours out from the fight, Clarence Tillman has explained to ONE News just what prompted his scuffle with Sonny Bill. I said, 'You're going to get everything you want tomorrow night, homie.' And he said, 'Don't call me homie. We can do it right now.' And so I pushed him. Tillman doesn't regret it, but admits it shouldn't have happened. To me he's nobody. He's just another person. Before the last three weeks, I could see him walking down the street with rugby gear on and still not know who he is. He's done his homework on Sonny Bill, including sparring with Shane Cameron, who's also been studying the All Black's style. He's sort of like here. He's got his hands down quite low. He's sorta here, and then he just throws that right-hand lead. Cameron hopes Sonny Bill's been working on his defence. So this is Sonny Bill. Bang. Right hand there. Yeah. And then dig that in there. OK, so to counter his right hand, you meet him with your right hand, and you have your head on the side in the safe area and then drop that in there. And that's what Clarence Tillman is likely to have studied? Well, you hope so. You hope so. That's what I'd be focusing on if i fought Sonny Bill Williams. OK, so, you've also sparred with Clarence Tillman? Clarence Tillman ` typical American style. He tucks his chin in here and he rolls with his shots. OK, so, you're Clarence Tillman. I'm Sonny Bill Williams. I'm throwing the one jab and miss. The second jab ` you've gotta roll that one, but the right hand's going to glance over the top. Really this is the one you want ` the left hook, OK, right on the chin. That's the one that's going to get him, OK? So that's what Sonny Bill Williams should be working on. Is it going to be a boring fight? Yeah, the way I see it, it could be a boring fight. The verdict from Cameron ` Sonny Bill will punch and move all night to claim victory, but if Tillman can get close enough to tag him cleanly, it could be an early night. Craig Stanaway, ONE News. The Warriors are firmly in the ex-league player's camp tonight. Some will be attending the fight as they build off the field for the looming season. On it, several big names are being rolled out for the team's second preseason game this weekend. Charlotte Bellis reports. Looking strikingly similar to their 2011 team, the Warriors are counting on a few tweaks to take this year's title. First, new coach Brian McClennan is lightening it up. I hope they're enjoying the environment. They seem to be. We're having fun. I'm having fun, anyway. He kind of inspires us to do a bit better than what we did last year. And he's just correcting a little bit, but nothing too big. And while it's the same big names, the conveyor belt from the under-20s continues to produce. We've got some young centres having a crack this week. And, you know` And that's good. That will heighten the competition for positions. One of those centres is Konrad Hurrell, earning a spot after scoring in his first-grade debut last weekend. This week he'll play inside Manu Vatuvei. Manu is my idol so, yeah, I've been pretty happy I'm about to play inside my idol. He's a really good player, and it just shows that the under-20s is a really good concept for the game, cos we just develop our own players in NZ. Going into their second trial, the Beast is ready to return. The veteran will play his first game with the side on Saturday after his match-winning try for the All Stars last weekend. Manu has scored. Vatuvei reckons their start is promising. We've just got confidence that we can make it up there and hopefully go one more better. With a long road ahead for the Warriors, they believe a few small changes can get them out the other side as champions. Charlotte Bellis, ONE News. Tiger Woods is creating a major stir in golf, asking for a certain style of club to be banned. Tiger has approached golf's rule-makers, Royal & Ancient, over his concern about the use of belly or broomstick putters. The former world number one says the putter should be the shortest club in your golf bag. The long putter has become trendy in the last 12 months. One of the more successful golfers to use one is Adam Scott, who just happens to be caddied these days by Steve Williams. Super Rugby teams also face their second round of preseason games this weekend. The new-look Highlanders take on the Chiefs in Queenstown on Saturday, although the southerners' plans have hit a major snag. Max Bania explains. Never mind the sevens stardom. This hero from Wellington's had to hit the ground running. Yeah, sort of, got that done and dusted pretty quickly, because I knew when I came back down here, it was gonna be back to work, knowing Jamie. He's fitting into the Highlander environment like a hand into a glove and really relishing it. After some much-needed conditioning work during a successful stint with Gordon Tietjens' men, the former Hurricane's in Dunedin to add finishing finesse to the Highlanders' forward grunt. Didn't know what to expect, but the boys are really awesome and the weather's been, actually, good. < They told you it'd be like this, though, right? (LAUGHS) Just waiting for that cold snap to come through. There's plenty of reasons to smile in Dunedin these days. A new stadium to go with a new-look team. It'll be a really good fortress for us, so if we do things right, we'll get people there. They can't moan about the weather any more. Season-ticket sales are already higher this year than last, but with that comes the unfamiliar weight of expectation. It's clearly the challenge, man. I mean, last year we came in under the radar a little bit and we knocked a few guys over. But this team has talked about that challenge. Expectation is what champions have to deal with all the time. Not helped either by a preseason injury crisis that's left all four midfield backs on the sideline. Tempted to give Tana a call? (LAUGHS) Yeah. I'm tempted to give quite a few people a call. Injuries happen, and you just have to get on with the job. that means bouncing back from a big loss to the Crusaders last weekend when they face the resurgent Chiefs in Queenstown on Saturday. Max Bania, ONE News. Auckland and Otago were fighting it out today to see who'd meet Central Districts in the final of the national one-day cricket competition on Sunday. Otago was forced to chase a huge total of 338 after centuries to Neal Parlane and Anaru Kitchen. Otago lost regular wickets and have just been bowled out for 264. CHEERING, APPLAUSE Auckland fast bowler Michael Bates will make his Blackcaps debut tomorrow in the third one-dayer against Zimbabwe in Napier. Bates will come in for Tim Southee. Celebrations are underway to mark a major milestone in the history of multisport's iconic race, the Coast to Coast. Organiser Robin Judkins is bringing together 30 past winners from a variety of categories to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the race. It's kind of defined me, I think. It doesn't... A day doesn't go by where I don't get an email, a text, a comment on the street or a phone call ` you know, 'What's happening with the Coast to Coast?' Or some sort of comment. 'Oh, do you miss it, now that you don't race it?' The event has also played a major part in the life of Invercargill anaesthetist Joe Sherriff, who entered the first race in 1983 because his mate did. Dave was gonna have a go, so I said, 'Right, I'll carry on.' And I actually stayed out here for another month or so. It was a good excuse not to go back to England. And I had a go at it. < And you won it? Yes, I think more to my surprise than anyone else's. (LAUGHS) Sherriff will join 551 other athletes lining up to start this weekend's two-day and Longest Day races. Suspended Tour de France cyclist Alberto Contador is considering appealing his two-year ban. Contador has spoken for the first time since confirmation of his suspension, handed down after a positive drugs test on the Tour in 2010 ` the year he won the title. TRANSLATOR: I will continue in cycling. I will continue to do so in a clean way, as I have all my life. Right now I am down, but that will make me stronger in the future. Contador remains adamant a piece of steak he ate was contaminated with the banned drug. The suspension ends this August, but Contador now has another issue. Cycling's world governing body is now looking at fining the Spaniard several million dollars. American football Super Bowl champions the New York Giants have had a celebration parade in true Big Apple style. After winning the title on Monday, the Giants were today paraded through Manhattan's Canyon of Heroes. Over a million fans turned out to celebrate the franchise's fourth championship. Most cheers were saved for their star player. To win six straight games to finish the season, and to finish the final game taking home the Super Bowl trophy ` that's what I'm talking about. Pity the street-cleaners who had to tidy up the ticker tape from a million fans. The Giants beat the New England Patriots to win the title. Eli Manning was the star of the show with passes like this. Dodgy steak? Yeah right. Thanks, Andrew. After the break, Karen says there's some rain on the way for parts of the South Island tomorrow. Tonight, we take you inside the weird and wonderful world of Alan Gibbs. His obsession with a car that could turn into a boat might yet earn him millions from the US military. But take a look at his farm. I can't imagine anybody who's having more fun than I am in developing amphibious vehicles. And if that's unusual, what do the Chinese make of another uniquely Kiwi enterprise? Close Up's here next, TV ONE. Hello again. Got some rain on the way for some parts tomorrow as this frontal band in the Tasman moves in and our ridge of high pressure starts to lose its grip on the South Island. The easterly flow around the high pushed lower cloud on to eastern areas, but it was mostly fine everywhere else. The front makes landfall in Southland and Fiordland during the early hours of the morning, but the ridge remains in control over the North Island and northern parts of the South Island. Up here, Tropical Cyclone Jasmine, north of New Caledonia, is weakening. Tropical Cyclone Cyril, south of the Cook Islands, is also weakening. Frontal rain spreads through Fiordland and into Westland, easing back to showers in its wake. Scattered falls moving through Southland, Otago and South Canterbury. Mostly fine with increasing cloud elsewhere. North-east winds give way to a cooler south-westerly. Mainly fine over the North Island. Just some patchy rain about East Cape and a few showers catching the Far North and developing about Eastern Bay of Plenty and Tongariro in the afternoon. and developing about Eastern Bay of Plenty and Tongariro in the afternoon. Not much wind. For weather, see tvnz.co.nz That's all from me. Have a good night. Back to you, Simon and Wendy. And that's ONE News for Wednesday.