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AFL news 2022: Rory Lobb goals, video, Jason Dunstall reaction, Fremantle vs Western Bulldogs

AFL news 2022: Rory Lobb goals, video, Jason Dunstall reaction, Fremantle vs Western Bulldogs

Rory Lobb put on a first half show that left several greats of the game speechless.

The Fremantle forward could not miss as he slotted three utterly absurd goals from three kicks to lead his side to a dominant halftime lead.

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Lobb has been linked with a move out of Fremantle at season’s end with his rumored landing spot said to be the Western Bulldogs.

Going up against the Dogs on Saturday afternoon, Lobb put forth the greatest job interview you’re likely to see as her ran riot under the roof at Marvel Stadium.

Lobb got the party started in the first quarter with a goal from outside 50, but it was two bombs in the second quarter that left AFL legend Jason Dunstall astonished.

Hugged up against the boundary and 50m from home, Lobb launched his second kick of the game straight through the big sticks.

Less than five minutes later he was back in the thick of it in the exact same spot.

“He couldn’t kick this could he? He’s kicked two rippers from only two kicks in the game, this would be spectacular,” Dunstall said.

Cameron Mooney chimed in with: “Mark this down, Chief.”

As Lobb began his walk into goal, he set sail for his third goal and Dunstall knew straight away it was home. The commentary box couldn’t believe what they were watching.

Dunstall: “Oh don’t tell me.”

Dwayne Russell: “He’s struck it pretty well… awesome, amazing.”

Gary Lyon: “That is as good an exhibition of three kicks at goal since Plugger Lockett.”

Mooney: “Three of the best bombs you’ll see.”

Dunstall: “They’re the three best kicks from a three kick player to have three goals. Extraordinary.”

Lobb’s ludicrous display left not only legends of the game in awe, but had fans watching on in utter disbelief.

Lobb continued the onslaught in the second half when he flushed his fourth goal from his fourth kick of the contest.

He showed he was human midway through the third quarter however when he missed back-to-back set shots.

The Herald Sun’s Jon Ralph reported rival clubs expect the 29-year old, who’s contracted at Fremantle for 2023, to be traded to the Western Bulldogs at season’s end as he seeks a three-year, $1.5 million deal.

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The 16 certainties for the rest of Round 21

The 16 certainties for the rest of Round 21

There is no such thing as a certainty in footy.

Or is there?

We’ve had certainties for Friday night footy, but with eight other games remaining in Round 21, we’ve taken a close look to come up with one certainty for each team for the remaining matches.

Take a look at our certainties for the rest of the weekend’s action.

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Hawthorn v Gold Coast

Mitchell to have 25+ touches

Tom Mitchell might have taken a backseat in the Hawthorn engine room this season, but his numbers are still rock solid.

The Brownlow medallist is averaging more than 28 disposals per game in 2022 – ranked 12th in the league – and he has found the footy 30 or more times in four of his last five outings.

Mitchell loves racking them up against the Suns too, averaging 31 touches in his last five games against Gold Coast.

Let’s back him to find it at least 25 times in Launceston on the weekend.

Chol to kick multiple goals

Mabior Chol has been a revelation in his first season up north.

Coming off a career-best five goals against West Coast last week, Chol has booted 43 goals to sit 8th in the Coleman race.

The Suns have certainly got their money’s worth with the free agency signing.

The former Tiger is one of only two players to have kicked a goal in every game this season (the other is Bayley Fritsch), and the 25-year-old has also booted multiple goals in six of his last seven appearances.

Mark him down to hit the scoreboard against the Hawks on Saturday.

Terence Lattanzio

GWS v Essendon

Parish with 30+ touches, 4+ clearances, 2+ inside 50s

Darcy Parish is going to come back with a bang.

The Bombers star has appeared in only a single game since Round 13, putting the brakes on what had been the best year of the midfielder’s career.

Parish is known for getting his hands on the ball, sitting fourth in the AFL for disposals per game.

Pair that with an average of 6.2 clearances and 4.7 inside 50s, and you’ve got a player perfectly suited to stuffing the stat sheet.

Expect the ball-magnet to put in work as Essendon look to continue their run of good form with a win over GWS.

Coniglio 25+ disposals

It has been a strange week for the Giants.

Following the 73-point loss to Sydney, GWS coach Mark McVeigh didn’t hold back in criticizing his side, labeling the performance as an “embarrassment.”

The Giants players will now be looking to bounce back, and as co-captain Stephen Coniglio would be expected to lead the way.

The GWS gun missed last week’s brutal loss due to soreness, and his return against Essendon should provide the spark his side are sorely missing.

Coniglio is collecting a tidy 25.2 possessions a game, clearly being one of the Giants’ best all year.

The co-skipper has historically been very fond of taking on the Bombers, averaging 29.4 touches over his last 5 matchups with Essendon.

It should be business as usual for Coniglio in his return.

Jack Makeham

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Western Bulldogs v Fremantle

Naughton and Weightman to combine for 3+ goals

Aaron Naughton is the Dogs’ star in attack, returning 40 goals so far this year at an average of 2.4 per game.

Nipping at his heels is Cody Weightman who has kicked 30 goals at an average of 1.2 in 2022.

The small forward kicked two against the Dockers in their most recent fixture.

The duo should combine for at least three goals on Saturday afternoon.

Serong to have 25+ disposals

Caleb Serong is an absolute jet.

Entering his third season, Serong has already shown that he belongs at the elite level over.

He’s averaging 25.5 disposals per game in 2022 and in a huge Saturday night clash against the Dogs, he will be key to Fremantle’s hopes of getting a win.

Hugh Fitzpatrick

Geelong vs St Kilda

Stengle 2+ goals

Geelong small forward Tyson Stengle has been a revelation this season, booting 37 goals from 19 games.

That averages out to be 1.9 per game, while he’s booted two goals in both of the Cats’ last two games against the Power and Bulldogs.

With a multiple-goal streak beginning to build, expect Stengle to get off the chain and bob up inside 50, particularly as St Kilda’s defensive efforts will center around stopping Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins.

The livewire could just be the key for his side to achieve their 11th straight victory.

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Steele 25+ disposals

St Kilda captain Jack Steele has only had less than 25 disposals three times from 15 games this season.

His lowest tally was 22 which coincidentally came in the win against Geelong in Round 9, but the reason behind his low output was that he injured his AC joint during the clash.

Considering he almost hit the 25-touch mark with an injured shoulder that ended up sidelining him for a month, expect a fully-fit Steele to eclipse that number this time around.

The 26-year-old averages 28.5 touches a game this season and he should find himself around that figure at the Cattery on Saturday.

Lachlan Geleit

Port Adelaide v Richmond

Wines to finish with 20+ disposals

The reigning Brownlow Medallist continues to rack up big numbers.

Wines is averaging 27 disposals per game in 2022 and is coming off a 30-disposal performance against Collingwood last week.

The Power star collected 26 touches and five clearances against Richmond earlier this year.

Wines and co will look to put a dent in the Tigers’ final hopes.

Bolton, Riewoldt and Lynch to kick a goal each

The trio combined for eight goals in Richmond’s come-from-behind win over Brisbane last week.

Lynch booted four majors while Riewoldt and Bolton kicked two each to help the Tigers come from 42 points down to keep their final chances alive.

The latter dazzled with 12 score involvements and could’ve had a bigger day in front of goal had it not been for inaccurate kicking.

They could prove a handful for Port Adelaide’s defense on Saturday night in what is a must-win match.

alex zaya

North Melbourne v Sydney

Gulden to have 15+ touches, 3+ inside 50s

Errol Gulden was superb in Sydney’s big win over GWS last weekend.

He had 33 disposals along with 10 within 50s to take his season averages to 19.7 and 4.7 in those two categories.

While Gulden was quiet the last time the Swans met the Roos in Round 4, he should be primed for an improved performance at Marvel Stadium this weekend.

We’re tipping the 20-year-old to pick up at least 15 touches with at least three of those being inside 50s.

Simpkin to have 20+ touches, 3+ clearances

Jy Simpkin is fresh off 41 disposals and six clearances against Essendon last week.

The midfielder has enjoyed a fairly strong season individually, averaging 26.3 disposals and 5.2 clearances.

Simpkin has dropped below 20 touches just three times and under 25 seven times while leading the club for clearances.

Against Sydney on Sunday, Simpkin should rack up at least 20 touches and have three or more clearances.

Andrew Slevison

Brisbane v Carlton

Hipwood and Daniher to combine for 5+ goals

Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood have impressed in recent weeks, and they’ll hope to combine and down the Blues in Round 21.

After seven goals between them last week and four in Round 19, the key forward duo will reunite at the Gabba with the hope of a big win and moving back into the top four.

Taylor Walker and Darcy Fogarty were electric against Michael Voss’ side last week, while Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins were dominant two weeks before at the MCG.

Daniher and Hipwood are heating up at the right time of the season, and the oe of the league’s most attacking game styles should help feed them.

Walsh to amass 30+ touches

Brisbane has a hardened on-ball unit, but not many can match it with Sam Walsh.

That’s what Michael Voss will be hoping for and what should unfold on Sunday afternoon, with the 22-year-old one of the best inside/outside midfielders in the competition.

He’s dipped under 30 disposals once in the last seven weeks and gathered 33 against the Lions last year when Carlton was a bigger outsider than they are in Round 21.

Whether he can arise his side over the line is yet to be seen, but he’ll be everywhere on the Gabba and should amass 30 touches.

Seb Mottram

West Coast v Adelaide

Kennedy boots 3 goals

In his final game, expect Josh Kennedy to go out with a bang.

His teammates will be looking for him and you can be sure he won’t be venturing too far from goal.

Kennedy has hit the scoreboard consistently all throughout his career and remains an elite goal kicker even in his twilight.

The full forward is absolutely going to kick at least three goals against Adelaide.

Walker and Fogarty combine for 4 goals

Josh Kennedy will dominate up one end and you can expect Taylor Walker to hit the scoreboard up the other end.

Walker will have the tough matchup on Tom Barrass, but should still hit the scoreboard.

Darcy Fogarty should be able to get off the chain against lesser opponents and hit the scoreboard himself.

Expect the pair to do some damage against the Eagles.

Nic Negrepontis

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Commonwealth Games day nine: athletics, cricket, netball and more – live! | Commonwealth Games 2022

Key events

A first gymnastics gold for Malaysia!

Well done Joe Ee Ng.

Cricket: India are taking England’s bowlers apart. They’re 74-0 after seven overs, with Smriti dazzling the crowd watching on in the Edgbaston sun. She’s on 59, having blasted away three sixes and eight fours. Could they make 200?

Gold for Australia in the Women’s 10,000m race walk!

Jemima Montag waves to the crowd and beams delightedly as she crosses the line in 42min34sec to win gold. It’s a Commonwealth Games record and a personal best. India’s Priyanka finishes four seconds behind to take silver and Kenya’s Emily Wamusyi claims bronze.

Cricket: India have made a sparkling start in the T20 semi-final against England. They are 50-0 inside five overs with Smriti Mandhana hitting nine boundaries and scoring 46 of those. She’s playing some incredible cricket.

Australia win women’s pairs bowls gold!

Incredible scenes in Leamington Spa! Ellen Ryan knocks out England’s leading bowl with the last bowl of the tie-breaker to seal a 19-18 win. That’s a crushing blow for England but what nerve from Ryan, who claims her second gold medal of the Games and sends the Australians in the crowd into raptures. Let’s not forget, Australia trailed 11-2 at one point.

Athletics: In the high jump final, England’s Morgan Lake has just failed with her first attempt at 1.85m. She was mighty close but after a few wobbles the bar fell. Five athletes have cleared that height so she’ll have to dust herself off and go again. Australia’s Eleanor Patterson is among those to have cleared it, along with Jamaica’s Lamara Distin, who looks good.

Bowls: What drama in the women’s pairs! With the score at 18-17 to England and Australia set to take two points from the 18th and final end, Amy Paharaoh saves England’s skin with her final bowl – clattering one of Australia’s bowls out of play and ensuring that Australia can only tie at 18 -18. The Leamington Spa crowd are loving this. That means we go into a 19th end.

Gymnastics gold for Wales in the final hoop!

Gemma Frizelle becomes Wales’s first gymnast to win hoop gold at the Commonwealth Games. Silver for Cyprus’s Anna Solokova and bronze for Canada’s Carmel Kallemaa.

Wales's Gemma Frizelle in action.
Wales’s Gemma Frizelle in action. Photograph: Paul Ellis/AFP/Getty Images

Bowls: We’re into the 17th end of the women’s pairs and England and Australia are locked in the tightest battle for gold. It’s 18-17 to England but this could go down to the last bowl.

Cricket: England’s women’s T20 team begin their semi-final against India in 20 minutes’ time at Edgbaston. The winner will face either Australia or New Zealand, who play in the other semi at 6pm (BST). England won all three of their group matches, whereas India won two out of three, losing to Australia. The last time England met India in T20 cricket, England won, at Chelmsford, to seal a 2-1 series win a year ago.

Jamaica into netball final!

Netball: What a performance by Jamaica! They thrashed the world champions New Zealand 67-51, with a 100% shooting record. Captain Jhaniele Fowler scored 54 from 54. Take a bow. They will face either England or Australia in the end. They lock horns at 2.30pm.

Jhaniele Fowler celebrates after Jamaica's brilliant win over New Zealand.
Jhaniele Fowler celebrates after Jamaica’s brilliant win over New Zealand. Photograph: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images

Athletics: The women’s high jump final has just, erm, leapt into action at the Alexander Stadium. The two favorites are from Australia, Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanour Patterson, both of whom have personal bests of 2.02m. Jamaica’s Lamara Distin has gone close to 2m before, though, as has England’s Morgan Lake. They’re starting down at 1.71m. I’ll keep you updated.

Bowls: It’s now a see-saw battle between Australia and England in the women’s pairs gold medal match. Kristina Krstic and Ellen Ryan fought back from 11-2 down to lead England’s Sophie Tolchard and Amy Pharaoh 16-12, but the host nation have taken four to level the score at 16-16 with four ends to go.

Netball: With 11 minutes remaining in the semi-final, Jamaica have increased their lead to 58-37. The Silver Ferns need a miracle. Jamaica are heading to the final, where they will face either England or Australia, who play at 2.30pm (BST).

If, like Sachin Nakrani, your holiday plans were ruined by a delay at the passport office, get over to Birmingham soon – the Commonwealth Games might provide the entertainment you need.

Bowls: After 12 ends Australia have battled back from 11-2 down to level the score at 12-12 with England in the women’s pairs gold-medal match. The match finishes after 18 ends so it really is building towards a tense finish.

Netball: There’s a bit of an upset developing in the netball semi-final, where Jamaica are leading the world champions, New Zealand, 44-28 in the third quarter. Jamaica are no mugs – they are ranked fourth in the world – but the manner in which they have raced out of the blocks in this match is surprising. New Zealand look shocked. Jhaniele Fowler has scored a perfect 38 from 38. Incredible.

Preamble

Morning. There are 33 gold medals to be won on day nine of the Commonwealth Games. It’s why it is being called ‘Super Saturday’ by some, including our very own Sean Ingle.

The weekend excitement begins at 11am on Saturday when England’s women cricketers take on India in the T20 semi-finals at Edgbaston. They are heavy favorites after winning their group ahead of New Zealand, with victory likely to see them facing Australia in Sunday’s finals.

The action skips to the track at 1.10pm as the world 1500m champion Wightman takes on a high-class field which includes Kenya’s Timothy Cheruyiot and his Scottish teammate Josh Kerr, the silver and bronze medalists at last year’s Olympics.

Just over an hour later all eyes will be on the NEC Arena as England’s netballers take on Australia in a rematch of the 2018 final on the Gold Coast.

England’s men will also face Australia in the hockey at 8.15pm, although they will be underdogs against a side looking for their seventh straight title. Then the action switches back to the track, where Keely Hodgkinson and Zharnel Hughes will hope to win a second and third track gold of the day for England.

We’ll bring you updates on all the stories that develop throughout the day. The bowling action is already under way in Leamington Spa, where England’s Sophie Tolchard and Amy Pharaoh lead Australia’s Kristina Krstic and Ellen Ryan 11-10 in the gold medal match of the women’s pairs. Remarkably, Australia have battled back from 11-2 down. Stay tuned.

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schedule, events, times, Australians in action, medal tally, Diamonds vs England, Eleanor Patterson high jump

schedule, events, times, Australians in action, medal tally, Diamonds vs England, Eleanor Patterson high jump

Australia will have plenty of chases to add to its gold medal tally early on Saturday night [AEST] as the action gets underground on Day 9 of the Commonwealth Games.

Australia remains on top of the Commonwealth Games medal tally with 50 golds but England is closing in with 47 to set up a thrilling race in the final days.

Here is a full wrap of the key events to come on Saturday night and into the early hours of Sunday morning!

MEDAL TALLY: Aussies JUST in front as Comm Games race comes down to the wire

DAY 8 WRAP: ‘National disgrace’ rocks Comm Games as Hockeyroos survive penalty shootout scare

Australia benefits from BIZZARE rule | 00:29

LAWN BOWLS

Australia could pocket up to 11 more gold medals on Saturday, with the first shot coming at 5.30pm when Kristina Krstic and Ellen Ryan face England’s Sophie Tolchard and Amy Pharaoh in the women’s pairs lawn bowls final.

England skipped out to an early 2-0 lead and threatened to make it 4-0 but a brilliant final bowl from Ellen Ryan knocked two of her rival’s balls out of the way to level it at 2-2.

“What a good ball and what a good result, one of the commentators for Channel 7 said.

“What a shot. Perfect hit, rolling the blue balls out,” another added.

“My goodness, I don’t think Ellen would have even hoped she got that result.”

England responded though with two solid ends to reassert its dominance and kept going from there to take an 11-2 lead but Australia responded in epic fashion to get it back to 11-10.

TABLE TENNIS

Two Australian pairs (chunyi feng & Yangzi Liu and Jian Fang Lay & minhyung jee) will be in action in the Round of 16 for the women’s doubles table tennis.

Later in the night, Liu will continue her bid to become the first Australian woman to win a Commonwealth Games singles medal when she competes in the semi-final.

There will be guaranteed gold in the morning too, with an All-Australian for table tennis final between Li Na Lei and qian yang.

GYMNASTICS

Shortly after at 7pm, 18-year-old Lydia Iakovleva will be in the rhythmical gymnastics hoop final after finish seventh (107.150) in the all-around final on Friday.

Later there will be more gold medals up for grabs in rhythmical gymnastics too, with Alexandra Kiroi Bogatyreva scheduled to compete in both the ball and clubs final.

Those events are scheduled for 7.42pm and 8.22pm respectively but won’t be the end of Kiroi-Bogatyreva’s day as she has also qualified for the ribbon final at 9.02pm.

ATHLETICS

There will be plenty of action on the track, with three gold medals on offer in the space of 30 minutes.

First up will be Eleanor Pattersonwith the reigning world champion looking to defend her crown in the women’s high jump final, coming off a brilliant win at the World Championships.

Elsewhere, Julie Charlton will also be competing in the women’s F55-57 shot put final while there will be four Australians going for gold in the women’s 10km race walk final at 7.30pm.

Later at 8.50pm, ben buckingham and Edward Trippas will be going for gold in the men’s 3000m steeplechase final.

The final shot at gold comes in the men’s 1500m final, with Ollie Hoare in action and looking to secure ultimate redemption after a disappointing exit from the world championships.

Hoare was the fastest Australian qualifier after finishing first in heat one with a time of 3:37.57.

Other highlights include the women’s and men’s 4x100m relay heats.

There are lots of high-stakes events too with alex hulley (hammer throw), Sarah Carly (400m hurdles), Catriona Bisset (800m) and Ella Connolly (200m) in their own ends.

Australia's Eleanor Patterson will go for gold. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)
Australia’s Eleanor Patterson will go for gold. (Photo by Ben Stansall / AFP)Source: AFP

BOXING

There are lots of medals up for grabs in the ring, withfive Australians into the semi-finals. first-up, kaye scott is in action at 8.30pm in the women’s light middleweight boxing semi-final against Alcinda Helena Panguane.

Callum Peters will also put on the gloves for the men’s middleweight semi-final later in the night at 9.15pm, taking on Simnikiwe Bongco.

Edgardo Coumi is in action at 2am against Lewis Williams of England in the men’s heavyweight division while Australian middleweight Caitlyn Anne Parker faces Tammara Thibeault.

History will be made on Sunday morning regardless of the result as tina rahimi becomes Australia’s first Muslim woman boxer to take home a medal at the Games.

She will fight Elizabeth Oshoba in her featherweight semi-final.

netball

The ultimate grudge match sees Australia’s Diamonds face England in the netball semi-final. You can read Nat Medhurt’s full preview ahead of the fiery semi-final here, with the game set to begin at 11.30pm.

DIVING

Two Australian duos (Madison Keeney/Annabelle Smith and Brittany O’Brien/Esther Qing) will be competing in the women’s 3m synchronized springboard diving final.

Later on, the women’s synchronized 10m platform final sees Emily Boyd, Nikita Hayes, Charlie Petrov and Melissa Wu all in action.

CRICKET

There is plenty to look forward to in the early hours of Saturday morning too, with Australia’s women’s T20 cricket side battling New Zealand in a semi-final at 3am.

VOLLEYBALL

A dominant quarter-final performance has Mariafe Artacho del Solar and Taliqua Clancy one step closer to gold.

Their next challenge will be Vanuatu in the women’s beach volleyball semi-final at 6am.

HOCKEY

There will be more semi-final action, with Australia up against longtime rival England in the men’s hockey, with the time for that game to be confirmed.

SQUASH

There is plenty of action on the squash court too, kicking off with cameron pilly & Rhys Dowling and Zack Alexander & ryan cuskelly in the men’s doubles quarter-finals.

The mixed doubles semi-finals later in the day will feature donna lobban and pilley while Jess Turnbull and Alex Haydon team up in the mixed doubles plate quarter-final.

wrestling

There is lots to look forward to in wrestling too, with Naomi DeBruine (women’s 50kg, women’s 53kg and women’s 76kg) in action along with justin holland (men’s 57kg) and Tom Barnes (men’s 74kg, men’s 97kg).

FULL SCHEDULE — DAY 9

Lawn Bowls and Para Lawn Bowls, 5.30pm

Hockey, 6:00 p.m.

Netball, 6.00pm

Table Tennis and Para Table Tennis, 6.30pm

Athletics and Para Athletics, 7.00pm

Diving, 7.00pm

Rhythmic Gymnastics, 7.00pm

Boxing, 7.30pm

Wrestling, 7:30 p.m.

Badminton, 8:00 p.m.

Cricket T20, 8.00pm

Squash, 9.00pm

Boxing, 11.30pm

Netball, 11.30pm

Follow all the action live below! Can’t see it? Click here!

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Wests Tigers, video of Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsing amid NSW stadium funding standoff

Wests Tigers, video of Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsing amid NSW stadium funding standoff

Calls for several local stadiums in Sydney to be upgraded will only grow louder after shocking footage emerged of a grandstand collapsing at Leichhardt Oval.

Radio host Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald was attending a high school rugby union match between St Joseph’s College and Riverview on Saturday and he shared a video of an ugly incident on Twitter.

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In the clip, a Joeys player goes over for a try to the delight of the packed crowd in attendance.

But the video then shows a railing at the front of a small grandstand collapse under the weight of the fans, causing a number of them to faceplant onto concrete meters below.

Fitzgerald wrote: “Do you reckon Leichardt Oval needs an upgrade?”

It’s unclear if any of the spectators were injured. Channel 9 reports paramedics are at the scene.

The collapse happened in front of a crowd of around 15,000 and brought the game to a standstill.

The unfortunate incident will only heap more pressure on the NSW government to commit to funding upgrades to three Sydney stadiums including Leichhardt Oval, the traditional home of the Wests Tigers.

A grandstand at Leichhardt Oval suffered a mini collapse. Photo: Twitter.Source: Twitter

This week it emerged Sydney is on the brink of losing the NRL Grand Final after the state government reportedly walked away from an $800 million pledge.

The agreed upon deal, reportedly struck in May, is on the brink of collapsing and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys is said to be fuming.

The agreement would see Brookvale Oval ($100m), Leichhardt Oval ($50m) and Cronulla’s Shark Park ($100m) receive significant upgrades — and if delivered, the Grand Final would remain in Sydney for the next 20 years until 2042 on the proviso the Olympic venue would receive an $800m upgrade.

Those plans were scrapped during the pandemic with the NRL moving to shift those funds to suburban grounds and V’landys claiming he had received verbal confirmations from NSW Premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Dominic Perrottet for between $250 and $350 million.

Penrith Stadium was also in the agreement, however $300m has reportedly been ticked off to upgrade the grounds.

“We are in delicate negotiations with the NSW government,” V’landys said.

“All options will be on the table if these negotiations fail.”

A deadline on Tuesday passed with the two parties still staring each other down with reports Perrottet is set to walk away from a $250 million pledge to upgrade grounds, according to The Daily Telegraph.

2GB host Ben Fordham grilled NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, who has since resigned from his ministerial posts for separate reasons, over why Penrith Stadium had received funding but the other grounds had not.

Penrith fans will be enjoying an upgrade at Penrith Stadium. (Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“You’re the Sports Minister, your home ground is Penrith, you’re a Panthers fan and for all I know you’re probably the number one ticket holder,” Fordham said.

“So they got the $300 million, so what about Brookvale, Shark Park, Leichhardt Oval… I would be seriously surprised if you don’t know the answer I am posing to you.

“Why did your home ground get the money at your home ground and the others didn’t?

“Ben, there’s a long-term strategy,” Ayres said.

“We made decisions in what was the best interests of the public.

“We’ve had a long-term stadia strategy that we’ve been delivering since 2015. We’ve rebuilt Parramatta Stadium, we’re just about to open the new Sydney Football stadium.

“We’re committed to a stadium in Penrith, it reflects our three city strategy.

“We’ve invested well in excess of $1.5b dollars, part of that is, we’d like to have a long-term commitment from the NRL for the grand finale.

“We’ve just had Covid, we’ve had substantial flood impacts that have put more pressure on the budget.”

The Queensland government is now readying a bid to claim to NRL grand final for years to come.

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NRL 2022, Canberra Raiders v Penrith Panthers round 21 match preview, team lists, updates, injuries

NRL 2022, Canberra Raiders v Penrith Panthers round 21 match preview, team lists, updates, injuries

The Raiders’ run of good form has them sitting in ninth spot and only outside the eight on points differential as they gear up for the ultimate test against the premiers.

The loss of star playmakers Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai leaves a huge hole for Penrith and Ricky Stuart’s men get a golden opportunity to knock off the tallest poppy and announce themselves as genuine contenders.

There’s plenty like about the way the Raiders are playing their footy at the moment but they will be aware they need to go up another couple of notches to beat a side that has only two games all season.

A loud and passionate GIO Stadium crowd is assured on a Saturday evening in the national capital and they can be worth a few points to the Green Machine when the heat is applied by the champs.



Sportsbet Betting preview: Raiders v Panthers

The Rundown

teamnews

Raiders: No late changes on game day after Xavier Savage dropped out on Friday with an ankle injury. Albert Hopoate takes over at fullback in jersey No.18. Jordan Rapana returns from suspension. Adam Elliott hurt his hip against the Titans but has been named to start at lock. Ata Mariota is 18th Man.

Panthers: No further changes on game day after star back-rower Viliame Kikau was ruled out on Friday with a hip injury. Chris Smith will start in the second row and Sunia Turuva joins the bench for his NRL debut. Sean O’Sullivan is the new No.7 and Jaeman Salmon comes into the starting side at five-eighth. Origin center Stephen Crichton returns from the nasty ear cut he suffered against the Sharks and back-up hooker Mitch Kenny (knee) is also back on deck. Matt Eisenhuth is 18th Man.

key match-up

Joseph Tapine v James Fisher-Harris: When conversation starts about who is the game’s premier prop, these two powerhouse Kiwis are right in the thick of the debate. Tapine has been enormous for Canberra, averaging 165 meters per game, breaking 62 tackles and and creating second-phase opportunities with 37 offloads. Fisher-Harris is the main man in Ivan Cleary’s pack, averaging 144 meters and 30 tackles per match and invariably coming up with a team-lifting play when it is needed.

Stat Attack

The Panthers lead the NRL in kick return meters with 4123, fullback Dylan Edwards responsible for 1821 of those with his dynamic kick returning ability. The Raiders are eighth for kick return meters with 2958.

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David Warner set to sign with Sydney Thunder, 2022-23 summer of cricket

David Warner set to sign with Sydney Thunder, 2022-23 summer of cricket

David Warner is reportedly on the verge of confirming his long-awaited return to the Big Bash League by signing with the Sydney Thunder.

The Age reports that the in-demand Australian opener could sign for the western Sydney club as early as Saturday, marking his first return to the domestic competition since 2013.

Warner’s deal will reportedly be worth at least $340,000, which is the same as what’s being offered to the highest tier of overseas players in the competition’s inaugural draft.

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Candice addresses David’s BBL future | 01:30

The left-hander — who was said to be in talks about playing in the UAE’s inaugural ILT20 — will replace Usman Khawaja, who has moved to the Brisbane Heat.

The door opened for Warner to return to the BBL after South Africa pulled out of an ODI series against Australia in January.

According to The AgeWarner was then among several Australian contracted players offered as much as $650,000 to play in the UAE start-up.

In the case of Warner, however, that outcome has been avoided — marking a massive boost for the Big Bash.

Warner will be available for five BBL matches after Australia’s three-Test tour against South Africa wraps up in Sydney in early January.

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EintrachtFrankfurt vs. Bayern Munich – Football Match Report – August 5, 2022

EintrachtFrankfurt vs. Bayern Munich - Football Match Report - August 5, 2022

Champions Bayern Munich fired five goals past woeful Eintracht Frankfurt in the first half on the way to an electric 6-1 victory in the Bundesliga season opener on Friday.

The Bavarians put down a marker at the start of the campaign as they look to land an 11th consecutive league crown, and outclassed the Europa League winners, who face Real Madrid in the Super Cup next week, with new signing Sadio Mane on target.

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Mane, who netted in last week’s German Super Cup win over RB Leipzig, was among five different scorers in a scorching first half with all Bayern’s goals coming in a span of 38 minutes.

“The first half was outstanding I must say,” Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann said. “I don’t think it will always be like that but after two matches we can be satisfied.”

“The energy we have in our game is really good,” he said.

Joshua Kimmich opened their account with an audacious free kick that went in off the post and Benjamin Pavard drilled in their second six minutes later just before Eintracht hit the woodwork through Tuta.

Thomas Muller had what could become one of the misses of the season when he hit the post from close range and then also failed to score on the rebound.

But Mane did much better in the 29th, heading home to Serge Gnabry cross to make it 3-0. He then sent Muller through to set up Jamal Musiala for their fourth in the 35th with a simple tap-in and the Eintracht defense in tatters.

Gnabry also got onto the scoresheet two minutes before the break, burying any thoughts that Bayern may struggle in attack after the departure of striker Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona.

Eintracht, who will play in the Champions League this season, were livelier after the break as Bayern eased off and they pounced on goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s error outside the box to score through Randal Kolo Muani in the 64th.

Musiala, however, wrapped up the scoring when he latched onto Leroy Sane’s assist to slot in his second goal of the evening seven minutes from time to complete the route.

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NRL 2022: Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsing video, NSW stadium funding standoff

NRL 2022: Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsing video, NSW stadium funding standoff

Calls for several local stadiums in Sydney to be upgraded will only grow louder after shocking footage emerged of a grandstand collapsing at Leichhardt Oval.

Radio host Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald was attending a high school rugby union match between St Joseph’s College and Riverview on Saturday and he shared a video of an ugly incident on Twitter.

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In the clip, a Joeys player goes over for a try to the delight of the packed crowd in attendance.

But the video then shows a railing at the front of a small grandstand collapse under the weight of the fans, causing a number of them to faceplant onto concrete meters below.

Fitzgerald wrote: “Do you reckon Leichardt Oval needs an upgrade?”

It’s unclear if any of the spectators were injured. Channel 9 reported paramedics were at the scene.

The collapse happened in front of a crowd of around 15,000 and brought the game to a standstill.

The unfortunate incident will only heap more pressure on the NSW government to commit to funding upgrades to three Sydney stadiums including Leichhardt Oval, the traditional home of the Wests Tigers.

This week it emerged Sydney is on the brink of losing the NRL Grand Final after the state government reportedly walked away from an $800 million pledge.

The agreed upon deal, reportedly struck in May, is on the brink of collapsing and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys is said to be fuming.

The agreement would see Brookvale Oval ($100m), Leichhardt Oval ($50m) and Cronulla’s Shark Park ($100m) receive significant upgrades — and if delivered, the Grand Final would remain in Sydney for the next 20 years until 2042 on the proviso the Olympic venue would receive an $800m upgrade.

Those plans were scrapped during the pandemic with the NRL moving to shift those funds to suburban grounds and V’landys claiming he had received verbal confirmations from NSW Premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Dominic Perrottet for between $250 and $350 million.

Penrith Stadium was also in the agreement, however $300m has reportedly been ticked off to upgrade the grounds.

“We are in delicate negotiations with the NSW government,” V’landys said.

“All options will be on the table if these negotiations fail.”

A deadline on Tuesday passed with the two parties still staring each other down with reports Perrottet is set to walk away from a $250 million pledge to upgrade grounds, according to The Daily Telegraph.

2GB host Ben Fordham grilled NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, who has since resigned from his ministerial posts for separate reasons, over why Penrith Stadium had received funding but the other grounds had not.

“You’re the Sports Minister, your home ground is Penrith, you’re a Panthers fan and for all I know you’re probably the number one ticket holder,” Fordham said.

“So they got the $300 million, so what about Brookvale, Shark Park, Leichhardt Oval… I would be seriously surprised if you don’t know the answer I am posing to you.

“Why did your home ground get the money at your home ground and the others didn’t?

“Ben, there’s a long-term strategy,” Ayres said.

“We made decisions in what was the best interests of the public.

“We’ve had a long-term stadia strategy that we’ve been delivering since 2015. We’ve rebuilt Parramatta Stadium, we’re just about to open the new Sydney Football stadium.

“We’re committed to a stadium in Penrith, it reflects our three city strategy.

“We’ve invested well in excess of $1.5b dollars, part of that is, we’d like to have a long-term commitment from the NRL for the grand finale.

“We’ve just had Covid, we’ve had substantial flood impacts that have put more pressure on the budget.”

The Queensland government is now readying a bid to claim to NRL grand final for years to come.

Read related topics:sydney

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Inside the F1 contract fight shaping the destiny of three Australians

Inside the F1 contract fight shaping the destiny of three Australians

Oscar Piastri.

Oscar Piastri.Credit:Joe Armao

Teams farming out drivers to rival outfits further towards the back of the grid is commonplace in F1. Mercedes driver George Russell cut his F1 teeth with Williams, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc got his early reps with Alfa Romeo.

But behind the scenes and well before the Alonso/Aston alliance, Webber’s plans for Piastri were quietly crystallising – and at a time when Ricciardo’s second season at McLaren was heading down a similarly miserable path to his first. Alonso’s bombshell brought them to the surface.

Webber swoops as Ricciardo struggles

Ricciardo, in the second year of a three-season deal with McLaren that has the third year as an option – crucially, on his side – was laboring through another difficult campaign by the time the 2022 season shifted to Monaco. On that May weekend, McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown suggested there were break clauses in Ricciardo’s contract, adding “there are mechanisms in which we’re committed to each other, and mechanisms in which we’re not”.

The public questioning of Ricciardo’s tenure escalated tensions, with McLaren responding by reiterating they were keen to help Ricciardo rediscover his mojo. But talk of Ricciardo’s future never went away, and after an eighth-place result in July’s Austrian Grand Prix, Ricciardo made a rare appearance on social media to quash rumors that his barren run would see him walk away at the end of the season, none -too-subtly referencing that he – not McLaren – held the option on his 2023 contract. The timing was no accident.

Daniel Ricciardo.

Daniel Ricciardo.Credit:eddie jim

Days before in Austria, Sky Sports F1 pit lane reporter Ted Kravitz suggested why the mooted Piastri to Williams loan arrangement had stalled.

“Could the delay be that (Piastri) and his manager Mark Webber are looking at potentially replacing Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren,” Kravitz posited?

“As every race goes by and points and performance fail to come in for Ricciardo, maybe McLaren will come in with a late offer for Piastri, nick him from under Williams’ nose and offer him Ricciardo’s seat for 2023.“

Fast-forwarding to this week, Vettel’s Budapest retirement announcement and Alonso’s shock switch to Aston Martin opened the door at Alpine for Piastri to race for the team he’s been embedded in this season. Alpine issued a press release the day after Alonso’s defection announcing Piastri as a race driver for next season – but without quotes attributed to Piastri. It was the reddest of red flags.

Hours later, Piastri tweeted “I will not be driving for Alpine next year”, a remarkable rejection of a race seat for a rookie driver.

With so few vacant seats available at other teams for next season, it was clear that Webber already had Piastri pegged for a drive elsewhere, with Alonso’s plans of little consequence.

Later in the week, it came to light McLaren had formally told Ricciardo after Hungary that he was no longer their preferred choice for 2023. The Australian has no intention to agree to a suggested move to McLaren-owned teams in IndyCar or Formula E, wanting to extend his F1 career into a 12th season.

As reports out of Europe all-but confirmed Piastri’s rise to a seat with McLaren, the team – along with Piastri and Ricciardo’s camps – were tight-lipped. Put simply, McLaren will need to pay Ricciardo off to make way for Piastri, with discussions over the details of a financial settlement putting a handbrake on any official announcement.

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So what happens now?

Alpine had indicated it would do everything in its power to make Piastri honor a contract it says is watertight and contains options for 2023 and 2024, asking the dispute to be settled by F1’s Contracts Recognition Board (CRB). However, European-based news outlet RacingNews365 reported the CRB has already validated Piastri’s McLaren contract, allowing it to stand over the deal Alpine believed it had.

What’s less clear is what becomes of Ricciardo’s future when Piastri, as now expected, is announced at McLaren before the resumption of the season in Belgium at the end of August. Whether Ricciardo finishes the 2022 season with the team under such awkward circumstances remains unclear, while Piastri’s McLaren deal – which he does n’t kick in until 2023 – prevents him from being an option for this year’s remaining 10 races.

The twists in this tale don’t stop there, either. With Alonso elsewhere and Piastri a non-starter, Alpine may yet open its arms to a Ricciardo return in a marriage of convenience.

While bright spots have been few for Ricciardo at McLaren, he won the team’s only race since 2012 when he took out last year’s Italian Grand Prix. Despite his fall in form, Ricciardo remains one of F1’s most marketable drivers, particularly in the United States.

The legacy, and the future

Should Ricciardo renew ties with Alpine, next season will be the first since 2013 – Webber’s final campaign in the sport – where Australia has two drivers on the F1 grid. That those two drivers had a link to the retiring Vettel both then and now is yet another bizarre sub-plot.

After two seasons driving for Scuderia Toro Rosso, Ricciardo succeeded Webber at Red Bull Racing in 2014 following Webber’s retirement. The older Australian spent five seasons as Vettel’s teammate, Vettel winning four titles in a row and 34 races to Webber’s seven from 2010-13,.

Statistically, Webber and Ricciardo’s careers make for interesting comparison. Webber started 215 grands prix and won nine times, amassing 42 podium finishes and finishing third in the world championship three times. Ricciardo (eight wins from 223 starts with 32 podium finishes) has built a career out of opportunistic wins with incapable machinery of a genuine title tilt.

Events of the past week ensure that when Piastri gets his start – given how he got his place on the grid – his rookie season will be watched like no driver before him.

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