More than 60,000 runners, joggers and walkers hit the streets of Sydney today for the return of the famous City2Surf.
The fun run from Hyde Park to Bondi Beach returned after it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Tradie Liam Adams claimed the men’s title, after completing the race in 41 minutes and eight seconds.
Leanne Pompeani took out the women’s division in 45 minutes and 43 seconds.
Leanne Pompeani took out the women’s race in 45 minutes and 43 seconds. (Nine)Tradie Liam Adams claimed the men’s title. Photo: Edwina Pickles (Edwin Pickles)
“I started feeling it at 10 kilometers, but I am really proud of that performance,” Pompeani said.
“I am going to enjoy the day and it’s nice to see people out here.”
Gary Wonsely, 59, said he was incredibly happy to see the race back.
“It’s my 24th City2Surf,” he said.
“I really missed it and I love the crowd, love the community and love running.”
The race kicked off at Hyde Park near Park and College streets before winding down William Street through Kings Cross tunnel and along New South Head Road.
Runners took on Vaucluse before curling south onto Old South Head Road and Military Road, and then Bondi.
The fun run returns after the COVID-19 pandemic saw it postponed in 2020 and 2021. (Nine)Competitors make their way in the annual City2Surf fun run in Sydney. (AP)For 59-year-old Gary Wonsely, said he was incredibly happy to see the race back. (Nine)
As news of their former coach Paul Green’s tragic death spread on Thursday morning, his former North Queensland Cowboys players met up for a “raw and emotional” gathering.
Green is an immortal in Townsville having helped deliver the club its first NRL premiership in 2015, and a number of the Cowboys’ 2015 team met up, according to their co-captain Matt Scott.
Scott admitted that he was still “shaken” as he paid tribute to the beloved coach, who died at just 49.
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“It’s pretty hard to comprehend that it’s actually happened and the fact that he’s gone and the manner in which he went is quite hard to come to terms with,” he told Nine’s NRL Sunday Footy Show.
“A bunch of us caught up Thursday night. Obviously it was still pretty raw and emotional, but we had a few beers, had a good chat and told some stories and remembered a lot of those good times.
Matt Scott, Johnathan Thurston and Paul Green pictured after the 2015 premiership triumph (Getty)
“I’m sure in the weeks to come we’ll probably get together as a bigger group and do it again.”
Scott reminisced on his relationship with Green, who took over the Cowboys in 2014 and instantly transformed the side into a force to be reckoned with, in what was described as “a real sliding doors moment.”
One particular moment with his coach stuck out to the 37-year-old, who played 268 games in Cowboys colors between 2004 and 2019.
“We all had a great relationship with Greeny over a lot of years. There was a main group of us being myself, Johnno (Thurston), Coops (Gavin Cooper) and Greeny, we’d see each other every day and talk to each other a lot, but it was mainly footy,” he said.
Matt Scott celebrates with Johnathan Thurston after the 2015 premiership win (Getty)
“I think it was 2014 I actually ran into him on Hamilton Island and we were both having a break and didn’t know each other were there.
“He was headed out on the boat on the day, he loves his fishing, loves being on the water, and he invited Lauren and I on the boat for the day with his family, which is a testament to the type of bloke he was .
“We had a great day, just talked a lot about family and live in general and didn’t really discuss rugby league all that much. I’ll always remember that day for getting to know Greeny away from footy.”
Green’s genius as a coach was fully realized in 2017 when he took a Cowboys side decimated by injuries to the likes of Scott and Thurston all the way to the grand finale.
Having spent a lot of time in the coaches’ box alongside Green while injured, Scott said he gained a greater appreciation for just how good Green was at his job.
Paul Green speaks to his Cowboys after winning the 2015 grand final. (Getty)
“I always had a glimpse of it, especially taking on the co-captain role, but until you actually experience the amount of hours that go into watching vision, cutting up vision, planning for not just the game but the week’s training into it, it was a real eye-opener, it put me off wanting to be a coach, that’s for sure,” he said.
“Greeny being the way he was, he took it to a whole new level, certainly from what I’d seen from coaches over the years.
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“He left no stone unturned, he was always thinking, always planning, and he’d always try and have every circumstance covered.
“He really embraced the region, the lifestyle and the club and I think that’s why so many people in North Queensland and Townsville have fond memories of Greeny. As a club and player in particular, I can’t thank him enough for that.”
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Paul Green’s life in pictures: From Sharks prodigy to premiership-winning coach
Rugby league has a funny way of balancing itself out.
The Dragons and Raiders have now been handed wins against each other this season in “almost identical” controversial fashion.
Canberra led 24-22 on Sunday afternoon when St George Illawarra winger Matt Feagai made a 70-metre break with just 10 seconds left in the game.
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Feagai was tackled 15 meters out from the Raiders’ line when Corey Harawira-Naera laid on top of him as time expired.
“They’re told to get up, penalty brewing, but referee (Adam Gee) says that will do us, oh it’s almost identical,” Brenton Speed said on Fox League.
“Round 16 all over again in reverse. The Dragons are thinking ‘where’s our penalty’ that the Raiders did not get in Wollongong but Adam Gee says that is full-time and Canberra’s season is still alive and the Dragons are done.”
Back in July, the Raiders were robbed of an opportunity to kick a penalty goal to send their clash with the Dragons to golden point.
Canberra had the ball in front of the goalposts on the fifth tackle, when Ben Hunt and Jack Bird intentionally slowed the play-the-ball.
The Raiders were awarded a six again before Hunt charged from market to tackle dummy-half Tom Starling — a play which NRL head of football Graham Annesley later admitted should have been awarded a penalty.
Annesley also conceded a penalty could have been awarded for the flop and an off-side call in the lead-up to the fifth tackle.
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The scenes reversed on Sunday afternoon as a stunned Dragons coach Anthony Griffin looked on in disbelief.
“He should have been penalized at the very least for a professional foul,” Braith Anasta said on Fox League.
“There was just one last shove from (Harawira-Naera), because as Feagai was getting tackled the clock was ticking down… but there was a little shove,” Greg Alexander said.
“It’s incredible that we’ve had both teams win games in very similar circumstances.”
But speaking in the post-game press conference, Griffin wasn’t too upset about what he had played out — he even conceded it was “a little bit ironic” given what had happened in Round 16.
Asked if I found the ending frustrating Griffin said: “Nah, it’s probably a little bit ironic compared to the first game.
“We just ran out of time, it was a fantastic linebreak at that time of the game and the captain did everything he could with his kicking game to get us into field position and put Matty away,” he added.
“We just needed one more play the ball but that’s the way the world works.”
The facility includes a multi-lane swimming pool (with a custom-made Wests Tigers logo mosaic), ice bath and heated bath for recovery and rehabilitation. There’s also a steam room and sauna.
The gym, arguably the biggest of all NRL clubs, also includes a wrestling arena and a mini-scaled league field for team walkthroughs.
There is even a barber at the new Concord Oval.Credit:Nick Moir
The facility will be home to both the football department and the club’s administration.
The NRL head coaches office, which currently has Sheens’ name tag and mug on the desk, overlooks the gym.
There’s also a theater, sleeping room, mental health hub, barbecue area, juice bar and barber included in the facility.
The club has also paid tribute to the history of both Balmain and Western Suburbs, erecting a walk of fame with the greatest players from the Tigers and Magpies on display through the corridors.
Alex Twal takes a stroll down the club’s walk of fame.Credit:Nick Moir
The second stage of the complex is still under construction but will include multi-purpose sports courts for basketball, netball and indoor soccer.
Pascoe has copped the brunt of criticism in regards to the team’s on-field performances under his rein.
However, his legacy at the club will be the lobbying with government and corporate partners to turn the club’s dreams into a reality.
Inspired by visits to the New York Jets, New York Giants, LA Dodgers and Atlanta Braves facilities in the United States, the center of excellence takes into consideration all aspects of the business.
The gym also includes a wrestling arena.Credit:Nick Moir
The Tigers have been the nomads of the NRL, shifting home grounds and training bases throughout the joint venture’s existence.
They’ve traditionally spent more time at training than other teams given how much time they spend on the road between different sessions.
“We’ve been in and around different places, training in Leichhardt, training in Concord, training in Campbelltown,” prop Alex Twal said.
“To have one ground where it’s a one-stop shop where we can do all our things from here, it’s going to be a massive boost for the players, especially for us players who have been here quite a few years.
There is a separate NRL and NRLW dressing room.Credit:Nick Moir
“It’s been a long time coming. It’s going to be a really good thing for the club. We’ve never had something like this at the club. There’s a lot of exciting times ahead.”
The club has long been using images and simulated footage to show prospective players and coaches the new facility.
They took Cameron Ciraldo through the facility when they tried to lure him to the club, and also showed Isaiah Papali’i around when he first started to get cold feet.
“I think it will definitely increase our recruitment,” Twal said.
The training ground at Concord OvalCredit:Nick Moir
“When you’re coming in to a new club and you see these sorts of facilities and opportunities to work around this space, I think it’s definitely going to be something that people and players look forward to.
“It means so much to the players. It’s only going to be a positive for the club going forward, and the team.”
The Hollywood star was spotted in the crowd at the SCG on Sunday afternoon for the Round 22 contest between Sydney and Collingwood.
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Rock was wearing a red Swans cap and was enjoying the action on his visit to Sydney.
The Swans posted a photo of the actor and comedian holding a jersey signed by the whole Sydney team.
Channel 7 commentator Brian Taylor couldn’t help himself, making a not-so-subtle reference to when Rock was famously slapped by Will Smith at the Academy Awards earlier this year.
“Famous face here Chris Rock, of course of Grow Ups fame and he just accepts a slap really well these days doesn’t he, Chris Rock,” Taylor said tongue-in-cheek.
Alister Nicholson valiantly tried to get the commentary back on track, adding: “I reckon in terms of A-listers he’s just behind Buddy Franklin in terms of No. 1 at the SCG today BT.”
AFL fans couldn’t believe Taylor had made ice cold remark on live TV.
The Swans controlled the first half and took a 37-22 lead into the main break.
The Magpies are still in touching distance and the match appears set to go down to the wire in typical Collingwood fashion.
Brodie Kostecki is closer to finalizing his plans of making a start in select NASCAR races next year, in addition to re-signing with Erebus Motorsport in Supercars.
It was announced over the OTR SuperSprint weekend that both Kostecki and Will Brown will stay on at Erebus in the Repco Supercars Championship through to the end of 2024.
However, Kostecki earmarked a tilt in NASCAR after a trip to the United States earlier this year.
Kostecki’s plans are closer to reality, set to be finalized once the 2023 Supercars calendar and NASCAR schedules get released.
The 24-year-old and his manager, Nathan Cayzer, are targeting road course appearances in either the Cup Series or second-tier Xfinity Series.
“I’m trying to do more racing, in general, I love racing,” Kostecki told Speedcafe.com.
“I’m pretty lucky that I get to do it for a job, but I’ve always loved the experience I had in America.
“So I want to grab every opportunity that I have to race.
“If I get an opportunity to race over the next year, which is looking likely, one of the road courses in a Cup, or an Xfinity car will be pretty cool.
“SW [my management team is] just trying to work on a few things and getting sort of closer, but we’re just waiting for the schedules to get released [to] work out how we can work in a few races.”
Kostecki previously competed in what is now known as the ARCA Menards Series East during his formative years before returning home to pursue a career in Supercars.
The Gold Coast-based driver acknowledged it would be a major step up the ladder to make it into the Cup Series, but believes it would be the easiest option.
That’s largely down to the all-new ‘Next Gen’ NASCAR machinery having similarities to both the incumbent Gen2 Supercar and new-for 2023 Gen3 Supercar.
“It’s been pretty lucky, they’ve sort of taken a direction with the new Next Gen car they have, it’s very similar to a Supercar in a way,” Kostecki added.
“The aero is a little bit different, but the main mechanical part of the cars [is] very similar to what we have now and even our Gen3 package that we’re going to be racing next year.
“So yeah, Cup would probably be the easiest to adapt to.
“But the competition is obviously very high in that sort of category. So yeah, we’ll see what happens.”
Kostecki is currently eighth in the Supercars standings, with the Penrite Oil Sandown SuperSprint coming up next (August 19-21).
Cameron Ciraldo has signed a five-year deal to take over as Canterbury head coach next season.
Key points:
Cameron Ciraldo will leave his role at the Panthers at the end of the season
He has been the Bulldogs’ preferred choice as a long-term replacement for Trent Barrett
Last year, Ciraldo helped the Panthers win the NRL premiership
The in-demand Penrith assistant has helped mastermind the defending premiers’ climb to dominance under Ivan Cleary.
However, Ciraldo has decided to take the step up into the head coach role at the Bulldogs after previously knocking back the Wests Tigers’ job.
Interim Bulldogs coach Mick Potter was keen to stay on after taking over from sacked coach Trent Barrett earlier this season.
However, Canterbury general manager of football Phil Gould wanted Ciraldo — who has been in various coaching roles at the Panthers since 2014 — to fill the position.
Ciraldo’s arrival at Belmore will likely keep star playmaker Matt Burton at the club.
Burton worked with Ciraldo at the Panthers before linking up with the Bulldogs this season.
Camerone Ciraldo’s signing will likely mean Matt Burton (pictured) stays with the Bulldogs.(Getty Images: Matt King)
“As the club continues to build for long-term, sustained success, we are pleased Cameron shares the vision of ensuring our football programs are best-in-class,” a Bulldogs club statement read.
The Panthers confirmed Ciraldo would depart the club at the end of the season.
“On behalf of all at Panthers, we would like to congratulate Cameron for his appointment as an NRL head coach,” Panthers chief executive Matt Cameron said in a statement.
“Although we’re saddened to see Cameron depart the club at the end of the season, we’re thrilled to see him progress to the next chapter of his NRL coaching career.
“A highly-respected member of the coaching staff, Cameron has played his part in making our club a source of community pride, and was influential in providing an environment for players to thrive.”
Ciraldo played for Penrith, Newcastle and Cronulla during his 94-match NRL career.
He finished up with the Panthers in 2013 and joined the club’s coaching staff the following season as an assistant coach in the under-20s program.
Ciraldo later served as the Panthers’ under-20s head coach, before becoming an assistant at the NRL level.
He was defense coach when the Panthers won last year’s premiership, while he was caretaker head coach in 2018 after the club parted ways with Anthony Griffin.
The Gold Coast Titans are on the cusp of one of the upsets of the season as they lead the Sea Eagles 38-24 with 10 minutes remaining.
Justin Holbrook’s men are playing with a freedom barely seen this season, while Manly need a miracle in the final stages to keep their season alive.
MATCH CENTER: Titans vs Sea Eagles live updates, video stats
Titans forward Jaimin Jolliffe went from zero to hero in the opening minutes of the game.
Jolliffe was a late replacement for Gold Coast skipper Tino Fa’asuamaleaui who was a late omission due to the birth of his child.
Jolliffe dropped the first hit-up of the game but quickly made amends by scoring the opening try of the match in the seventh minute.
Manly struck back when Reuben Garrick scored in the 12th minute and converted his own try.
Sea Eagles utility Dylan Walker came into the game at the 20-minute mark and lasted just 20 seconds before he was binned for a high shot.
“The very first tackle he’s made and he’s gone 10 in the bin,” Corey Parker said on Fox League.
The Titans celebrate scoring. Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
The Gold Coast quickly made them pay with teenager Tanah Boyd throwing a beautiful cut-out pass for Jojo Fifita to score in the corner.
Despite being a man down, Manly found a way to strike back with Jake Trbojevic barging over from close range to score his first try of the season.
Daly Cherry-Evans was looking for the Sea Eagles’ third when he threw a cut-out pass that was picked off by Titans center Brian Kelly who dashed 60 meters to score.
Boyd slotted a penalty on the stroke of halftime push the lead past a converted try.
The Titans burst out of the blocks in the second half to score three tries between the 46th and 57th minutes.
Beau Fermor, AJ Brimson and David Fifita all crossed, with the latter scoring a brilliant try to the delight of Holbrook.
Brad Parker and Tolutau Koula pulled back consolation tries in the 61st minute but it looks too little, too late for Manly.
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Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus scored twice to open his account for the club as Mikel Arteta’s side beat Leicester City 4-2 at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Arsenal exuded quality in the first half and took the lead 23 minutes in. Jesus received the ball on the left of the penalty area from Granit Xhaka and curled an audacious lobbed effort over Danny Ward into the far corner.
– 10/10 Jesus shines on Arsenal home debut – Notebook: The inside stories from world football – Don’t have ESPN? Get instant access
Jesus, 25, impressed in preseason, netting seven goals in five matches. He extended his goalscoring run by doubling Arsenal’s lead 12 minutes after his opener — heading home at the back post from close range after Gabriel Martinelli’s corner was flicked on by Jamie Vardy.
“I am so happy because we played so good against a tough opponent,” Jesus said. “I work all day every day to score goals. I was not unhappy at Manchester City, I just wanted to play and the club understood.”
Soon after, Leicester were awarded a penalty, but the decision was overturned after a VAR check which adjudged Vardy to have gone to ground too easily.
Arsenal momentarily lost their comfortable advantage early in the second half as William Saliba headed into his own net, but two minutes later Xhaka pounced on a mistake between Wesley Fofana and goalkeeper Ward to restore the two-goal cushion.
James Maddison again closed the gap in the 74th minute as he drilled a shot between Aaron Ramsdale’s legs, but Arsenal provided yet another instant response with Martinelli scoring just a minute later after being given space to take aim outside the penalty area.
The Hollywood star was spotted in the crowd at the SCG on Sunday afternoon for the Round 22 contest between Sydney and Collingwood.
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Rock was wearing a red Swans cap and was enjoying the action on his visit to Sydney.
The Swans posted a photo of the actor and comedian holding a jersey signed by the whole Sydney team.
Channel 7 commentator Brian Taylor couldn’t help himself, making a not-so-subtle reference to when Rock was famously slapped by Will Smith at the Academy Awards earlier this year.
“Famous face here Chris Rock, of course of Grow Ups fame and he just accepts a slap really well these days doesn’t he, Chris Rock,” Taylor said tongue-in-cheek.
Alister Nicholson valiantly tried to get the commentary back on track, adding: “I reckon in terms of A-listers he’s just behind Buddy Franklin in terms of No. 1 at the SCG today BT.”
AFL fans couldn’t believe Taylor had made ice cold remark on live TV.
The Swans controlled the first half and led 5.7 (37) to 3.5 (22) at the main break.
The Magpies are still in touching distance and the match appears set to go down to the wire in typical Collingwood fashion.
