Sports – Page 155 – Michmutters

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England wins women’s Euro 2022, Leah Williamson handball, Germany, video, latest, highlights

England wins women's Euro 2022, Leah Williamson handball, Germany, video, latest, highlights

England won a major women’s tournament for the first time as Chloe Kelly’s extra-time goal secured a 2-1 victory over Germany at a sold out Wembley on Sunday.

In front of a record crowd of 87,192 for any match in the history of the European Championships, Kelly prodded home a loose ball from close range to end English football’s 56-year wait for a World Cup or Euro victory.

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England looked set for victory in the 90 minutes when substitute Ella Toone’s sublime chip over Merle Frohms put the hosts in front.

Germany showed remarkable resilience to bounce back as Lina Magull leveled 11 minutes from time.

But for once, England were not to be denied a major tournament success. Kelly fought back from an anterior cruciate ligament tear to be fit in time for the tournament and made herself a national hero by being in the right place to pounce when Germany failed to clear a corner in the 110th minute.

The Manchester City winger tore her shirt off in celebration in scenes reminiscent of Mia Hamm’s famous reaction to scoring the winning penalty for the USA at the 1999 World Cup.

Fortune did not favor Germany, who lost captain and top goalscorer Alexandra Popp to a muscle injury in the warm-up.

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But England will feel their time for some luck was due as 12 months on from the Three Lions’ defeat on penalties to Italy in the Euro 2020 men’s final, the nation’s women went one better.

While England enjoy the celebrations, Germany manager Martin Voss-Tecklenburg was left aggrieved by the decision not to award a penalty to her side in the first half of Sunday’s Euro 2022 final defeat to England.

Lionesses captain Leah Williamson escaped after the ball hit her hand in a goalmouth scramble with the score still at 0-0.

After a VAR check, Ukrainian referee Kateryna Monzul was not told to review her initial decision not to give a penalty.

“On this level at the end of the European Championships this shouldn’t happen,” said Voss-Tecklenburg.

“I’d like to have a discussion why did not one look at it? This is something I would really like to ask. It happened to us today, but if it had happened to them I would feel the same. It really bothers me.”

Football's home. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
Football’s home. (Photo by Naomi Baker/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

Germany suffered a major blow even before kick-off when captain and top goalscorer Alexandra Popp was forced to pull out in the warm-up due to a muscle injury.

Voss-Tecklenburg said the Wolfsburg striker, who had scored six goals in five games in the tournament, had suffered the injury in training on Saturday.

“We tried everything. Yesterday at the end of final training there were some problems, which we didn’t expect,” she added.

“This morning it looked a bit better but it was clear the decision had to be hers. I trusted her 1000 percent and today she said she couldn’t run or shoot properly.

“I have even higher respect to her to say that after such a special tournament, she won’t play a final. She is a great personality.”

German newspaper Bild called the final “another Wembley fraud”. England’s only previous major tournament win in either the men’s or women’s game came in the 1966 World Cup with a 4-2 win over West Germany that is still remembered for the Three Lions’ controversial third goal that may not have crossed the line.

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AFL Draft Power Rankings – August 2022

AFL Draft Power Rankings – August 2022

height: 180cm

weight: 76kg

DOB: 06-05-2004

BALANCED BALL WINNER

There are few more driven and impressive draft prospects than Ashcroft. He has already made plenty of waves in the talent pathway, and though an eligible Brisbane Lions father-son candidate, the Melbourne-based youngster has not yet nominated either way. Given his enormous talent, there is plenty riding on that decision for Ashcroft, recruiters, and fans alike. In terms of his skillset from him, the midfielder has an innate ability to find the ball and offers such a balanced array of traits in midfield. He can hold his own on the inside and spreads wonderfully well to put up numbers reminiscent of the likes of Sam Walsh, Matt Rowell, and Nick Daicos before him. His standards and consistency of his are remarkably high.

JULY RANKING: #two

LAST MONTH:

Let’s be honest, if you are here, you know exactly what Ashcroft has been able to do over the last month. He proved undeniable for top spot, maintaining an ridiculously high standard throughout the National Championships, before linking back up with the Sandringham Dragons for a haul of 42 disposals in Round 13 – against a Geelong Falcons midfield lead by Jhye Clark. He is the best, he has to be.

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Watch Lachlin Dalton’s epic overtime winner to reach 3×3 wheelchair basketball gold-medal match at Commonwealth Games

Watch Lachlin Dalton's epic overtime winner to reach 3x3 wheelchair basketball gold-medal match at Commonwealth Games

An Australian wheelchair basketball young gun has shown his class after a stunning overtime winner sent the Wombats through to the Commonwealth Games gold-medal match and broke English hearts.

Locked at 10-all after regulation time, Australia fell behind early in the extra frame before Lachlin Dalton’s stunning two-pointer sealed a 12-11 victory.

Watch the incredible moment in the video above

Stream Seven’s coverage of the Commonwealth Games 2022 for free on 7plus >>

England had the first crack in overtime but Charlie McIntyre’s pass was stolen by Dalton, who immediately returned the favor and had a pass intercepted by his rival.

McIntyre threw it inside for an assist to Lee Manning, putting the hosts up 11-10, but England’s hopes would be dashed by Dalton in the most dramatic circumstances just seconds later.

Spotting an opening as Abderrahim Taghrest scrambled to the two-point arc, Dalton threw out a Hail Mary – and it never looked like missing.

The shot sent Australia through to the final against Canada, while England will face Malaysia to decide the bronze medal.

Lachlin Dalton knew his shot was on as soon as it left his hand. Credit: Channel 7
The game-winner sent Australia through to the gold-medal match. Credit: Channel 7

Dalton broke out into rapturous celebrations with teammates but he moved quickly to console McIntyre.

The Englishman had slumped himself over his chair and was so devastated to lose that the Australian’s kind act of sportsmanship was initially met with a frosty reception.

Dalton persisted, checking on McIntyre once more before the Englishman accepted his handshake.

The devastated McIntyre eventually accepted Dalton’s handshake. Credit: Channel 7

EVERYEVENT: Check out the full Commonwealth Games schedule

TALLY MEDAL: Every gold, silver and bronze at Birmingham 2022

LATEST RESULTS: Detailed breakdown of every event at the Games

The 21-year-old’s game-winner earned huge praise from Australian basketball greats Andrew Gaze and Shane Heal.

“What a shot!!” Gaze wrote.

Heal put it simply: “Clutch.”

Aussie basketballers seek triple gold

Australia will go for gold against Canada in both the men’s and women’s 3×3 wheelchair basketball finals on Tuesday night.

The women’s team had won their semi-final – also against England – earlier on Monday.

Amber Merritt pushed Australia out to an early 4-1 lead, scoring all four points, before Georgia Inglis and Ella Sabljak stretched it to 8-4.

Australia staved off a late fightback to win 8-6, with England to fight for bronze against Scotland.

Meanwhile, Australia’s able-bodied 3×3 basketball teams will also look to secure medals on Tuesday.

The women will first battle New Zealand for bronze before the men take on England in the gold-medal match.

The men’s team is led by six-time NBL champion Jesse Wagstaff, who is eyeing off a unique set of back-to-back Commonwealth Games gold medals, and fellow former NBL players Daniel Johnson and Greg Hire.

Wagstaff won the traditional five-a-side competition at Gold Coast 2018, with that sport scrapped in favor of 3×3 for Birmingham 2022.

Jesse Wagstaff is gunning for unique back-to-back gold medals. Credit: Andrew Cornaga/AAP

Wright has spent the last few years on the 3×3 world circuit while also continuing to play five-a-side in the NBL1.

“I cannot wait; I’ve been dreaming of this moment for three years, since I found out that 3×3 was going to be in the Commonwealth Games,” the 33-year-old said.

“This is it – one more sleep. It’s a hell of a sport, so fast-paced and fun. You get to travel and go to war with a couple of close mates.

“I had played five-v-five my whole life for 20 years, and then this came around. It gave me a new lease of life and reignited my passion for basketball.”

Just like Tokyo 2020 on Seven, there is one destination to watch every epic feat, every medal moment, every record attempt and every inspiring turn from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

7plus is the only place to watch up to 30 live and replay channels of sport, see what’s on when, keep up to date with the medal tally, create a watchlist to follow your favorite events and catch up on highlights.

– with APA

Cyclist run over in horror Games crash

Cyclist run over in horror Games crash

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NRL 2022: Penrith’s big call on Cleary replacement

NRL 2022: Penrith's big call on Cleary replacement

The Panthers have turned to Sean O’Sullivan and Jaeman Salmon in the halves as the defending premiers try to navigate the rest of the regular season without stars Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai.

Cleary will miss the rest of the regular season after he was sent off and banned for five matches for an ugly spear tackle on Parramatta’s Dylan Brown, while Luai continues to recover from a knee injury.

O’Sullivan has shown he can fill in for the rep stars when required, but it’s a huge call bringing in Salmon, given he hasn’t started a game at five-eighth since 2019 when he played seven games for the Eels in the No .6 jumper.

Coach Ivan Cleary could yet spring a late change with rookie Kurt Falls named in the reserves for Saturday’s trip to take on the resurgent Raiders.

In a boost for the Panthers, center Stephen Crichton returns from his sickening head clash with Cronulla’s Dale Finucane which required emergency plastic surgery to repair an ear.

Canberra winger Jordan Rapana is back from suspension and replaces Albert Hopoate on the right wing as the Raiders try to keep their top-eight hopes alive.

The Broncos have named Kobe Hetherington at lock in place of the suspended Patrick Carrigan for Thursday’s blockbuster against the Roosters.

Brisbane’s hopes of returning to the top four have been helped with winger Selwyn Cobbo back for his first game since he was knocked out early in the State of Origin decider.

Lindsay Collins was also knocked out in that game and he’ll miss Thursday’s match after he suffered another head knock against the Sea Eagles last week. Teammate Egan Butcher is also missing through suspension, which means Matt Lodge will start.

The Storm welcome back Brandon Smith after his three-game ban for verbally abusing referee Adam Gee. He’ll start from the bench while mid-season recruit David Nofoaluma starts on the wing to bolster their weakened backline.

That backline has taken more damage with Nick Meaney (shoulder) and Justin Olam (Covid) both sidelined for Friday’s match against the Titans, but there is a chance rep winger Xavier Coates returns for his first game since the State of Origin opener when he hurt his ankle.

Toby Sexton has been “rested” which means AJ Brimson moves to the halves with Jayden Campbell set to start at fullback against the team he made his NRL debut against last year.

Six members of the “Sea Eagles seven” have been included in this week’s squad, but Josh Aloiai will miss Friday’s crucial clash with Parramatta because of injury.

Josh Schuster has been named in the No.18 jersey.

The Eels have called on Jake Arthur to replace the injured Mitch Moses for the rest of the regular season as he nurses a broken finger. It’ll be the young half’s first game since he was booed by some Parramatta fans in Round 19.

There will be a very special debut at Shark Park on Saturday night with Kade Dykes set to make his NRL debut at fullback.

The 20-year-old will become a third-generation Shark after his dad Adam and grandfather John both represented the club.

Dykes comes in for Will Kennedy, who will miss the rest of the regular season with a serious ankle injury.

Dragons coach Anthony Griffin has stuck with the same 17 who scored just one try against North Queensland last week, which has their final hopes on life support.

The Cowboys have suffered a setback with try-scoring machine Kyle Feldt ruled out for two weeks with a hamstring injury. His place has been taken by speedster Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow.

Meanwhile, Newcastle prop David Klemmer has been stood down by the club for an on-field incident during the Knights’ clash with the Bulldogs. He is ineligible to play until he responds to the club-imposed sanction.

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Adam Peaty swimming news, star savages over arrogant BBC interview

Commonwealth Games 2022: Adam Peaty swimming news, star savages over arrogant BBC interview

English swimming goliath Adam Peaty has apologized over an “arrogant” interview that followed his incredible collapse at the Commonwealth Games on Monday.

Peaty’s defeat in the event he has owned for 10 years left Aussie legend Ian Thorpe staggered. It was a result almost nobody saw coming.

The world record holder had been undefeated in the 100m breaststroke at major meets since 2014. He had qualified fastest for the final and led the event with 25m to go. However, English teammate James Wilby pushed ahead of him to take the gold.

DAY 5 LIVE: Browning up next in 100m heat after teammate’s ultra-tight stunner

The magnitude of the boilover was written all over Wilby’s stunned face as he looked up to the big screen to see that he had won. With Aussies Zac Stubblety-Cook and Sam Williamson exploding at the death, Peaty suddenly went from the gold medal position to missing out on the podium completely.

It has been an explosive fall-out to the result with the 27-year-old declaring he won’t be coming back to the Commonwealth Games in four years’ time. It followed a social media backlash over comments that have been branded “arrogant” by fans.

Peaty spoke to the BBC on the pooldeck after finishing outside the medals and said losing in the Commonwealth Games meant little to him after already scooping up three Olympic gold medals.

“It doesn’t feel amazing, but it doesn’t feel bad either,” Peaty said.

LIVE MEDAL TALLY: Keep up with the Aussie charge to the top!

EVERY AUSSIE MEDAL: Read the day-by-day recap of the Comm Games

Adam Peaty speaking on the BBC.Source: Supplied

“It’ll probably be my last attempt tomorrow, but I’m not bothered about it. The Commonwealths to me, in the grand scheme of things… it’s about two years time (the Olympics).

“That’s no disrespect. I’m still four weeks into my program, I can’t put that expectation on myself.”

Retired English swimmer Mark Foster responded to Peaty’s comments, saying: “I think he’s trying to say it doesn’t matter, but it does matter.

“It’s the Commonwealth Games, it’s a multi-sport event and I think when he was growing up, the Commonwealth Games would have been a big deal.

“But the fact that he’s won lots of Worlds and Olympic Games, maybe he’s trying to play it down to himself that it doesn’t matter.”

The Birmingham Mail reported fans on social media said Peaty’s comments were “arrogant” and “disrespectful”.

“Adam peaty is disrespectful to every other athlete at the Commonwealth Games Acting like he doesn’t care While all the other athletes are trying they best to win medals,” one Twitter user wrote.

Another posted: “Adam Peaty, I think you need to take a deep breath, have a word with yourself and take a look at the para swimmers. Used to really respect you and what you were trying to achieve but feel let down by tonight’s comments.”

World record-holder Peaty qualified second-fastest for the 50m breaststroke final, scheduled for Wednesday morning, behind Australia’s Sam Williamson.

After moving through to the end, Peaty appeared to apologize for his comments.

He wrote on Twitter: “Thankful for all the supportful messages I’m getting at the moment. It has been an incredibly hard time the past few months, but mostly the last few days.

“Sometimes in the heat of the moment my emotions better me and I can’t speak with a clear mind.

COMM GAMES DAY 4 NEWS

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James Wilby was stunned. Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.Source: Getty Images
England’s James Wilby celebrates winning. Photo by Oli SCARFF / AFP.Source: AFP

“These championships mean a lot to me being a home games but I have to think bigger picture to keep my spirits high. It really, really isn’t easy. My last Commonwealth Games race will be tomorrow.”

Peaty said he simply hasn’t had the time to return to his best shape as a result of a lengthy rehabilitation from several foot injuries. He said he didn’t have the aerobic fitness to challenge for the 100m breaststroke and even said he needs to lose 4kg before competing at the Olympics in Paris in 2024.

He said he has a long way to go before Paris.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Peaty said.

“I don’t see the point in doing something I wouldn’t do that well at, at the moment. We’ll see.

“I don’t know what went wrong. With 25m to go I had nothing in the tank. Maybe that’s overexposure on the foot. Sometimes you just have a bad race, I can’t pinpoint where I went wrong. There’s a lot of debriefing to do. I need a full reset now.

“It was a slow ending, I can’t remember the last time I went that slow. It just didn’t go right. Of course, I’m disappointed, but that’s what makes you go faster next time.

“I’ve kind of lost that spark, whether it’s with my foot, but I’ll be looking to find that over the next months and into the next two years.”

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Anthony Albanese victorious in pollies’ annual State of Origin match

Anthony Albanese victorious in pollies' annual State of Origin match

Anthony Albanese has been caught in a fresh parliamentary scandal after questions were raised about the legitimacy of his moves on the footy field.

The Prime Minister joined the Parliamentary Friends of Rugby League on Tuesday morning for their fourth annual State of Origin touch football match.

Just before half time in the clash against Queensland, Mr Albanese dived to plant the ball on the try line to give NSW the upper hand.

Sports Minister Anika Wells protested, claiming she had tagged Mr Albanese before he scored.

The referee ultimately gave Mr Albanese the benefit of the doubt, awarding NSW what would turn out to be the final try of the day.

The parliamentary Blues ended up taking home bragging rights, winning 3-1.

Asked about the dubious try later in the day, Ms Wells laughed off the controversy.

“I think we can all agree that the referee is going to be the next governor-general based on that decision and I think we can say ultimately, glory to Queensland,” she said.

On if the Prime Minister could be trusted given his shady moves on the footy field, Ms Wells left that question unanswered.

But she joked NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo should take the inquiry straight to the league’s commission as a “top priority”.

Speaking earlier, Mr Albanese took issue with former Wallaby turned Senator David Pocock joining the Queenslanders for the grudge match.

“I can report the greatest scandal since (Greg Inglis) playing for Queensland. David Pocock from the ACT pulling on a Queensland jumper,” Mr Albanese told Nine.

“They will stop at nothing.”

He also complained about former deputy prime minister and NSW MP Barnaby Joyce also donning the Queensland jersey.

“Barnaby has very short stints on the field. Even though he represents the NSW seat, he has a Maroons jersey on as well,” Mr Albanese said.

“Look, there should be an inquiry into some of these players and where they are playing for, I tell you.”

Read related topics:Anthony Albanese

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Norris admits he expected ‘a little bit more’ from Hungarian GP after starting P4

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Lando Norris crossed the line at Sunday afternoon’s Hungarian Grand Prix in seventh, 62 seconds behind the Ferrari driven by Charles Leclerc in sixth place. And the downbeat McLaren driver admitted he had hoped for a little bit more in Sunday’s race after starting on the second row…

Norris qualified in fourth in Budapest – his joint-highest qualifying position of the year – after showing strong pace for much of the weekend. And after making a good start on the soft tyre, he maintained his position and held off the challenge of Lewis Hamilton in the opening laps.

However, after being passed by Hamilton and then Max Verstappen on Lap 11, Norris came into the pit lane for the medium tire and made his way back up the field, before running a lonely race on the hard tire for his final stint, finishing 62.2 s behind sixth-placed Leclerc – much to his irritation.

READ MORE: Hamilton says Mercedes have ‘potential to win’ after ‘pretty epic’ drive to second in Hungary

“We did [have a good performance] against the people we are racing really,” said Norris. “Just if you think of P4 as a grid position then you expect a little bit more on Sunday. And to end up 62 seconds behind just the next car ahead of me, it’s a big challenge to do anything more from that, so therefore our race was against Alpine and the cars behind me.


GettyImages-1411989859.jpg

Norris could not keep Hamilton and Verstappen behind for long

“The first stint, I think I destroyed my tire after like six laps, and I was very worried, because we aimed [to pit on] Lap 20 or 25 or something.

“Our pace on the medium tire, and I think our pace when there weren’t any issues with tires and management, was strong. And stronger than Alpine today, which is good news and a good sign but yeah, we just seemed to destroy those tires a lot quicker than everybody else.

READ MORE: ‘We made all the right calls’ says Verstappen, as he pulls off spin-and-win in Hungary to extend lead to 80 points

“It didn’t really go to plan at all… So, that’s the only thing we have to really work on, but the middle stint was strong and the final stint was easy, I was just on my own and hoping for the race to end. Challenging but we did everything we could, and P7 I have to be happy with.”

Race ‘didn’t go to plan’ for Lando Norris, with P7 finish in Hungary

Speaking after the race, McLaren Team Principal Andreas Seidl said Norris’s seventh-place finish was the maximum they could have hoped for in Hungary, as he lauded the improvements made by his team over the last two races.

“Lando executed a clean race today to take that seventh place,” said Seidl. “With all six cars from the top three teams finishing the race, P7 was the best we could achieve today, and we did it. The upgrade we introduced at Paul Ricard and improved our understanding of here put us into position to be the fourth-fastest team, which is a great achievement.”

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NRL 2022, South Sydney Rabbitohs v New Zealand Warriors, round 21 match preview, team lists, updates, injuries

NRL 2022, South Sydney Rabbitohs v New Zealand Warriors, round 21 match preview, team lists, updates, injuries

The Rabbitohs were left to rue missed opportunities in a golden point loss to Cronulla but they need to regroup quickly against the unpredictable Warriors outfit on Saturday.

With matches against heavyweights the Eels, Panthers, Cowboys and Roosters to come after this weekend’s assignment the Rabbitohs can’t afford to slip up against a team that took them to the wire in Magic Round.

The Rabbitohs led 26-6 at half-time in that match at Suncorp Stadium but clocked off to concede four tries in 15 minutes and almost let the victory slip away.

Finals are out of the question for the Warriors but they’ll happy to play spoiler to any contenders who dare take them lightly.

The Rundown

teamnews

Rabbitohs: Taane Milne returns from a finger injury in the centers, filling the hole left by Jed Cartwright (hamstring). Bench forward Tom Burgess (suspended) is out, replaced by Mark Nicholls. The other new face on the interchange is Blake Taaffe, who is recalled for his first game since Round 15. Kodi Nikorima is out.

Warriors: Euan Aitken has been moved from the back row to the centers in place of Adam Pompey who drops to the reserves. Five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita is out with a knee injury so Wayde Egan moves from hooker to the No.6 jersey and Freddy Lussick has been promoted to start in the No.9.

Aaron Pene (illness), Bayley Sironen (eye socket) and Jack Murchie (parental leave) all return in the pack. Josh Curran goes to the bench and Jazz Tevaga drops out with a shoulder injury. Taniela Otukolo will play his first game since round 13 on the bench.

key match-up

Lachlan Ilias v Shaun Johnson: The young Rabbitohs playmaker has bounced back strongly from a tough outing against the Dragons in Round 15, coming up with some big plays as Souths have won four of five since that night. Ilias has come up with 13 forced dropouts and nine try assists so far in 2022 and he looks ready to handle the heat in the final month of the season as the Rabbitohs look to climb into the top four. Johnson’s kicking game has delivered 19 forced dropouts for the Warriors and the veteran will look to finish the year strongly and get some momentum to carry into 2023.

Stat Attack

Rabbitohs winger Alex Johnston leads the competition in tries (22) and line breaks (27). The Warriors’ top tryscorer is Dallin Watene-Zelezniak with seven while Reece Walsh is their best line breaker with eight.

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Player movements in final weeks before August 1 deadline

Several of the game’s superstars were rumored to be switching teams ahead of Monday’s transfer deadline – but in the end, August 1 came and went with minimal fuss.

There is talk that the June 30 deadline will return, giving clubs one less month to finalize their rosters.

This seems like a logical step to take when you consider the COVID-19 related aspects of why the deadline was changed in the first place.

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Plenty have criticized the deadline being just a month before the end of the regular season, including Darren Lockyer and Phil Gould.

Three premiership hopefuls bolstered their squads for the final weeks of the season, with Matt Lodge signing until the end of the year with the Sydney Roosters and Oliver Gildart moving there on loan, just days after his Tigers teammate David Nofoaluma did likewise with the Melbourne Storm .

Daniel Suluka-Fifita completed a permanent move back to the South Sydney Rabbitohs, after the Roosters released him.

While the latter has already had an impact in the red and green, playing three first grade games (as has Lodge in the tricolours), we’ll have to wait to see what either Gildart or Nofoaluma do in their temporary homes.

Stream the NRL premiership 2022 live and free on 9Now

The Roosters needed some depth after a season-ending knee injury to Billy Smith, and English international Gildart will likely challenge Paul Momirovski for the final spot in a backline that also includes James Tedesco, Joseph Manu, Daniel Tupou and Joseph Suaalii.

Melbourne’s outside back crisis has been well documented, and the arrival of Nofoaluma will help cover for the losses of Reimis Smith, George Jennings, and Ryan Papnhuyzen, all of whom won’t play again until 2023 – while Nick Meaney and Xavier Coates are nursing niggles as well.

Billy says Penrith can use Cleary ban as a positive

But it’s interesting to note some of the mooted transfers that didn’t get off the ground – some of which were far more high-profile.

Parramatta was hopeful of securing either David Klemmer or Martin Taupau before the deadline, and either potential move was somewhat eyebrow-raising given the Eels’ relatively clean bill of health, but both could have made an impact down the stretch.

Neither transfer eventuated, nor did the Storm’s rumored approaches for Reece Walsh, Josh Addo-Carr or Adam Doueihi – and when you consider the quality of those players, perhaps it’s better for the integrity of the competition that they didn’t.

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Commonwealth Games in pictures: Indian rider Meenakshi Meenakshi injured in horror cycling crash

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F1 2023 driver line-ups taking shape

F1 2023 driver line-ups taking shape

The F1 Class of 2022

News that Fernando Alonso will join Aston Martin for the 2023 Formula 1 season goes a long way to completing next year’s grid.

Alonso was a central figure in the silly season, with the 41-year-old expected to remain with Alpine for another two seasons.

That stability was expected to see Oscar Piastri forced to find a berth elsewhere, with Williams the most likely option.

Monday’s announcement means that it is now not the case and, barring official confirmation, we can safely assume the Aussie will slot into the seat vacated by Alonso.

There is, in reality, no other choice for Alpine – to do anything else would totally undermine the very existence of its driver academy.

With Esteban Ocon on a long-term deal, the Enstone squad’s line up for 2023 is therefore complete.

And so it joins the likes of Ferrari, Red Bull, Mercedes, and McLaren with confirmed pairings going into next season.

Despite rumors and constant speculation surrounding Daniel Ricciardo, there is little to no chance of the Australian being moved aside.

There could always be a shock move – it’s often said contracts in Formula 1 come with lubrication – but in reality, there are no drivers on the market who could parachute in and do a better job.

Elsewhere, there are a number of other teams yet to confirm their line-ups, though much can be inferred from their current form and attitudes.

Aston Martin, for instance, has never formally stated what the duration of Lance Stroll’s contract is, but it can safely be assumed he will continue driving for the team owned by his father next season.

At Scuderia AlphaTauri, Team Principal Franz Tost has suggested that Yuki Tsunoda will get a third year in Formula 1 as he continues his development.

It’s fair to take that on face value too, as there is also nobody currently on the Red Bull conveyor belt ready to replace the at-times wild Japanese driver.

Similarly at Alfa Romeo Sauber, Valtteri Bottas is on a long-term deal while Guanyu Zhou is almost certain to retain his seat.

The Chinese driver has performed well enough and the team, most notably Fred Vasseur, its Team Principal, is happy with how the rookie has progressed.

The same can be said of Haas, where Mick Schumacher has bounced back from a rocky start to the 2022 campaign, scoring points in Silverstone and Red Bull Ring.

Though he earned the scorn of Guenther Steiner at times, the relationship there remains positive and, besides, there is seemingly nobody in the market applying pressure to the German.

Kevin Magnussen in the other car has a deal until at least the end of 2023, having been signed on to a ‘multi-year’ contract when he rejoined the squad in place of Nikita Mazepin.

And so it leaves Williams, which has Alex Albon on the books for next year and seemingly the only seat with any serious question marks on it.

Nicholas Latifi has been under pressure for some time, with suggestions earlier in the season Piastri could replace him mid-year.

The team has thrown its support behind him for now, though the Canadian’s contract is up at the end of the year, and there is no shortage of promising youngsters available with links to the team or its technical partner, Mercedes.

Chief among them, though hardly a youngster, is Nyck de Vries, who was linked with the seat now filled by Albon a year ago.

The Dutchman is a Mercedes contracted driver and won last year’s Formula E world championship, a competition he’s continued to compete in this year.

He’s also had a Free Practice 1 outing with Williams in Spain, and was in action for Mercedes at Paul Ricard last month.

With Mercedes pulling out of Formula E at the end of the current campaign, the talented 27-year-old is seemingly without a job – though he has been linked with a move into the World Endurance Championship with Toyota.

The other possibility is Logan Sargeant, the American Formula 2 racer who has enjoyed something of a breakout season.

However, he is currently ineligible for a superlicence and will only qualify for one if he finishes this year’s F2 campaign in the top five.

While that’s a reasonable expectation, it is not guaranteed, so while he may be one the team is keeping an eye on, it feels premature to suggest he’s ready for Formula 1 just yet – give him another year.

The most likely outcome therefore seems to be de Vries slotting into the car alongside Albon, a move that would all but complete the 2023 driver line-up.

2023 F1 driver contracts