The official bid Tasmania will put to the AFL will not include a new stadium, according to state premier Jeremy Rockliff.
While a stadium will likely be built in the future, Rockliff confirmed on Wednesday that it would not be part of the initial bid.
“The stadium is not part of our bid. But of course the stadium is there to support AFL content in the future,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
“A stadium is an important part of an AFL team, we’re committed to that. That’s why we’ve got the feasibility study.”
While Colin Carter’s report into a 19th license in Tasmania stated the bid should not be contingent on a new stadium, the AFL has made it clear that one needs to be in the mix.
Richmond great and Tasmanian Matthew Richardson admits he is worried about the success of the bid.
“So they obviously can’t come up with the (money) right now. They think that they need a stadium, but they want to get this proposal in to the commission and the presidents, and (the stadium) can’t go ahead until they’ve got the funding,” Richardson told sportsday.
“Gillon (McLachlan) has said that success is contingent on the stadium, so that’s a real concern now for this bid going forward you would think.”
Brownlow Medalist Gerard Healy added that the push for a 19th license has lost considerable steam since the departure of premier Peter Gutwein.
“This has moved immeasurably since Peter Gutwein left office,” Healy said.
“It seems to me that either they’ve worked out that it is politically untenable to trump up $750 million (for a stadium), and their first crack was we’re going to pay 50 per cent, and now they’re trying to get a deal up that doesn’t have a stadium included.
“I think if you’re sitting around the AFL table, you’d be saying ‘the only time we’re ever going to have the leverage to get a new stadium is before we rubber stamp the team’.
“I think the license was always contingent on the new stadium being built and I think it is different to taking the Hawks and the Kangaroos down there because they are part of the footy economy as it stands right now.
“To get a new franchise with $50 million down in Tassie up and running, as a 19th side, which creates all kinds of issues for the AFL, I think you’d want to have the security of the brand new glamor stadium.”
Richardson agreed with the Gutwein comment, adding: “As soon as he left, it felt like momentum was lost straight away, didn’t it?”
A formal presentation will be made to the AFL club presidents before the end of August.
Australia is set to stage one of its biggest ever seasons of golf, headlined by an $8 million, 16-event tour, starting in October.
PGA of Australia on Thursday confirmed the summer schedule, which has increased from 12 events in 2019-20, and will see the return of the Australian Open.
Bolstering the announcement is the likelihood of big Australian names committing to play on home soil after the pandemic crushed opportunities over the past two summers.
Scroll down for the full schedule!
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World No.2 Cameron Smith is set to return to play in the Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship, while compatriot Marc Leishman is also expected to feature.
Top-50 player Lucas Herbert has already committed to play both showpiece Australian events, while No.66 Min Woo Lee will feature at the Australian PGA Championship.
LIV Golf, meanwhile, is reportedly eyeing three Australian events as part of its expanded 2023 core schedule, and the International Series it runs with the Asian Tour.
Should those events materialize around April, as reported by Australian Golf Digestit would see the likes of Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka and Phil Mickelson also down under this upcoming season.
Terse Cam refuses to address LIV rumors | 00:43
While the Greg Norman-led series has its detractors due to its Saudi Arabian funding, LIV’s reported venture into Australia will ultimately give golf fans more events, and more international stars, playing for big-money purses on these shores.
Combined with the bumper PGA Tour of Australasia schedule, golf’s Australian presence is set for a significant shot in the arm, while the groundwork has been put in place for more growth in the coming years.
PGA of Australia is committed to increasing the prize money on its tour, this year offering $2 million at the Australian PGA Championship, and $1.7 million each for the men’s and women’s fields at the Australian Open.
Combined with state Opens, state PGAs, The Players Series, and a New Zealand swing, the full season is worth more than $8 million.
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Just as significant, however, is the creation of better pathways into Europe and, in turn, the US, through a strengthened partnership with the DP World Tour.
Thursday’s announcement revealed that the top three players in the Order of Merit will earn a DP World Tour playing card for the following season, while the following 10 players gain exemption into at least the second stage of Q-School.
The Australian Open and Australian PGA Championship will both be co-sanctioned by the DP World Tour with the winner also gaining automatic entry to the circuit, while the winner of the Order of Merit earns a spot at next year’s Open Championship.
“What I love about this is the pathways that it creates for our exciting crop of future Australian stars,” PGA of Australia chief Gavin Kirkman said.
“We’ve worked hard to build the schedule back after Covid knocked everyone around in the tournament space, and having the Australian Open and the New Zealand Open back stronger than ever really makes a difference.”
Cam Smith and others set to join LIV | 01:30
Playing fields could improve again next season when the US PGA Tour reverts back to a calendar schedule, instead of the current wraparound program that conflicts with the Australasian Tour.
Furthermore, Kirkman confirmed to reporters that LIV players are allowed to feature on the tour, unlike in Europe and the US where the PGA and DP World Tours have banned dual members.
“The players coming home to play, as long as there’s no conflicting event, they will be welcome to play,” he said. “And the Australian players that come home, and wherever they’re playing at the moment, if they’re members of our organisations, they’ll be eligible to play, and that’s been discussed with the other tours.”
In theory, this would open the door for LIV Golf’s Australian contingent to play several events at home in the coming months, split between the two tours.
That ensures that any defection to LIV Golf, as widely reported, would likely see Smith play more in Australia, not less.
Kirkman, meanwhile, said he hasn’t been approached by LIV about the staging of a tournament next year in Australia.
“We’re hearing things are going on but at the end of the day … if that event comes to Australia we’ll just continue focusing on what we do best and that’s running our tour and servicing Australian golf in the way we feel it should be serviced,” he said.
“We’ll just see what happens there.
“If it comes to Australia, we’ve got to be in a position to stay focused on our strategy. If it fits in, it fits in, but we will talk closely to Golf Australia and the WPGA Tour and work on what we need to keep working on.”
PGA TOUR OF AUSTRALASIA FULL 2022-23 SCHEDULE
October 10-16 — CKB WA PGA, Kalgoorlie Golf Club — $200,000
October 17-23 — WA Open, West Australian Golf Club — $162,500
November 7-13—VIC PGA, Moonah Links Resort—$200,000
November 14-20—Queensland PGA, Nudgee Golf Club—$200,000
November 21-28 — Fortinet Australian PGA Championship, Royal Queensland Golf Club — $2,000,000
November 29-December 4 — ISPS HANDA Australian Open, Victoria Golf Club and Kingston Heath Golf Club — $1,700,000
December 5-11 — Gippsland Super 6, Warragul Country Club — $175,000
January 23-29—TPS Victoria, Rosebud Country Club—$200,000
Jan 30-Feb 5 — TPS Murray River, Cobram-Barooga Golf Club — $200,000
TBA February—VIC Open, TBA—TBA
February 13-19 — TPS Sydney, Bonnie Doon Golf Club — $200,000
February 20-26—TPS Hunter Valley, Oaks Cypress Lakes Resort—$200,000
February 27-March 5—NZ Open, Millbrook Resort—$1,400,000
March 6-12 — NZ PGA Championship Auckland — $150,000
All Blacks head coach Ian Foster has named his side for the second Lipovitan-D Rugby Championship Test against South Africa at Ellis Park Stadium.
Uncapped tighthead prop Fletcher Newell has been introduced to the match-day 23 as front row cover, while props Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax have been named in the run-on side. They are joined by hooker Samisoni Taukeiaho, while 69-Test veteran Codie Taylor returns to the match-day 23 as cover.
Blindside flanker Shannon Frizell has also been moved into the run-on side after being used as an impact player during the first Test in Mbombela, marking his 14th appearance in the number six jersey. In the back row, he is joined by Ardie Savea and captain Sam Cane who will surpass Jerome Kaino (81) as the third-most capped All Black loose forward in Tests.
The only change made to the backline is at first-five eighths. Richie Mo’unga will run out in the number 10 jersey for the first time this season, as he closes in on Carlos Spencer (291) for sixth place on the All Blacks’ all-time points-scoring list.
“Belief and confidence remain high in our group, which is working incredibly hard this week,” said Foster. “Playing at Ellis Park is always a special occasion for any All Black team, and this weekend will be no different.
“Adding to that, the Freedom Cup is on the line which makes this a challenge that everyone is looking forward to.”
He also claimed there was “a denial of natural justice”, which he argued was an error and “would have affected the result”.
Patrick Cripps bumps Callum Ah Chee.Credit:Fox Footy
Townshend went on to say Cripps’ turning of his body in the collision was to create a “chest mark” position and protect the drop zone, not to create “a classic bumping position”, as the court jury found.
Cripps’ counsel stressed it was a reasonable football act, as both players in the collision had eyes on the ball while it was in dispute, and if it was a reasonable act, it would deny the charges.
Nicholas Pane QC, counsel for the AFL, argued that in the matters of judgment presented by Carlton’s counsel, “…the original tribunal was best placed to address those matters…[Carlton] didn’t raise any matter sufficient to overturn their decision”.
Pane said a player could contest the ball and still bump their opponent, and the court determined the action constitutes a bump.
The appeals board heard the case after Carlton decided on Wednesday they would appeal the decision, in a last-ditch attempt to free their captain.
It was the first case to go to the league’s appeals board since the finals last year when the AFL appealed against the initial three-match suspension given to Toby Greene for making intentional contact with umpire Matt Stevic.
Cripps’ action was graded by match review officer Michael Christian as careless conduct, high contact and high impact, based on the skipper electing to leave the ground and Ah Chee forced from the ground with a concussion.
“No way I can contest that ball without a collision being there,” Cripps had said on Tuesday, arguing he made a genuine attempt to contest the ball.
“… If the ball is in dispute in an aerial contest, if that ball is in front of you and you can get it, you go for it. That’s your job as a footballer.”
However, this was found unsuccessful with chairman Jeff Gleeson arguing he turned his body into a classic bumping position, saying “…he entered the contest at speed…and bumped Ah Chee at high speed.”
“He should have answered the ball differently. He could have taken the ball with arms outstretched so there was no act of bumping at all,” said Gleeson.
The case will have a significant bearing of Carlton’s finals campaign.
To qualify for finals, the Blues will need to win at least one of their last two remaining games.
Cripps’ availability is all the more crucial, given the Blues’ midfield is already missing injured on-ballers George Hewett and Matt Kennedy.
The Blues have spent the entire season in the top eight, and a fortnight ago were in the hunt for a top-four finish but now are looking vulnerable to drop out of finals contention, and be overtaken by any two of Richmond, St Kilda and the Western Bulldogs.
If they still make it to September, it will be Carlton’s first finals campaign since 2013 and Cripps’ maiden finals appearance.
Port Adelaide president David Koch has emphatically declared Ken Hinkley will see out his current contract and coach the club in 2023.
A question mark had been hovering over Hinkley and his position at the Power, despite being contracted to the club until next year and his defiant AFL 360 interview on Monday night where he said he expected to be at Alberton next year.
Amid mounting criticism over Hinkley’s coaching from fans, Koch said earlier this week “every single person’s role” would be assessed at the end of the season, which has seen the Power drop out of finals contention after back-to-back preliminary final runs.
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Koch spoke on 5AA radio on Monday and conceded the club was “not afraid to make change.” His comment from him, “turn it around or watch out”, fueled speculation there could be sweeping changes to the club’s football department.
But Koch confirmed to 7 News Adelaide on Thursday night Hinkley would remain at Alberton.
Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley with Chairman David Koch.Source: Twitter
“Obviously, for all of us, this season has been a major disappointment … (and) as we always do, we’ll thoroughly assess our football program at season’s end,” Koch told 7 News Adelaide.
“But, as the club has maintained all year, Ken Hinkley is contracted and will be our coach in 2023
“Prior to this season, Ken led us to two consecutive preliminary finals.
“Some will argue we should make a change based on our performance this season alone and that Ken has never taken the team to a grand finale.
“But we base decisions on all the information in front of us.
“We believe Ken gives us the best chance of successfully rebounding next season, of successfully attracting new talent and football department resources to make us better.”
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Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Thursday night, St Kilda champion Nick Riewoldt said it was a “big backflip” from Koch that should never have happened.
“I like it from the point of view that it provides fodder for all of us to talk about, but Ken Hinkley must get to the end of the week and think: ‘What did I just go and endure – and for what?’” a passionate Riewoldt said on AFL 360.
“So Kochie comes out on Monday saying what he said after the CEO, the footy manager, everyone else in the club has been on the same page – and five days later he backflips on the statement? He could’ve said on Monday what he said tonight, but he chose not to – and by omission, he put Ken Hinkley under ridiculous, undue pressure this week. It was really poor.
“I think Ken’s probably got a reasonable tolerance for it now after all of this time, but I’d be scratching my head.”
Hinkley is Port’s second longest serving coach, behind the club’s sole AFL premiership coach in Mark Williams.
In his 10 seasons in charge, Hinkley has steered the Power to finals in four seasons and has a 60.8 per cent win rate from his 212 games as coach.
When asked directly on AFL 360 if he felt any uncertainty as coach after Koch’s “turn it around or watch out” comments, Hinkley replied: “No, no I don’t”.
Koch statement awkward for Hinkley? | 01:36
“David (Koch) himself has said that he expects me to be coaching Port Adelaide in 2023, as I do and that’s what I am preparing for,” he said.
“I think I’ve been given enough assurances (he’ll see out his deal) through the season, not that I needed them to be fair.
“We all get there’s a finish line for everyone at some point.
“But as I sit here tonight, I’m more than confident that that won’t be at the end of 2022.”
Hinkley said despite the outside pressure, his players “100 per cent” continued to back him in for an 11th season in 2023 – and final year of his current contract — saying:
“My players, they play for me every week. They play for us every week.
Meg Lanning is never one to give much away. An intensely private person, she is known for predictable answers in interviews and her dislike of team meetings. She is a woman of few words and for years she has appeared something of a cricket machine.
Aside from a brief stint on the sidelines for shoulder surgery after the 2017 World Cup, Lanning has been an ever-present figure in the game since her debut in late 2010 at just 18 years of age. Throughout her time in the team, the profile of women’s cricket has risen exponentially, exposing Lanning to greater levels of media and public attention – something that has never appeared to quite sit comfortably with a player who would rather let her actions on the cricket field do the talking.
It was perhaps surprising then, that she was asked to take on more responsibility and visibility in January 2014 when, after the retirement of Jodie Fields, Lanning was thrust into the captaincy at age 21, having had never held a leadership position at any level before . The marketing contract that Lanning – with Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy and Holly Ferling – received to essentially be the faces of women’s cricket in Australia led to even more time in the public eye and more pressure to be one of the ‘golden girls’ of Australian sport.
This pressure only increased in the wake of the sandpaper scandal involving the Australian men’s team in 2018, when the very culture of cricket was called into question and Cricket Australia turned hurriedly to its sparkling women’s team – who had never been caught up in any scandals – in a bid to distract from the poor behavior of the men.
The cumulation of all this – the public-facing roles, the increased visibility of the sport and the pressure to maintain not only the performance of the team, but its squeaky-clean image – has perhaps led to this point. Lanning is taking an indefinite break from cricket. In a written statement, she put it as briefly and succinctly as anyone would expect.
“After a busy couple of years, I’ve made the decision to take a step back to enable me to spend time focusing on myself,” she said. “I’m grateful for the support of CA and my teammates and ask that my privacy is respected during this time.”
We may never know exactly why Lanning is taking this break. Nor should we expect to. But in contrast to many of her counterparts from a range of different sports who have taken breaks, it does not seem likely that Lanning will do a tell-all interview opening up about her struggles, or even just clarifying that she really wants to spend summer at the beach instead of on a cricket field for once in her life.
Meg Lanning jumps on Jess Jonassen and Alyssa Healy after Australia won Commonwealth Games gold. Photograph: Dave Hunt/EPA
However, the reason for Lanning’s break is not necessarily important. What is, are the lessons that can be learned from a player at the top of her game needing to take time off. For someone so ingrained in cricket, who appears to love being out in the center of the field with her bat in hand, to need to step back and take time away for whatever reason is something worth reflecting on.
The professionalism of women’s cricket – and women’s sport more broadly – has come along fairly quickly and while it hasn’t yet reached the levels of men’s sport, it is in stark contrast to what a young Lanning would have experienced in her early days in the team. With greater salaries have naturally come greater expectations – more touring, more public appearances, more time in front of the media.
For a man coming through the high performance pathways, this is understood and expected. They are prepared for the pressures of public life and know exactly what they are getting into. For the young women who entered the arena in the amateur era and have grown into professionalism, it is more akin to the proverbial frog in the pot of water. The water started off cold, but over time slowly increased to boiling without anyone being aware of what a difference that would make.
Increased professionalism for women’s sport is unequivocally a good thing. But a player of Lanning’s stature needing to ask for a break should send alarm bells around professional women’s sport. It should make organizations look at their schedules and question – are we leaving enough breaks that our players do not need to publicly stand down to get some rest?
Hopefully Lanning will return in time, refreshed and ready to once again destroy opposition bowling attacks with her cover drive. But maybe this time she – and the other hardworking women she captains – will have more rest and recovery built into their schedules to stay at the top for as long as they desire.
OPINION: Could this be Ian Foster’s final All Blacks team? And, more to the point, how could he dare not swing for the fences with a lineup to potentially change the narrative on a team sinking faster than Donald Trump’s presidential prospects.
That is the intriguing prospect ahead of Thursday night’s (NZ time) announcement of the All Blacks to face the Springboks in the second Rugby Championship clash of 2022 at the cauldron that is Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
The word is that Foster is set to spring a few surprise selections in the wake of his team’s 26-10 defeat at Mbombela Stadium that consigned the All Blacks to a fifth loss in their last six tests and the coach most likely to scrapheap.
What have you got to lose?
New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson is hovering here in the City of Gold and it is hard to see how he is not about to light the fuse on an All Blacks coaching rebuild in a process that is surely well under way.
Maybe the “something special” that Foster defiantly suggests is brewing this week saves his job. But it is doubtful. Both that it plays out and that it will be enough to earn a reprieve. The damage has been done and it is likely Plan B has already been enacted. Or soon will be.
Hagen-Hopkins/Getty Images
If his tummy settles, where will Ian Foster put a try-scoring sensation Will Jordan to face the Boks in Jo’burg?
So, if this is Foster’s last stand, why wouldn’t he throw caution to the wind? take a chance Think outside the square. Put it this way, what he has been doing for the past year or so certainly has not been working out too well for him.
The All Blacks are not just losing, they look befuddled. The fluency and flair which has long been a hallmark of their game appears to have deserted them. They are being squeezed and pressured and, frankly, out-executed by sides who are clearly superior to them.
They have fallen to No 5 in the world, which pretty much adds up to the slippage that has occurred in the Foster era. There has been a price to pay for a succession plan of Mr Magoo proportions.
Dave Rowland/Getty Images
Quinn Tupaea is an option if Ian Foster decides to rejig his ineffective midfield for Ellis Park.
Which brings us to the side to run out at Ellis Park. What are the changes Foster could make as he looks to sign off in style or, in some unimaginable twist of this tale, avoid the executioner’s axe?
Well, it is not entirely easy to predict, especially with the unknowns around the injuries to Beauden and Jordie Barrett, and the illness of Will Jordan. The latter missed Tuesday’s training, the former seemed to be moving freely and the strapping fullback took part but appeared short of a full gallop.
Let’s start at the back. There has to be a temptation to give Jordan, if his stomach has settled, a crack at his favored fullback position. He does not have Jordie’s size and aerial capability but the All Blacks won five of 15 contestable kicks that came their way in Mbombela, so can it really get any worse? Beauden Barrett, too, could shift there in a back-to-the-future move to allow Richie Mo’unga a deserved start.
Sevu Reece hovers as an option on the wing and maybe Rieko Ioane does too if there is a midfield shakeup, which seems the most logical place for change.
The All Blacks midfield has been largely anonymous all year and there are numerous options for a refresh. Foster could run with Jordie Barrett at 12, if fit, or bring in Quinn Tupaea as a strong-running option, or even roll the dice with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
Dan Peled/Photosport
Where will the Barrett brothers line up and will they all be available for the rematch against the Boks?
At centre, Leicester Fainga’anuku would be an intriguing pick if it was decided Ioane’s continued lack of impact necessitated a change.
Would Foster dare drop Aaron Smith at halfback? His pass from him remains slick but beyond that he is a minimal threat.
In the loose, No 6 appears the most likely change-up. Maybe Shannon Frizell comes in to add his power game from the off against that imposing Boks trio, or maybe Scott Barrett shifts back there to provide similar qualities.
If Barrett moves, Tupou Vaa’i would be worthy of a shot in the second row, with Patrick Tuipulotu also an option. Sam Whitelock surely stays on the back of much-heralded lineout and maul defense improvements.
There will almost certainly be change in jerseys 1-3, with Foster noting that he had been pleased with the work of his front row in the second spell in Mbombela. Ethan de Groot and Tyrel Lomax were the impact props then, and one or both could be in line for a promotion.
Is it time to throw Crusaders tighthead Fletcher Newell into the deep end too? As mentioned, what has Foster to lose?
You have to think Samisoni Taukei’aho deserves another crack after a strong showing at starting hooker last week. He and Ardie Savea were the best of a beaten pack.
Plenty to ponder. One thing we do know: “Foster’s imposters”, as they have been dubbed by South African media, did not get the job done last week.
The most explosive clash of the NRL season is set to unfold when Penrith host Melbourne on Thursday night in the wake of a bitter war of words between the clubs.
They’re the two most successful teams, alongside the Roosters, of the past five years and will meet in a highly-anticipated top-four showdown.
The Storm and Panthers have ended each other’s campaigns in arguably the two best games of the past two seasons.
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Melbourne won the premiership after Penrith finished on top of the ladder in 2020 and then those roles were reversed last year.
The rivalry between the past two premiers is the fiercest in the game right now.
Panthers players were outraged by Instagram videos after the 2020 grand finale and they got their revenge by knocking the Storm out in an epic preliminary final last year.
“They don’t like each other,” The Australian’s Brent Read said on NRL360 on Wednesday about the rivalry
“It’s been evident for a while that these teams dislike each other but it’s gone up a notch this week.”
Both teams will be missing key cavalry for the blockbuster at BlueBet Stadium but tensions will still be sky high with plenty on the line for both teams in the run to the finals.
The Panthers were superb last week against the Canberra Raiders without the State of Origin halves pairing of Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai, but things get even tougher with James Fisher-Harris now suspended.
The latest chapter in the clubs’ fierce rivalry is now set to be written after Panthers great Greg Alexander and Storm legend Cameron Smith traded barbs throughout the week.
The Panthers and Storm have built quite the rivalry. Greg Alexander (left) and Cameron Smith (right). GettySource: FOX SPORTS
That stoush over who is responsible for an influx of dangerous tackles in the game quickly escalated.
“I thought it was just a general consensus that over the last 20 years that all the tackles, the wrestling techniques had come out of Melbourne,” Alexanders said after Smith blew up at his initial accusation.
The exchange between Alexander and Smith prompted a stunning outburst from Melbourne’s chairman and owner Matt Tripp.
Tripp blasted Penrith deputy chairman Alexander’s comments as “stupid” and accused the reigning premiers of arrogance.
“Absolutely unfair,” Clearly said of Tripp’s comments.
“I’m not here to judge anyone else. But I know that Brandy (Alexander) is an outstanding commentator and a decorated figure in the game. If anyone’s able to have an opinion it’s Brandy.
“Most of his opinions are spot on. But that was his opinion of him in a completely different role. So, I don’t think it’s fair for everyone else at our club to be labeled what we were, but these things happen sometimes.”
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Following Tripp’s blow-up, the Storm were then accused of having a “chip on their shoulder” by the NRL 360 panel who also believe the Panthers will use Tripp’s comments as motivation.
“There’s going to be plenty of spice, it’s going to be a great game,” Paul Crawley said.
“The Storm are in a bit of strife on the field and they really have to show some signs of fighting back and I just can’t see how they’re going to do that against the Panthers.”
“What I’m fascinated with is the chairman versus the deputy chairman, Tripp versus Alexander,” Paul Kent said.
PK: ‘The fact is players get injured!’ | 02:24
“Some of the things that Tripp said about Penrith, he said the club was arrogant, he turned from criticism of Greg Alexander into criticism of the club.
“And I’ll tell you one thing about Penrith, when you criticize them, they respond to it and they’re very good at coming out and saying ‘is this what you think about us, well we’ll show you what we think about you’ and they deliver.”
Brent Read believes Alexander may have tactically brought up the tackling argument ahead of the clash.
“At this time of year, this invariably raises its head, you point the finger at Melbourne and say they invented the wrestle and it’s just an easy argument,” Read said.
“I’m it doesn’t hurt Penrith (this week).”
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Read also defended any perceived arrogance from Penrith players during matches.
“On the field they play with swagger. They play with a bit of arrogance. You have got to have that to be successful.”
Braith Anasta agreed that arrogance can be a powerful tool for a sporting team when used correctly.
“In any sport you have got to have confidence,” Anasta said.
Some people think they cross the line a little bit but you need confidence. You need a little bit of arrogance. You need to go out there thinking, I’ve got you covered.”
Storm star Jahrome Hughes apologized earlier this season after being named as the main culprit in 2020 grand final celebration footage mocking Panthers players’ Mt Druit roots.
Panthers center Stephen Crichton revealed the footage was used as motivation, sparking their stunning 2021 preliminary final win over Melbourne.
To motivate his players prior to the 2021 preliminary final, assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo saved the clip.
Ciraldo told his players in the lead-up to the Panthers’ huge 10-6 win they needed to “protect where you come from”.
The #73 Garry Rogers Motorsport entry of Owen Kelly. Picture: 44 Photography
Garry Rogers Motorsport driver Nathan Herne says that the controversial rear windscreens on their Trans Am cars are about mind games rather than performance.
As first reported by Speedcafe.com, Turtle Wax Trans Am Series category management is now investigating the droop which all three of GRM’s Ford Mustang-bodied cars have come to exhibit.
The deformity in the rear windscreen and the back end of the roof panel is thought to lead to an increase in rear downforce, given more air will flow over the rear wing.
It is trick which NASCAR teams have been penalized for in recent years.
However, the trait is not visible in photographs of other Mustangs in the National Trans Am Series field, including vehicles of different generations.
Whether the condition of the GRM cars represents a breach of regulations remains to be seen.
Queried about the matter in this week’s episode of The Driver’s Seat podcast, Herne conceded that it is likely to achieve a performance advantage but is motivated more so by “mess[ing] with the other competitors’ heads.”
That is despite it only coming to prominence in the days since last weekend’s Queensland Raceway round.
Herne claims that his team has been aware of the issue since at least as far back as debrief after Round 1 of the season at Symmons Plains.
According to him, it was team-mate Lochie Dalton’s car which first came to have the droop at speed, due to roof strut damage, which squares which a theory from a Speedcafe.com source.
Since then, the deformity has somehow spread to the other three cars, which Herne has implied is due to leaving the roof struts loose.
“Lochie Dalton’s car was formerly [team-mate] Owen Kelly’s car, which was one of the first dozen cars in the country,” he noted.
“That actually broke one of the struts in the roof, which sucked the roof down and we noticed that in onboard footage and thought ‘gee, wonder what is going on there’.
“So that was that car, that happened at Symmons Plains. After Symmons Plains we went on top of the car and we were pushing on it and when we were cleaning the car the roof sucked in – we thought, ‘here we go, there’s something there’.
“We looked inside the car, we saw the roof strut was broken… the roof struts are literally just a small little bolt and the roof was flimsy as flimsy.
“At the end of the day, there’s no rules broken at all from GRM’s perspective, it is what it is.
“Yep, it doesn’t look good. We have done it since Phillip Island and it’s never been a problem. It has been brought up in the category before, technical delegates have never had a problem with it.”
He added later, “If the rule gets changed for next round, we’ll tighten the roof struts and that’s it; we’ll be done with it.”
Herne suggested rival Jon McCorkindale raised the matter on social media because “he had a bit of a rough weekend”.
Despite his comments suggesting the droop is intentional, he claimed that it is barely performance-enhancing.
It is, however, gamesmanship at the very least, according to the Lismore driver.
“It’s Trans Am, not NASCAR, it’s not like we’re racing around Daytona,” Herne added.
“Granted it may give us maybe half a kilometer an hour down the straight at a maximum, to be honest, and with rear aero you honestly don’t know if it helps or it doesn’t.
“It’s sort of something to mess with the other competitors’ heads and just a bit of a show to say we’re looking at everything on these cars.”
Cameron Munster’s fullback experiment has catapulted Melbourne back into NRL premiership calculations after the Storm held out ladder leaders Penrith to win 16-0 at Panthers Stadium.
Playing at the back for a second week, Munster again starred to help the Storm make their case for an eighth straight season in the NRL’s top four.
It came as Penrith’s title defense took another hit, with Liam Martin suffering suspected ankle syndesmosis and Moses Leota hurting his calf to add to their lengthy injury list.
The Panthers are far from panicking, given they sit well clear at the top and were without Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Dylan Edwards and James Fisher-Harris on Thursday night.
But the Storm are a team clearly back in their groove after losing four straight games last month.
Missing Ryan Papenhuyzen, Jahrome Hughes and Felise Kaufusi themselves, they withstood more than 40 play-the-balls in their own 20-meter zone.
Time and time again they turned the Panthers away, becoming the first team to hold Penrith scoreless since way back in June 2015.
Team stats
The win moved them two points clear of fifth-placed Parramatta and well above them on for-and-against, with the chasing pack one win further back.
Melbourne have to play Brisbane, the Sydney Roosters and Eels on the run home, but now look as if they are ready to match it with any of the trio.
Regular playmaker Munster was again crucial, and must now surely be an option to finish the season as the Storm’s No.1 after scoring a hat-trick there last week.
He was just as influential in defense as he was in attack, despite not playing at the back consistently since the Storm’s run to the 2016 grand final.
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With Penrith dominating the ball in the second half, he pulled off a crucial try-saver on Brian To’o early on to keep Melbourne’s lead at 16-0.
From the next set he was able to swing the momentum in the Storm’s favour, breaking down the field to put them on the attack.
The 27-year-old also had a role to play in the Storm’s first try.
Given the freedom to roam at the back, Munster went shortside after a scoreless opening 18 minutes and helped put Justin Olam onto the attack before the center kicked back for Nick Meaney to score.
Brandon Smith went over from the next set, busting through Martin and Leota from the halfway line to make it 12-0.
Late season recruit David Nofoaluma got Melbourne’s third try after a nice Jesse Bromwich offload just before the break, before the Storm held on through a scoreless second half.
