NRL great Cameron Smith believes Raiders coach Ricky Stuart got off lightly after he received a one game ban for a post-match spray about Panthers playmaker Jaeman Salmon.
Stuart was also issued with a $25,000 fine after calling Salmon “a weak-gutted dog” after Canberra’s 26-6 to Penrith last Saturday.
The veteran coach will miss his side’s crunch match with St George on Sunday, as the Raiders look to keep their dwindling hopes of finals football alive.
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As reported by Fox Sports’ James Hooper, Stuart also can’t attend training sessions or contract anyone at the club for seven days from when the punishment was handed down.
speaking on The Captains Runformer Melbourne Storm captain Smith said that he was expecting Stuart to be issued with at least a two-game suspension for his spray.
“With the Salmon family situation, are they still seeking some legal advice on the situation? That’s always an option for them because without a doubt it’s defamation, every day of the week,” Smith said onSEN 1170 Radio.
“I was shocked Kempy (Denan Kemp), I was really shocked. I don’t know how you felt about it but I was extremely shocked when I heard the comments from Ricky.
“We’ve all seen him have his say in post-match press conferences and at times he has certainly pushed the boundaries as far as comments and remarks around officials and what happened on the game.
“That was just a clear crossing of the line. You just don’t go there in that forum.
“He said as much in the days post the comments that he made that it was the wrong thing to do. Now he’s coped a week for it.
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“I thought that it was quite light to be honest, one week. Fairly significantly fine involved, $25,000, it’s a lot of money.
“I actually thought it was going to be more around a minimum of two weeks suspension from the club.”
While Stuart has never been afraid to express how he’s feeling after a match, both Smith and co-host Denan Kemp agreed that a line had been crossed.
Kemp said that a one match suspension was still “reasonable” considering how the Raiders are placed on the ladder, but still felt that the comments had fallen into a “no go zone”.
“If I’m being honest, I used to enjoy his blow-ups. I really did. As a footy fan I thought it was great that we had this guy that sometimes crossed the line, but I think the key for me was always it was about the football with professionals,” Kemp said.
“Whether he’s having a crack at the refs or whoever it was, they’re professionals, they’re apart of the game, and he’s having his opinion on that situation. That’s where I can go ‘you know what, I kind of like the passion’.
“The line is when it’s not at football, and once you get across that line, it’s a no go zone.
Cleary backs NRL over Stuart suspension | 02:44
“The reason why I’m a bit surprised he only got one week was because he obviously has formed, he’s got I think it was $160,000 worth of fines now.
“I’m still happy with a week. His team is at a very crucial point in the season right now, they need to win every single game pretty much.
Canberra are still in with a chance of playing finals football this season as they continue the run home with four games left to be played.
They’re two competition points behind eighth-place Sydney Roosters, but have a significantly worse point’s differential which could work against them.
Smith thinks that they’ll overcome the loss of their coach to incredibly make the finals, as they have the “softest run” of any team currently in the mix.
The Hisense U8G was one of our favorite TVs of 2021 thanks to its fantastic picture quality and strong list of features for a reasonable price. Its successor, the Hisense U8H, is even more impressive, with wider color and higher contrast. It’s otherwise similar to the U8G, so you shouldn’t feel pressured to upgrade from last year’s model, but if you’re shopping for a new TV, the U8H is one of the best values available today. As far as cost, Hisense specifies both a suggested retail price of $1,399.99 and an “everyday” price of $999.99 for the 65-inch version of the U8H we tested to make it seem like the TV is perpetually on sale. Amazon is selling the TV for the higher suggested price at launch, but might drop to the “everyday” price over time as more units reach retail channels. Either way, the U8H is an excellent value, and worthy of our Editors’ Choice award.
Editors’ Note: this review is based on testing performed on the 65U8H, the 65-inch model in the series. Apart from the screen-size difference, the 55-inch 55U8H ($1,149.99 suggested retail price, $699.99 “everyday” price) is identical in features, and we expect similar performance.
A Simple, Familiar Design
The U8H uses an increasingly common TV design, in which a thin metallic band runs along the sides and across the top of the screen, while a wider, brushed metallic strip serves as the bottom bezel. It’s a simple, classy look that the Hisense U6H, the Vizio M50QXM-K01, and a variety of other TVs share. The bottom bezel sports a chrome Hisense logo in the middle, a trapezoidal protrusion for the infrared sensor, a power button, Google Assistant indicator lights, and a far-field microphone array complete with a mute switch. The TV stands on two long, thin metal feet and has standard VESA screw holes for wall mounting.
The power cable plugs into a port on the right side of the rear panel, but all other connections are situated on the left side. Four HDMI ports (one eARC, two 4K120), a USB-A port, a 3.5mm composite video input, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and an antenna/cable connector face left, while an optical audio output, an Ethernet port, and a second USB-A port face directly back.
The included remote is the same one you get with the U6H. It’s a rectangular wand made of black plastic with a large circular navigation pad near the top. Power, input, settings, and Google Assistant buttons sit above the pad, along with a combination pinhole microphone/indicator LED. Home, back, and live TV buttons reside directly below the pad, as well as playback controls, a volume rocker, and a channel rocker. Farther down, dedicated service buttons offer instant access to Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Netflix, Peacock, Tubi, and YouTube.
Google TV, With AirPlay Support Coming Soon
Hisense opts for the Google TV smart TV platform on the U8H, which provides plenty of apps and features. All major video streaming services are present, including Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Sling TV, Twitch, and YouTube. This platform supports Google Cast for streaming content from your Android phone or Chrome tab. An update planned for October will add the same Apple AirPlay connectivity features the Hisense U6H has.
Google TV also unlocks access to Google Assistant, and the U8H has far-field microphones that enable hands-free use. Like with a smart display, you can simply say, “Hey, Google,” to summon the voice service. Google Assistant is useful for looking up content, controlling the TV and any compatible smart home devices on your network, and searching for general information like weather reports and sports scores.
High Contrast and Wide Colors
The Hisense U8H is a 4K LED-backlit LCD TV with a 120Hz refresh rate. It supports high dynamic range (HDR) content in HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and hybrid log gamma (HLG). It has an ATSC 3.0 tuner, too.
We test TVs with a Klein K-80 colorimeter, a Murideo SIX-G signal generator, and Portrait Displays’ Calman software. Out of the box, in Theater Day mode with an SDR signal, the U8H shows a peak brightness of 711 nits with a full-screen white field and 1,410 nits with an 18% field. With an HDR signal in the same mode, the TV shows a peak brightness of 842 nits with a full-screen field and 1,982 nits with an 18% field. In both cases, the black level is an excellent 0.01cd/m^2 for an effective contrast ratio of 198,226:1. That performance soundly beats the U8G (88.168:1). The U8H doesn’t, however, reach the levels of the Samsung QN90B. That model offers similar peak brightness (1,700 nits with an HDR signal and an 18% white field), but boasts OLED-challenging contrast with effectively perfect black levels because of its miniLED backlight.
The U8H also has an array backlight system and seems to turn off the lights completely for black sections, but it displays some light bloom whereas the QN90B shows little to none. Light bloom is one of the factors that has kept LED TVs from challenging OLEDs on black levels, though the trade-off for OLEDs is a far dimmer screen. For reference, our Editors’ Choice-winning OLED TV, the LG C2, has a peak brightness of just 570 nits with an HDR signal and an 18% white field.
Although we measured the best contrast numbers on the U8H with the Theater Day mode, we recommend the Filmmaker mode for watching movies. The latter has a dimmer peak brightness of 1,877 nits with an HDR signal and an 18% white field, but better preserves shadow details and highlights. It also displays slightly more accurate colors than the Theater Day mode, though the black levels between the two are identical.
The above charts show the U8H in Filmmaker mode with an SDR signal compared against Rec.709 broadcast standards, and with an HDR signal compared against DCI-P3 digital cinema standards. SDR colors are well balanced but a bit oversaturated past broadcast standards, though that isn’t a big deal because they’re still less intense than HDR colors and won’t hurt the viewing experience. HDR colors are impressive and exceed the DCI-P3 color space, though cyans and magentas start to drift a bit green and red, respectively. Fortunately, they aren’t significantly skewed, so colors still generally look accurate out of the box.
BBC’s Planet Earth II looks excellent on the U8H. The picture is bright and colorful. The TV shows well-saturated and natural greens and blues for plants and water, respectively. Fine details like fur and bark come through clearly both under direct sunlight and in shade.
The red of Deadpool’s costume in the overcast opening scenes of dead pool is vibrant and balanced; it doesn’t appear faded or purple at all. The yellows and oranges of the flames in the burning lab fight scene are bright and vibrant, with nicely varied highlights against fairly dark, though not inky, shadow details.
In the party scenes of The Great Gatsby, the cuts and textures of black suit jackets and dark hair come through without appearing washed out, while the whites of balloons and shirts in the same frames look quite bright. This film shows how the TV’s Filmmaker mode tamps down a bit on the backlight and produces better black levels at the expense of a slightly dimmer (but still quite bright) picture.
Colors fade slightly when you view the TV from an off-angle, but not to a significant degree. When you entertain a group of people, everyone should be able to see the screen just fine regardless of where they sit. The U8H doesn’t offer the perfect off-angle color retention of TVs like the LG C2, but it’s far better than more budget models.
Solid Gaming Chops
Gamers, especially AMD-based PC gamers, should like the U8H. Its 120Hz panel features variable refresh rate (VRR) and AMD FreeSync Premium.
The TV is also quite responsive. Using an HDFury Diva HDMI matrix, we measured an input lag of 8.1ms in Game mode. That falls under the 10ms threshold we use to determine if a TV is among the best for gaming. Predictably, with Game mode off, that input lag jumps to 86.5ms.
A Worthy Successor and an Excellent Value
The Hisense U8H is a fantastic TV for the price and a worthy successor to the U8G. It offers excellent contrast, wide and generally accurate colors, strong gaming features and performance, and hands-free Google Assistant with Google Cast support (and Apple AirPlay arriving soon). The TV is a strong value at its $1,399.99 suggested retail price and a truly impressive value at its “everyday” price of $999.99 for the 65-inch model, earning it our Editors’ Choice for midrange TVs. It stands alongside the similar TCL 6-Series 4K Google TV ($1,299.99 for the 65-inch version) as one of our top value picks, though the TCL isn’t as bright, and lacks AMD FreeSync for gaming and Apple AirPlay for casting.
If you want to save even more money, the Hisense U6H (effectively $549.99 for the 65-inch variant) features the same excellent Google TV interface. It’s not as vibrant, bright, or responsive, however. If you want to splurge, the LG C2 ($2,499.99 for the 65-inch model) remains our favorite OLED TV because of its incredible (though slightly dimmer) picture quality, while the Samsung QN90B ($2,599.99 for the 65-inch variant) pushes the limits of contrast performance for an LED TV.
Second, the All Blacks’ next move on their coaching setup – whether they keep Ian Foster or find a replacement for a job that has a hint of ‘poisoned chalice’ at this stage of the World Cup cycle.
It’s been hard to ignore the Wallabies’ injury woes this year, and it is certainly felt in New Zealand that the Chiefs under Rennie were frequently pushed to breaking point and beyond.
The Wallabies are obviously trying to find the sweet spot: being able to play a highly abrasive style of rugby while keeping their players on the field. It’s certainly extremely challenging to play against when the Wallabies get it right. They have some enormous athletes in Taniela Tupou, Rob Leota and Rob Valetini, who can subject opponents to 80 minutes of relentless ball-carrying.
At the moment, even their wings and centers have the same mentality: run hard and run often. Perhaps they lacked a bit of nuance in that last 15 minutes against England, but they went pretty close to winning that series by virtue of their out-and-out physicality alone.
If you attach Dan McKellar’s technical excellence to that hard-edged running, it creates a package that may not win any prizes aesthetically, but very much captures the zeitgeist for Test rugby in 2022.
The Wallabies, in fact, are probably close to assembling their own Bomb Squad to match the Springboks’ 6-2 split: Rennie could comfortably pick a second tight five on the bench and have Reece Hodge and Tate McDermott/Jake Gordon as his only backline reserve.
Quade Cooper dominates the headlines for Australia, but the Wallabies scored 31 of their 41 points last week after he was injured.Credit:Getty
At present, the Wallabies players seem to be largely at peace with this relentless style. It has unquestionably brought out the best in Folau Fainga’a, while Tupou looks a full 10-15 kilograms lighter than he was in Super Rugby. The question is: how long can they keep playing this way?
The All Blacks, by contrast, have not been playing with a clearly defined identity for a while. Their lapsed catch-pass skills mean they can’t play a fast-fast style, their pack does not generate enough turnover ball to create unstructured play, and the use of tactical substitutions and constant stoppages in Test rugby have removed fatigue as a factor.
They are, in fact, somewhat lost and that is why the Wallabies probably wish they were heading to New Zealand this week to secure the Bledisloe Cup. That window is open.
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A warning, though: it may not stay open. The work of new forwards coach Jason Ryan was evident in the All Blacks’ loss to the Springboks last weekend, and they suddenly looked more organised. Even if Foster keeps his job, Ryan’s positive influence is likely to grow.
If Foster loses his job, more changes will come. Scott Robertson – if he can be persuaded, and that’s a big if – Joe Schmidt and Warren Gatland are all in the background, and all three have enjoyed a level of success that has eluded Foster.
The Bledisloe window could therefore be shut firmly on the Wallabies’ fingers, leaving them to regret the change in Rugby Championship scheduling that has worked against them.
Samsung and Google are big names in the Android world, and both also offer their own signature true wireless earbuds. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro are the latest in a line of many models and sit at the top of the Galaxy Buds family, while Google positions the Pixel Buds Pro as the ultimate Android buds. But which set of earbuds is right for you? We’ll cover what you need to know in this Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Google Pixel Buds Pro comparison.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Google Pixel Buds Pro: Design
Kris Carlon/Android Authority
When placed next to each other, the Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the Google Pixel Buds Pro look somewhat similar. Both have small buds with ear tips that sit close to their bodies, and both models mirror some of the design aesthetics of Android phones from their respective brands.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro claim to be 15% smaller than their preceding models and to have better airflow. The Pixel Buds Pro, meanwhile, are close in look and size to the cheaper Pixel A series buds. However, their new case is now IPX2 rated, while the buds themselves are IPX4 rated. Samsung’s previous Galaxy Buds Pro were IPX7 rated, and the new models are too. That means you can immerse the Samsung buds for up to 30 minutes, and they should survive.
Overall, the two models are pretty similar when it comes to design.
Samsung’s buds are a bit more durable than Google’s offering.
Google claims the batteries in the Pixel Buds Pro last seven hours with active noise-cancelling (ANC) enabled, which our tests confirmed. You can also net up to 20 hours total with the charging case. Disabling ANC lets the buds go for up to 11 hours and 31 hours total with the charging case.
Samsung claims the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro can go for up to five hours with noise-cancelling enabled. The charging case will take that to 18 hours total. We’ll have to test this to be sure. If you drop them into the charging case with ANC on, you reach a total of 18 hours of battery life, according to the manufacturer. Without ANC, that climbs to 29 hours.
Both USB-C and wireless charging are options for either model.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Google Pixel Buds Pro: Features
Despite being Google’s signature offering, the Pixel Buds Pro only support the SBC and AAC Bluetooth codecs, which is odd for Android-tailored buds. On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro offer AAC and SBC, and, if you use a Galaxy device, the Hi-Res Samsung Scalable Codec. The latter is better for latency reasons, but it’s only available if you buy into the larger ecosystem.
This is where the two models diverge further. The Pixel Buds Pro lets you connect to almost any Android device in a similar manner. If you use the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro on a non-Galaxy device, you will get most, but not all, of the same features. You won’t get automatic device switching and 360 audio, for instance. Although the Pixel Buds Pro do support Bluetooth multipoint, so you can connect to two devices simultaneously.
controls
Both the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the Pixel Buds Pro feature multifunction controls. You can swipe back and forth on Google’s buds to change the volume and tap them in various ways to access some settings. However, with most of these functions baked in, you can’t customize their controls.
On the other hand, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro let you use the Samsung Wearables app to remap controls and tweak things. This app works with all Android devices, but certain functions will only work with Galaxy phones.
Both sets of buds are made primarily for Android, but Samsung’s model is tailored for Galaxy phones.
The new Galaxy Buds 2 Pro feature SmartThings Find, which can alert you if you leave your buds behind. Google offers a Find My service, as well; you’ll have to enable it before losing your buds.
Either model of earbuds let you use voice commands to control functions, but they differ in their approach. Pixel Buds Pro use Google Assistant to interact with your voice, while the default voice assistant for Galaxy Buds 2 Pro is Bixby, but you can change to another voice assistant if you want.
Noise canceling
The Pixel Buds Pro are Google’s first set of earbuds with real ANC, and they do a decent job of it. Meanwhile, the first-generation Galaxy Buds Pro already managed to slightly edge out the ever-popular AirPods Pro when it comes to noise-cancelling.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro tout that they have an extra 3dB of attenuation when compared to their predecessor and “intelligent noise-cancelling.” It is unclear if Samsung means this across every frequency as an average or in a particular range.
Both of these models have three sizes of ear tips to choose from, so you can find a fit that delivers good isolation. However, in our experience, the ear tip fit test in the Google Pixel Buds Pro app seems to indicate that all of the tips are an ideal fit, which isn’t the case. Samsung’s ear tip fit test is usually a little more reliable in that regard.
Sound
The Google Pixel Buds Pro tend to emphasize both lows and highs a bit too much, which isn’t awful but might be noticeable to you depending on your listening habits. We’ve not had the chance to test the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro yet, but while their predecessor had a bass boost, overall, they did not amp up either end of the spectrum nearly as much.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro support 24-bit audio playback but only with Galaxy devices. The Pixel Buds Pro aren’t compatible with any Hi-Res audio standard.
Samsung’s buds also give you Dolby Atmos support, while Google doesn’t offer spatial audio support at the time of this writing. It is set to arrive with a future firmware update, however.
The Pixel Buds Pro don’t have a true equalizer. Instead, they rely on a volume EQ that doesn’t help all that much. Samsung gives you some EQ presets to use, which is a little better.
Price and colors
Google Pixel Buds Pro
Active noise canceling Google Assistant Real-time translations
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Improved fit and comfort Better ANC
The Google Pixel Buds Pro come in Charcoal, Fog, Coral, and Lemongrass and sell for $199.
The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro were made available for pre-order from August 10 ahead of an official sale date of August 26, 2022. You can snag them in White, Graphite, or Bora Purple.
Specs
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Pixel Buds Pro
Dimensions
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Earbud: 19.9 x 21.6 x 18.7mm Case: 50.1 x 50.2 x 27.7mm
Pixel Buds Pro
Earbud: 23.7 x 22.3 x 22mm Case: 63.2 x 25 x 50mm
weights
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Earbud: 5.6g Case: 39.6g
Pixel Buds Pro
Earbud: 6.2g Case: 62.4g
Bluetooth-connectivity
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Bluetooth 5.3 SBC, AAC, Samsung Scalable Codec
Pixel Buds Pro
Bluetooth 5.0 SBC, AAC
water resistance
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
IPX7
Pixel Buds Pro
Earbuds: IPX4 Case: IPX2
listening time
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
5 hours with ANC, 8 hours without ANC With case: 18 hours with ANC, 29 hours without ANC
Pixel Buds Pro
7 hours with ANC, 11 hours without ANC With case: 20 hours with ANC, 31 hours without ANC
Charging
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
USB-C Wireless
Pixel Buds Pro
USB-C Wireless
Speakers and microphones
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
2-Way Woofer and Tweeter three microphones
Pixel Buds Pro
Custom-designed 11mm dynamic speaker driver three microphones
Device compatibility
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
Android 7.0 or later 1.5GB of RAM or more iOS:Bluetooth only Windows 10: Galaxy Buds app TV: Samsung 2022 TVs and later
Pixel Buds Pro
Android 6.0 or later iOS:Bluetooth only Laptop/Desktop: Bluetooth only
Colors
Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
White, Graphite, Bora Purple
Pixel Buds Pro
Charcoal, Fog, Coral, Lemongrass
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro vs Google Pixel Buds Pro: Which should you buy?
Kris Carlon/Android Authority
The choice between the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and the Pixel Buds Pro will likely come down to the phone you have (or want to buy).
Google’s offering is targeting all Android users. While they are missing some features at launch and lack a reliable low-latency Bluetooth codec, they will integrate nicely with the overall ecosystem.
Meanwhile, Samsung really tailors the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro to work best with Galaxy devices. They will also work well with other Android phones, but the experience won’t be quite as fully featured.
The Warriors may not be playing for much more than pride, but they’ve given a parochial home crowd plenty to cheer about with a thumping 42-18 win over the Bulldogs.
Last week’s defeat to the Rabbitohs was, for the most part, an uninterested showing in their old temporary home of the Sunshine Coast – but back in the friendly confines of Mt Smart Stadium, they fired on all cylinders.
Reece Walsh laid on a couple of tries with his ball playing, but the highlight was undeniably a Shaun Johnson just trying that sealed the result with five minutes left.
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The 31-year-old turned back the clock as he sent Kyle Flanagan the wrong way with a dummy, and then did likewise to fullback Jake Averillo with another, before diving underneath the posts.
Shaun Johnson dives over to score a wonderful solo try. (Getty)
Two more tries – to Ed Kosi and Addin Fonua-Blake – padded the scoreline in the final minutes, but it was a deserved win for the home team.
Canterbury were gifted both of their second half tries in a 40 minute period that was almost entirely played in their own half; the first off a Reece Walsh dropped ball, and the second via a 90 meter Josh Addo-Carr intercept.
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The Fox flew away to level the scores, but the Dogs would not score another point after that.
The Warriors have been a different beast since moving home, smashing the Tigers and hanging in gamely against a Storm side that beat them by 60 earlier this year.
They’ll get one more chance at home to end the year when they host the Titans in the final game of the season.
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Australian cyclist Jai Hindley will have a shot at creating history when he lines up in the final Grand Tour of the year, the Vuelta a España.
Key points:
Jai Hindley won his first Grand Tour at the Giro d’Italia earlier this year
No Australian has ever won the Vuelta a España, with Cadel Evans and Jack Haig’s third places the best by any Australian
This year’s Vuelta starts with a team time trial in Utrecht in the Netherlands
Only 10 riders have ever won two Grand Tours in a single season, with the Giro-Vuelta double the equal-most elusive feat.
Just three riders have ever claimed the Giro-Vuelta double in a single season: Eddie Merckx (1973), Giovanni Battaglin (1981) and Alberto Contador (2008).
But that’s what 26-year-old Hindley will be aiming for after he was named as part of a strong Bora-Hansgrohe team that will line up for the race-opening team time trial in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
Hindley became the first Australian to win the Giro last May in what was just his fifth Grand Tour start.
He was just the second Australian to ever win a Grand Tour after Cadel Evans’s 2011 Tour de France win — and will be aiming to become the first Australian to ever win the Vuelta.
The West Australian’s only previous appearance in the Vuelta was in 2018, when he finished in 32nd place overall behind overall winner Simon Yates, who will this year lead Australian team Team BikeExchange-Jayco.
Hindley had two months off after his Giro victory but recently finished seventh overall at the recent five-stage Vuelta Ciclista a Burgos.
Jai Hindley will be hoping to use his ability in the mountains to challenge the other contenders for the red jersey. (Getty Images: Marco Alpozzi)
“The main goal is to be good for La Vuelta, and we still have a bit of time before that, so it’s all good,” Hindley told the Bora-Hansgrohe team after the race.
“After such a long time off from racing and then coming off the back of a hard altitude camp, it’s nice to be back at the pointy end of a race.
“I think Wilco [Kelderman] and Emu [Emanuel Buchmann] are similar and, hopefully, we will hit peak form at the right time.”
Three-time reigning champion Primož Roglič is expected to line up for Jumbo Visma, despite crashing out of the Tour de France with a shoulder injury.
If Roglič does start, he will be looking to become the first man to win four-consecutive Vuelta titles.
Australian Jack Haig — who also crashed out of this year’s Tour de France and is expected to be named to start for Bahrain Victorious — finished a surprise third in last year’s Vuelta, seven minutes and 40 seconds behind Roglič.
That equaled Evans’ third-placed finish in 2009 as the joint best finish by an Australian in the Spanish Grand Tour.
AG2R rider Ben O’Connor — another rider whose Tour prematurely ended after injury having finished fourth in 2021 — may also start.
Australian riders have stood on the podium in four of the last eight Grand Tour races.
The Vuelta gets underway with a 23.3km team time trial on Friday, September 19, opening three days of racing in the Netherlands before the race heads south to Spain.
That race will cover 3,280.5km in 21 stages, seven of which are classed as mountain stages.
Latrell Mitchell spent most of his post-match press conference praising his teammates, but took the time to issue one clear warning to the rest of the competition: get ready.
“I think it just sends a message to the rest of the competition now,” he said after the Bunnies’ 26-0 win over Parramatta.
“Look over your shoulders, we’re coming. South Sydney.”
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It was at this ground two years ago where Souths’ season effectively ended – as Mitchell, in the midst of a virtuoso performance, succumbed to a hamstring injury which put him out for the rest of 2020.
The Rabbitohs’ campaign eventually ended with a close loss to Penrith, where fans were left wondering if a player of his quality would have affected the scoreline.
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Fast forward 12 months and it was the exact same situation, opponent, and thoughts of what could have been – although this time, those wounds were entirely self-inflicted, Mitchell’s season ending after a thick high shot on Joey Manu.
But right now, there’s no such concern. They’ll get star center Campbell Graham back in the next couple of weeks, Dean Hawkins showed he’s capable of deputizing admirably for Lachlan Ilias, and most importantly, Mitchell is fit and firing.
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“Everyone that stood in tonight, Dean Hawkins for instance, really turned up and played his role – and that’s what we want,” Mitchell said.
It’s still Penrith’s competition to lose – but Souths are firmly in that bunch of teams just below them, who, if things went right, could spring an upset.
As long as Mitchell is fit, the sky is the limit – particularly when Cody Walker seems to be an entirely different player when his star fullback is in the team.
“It’s really enjoyable to see him take control of the attack and really do his job. He’s so instinctive, and one of the best in the game,” Mitchell said of Walker.
“Once he’s on, we know he’s playing really good footy and there’s a knock on effect. I know he’s on, and it makes me feel good.”
Latrell Mitchell makes a break against the Eels on Friday night. (Getty)
The stats don’t lie. Since Mitchell’s return, the Rabbitohs have played seven games, won six of them, and scored 224 points along the way.
Only a golden point defeat at Shark Park has prevented them from perfection since an embarrassing loss to the Dragons, which now looms as a turning point for their season.
The games don’t get any easier from here, with their final three matches coming against Penrith, North Queensland, and finishing at the opening of the new Sydney Football Stadium against their arch-rivals, the Roosters.
A couple of months ago, with the team in danger of falling out of the finals entirely, this slate of games may have looked like a murderer’s row – but instead, the hunted have become the hunters.
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Paul Green’s life in pictures: From Sharks prodigy to premiership-winning coach
Originally scheduled for the end of July 2022, both the Racin’ USA Pt3 DLC and the V1.4 update have been pushed back due to some issues that cropped up in development.
This newest and final DLC pack for the Racin’ USA bundle will officially include oval racing to the sim with the addition of two new tracks – Auto Club Speedway and World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway. Also, the Formula USA 2022 is Reiza’s unofficial representation of the NTT IndyCar, and that will also drop in the DLC.
The new Formula USA 2022 that will release in Racin’ USA Part 3 DLC.
With the addition of oval racing, the Racin’ USA Part 1 DLC will now also have the oval configuration for Daytona International Speedway included. Furthermore, all of the open-wheel cars from all of the Racin’ USA DLC packs will have short oval and speedway configurations added alongside the road racing form.
If you remember back more than a year ago, in June 2021 to when the first part of the Racin’ USA DLC dropped, all three of the Racin’ USA DLCs were announced and were available to purchase as an Expansion Pack bundle. Part 2, remember, dropped back in February. Although it will just be a little while longer, AMS2 players who made that purchase will finally get what they paid for when it comes out.
In fact, anyone who has purchased either the 2020-2022 Season Pass, the Premium Expansion Packs or Racin´ USA Expansion Pack bundle, you’ll finally be getting your hands on the awaited product. Anyone who is looking to buy the separate pack, the price point is still up in the air. Parts 1 and 2 are $14.99 each.
Auto Club Speedway (pictured) and WWT Raceway at Gateway will drop in Racin’ USA Part 3 DLC.
In the Steam posting about the DLC and update, it’s also unveiled that full course yellow support is being added to compliment the oval racing being added, along with a visible pace car, marshals that can wave flags, caution lights and even virtual safety cars for road racing. However, the delay for the entirety seems to be because of issues that cropped up in testing.
“The system was still proving somewhat glitchy in Multiplayer during our tests late last month, which ended up being the leading factor in the decision to postpone v1.4 as naturally you can’t successfully bring oval racing to the game without proper full course yellow support,” the post reads. “Luckily, good progress has already been made since, with our more recent tests already going quite smoothly.”
While the delay is unfortunate, the added content will hopefully be worth the wait. Especially the oval racing side, I’m going to have to talk to the community managers about possibly setting up a community event with the new content. Not many sims have proper oval racing besides iRacing, so fingers crossed for a good time when the DLC finally drops later this month.
Images and information found via the AMS2 Steam page
An Australian academic who is being tried with ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on charges of violating the country’s official secrets law testified in court for the first time on Thursday, a legal official has said.
Sean Turnell, an economist at Sydney’s Macquarie University, had served as an adviser to Aung San Suu Kyi, who was arrested when her elected government was ousted by the army on 1 February 2021.
Turnell was arrested five days later and is being held in the main prison in Naypyidaw, the capital, as is Aung San Suu Kyi. Three of Aung San Suu Kyi’s former cabinet members are being tried with them in a special court at the prison.
A legal official familiar with Thursday’s proceedings said Turnell denied the allegations against him and pleaded not guilty. Further details of his testimony from him were not available because his lawyers from him have been barred from talking about the case.
All the trials involving Aung San Suu Kyi have been held under similar restrictions, with the proceedings closed to the media and the public.
The legal official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to release information, said Turnell and his co-defendants appeared to be in good health.
The exact details of the alleged offense in the case have not been made public, though Myanmar state television, citing government statements, said last year that Turnell had access to “secret state financial information” and had tried to flee the country.
Turnell is also being prosecuted under the immigration law, which carries a punishment of six months to five years’ imprisonment. Prosecutions under the immigration law are common for foreigners being held for other offences.
The judge added Thursday’s proceedings until next week, when Aung San Suu Kyi is to testify.
The case is one of many faced by Aung San Suu Kyi and is widely seen as an effort to discredit her to prevent her return to politics. The charges against her include corruption and election fraud. She has already been convicted of several minor offenses.
Last year’s military takeover sparked peaceful nationwide street protests that security forces quashed with lethal force, triggering armed resistance that some UN experts have characterized as civil war.
The state government’s shark net program aims to determine three species of sharks – the tiger, white and bull shark – but the nets’ efficacy has been debated for years. Many critics say the technology is almost 100 years old and alternative and less harmful methods should be used.
For those who support the nets, they offer psychological comfort, says Dr Vanessa Pirotta, a marine predator researcher at Macquarie University.
But they offer little protection. Shark nets are not designed to create a complete barrier between swimmers and sharks, but rather they aim to detect sharks from frequenting the site.
Over the years, there have been significant advancements in technology, which include SMART drumlines and drone surveillance. Both are in place along the Central Coast.
Earlier this year, the government announced $85 million to fund the implementation of other shark mitigation tools, including increased shark tagging, improving community awareness and installing shark listening stations that provide real-time tracking of tagged sharks.
Brendan Rogers, who supports the removal of shark nets, has swum for years along the Central Coast.Credit:Brook Mitchell
Central Coast resident Brendan Rogers tries to swim most mornings but the possibility of bumping into a shark is never far from his mind. He says it’s a risk of entering the sharks’ habitat.
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“I think that maybe a long time ago, they were one of the better solutions, but I think there are so many other options now that are potentially safer to other wildlife as well,” he says. “There is no one silver bullet; the nets are old-fashioned. If we can use a combination of smart things – like technology [then that is better].”
Perhaps one of the most controversial aspects of shark nets is how many marine animals get caught in the nets. Of the 376 marine animals caught in shark nets during the 2021-22 reporting period, only 51 were the target species. The remaining 203 were threatened or protected species, including sharks, turtles and rays. Of these animals, 156 died, data from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (DPI) shows.
Among these were 16 leatherback turtles – the majority of which were caught on the southern Central Coast. There were also 28 white sharks, 19 green turtles and 52 smooth hammerheads caught, as well as 14 critically endangered gray nurse sharks.
A Sydney seahorse is caught in a shark net, one of hundreds of non-target species each year.Credit:Brook Mitchell
DPI oversees the shark meshing program and employs seven contractors, one in each region shark nets are installed: Hunter, north and south Central Coast, Illawarra and North, Central and South Sydney. The department hires contractors to inspect the nets every 72 hours and release animals.
What happens to injured animals is not entirely clear. If a contractor finds a live animal caught in the nets, they are to free it using instructions from the Shark Meshing Supervisor and contractors may then “disentangle, handle, treat and release any living marine mammal, marine bird or marine reptile in accordance with any relevant national or state guidelines where practical and safe to do so”.
A DPI spokesperson says the nets were actively managed to ensure minimal impact on marine animals and that since the shark nets were introduced in 1937, there had only been one fatality at meshed beaches.
“The NSW government will continue to work with coastal councils to ensure that community preferences are balanced against effective shark mitigation for bathers,” the spokesperson says.
“Contractors are required to check the shark nets within 72 hours of the previous inspection and release live animals with the least possible harm.
“If an injured marine animal is caught in the nets, DPI fisheries will liaise with Taronga Zoo directly and organize the potential drop-off of the injured animal for assessment and treatment.”
However, Taronga Zoo says their wildlife hospital accepts and treats many animals but their records indicate they have not received “any wildlife impacted by shark nets for many years”.
When pressed further, a government spokesperson provided no further clarification about the fate of injured marine wildlife.
Sea Shepherd threatened and endangered species campaigner Lauren Sandeman says the true number of animals impacted by the shark nets is much higher than reporting shows.
“Any released animals that are still alive are left to nature and there is a strong likelihood that they will succumb to their injuries. But those deaths are not recorded in the program,” she says.
“We’ve seen footage from the program of animal releases that sink to the bottom of the water but they count those as a live releases. [The program] doesn’t track animals after they are released.”
Pirotta says the combination of targeted and non-targeted species caught in nets highlighted the push to move towards less invasive shark mitigation methods.
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“Sharks are not actively out to target people,” she says. “The majority of people don’t want to see wildlife harmed, so we need to work towards smarter solutions that collect information so we can learn more about them.”
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