Rockstar Games is currently hard at work on GTA 6, one of the most highly anticipated video games of the decade. While news about the upcoming title has trickled out in recent months, with early reports claiming it will have male and female Hispanic protagonists as well as a sweeping Miami setting, we still don’t know much about the game. That hasn’t stopped Rockstar Games and parent company Take-Two from hyping it up as the next massive leap in entertainment.
‘The Rockstar Games team is determined to once again set creative benchmarks for the series, our industry, and for all entertainment, just as the label has done with every one of their frontline releases,’ Take-Two CEO Strauss Zelnick said in a recent financial call.
He confirmed the game was ‘well underway’ at the studio, and proceeded to hype up the future of the franchise. While it appears Zelnick has unwavering confidence in the project, it may be too early to get excited.
The idea for GTA 6 has been gestating for nearly a decade, with little tangible progress shown to the public. It was only in February 2022 that Rockstar confirmed active development was progressing, and there’s been little news of the game since then.
Read: Everything we know about Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto 6
According to Bloomberg, the game is also at least two years away – or even further, given the current game delay cycle we’re in. Reports from multiple sources agree that Rockstar is currently taking its time with the game in an effort to better look after employee wellbeing.
Previous projects, including Red Dead Redemption 2, have been heavily scrutinized in the past, for allegedly being developed under terrible crunch conditions. Going forward, Rockstar is reportedly looking to change this, and the perception of its company culture.
So while Rockstar appears to have wildly ambitious plans to change the face of entertainment for good, those looking forward to seeing the results of this commitment shouldn’t hold their breath. It’s also important to take claims like these with a dose of realism. While GTA 6 will no doubt make a massive impact, like GTA 5 before it, it’s always best to keep expectations in check and be aware of how hype can warp your future enjoyment.
GTA 6 is currently in development, with more news promised at a later date.
Ben Affleck has put his Pacific Palisades mansion on the market for $30 million after rumors to have purchased a sprawling home in Beverly Hills with his wife Jennifer Lopez.
He first snapped up the stunning property, complete with seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a gym, screening room and spa, for $19.2 million back in 2018.
At the time, he bought the plush home in a bid to be near his ex-wife Jennifer Garner, with whom he remains amicable since their 2015 split, and the three children they share, daughters Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13 and ten- year-old son Samuel.
Saying goodbye: Ben Affleck has put his Pacific Palisades mansion on the market for $30 million after purchasing a sprawling home in Beverly Hills with his wife Jennifer Lopez; seen in 2021
At the time, Realtor.com described the house as ‘an entertainer’s dream’, with the full listing for the home stating it has a spacious living room with fireplace, formal dining room with butler’s pantry, study with bar and more.
Additionally, it is equipped with a screening room, gym, family room with full bar, temperature controlled walk-in wine cellar and maid’s room.
The decision to list his home comes a month after the 49-year-old Batman star tied the knot with his new wife, 53, during an intimate ceremony in Las Vegas.
Moving out: He first snapped up the stunning property, complete with seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, a gym, screening room and spa, for $19.2 million
For sale: At the time, he bought the plush home in a bid to be near his ex Jennifer Garner, with whom he remains amicable since their 2015 split, and the three children they share, daughters Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13 and ten -year-old son Samuel
While he and J-LO have yet to confirm that they have purchased a property together, moving trucks were recently spotted outside each of their respective homes.
Lopez and Affleck’s rumored new abode was most recently owned by Australian billionaire James Packer, who’s the former fiancé of Mariah Carey. Other previous residents include DeVito and his ex-wife, Matilda alum Rhea Perlman.
DeVito and Perlman sold the seven-bedroom home in 2015 for $28 million to developers Stuart and Stephanie Liner. The Liners then made numerous upgrades to the estate and listed it for $85 million. Packer then bought the property for around $60 million in 2018.
Wow: At the time, Realtor.com described the house as ‘an entertainer’s dream’, with the full listing for the home stating it has a spacious living room with fireplace, formal dining room with butler’s pantry, study with bar and more
It’s unclear what Lopez and Affleck paid for the house, and there’s a shroud of mystery surrounding the alleged deal, since the house was not even listed for sale when they reportedly bought it.
In fact, real estate experts told TMZ that it hadn’t even been shown off-market, with the exception, potentially, being to Lopez and Affleck.
The house sprawls across 29,000-square-feet, which would allow ample space for the couple’s blended brood of five children.
The Jenny from the Block songstress shares 14-year-old twins Max and Emme with ex-husband Marc Anthony, while the Good Will Hunting star is the father to daughters Violet, 16, Seraphina, 13 and son Samuel, 10, with ex- wife Jennifer Garner.
The massive estate is also said to have many luxury amenities and perks, including an at-home movie theater, a hair salon, a gym, an entertainment room, a wine cellar, a sprawling pool, and even multiple guest houses.
Man and wife: While he and J-LO have yet to confirm that they have purchased a property together, moving vehicles were recently reported to have been spotted outside each of their respective homes; seen last month on their honeymoon in Paris, France
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin has conceded his club is always looking at “contingencies” but wouldn’t confirm or deny interest in Collingwood ruckman Brodie Grundy as a potential replacement for young gun Luke Jackson.
Goodwin conceded Jackson, who has been heavily linked to a big-money move to Fremantle, had yet to inform the club whether he was staying or going in 2023.
But ahead of a must-win clash with Carlton on Friday night, with the Demons needing a win to maintain their chances of a top-four finish, Goodwin wouldn’t comment on a link to Grundy, who has five more years remaining on his contract at Collingwood.
“It’s a good story and I understand the questioning but I’ve been pretty clear on this over a number of years. I’m not going to speculate and talk about players from opposition clubs,” the premiership coach said on Wednesday.
“Clearly, people in our industry are going around looking at how they can potentially improve their list… that’s not my focus. It’s not for me to comment on.”
Brodie Grundy could be headed to Melbourne. Picture: AAP Image/Daniel PockettSource: AAP
Goodwin said Melbourne would give Jackson, who has formed a key one-two punch with Demons captain Max Gawn, as much time as he needed to make a decision.
But he also said the club was always making contingency plans as part of list management, which would include covering Jackson’s potential departure.
“If you look at list management all the time you have contingency plans for a whole range of different things that sit within your environment,” he said.
“We’ve talked about Luke a lot. We are going to give him the most amount of time to make his decision about him. We don’t know what the decision is at the moment.
Luke Jackson has been linked to Fremantle. Picture: Will Russell/AFL Photos via Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“We’ll continue to build contingencies, to work with Luke and give him the best environment possible to want to stay here and Luke will make that decision when the time is right.
“But as a club and as an organisation, you look at all positions … about how you are best going to move forward in the future.”
Goodwin said premiership defender Jake Bowey was “AFL ready” and could soon return to the Melbourne line-up having been sent back to the VFL after the round 17 loss to Geelong to find his best form.
But more changes to the team that lost by just seven points to Collingwood last week were unlikely for the clash with Carlton, Goodwin adamant his premiership-winning outfit was “tracking in the right direction”.
“We’re really comfortable with where our team is sitting. We clearly have a lot of pressure from guys underneath,” he said,
“But in terms of the type of player or personnel in the team, we are really comfortable. The last couple of weeks we have played some of our best footy for the year.
“We played a really dominant game against Fremantle and last week… we had momentum for big parts.
“There’s a lot to like in the way we are going, we just have to execute a little bit better and the results will be different.”
China’s ambassador to Australia has stressed there will be no compromise on Taiwan, saying Beijing has been “waiting for a peaceful reunification” but will not rule out using other means if necessary.
Key points:
As China continues military drills around Taiwan, Xiao Qian says there is no room for compromise
He has addressed ties with Australia, saying a change in government provided an “opportunity to reset”
The media came under attack for souring relations through its “negative” China coverage
“As to what does it mean ‘all necessary means?’ You can use your imagination,” Xiao Qian said.
Addressing the National Press Club as China’s historic military drills in the Taiwan Strait entered a sixth day, Mr Xiao would not predict how long the exercises would continue.
“If every country put their ‘One China’ policy into practice with sincerity, with no compromise, it is going to guarantee the peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,” he said.
“There’s no room for compromise. How long it’s going to last, a proper time? I think there will be an announcement.”
The drills were triggered by a visit to the island from United States House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi last week, angering China, which regards the self-ruled island as its own.
Saying Beijing’s response is “legitimate and justified”, the ambassador repeated China’s blame on the US for the current tensions.
“It is the US side that should, and must, take full responsibility for the escalation of tensions in the Taiwan Strait,” Mr Xiao said.
The largest-ever Chinese exercises surrounding the island have included ballistic missile launches and simulated sea and air attacks in the skies and seas surrounding Taiwan.
They have fueled discussion about the global response if China were to attack the island.
It has also prompted Taiwan to begin its own military drills to test combat readiness, and prepare air raid shelters for its 23 million residents.
“I would rather not use the word ‘invasion’ when we talk about China and Taiwan,” Mr Xiao said.
“Taiwan is different from any other scenario or situation. Taiwan is not an independent state … Taiwan is a province of the People’s Republic of China.”
People in Taiwan have been told to take shelter and cover their eyes and ears in the event of a missile attack.(Reuters: Ann Wang)
Mr Xiao’s comments came as China released a new statement mirroring the remarks.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office reaffirmed its threat to use military force to bring Taiwan under its control.
An English-language version of the Chinese statement said Beijing would “work with the greatest sincerity and exert our utmost efforts to achieve peaceful reunification … But we will not renounce the use of force”.
Mending Australia-China relations
Repairing China and Australia’s fractured ties dominated much of the ambassador’s speech.
He said the change in government provided an “opportunity to reset” the relationship between the two nations.
In recent years, the relationship has deteriorated, with China imposing trade sanctions on several Australian exports such as wine and lobsters.
The ambassador said recent high-level meetings had been productive, but that there was still a long way to go.
“The positive progress in our bilateral relations is encouraging. It’s [an] encouraging start. And, of course, there’s a lot of work to be done,” he said.
Mr Xiao pressed the importance of cooperation and not being swayed by interests with other partners.
While he has avoided naming the US, he said Australia should make its own judgments and decisions, “free from interference from a third party”.
“When we cooperate, we both win. When we don’t, we both lose,” he said.
“So, it is imperative for the governments of our two countries to adopt positive policies towards each other, take positive and concrete measures to improve the atmosphere of cooperation.”
Ms Pelosi met with Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen during her visit to Taipei. (AP: Taiwan Presidential Office)
Australia has joined with other nations — including the US — to condemn Beijing’s decision to extend military drills around Taiwan.
Chinese officials have said condemnation by Australia was undermining regional peace and stability, and amounted to meddling in its affairs.
Prior to Mr Xiao’s address, acting Prime Minister Richard Marles called on China to end its combat exercises and maintain the status quo.
He added that there was little the federal government could do to ward off constant Chinese criticism of Australia, saying it was up to China whether relations with Australia thawed or deteriorated again.
“If engaging in a more respectful, diplomatic way takes us some way down a path, it does — and if it doesn’t, it doesn’t,” Mr Marles said.
“We can only control our end of this equation. But we will always be speaking up for the national interest.”
Media comes under attack
Australia’s media was also criticized for its role in sourcing relations.
The ambassador said China was rarely portrayed in a positive light, instead coverage was overwhelmingly negative and unfair.
“Media coverage of China is, at many times, misleading and harms friendship between the two peoples,” he said.
“No country is perfect, however the coverage on a country that is always in a negative perspective is nowhere near to telling the truth about that country.”
Fan Yang, a research fellow in Chinese-Australian communities at Deakin University, said she tended to agree with the ambassador that “there was a lack of diversity in Australian journalists reporting on issues of China.”
She said this was because Australian interests and angles were applied to coverage on China.
Foreign Minister Penny Wong met with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in July, in the first such talks since 2019. (Supplied: Australian Embassy in Jakarta)
Mr Xiao said China was committed to strengthening ties, marking December 22 — the 50th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries — as a key date.
“I think it’s perfect time for our two countries to review the past, look into the future, take concrete actions in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual benefits.”
Feng Chongyi, an associate professor from the University of Technology Sydney, said nothing new came out of the address and was disappointed that Mr Xiao did not elaborate on concrete measures to reset and improve Australia-China relations.
“He pretty much attributed all the reasons for the deterioration of Australia-China relations in the past few years to the policies of the previous Australian government, without suggesting that China had any responsibility, [and] even denying Chinese economic coercion in general, which is untrue,” Dr Feng told the ABC.
“The policy of the previous Australian government was a bipartisan consensus, a fact the ambassador ignored.”
Becca Balint, Vermont’s state Senate president, has won the Democratic nomination for the state’s at-large congressional seat, NBC News projects.
The victory makes her likely to become the first woman to represent the heavily Democratic state in Congress. Vermont is the only state that has never had a female member of its congressional delegation.
Balint, a state senator since 2014 who rose to Senate president two years ago, would also be the first openly gay lawmaker to represent the state on Capitol Hill should she win in November.
Balint, 54, a progressive Democrat backed by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and the Vermont icons Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, the co-founders of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, defeated Lt. Gov. Molly Gray.
The more centrist Gray had the backing of fellow Democrats like former Vermont Govs. Madeline Kunin and Howard Dean, while retiring Sen. Pat Leahy had donated $5,000 to her campaign.
Leahy’s retirement announcement set the race for the House seat in motion. Democratic Rep. Peter Welch is running for the seat he is vacating.
Leahy, a Democrat, was elected to the Senate in 1974. Sanders, an independent and a former at-large representative, was elected to the Senate in 2006, the same year Welch was elected to the House.
The state has only three representatives in Congress — its two senators and an at-large House member.
Dareh Gregorian is a political reporter for NBC News.
Australia’s largest airline will increase the waiting time between domestic to international connecting flights by 30 minutes in an effort to mitigate the number of people arriving at their destination without their luggage.
From August 21, Qantas travelers at Australian airports will only be provided outbound international flight options with 90-minute connection times, up from 60 minutes, to accommodate for domestic delays.
Those with existing bookings who will be affected by the change will be notified of the new policy by the airline and moved to an earlier flight.
Qantas will increase the minimum connection time from 60 to 90 minutes in an attempt to stop passengers from arriving in another country without their bags. Credit:Bloomberg
It’s the first move of a broader attempt to fix baggage handling issues at the national carrier, where the mishandled baggage rate has jumped to nine in every 1000 passengers.
The group’s executives have been meeting daily to improve the airline’s sluggish performance and are considering expanding the policy to inbound international to domestic flights as well as domestic connecting flights.
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Qantas Group chief executive Alan Joyce said that, while there were a lot of good reasons why the operational performance of the airline had not been up to standard, the group was taking “additional steps”, shaped by feedback from frontline teams who have borne the brunt of customer dissatisfaction.
“Bringing our operations back to pre-COVID standard and maintaining our focus on safety is our absolute priority,” the executive said.
Qantas has been crippled by the number of staff falling ill due to COVID-19 and the flu. Sick leave is tracking about 50 per cent higher than usual.
Samsung is holding a big fall event today, where we expect to see two folding phones—the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4—along with two Galaxy Watch 5 watches and new Galaxy Buds earbuds.
Super-leaker Evan Blass recently published a massive gallery of all the new devices on the Indian website he works with, 91Mobiles. He shows every device in an array of different colors. I encourage you to go to Evan’s story to see the full array.
The event will be virtual, held at 9 am ET on Aug. 10, and you can watch it on Samsung’s website or on YouTube (embedded below).
If you aren’t on ET, here are some other time zones for the Unpacked event:
6 a.m. PT
2pm BST
3 p.m. CET
7 p.m. in Mumbai
9 p.m. in Taipei
10 pm in Seoul
11 p.m. in Sydney
Folks in New York City get a special surprise: A massive, mysterious Samsung pop-up space has appeared on 10th Avenue near the High Line in Manhattan (photo above), and the hours on the currently closed door say it will be open from Aug .11-31.
When Will These Products Be Available?
You can currently “reserve” the new Samsung products to get a special coupon, with no commitment necessary. They are anticipated to go on pre-sale shortly after the event ends, with a sale date of Aug. 26.
They will be available at all the major US carriers as well as Samsung, Best Buy, and Amazon. Samsung will almost certainly have aggressive trade-in deals for your old phones and watches.
The new pop-up space takes up most of a block along Tenth Avenue.
How Much Will They Cost?
One of the big questions around the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 and Z Fold 4 is how much they will cost in the US.
Samsung’s mobile head TM Roh says he’s aiming to make foldables “mainstream” this year, which may signal more affordable prices. The Galaxy Z Flip3 cost $999.99 and comprised 70% of last year’s Samsung foldable sales; the Galaxy Z Fold3, at $1799.99, was the other 30%.
A recent leak of a Dutch Amazon page for the Z Fold 4 claims that the phone will cost $10,374. I can say with 100% confidence that the Galaxy Z Fold 4 will not cost more than $5,000.
Samsung Galaxy ZFlip 4
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 looks a lot like the Z Flip3, according to renders and leaks. The biggest immediate change is what looks like a less protruding hinge, which will make the whole device feel slightly smaller in your pocket.
A writer for 91Mobiles claims to have specifications for the phone. The most important is a bigger battery: 3,700mAh versus 3,300mAh in the Z Flip3. I cited the Z Flip3’s battery life as its biggest minus in my review. He also says the front screen is a touch bigger, going from 1.9 to 2.1 inches.
Samsung Galaxy ZFold 4
Reliable leaker Ice Universe showed a Fold 4 (right) next to a Fold3 (left) and calls it “a further optimized version of Fold3.” You can see in his comparison that the Fold 4 is slightly shorter and wider, giving the front display a more natural aspect ratio; the bezel also appears to be slimmer.
Ice also tweeted some other specs earlier this year, including a new camera system with 50MP, 12MP ultra-wide, and 10MP 3x zoom cameras. Maybe I just like Ice right now because it’s 90 degrees in my home office.
One Twitter leaker who I don’t know, has been endorsed by Ice Universe, a leaker I trust. He gives good news about some performance improvements with the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor, but points out that charging is still limited to 25 watts.
Samsung Galaxy Watch5
A French website, Dealabs, appears to give many of the details on the new watches, which go on sale on Aug. 26. The main Watch5, which replaces the basic Watch 4 model, will come in 40mm and 44mm sizes in Bluetooth and 4G models. The Galaxy Watch5 Pro, a more rugged device, will come in only a 45mm size.
The watches run Google’s Wear OS on Samsung Exynos W920 processors, according to the site, and are IP68 rated for waterproofing.
The new pop-up space will be open for two weeks after the product launch.
Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 Pro
German website WinFuture claims to have full information on Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 2 Pro earbuds. According to the site, the buds will have eight hours of battery life per charge, with a total of 29 hours in their charging case.
The Buds will have 10mm main drivers and a 5.3mm high-frequency tweeter. They’ll offer a 33dB reduction in ambient sound with their active noise cancellation. They’ll be expensive, though: at $233 in Europe, they’re competing with Apple’s AirPods Pro.
We hope to have hands on with these new devices right after the launch event.
Hear that nervous click-click? It’s the sound of celebrities quietly removing their likes from the victorious Instagram statement Johnny Depp posted after winning his libel case against his ex-wife, Amber Heard, earlier this year. Approximately a gazillion words have been written about the case, so I’m sure I don’t need to recap it. In brief, though, Depp sued Heard for a 2018 op-ed piece in which she said she was a victim of domestic violence but she did not explicitly name him as the culprit. The televised trial was a sickeningly sordid spectacle – one lawyer described it as the “litigation equivalent of Squid Game”. Heard endured merciless mocking and walked away with her reputation for her in tatters, while Hollywood largely rallied around Depp.
Now, however, it seems that attitudes toward Depp might be souring. Twitter detectives have noticed that more than a dozen celebrities appear to have “unliked” the actor’s Instagram post over the past two months. That list includes Bella Hadid, Halle Bailey, Amanda Knox(!) and a bunch of other people I’ve never heard of but are apparently very famous.
What could be behind this Great Dislike? Probably the fact that more than 6,000 pages of court documents were recently unsealed, providing a lot of unpleasant new information about Depp. Funnily enough, Depp fans were the ones responsible for thrusting this information into the public eye – they crowdfunded the fees required to get hold of the unsealed documents, which contain allegations that lawyers for Depp and Heard managed to keep out of the trial itself. The idea was to dig up dirt on Heard, but their efforts seem to have backfired: the documents are packed with nasty nuggets of information about Depp and illuminate the extent to which his legal team weaponized misogyny throughout the trial.
One of the nastiest bits of information in the documents might be the claim that Depp’s legal team tried to submit “nude pictures” of Heard into evidence and attempted to bring up her “brief stint as an exotic dancer”. It’s not clear what nude pictures they were referring to, and these were ultimately not relied on in the trial. But, in 2014, Heard’s iCloud account was hacked and hundreds of naked photos of her were released online, causing her understandable distress. If Depp did try to have these photos trotted out in a televised trial, it looks a lot like revenge porn – pure nastiness designed to humiliate Heard. It’s also a horrible reminder that if a woman doesn’t lead a perfectly chaste life, the world will find a way to cast her as a “slut” who is responsible for anything that happens to her.
It has been reported that It has also been reported that in the unsealed documents were: text messages from Depp’s then assistant about the time the actor allegedly “kicked” Heard on a flight; Depp’s legal team’s cynical attempt to implicate Heard in the death of a friend who died in a car accident; the fact that Heard willingly walked away from “tens of millions of dollars” she was entitled to in her divorce proceedings with Depp; a statement from Depp saying Heard had never caused him physical or mental injury; disturbing text messages between Depp and the musician Marilyn Manson, who has been accused of abuse by more than a dozen women, all of which he denies; claims that photos and audio tapes submitted by Depp had been digitally manipulated and edited.
While none of this makes Depp look good, it is important to note that it’s not as if he looked like a boy scout in the first place. This is a guy who lost a libel case against the Sun in 2020 after the newspaper described him as a “wife beater”. This is a guy who joked with a friend about how they ought to murder Heard. “Let’s drown her before we burn her!!!” he wrote. “I will fuck her de ella burnt corpse afterwards to make sure she’s dead.” Depp has a well-documented history of toxic behavior and yet, throughout the trial, there was a very long line of people ready to dismiss his bad behavior from him while jumping on any excuse to paint Heard in a negative light. Will the information in the court documents significantly change people’s minds about Depp and Heard? Beyond some celebrities distancing themselves from Depp, I doubt it. If the trial showed us anything, it’s that misogyny is more alluring to many people than facts.
Arwa Mahdawi is a Guardian columnist
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As Roosters skipper James Tedesco prepares to step foot onto the hallowed turf of the SCG for his 200th NRL game, his place among rugby league’s great fullbacks is assured.
A story that had a harrowing beginning in 2012 with a torn ACL in his debut game, has blossomed into a modern-day masterpiece, and there’s plenty more chapters to be written yet.
At 29, Tedesco is at the peak of his powers, both as a leader in his craft and a leader of men, so more glory at club, state and international level is well within his grasp.
One aspect of his game that occasionally gets overlooked in the blur of dancing feet, meter-eating exploits and an unbreakable work ethic is Tedesco’s ability to find the tryline.
When talk turns to gun number ones with a penchant for four-pointers, the names Billy Slater and Brett Stewart roll off the tongue, followed in quick succession by Matt Bowen, Rhys Wesser and 302-game Rooster Anthony Minichiello, who scored 102 of his 139 career tries at fullback.
Ever since the ‘Little Master’ Clive Churchill changed the fullback’s focus from defense to attack, the man at the back has been evolving from try-saver to try-scorer and try-creator, chiming into the backline to deliver sweetly timed cut-out passes to grateful wingmen.
From the time the young Tiger Tedesco chased down a Robbie Farah grubber to bag his maiden try in round five, 2013, to career try No.108 courtesy of a Joseph Suaalii assist against the Knights three weeks ago, he has been a constant threat to opposition defences.
Like Stewart and Slater before him, Tedesco has an uncanny knack of being in the right place at the right time, knowing where to run and who to run off to make best use of his sublime skills and speed.
After notching eight tries in 19 games in his first full season in 2013, Tedesco found the stripe in 12 of his next 16 matches, eventually finishing with 50 tries in 90 games for the Tigers before hopping aboard the bus to Bondi in 2018.
The Roosters had made it to a preliminary final in 2017 and the addition of Tedesco and Cooper Cronk proved to be a master stroke as they powered to back-to-back premierships in 2018-19, the 14th and 15th titles in the foundation club’s proud history.
Tedesco’s first year at the Roosters yielded him nine tries as he found his feet and established combinations with Cronk and Luke Keary in the halves and the gifted Latrell Mitchell at left centre.
Come 2019, and ‘Teddy’ was ready to explode, peeling off 15 tries in 21 regular season games before scoring in each of the Roosters’ three finals, against the Rabbitohs, Storm and Raiders.
On the grandest of stages on grand final night, with the scores locked 8-8 and eight minutes to play, Keary launched a short side raid from the Roosters’ 40-meter line… an all or nothing play born of unwavering confidence in his own ability and that of the men around him.
As he hit the halfway line, Keary found Mitchell who delivered an audacious flick pass to Daniel Tupou, the giant winger seemingly covering 20 meters in four strides before looking inside and finding Tedesco, looming in support as he had done all season long.
With a tense and tight decider in the balance, four of the defending premiers’ big guns had stood tall, conjuring a try for the ages, the 77th and possibly most cherished of Tedesco’s glittering NRL career.
A career that already has him being spoken of as one of the great fullbacks, to which you can most certainly add great tryscoring fullbacks.
Premier Dominic Perrottet has revealed a confidential resignation letter from the NSW building commissioner has been referred to the state’s independent corruption watchdog.
David Chandler resigned abruptly last month, prompting speculation about the circumstances of his departure amid scrutiny over the conduct of recently dumped minister Eleni Petinos, to whom he reported.
Former NSW fair trading minister Eleni Petinos, former building commissioner David Chandler and Premier Dominic Perrottet.Credit:Wolter Peeters, Kate Geraghty, NCA Newswire
Perrottet on Wednesday revealed during question time that Chandler’s resignation letter was sent to the secretary of the Department of Customer Service, who referred it to the Independent Commission Against Corruption on August 1.
Petinos was sacked over workplace bullying allegations the day before the letter was sent to ICAC. She had denied the bullying allegations.
“This is a personal letter related to an employment matter. I’ve been advised by the secretary that appropriate action was taken by her in relation to the contents of the letter,” Perrottet said.
“Out of the abundance of caution, the letter was provided to the ICAC for information.”
The NSW opposition on Tuesday said it would use Legislative Council powers to compel the government to release the letter after it was revealed that Petinos met representatives from a property development company that employed former deputy premier John Barilaro. The letter is expected to be released to the upper house on Thursday.
The opposition has queried the meetings between Petinos and Coronation Property, given a stopwork order had been placed on one of its major projects. Chandler had oversight of stopwork orders and whether to revoke them. It is not yet known whether Chandler’s resignation letter relates to that issue.
Both Petinos and Barilaro have issued statements saying that Barilaro was not in attendance at a June 2 meeting between Petinos and Coronation Property.
