David Warner is reportedly on the verge of confirming his long-awaited return to the Big Bash League by signing with the Sydney Thunder.
The Age reports that the in-demand Australian opener could sign for the western Sydney club as early as Saturday, marking his first return to the domestic competition since 2013.
Warner’s deal will reportedly be worth at least $340,000, which is the same as what’s being offered to the highest tier of overseas players in the competition’s inaugural draft.
Watch South Africa’s Tour of England. Every ODI & T20 Live & On-Demand on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Candice addresses David’s BBL future | 01:30
The left-hander — who was said to be in talks about playing in the UAE’s inaugural ILT20 — will replace Usman Khawaja, who has moved to the Brisbane Heat.
The door opened for Warner to return to the BBL after South Africa pulled out of an ODI series against Australia in January.
According to The AgeWarner was then among several Australian contracted players offered as much as $650,000 to play in the UAE start-up.
In the case of Warner, however, that outcome has been avoided — marking a massive boost for the Big Bash.
Warner will be available for five BBL matches after Australia’s three-Test tour against South Africa wraps up in Sydney in early January.
Calls for several local stadiums in Sydney to be upgraded will only grow louder after shocking footage emerged of a grandstand collapsing at Leichhardt Oval.
Radio host Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald was attending a high school rugby union match between St Joseph’s College and Riverview on Saturday and he shared a video of an ugly incident on Twitter.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
In the clip, a Joeys player goes over for a try to the delight of the packed crowd in attendance.
But the video then shows a railing at the front of a small grandstand collapse under the weight of the fans, causing a number of them to faceplant onto concrete meters below.
Fitzgerald wrote: “Do you reckon Leichardt Oval needs an upgrade?”
It’s unclear if any of the spectators were injured. Channel 9 reported paramedics were at the scene.
The collapse happened in front of a crowd of around 15,000 and brought the game to a standstill.
The unfortunate incident will only heap more pressure on the NSW government to commit to funding upgrades to three Sydney stadiums including Leichhardt Oval, the traditional home of the Wests Tigers.
This week it emerged Sydney is on the brink of losing the NRL Grand Final after the state government reportedly walked away from an $800 million pledge.
The agreed upon deal, reportedly struck in May, is on the brink of collapsing and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys is said to be fuming.
The agreement would see Brookvale Oval ($100m), Leichhardt Oval ($50m) and Cronulla’s Shark Park ($100m) receive significant upgrades — and if delivered, the Grand Final would remain in Sydney for the next 20 years until 2042 on the proviso the Olympic venue would receive an $800m upgrade.
Those plans were scrapped during the pandemic with the NRL moving to shift those funds to suburban grounds and V’landys claiming he had received verbal confirmations from NSW Premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Dominic Perrottet for between $250 and $350 million.
Penrith Stadium was also in the agreement, however $300m has reportedly been ticked off to upgrade the grounds.
“We are in delicate negotiations with the NSW government,” V’landys said.
“All options will be on the table if these negotiations fail.”
A deadline on Tuesday passed with the two parties still staring each other down with reports Perrottet is set to walk away from a $250 million pledge to upgrade grounds, according to The Daily Telegraph.
2GB host Ben Fordham grilled NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, who has since resigned from his ministerial posts for separate reasons, over why Penrith Stadium had received funding but the other grounds had not.
“You’re the Sports Minister, your home ground is Penrith, you’re a Panthers fan and for all I know you’re probably the number one ticket holder,” Fordham said.
“So they got the $300 million, so what about Brookvale, Shark Park, Leichhardt Oval… I would be seriously surprised if you don’t know the answer I am posing to you.
“Why did your home ground get the money at your home ground and the others didn’t?
“Ben, there’s a long-term strategy,” Ayres said.
“We made decisions in what was the best interests of the public.
“We’ve had a long-term stadia strategy that we’ve been delivering since 2015. We’ve rebuilt Parramatta Stadium, we’re just about to open the new Sydney Football stadium.
“We’re committed to a stadium in Penrith, it reflects our three city strategy.
“We’ve invested well in excess of $1.5b dollars, part of that is, we’d like to have a long-term commitment from the NRL for the grand finale.
“We’ve just had Covid, we’ve had substantial flood impacts that have put more pressure on the budget.”
The Queensland government is now readying a bid to claim to NRL grand final for years to come.
Premier League legends Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher have slammed disgruntled star Cristiano Ronaldo, amid the uncertainty and speculation about his future at Manchester United.
Ronaldo returned to United’s match day squad for a game against La Liga side Rayo Vallecano earlier this week, after missing the clubs pre-season tour to Thailand and Australia.
But after being subbed off at halftime by manager Erik ten Hag, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner reportedly walked out of Old Trafford with 10 minutes to run on the game clock.
Watch the world’s best footballers every week with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. LIVE coverage from Bundesliga, Ligue 1, Serie A, Carabao Cup, EFL & SPFL. New to Kayo? Try 14-Days Free Now >
Gunners get the job done at Palace | 02:07
The infamous walkout was described as “unacceptable” by ten Hag, and only fueled rumors that Ronaldo is desperate for a transfer away from the Red Devils.
Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville believes the club needs to sell the Portuguese international, as he suggested how Ronaldo’s actions may be hurting the club.
“Ronaldo’s achievements in football go beyond, to be fair, anyone could ever wish for and imagine. He’ll go down in the top players of all-time and he always will be, ”Neville said on The Overlap.
“What happens this summer at Manchester United will be forgotten about in 20 years.
“The star player in the dressing room is playing up. It happened at times over the last few years where you had Pogba’s agent, not necessarily (Paul) Pogba all the time but his agent always playing up with the club.
“You can’t have your star player in a club running the shop. You cannot have it. When Sir Alex Ferguson potentially in the past moved players on, it was because that player was needed to be moved on.
“I know Manchester United fans want Ronaldo to stay, but if Ronaldo wants to leave, Manchester United in my mind should facilitate that.”
MORE NEWS
Gunners kick off Premier League season with a bang in statement win
SIX Liverpool players injured; Foxes star ruled out for six months — PL Late Mail
‘Going to be tough’: Man City star admits brutal pressure to ‘deliver’ on $150m deal
Ronaldo, who has won the Champions League five times, was reportedly set to be benched for United’s Premier League season opener against Brighton after missing most of the pre-season.
But a thigh injury to French attacker Anthony Martial could see the star named as a surprise starter for Sunday night’s match (AEST).
Asked if Ronaldo will start, coach Erik Ten Hag said: “We will see on Sunday.”
Pep confident Haaland will bag goals | 00:45
Liverpool great Carragher always expected to follow Ronaldo after he signed his contract, as the 37-year-old never would’ve wanted to “play second fiddle” to a teammate.
“I always felt this situation would come. Even if Ronaldo did great for a year, he signed a two-year deal plus another year which I couldn’t believe. He’s never going to play second fiddle to anyone,” Carragher said.
“As players, at a certain stage in your career we all know that you’re not the same player and his (career) has gone on longer because he’s such a great professional.
“He’s not the same player, he’s still a great goal scorer but he’s not the same player. No other club in Europe at this moment wants him.
“I think if you ask (Erik) ten Hag, I don’t think he wants him and I’m not quite sure the dressing room at Manchester United would want Cristiano Ronaldo right now.”
What to expect in the opening PL round | 03:20
While it’s been said that Ronaldo missed the pre-season tour due to personal reasons, the rumor mill was in full swing as fans and pundits alike speculated about his future.
It’s believed that he’d handed in a transfer request after United failed to qualify for the Champions League last season – finishing sixth, 35-points behind rivals and champions Manchester City.
While in Australia, new manager ten Hag was bombarded with a number of questions about his key player.
Ten Hag insisted that Ronaldo wasn’t for sale, but Ronaldo continued to dominate headlines over rumors of a potential transfer to Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, and even Lionel Messi’s Paris Saint-Germain.
“Ten Hag literally has had every single press conference that he does just obliterated by the Ronaldo issue,” Neville added.
“If a player becomes the dominating factor and a distraction in a press conference for a manager, there’s only one thing that needs to happen. We all know it.
“You might have to go back to go forwards and this season Manchester United, they may have to go back without Ronaldo.”
Superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell put on an absolute clinic as the Rabbitohs thrashed the Warriors 48-10 on Saturday afternoon.
Mitchell scored 24 points after producing two tries, two assists, two linebreaks, four tackle busts and slotting 8/8 conversions.
MATCH CENTER: Rabbitohs v Warriors, score, teams, videos, stats
It was South Sydney’s highest score of the season and the win leapfrogs them into sixth place on the NRL ladder with a real shot at a top-four finish.
Souths started as unbackable favorites and they quickly showed why – scoring at almost a point a minute in the first half.
The Warriors’ defense was atrocious all afternoon and it’s now the worst in the competition.
Rabbitohs lock Cameron Murray set up the opening three tries, with Lachlan Illias, Damien Cook and Tevita Tatola all crossing.
“He’s run for 75 meters, made a bunch of tackles and now has a third, yes a third, try assist,” Warren Smith said on Fox League after 17 minutes.
Murray passed to halfback Lachlan Ilias who stepped off his right foot and went through a yawning gap to score the opener in the fourth minute.
Murray then made a break down the middle and offloaded to hooker Cook who showed some nice footwork to score in the 10th minute.
The Souths captain made it three assists when he broke a few tackles close to the line before offloading for Tatola to score.
Next it was Keaon Koloamatangi who broke through some more soft defense to score from close range in the 22nd minute.
The Warriors pulled one back through Edward Kosi but the Rabbitohs were soon back at it when Mitchell burst through several tackles to score under the posts.
“You can’t put him down when he gets a chance winds up from that sort of range,” Warren Smith said on Fox League after Mitchell charged over from almost 20 meters out.
Mitchell then turned provider for winger Alex Johnston who joined NRL legends Matt Sing and Hazem El Masri on 159 career tries.
Mitchell picked up where he left off in the second half, throwing a bullet cut-out pass for debutant Izaac Thompson to score.
Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson crossed for a sharp try in the 51st minute when he passed and then wrapped around to take back the ball from Josh Curran and score.
Mitchell scored the simplest of tries after Jai Arrow ran a decoy and the former crossed untouched in the 56th minute for his double.
Here are three of the biggest takeaways from the match.
LATRELL SHINES AGAIN
Souths transformed into a different team upon the return of superstar Latrell Mitchell in Round 16.
They’ve now won five of six games since Mitchell came back from a lengthy hamstring lay-off, and their only loss came in golden point against the Sharks.
Mitchell’s individual brilliance simply makes his teammates better – and it was on display again against the Warriors.
The classy fullback scored a personal record 24 points after producing two tries, two try assists, two linebreaks, two linebreak assists, four tackle busts. He was rested for the final 20 minutes of the game.
“That was a big step in the right direction, tonight was about earning the right and all the boys kicked into another gear,” Mitchell told Fox League.
Latrell Mitchell of the Rabbitohs celebrates scoring a try. Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“It’s all about holding the ball and whoever does that and defends their line the best takes the lollies.
“I’m really enjoying this group and I couldn’t be at a better club.”
Mitchell set up tries on the each side of halftime for wingers Alex Johnston and debutant Izaac Thompson, with the second leaving rugby league great Steve Roach in awe.
“We are watching a magician in play here, Latrell Mitchell. Sit back and watch just how good that pass is,” Roach said.
“Watch this for class. Just the vision, bang, catch and pass. There’s not a lot of blokes who could throw that pass in the history of the game. That’s just brilliant.”
“That was poor play from the Warriors, they got caught flat footed and Ilias couldn’t believe his luck,” Steve Roach said on Fox League.
RABBITOHS EYEING TOP FOUR
Souths are charging towards the top four after clinching their fifth win in six games, and setting a new club record against the Warriors.
It’s the first time in over 100 years since the Rabbitohs have scored over 30 points in five straight games against an opponent (North Sydney 1917-19).
It was the Bunnies’ highest score and biggest win this season, their fourth 40-point scoreline and fifth win by at least 18 points.
They’re now sitting sixth and just one win outside the top four with four rounds remaining. They face top-eight sides the Eels, Panthers, Cowboys and Roosters on their run home.
“I thought the first half was pretty clinical,” Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou said.
“We’re looking good for our back end of the year with some of our key players hitting some form.
South Sydney press conference | 05:54
“Everyone talks about the draw but the beauty about what we’ve got at the back end is that we’ve got teams that are going to influence where we finish and it’s on us.
“Every two points will decide where we finish at the end of the year. There’s another two points up for grabs next week against a team that’s playing some good footy as well.”
Latrell Mitchell and Cameron Murray were sensational as the latter set up three tries but left the game late for an HIA.
“I’m feeling good, I’ve come away from it unscathed,” Murray said.
“Overall I thought we were pretty good tonight, we’re building nicely, everyone is buying into what we’re doing and we’re building our combinations.”
WARRIORS’ WOES CONTINUE
The Warriors started the game with the second-worst defense in the competition and they finished it with the worst.
The Kiwis were simply abysmal in defense as the Rabbitohs crossed with ease, scoring eight tries in the opening 56 minutes.
The Warriors have now conceded 561 points in 20 games this season, allowing more than 28 points per game.
They’ve lost 10 straight outside New Zealand and four of their past six by more than 20 points. It was the fourth time the Warriors have conceded 40 points this season.
Interim coach Stacey Jones said it was the worst performance he’s seen since replacing Nathan Brown two months ago.
“Since I’ve taken over in this role, that’s the most disappointed I’ve been,” Jones said.
NZ Warriors press conference | 03:18
“I thought our attitude to defense was terrible, we didn’t want to get physical with them and if you allow a team like that to dominate early that’s what happened.
“I told the boys we need to address not just how to turn up on game day but how we train. We’ve got four weeks to go and we need to show a lot more than we showed tonight.”
The Warriors copped it from Fox League commentators Warren Smith and Steve Roach all afternoon.
“That was poor play from the Warriors, they got caught flat footed and Ilias couldn’t believe his luck,” Roach after the first try.
“That was a little bit too easy. I said they were brittle, well maybe scratch that, they’re beyond brittle, they’re Swiss cheese, there’s not much defense from the Warriors,” Smith added after the third.
FOLLOW THE ACTION IN OUR LIVE BLOG BELOW. CAN’T SEE IT? CLICK HERE.
New details have emerged about the man police accuse of murdering a respected farming family in far-north Queensland.
Darryl Young, 59, has been charged with murdering Mervyn Schwarz, 71, his wife Maree, 59, and her son Graham Tighe, 35, at the gates of his property in Bogie, which bordered the Schwarz’s farm.
Mr Tighe’s brother, Ross, was shot in the stomach, but miraculously survived after driving more than 40km to a neighboring farm to raise an alarm.
He was flown to Mackay hospital and underwent emergency surgery on Thursday night.
Police said there was a long-running boundary dispute between Young and the Schwarz’s, who purchased the sprawling 30,000ha farm for $10 million last year.
Police said Young, the Schwarz’s and the Tighe’s agreed to meet at the fence of Young’s property in a phone conversation on Wednesday evening.
Police will allege Young shot the four victims “execution-style” with a rifle.
Young is listed to appear in the Proserpine Magistrates Court on Monday.
On Friday he was charged with three counts of murder and one count of attempted murder, after five people were initially taken into custody.
Young is a long-time Bogie resident who reportedly lives with his daughter, believed to be in her 20s, outside of Bowen.
He is said to be well-known in the farming community, having owned property as far south as Gladstone.
Australia’s Nick Kyrgios and top seed Andrey Rublev each won twice on Friday (US time) to reach the semi-finals of the ATP and WTA Washington Open.
World number eight Rublev defeated 32nd-ranked Maxime Cressy 6-4, 7-6 (10/8) in one hour and 42 minutes then eliminated 99th-ranked wildcard JJ Wolf 6-2, 6-3 in 78 minutes.
“I didn’t spend much time in court,” Rublev said of his three-hour total. “That was the main key today.”
Watch Tennis Live with beIN SPORTS on Kayo. Live Coverage of ATP + WTA Tour Tournaments including Every Finals Match. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Rain Thursday night forced double duty upon Rublev and several others but Friday storms provided everyone a timely rest break between matches.
Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios fired 35 aces on his way to beating hometown hero Frances Tiafoe 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (14/12), 6-2 and reaching the other semi-final against Sweden’s 115th- ranked Mikael Ymer.
Australia’s 63rd-ranked Kyrgios, who won the most recent of his six ATP titles at Washington in 2019, needed only 14 minutes to complete an early win over US fourth seed Reilly Opelka 7-6 (7/1), 6-2.
Kyrgios then outlasted 27th-ranked Tiafoe after two and a half hours, yelling, “I want to go to bed,” in the third set of a match that ended at 1 in the morning.
Tiafoe won the last five points of the first-set tiebreaker, the last on his sixth ace, and had four match points in the second-set tiebreaker.
But Kyrgios answered with an ace, backhand winner, forehand volley winner and service return winner and forced a third set when Tiafoe sent a forehand long.
Tiafoe, who won a third set earlier to defeat Dutch eighth seed Botic van de Zandschulp, hit a crosscourt forehand wide to hand Kyrgios a break to open the third set and missed a backhand to drop a break in the seventh before Kyrgios held to advance.
The Aussie hit 60 winners and saved five match points in all.
The Washington Post’s Ella Brockway tweeted: “This Kyrgios-Tiafoe match is absolutely bonkers.
“There are few things in sports quite like The Nick Kyrgios Experience.”
Kyrgios wins hearts with gift for fan | 00:37
Ymer, who lost his only ATP final last August at Winston-Salem, beat 54th-ranked American Sebastian Korda 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 after two hours and 27 minutes.
Rublev, whose only other two-win day was at Washington in 2018, rolled through the first set against Wolf in 28 minutes, then broke to lead 2-1 and cruised from there.
Next in Rublev’s path is Japan’s 96th-ranked Yoshihito Nishioka, who outlasted British 16th seed Daniel Evans 7-6 (7/5), 4-6, 7-5 after three hours and 35 minutes.
“Rather than to spend two matches like me than one match like him,” Rublev said.
Nishioka improved to 5-0 all-time against the 40th-ranked Englishman in the rain-interrupted affair to reach his first ATP semi-final since 2020 at Delray Beach. His only ATP title came at Shenzhen in 2018.
“I never gave up and that’s the way I think I won,” Nishioka said. “I just focused on making a lot of balls and to play long rallies. I knew he didn’t want to because he was getting tired.”
Rublev seeks his 12th career crown and fourth title of the season after Marseilles, Dubai and Belgrade to match Spaniards Rafael Nadal and Carlos Alcaraz for the most ATP trophies this year.
Estonia’s Kaia Kanepi defeated Anna Kalinskaya 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 6-3 to reach a semi-final against Aussie Daria Saville, who beat Canadian qualifier Rebecca Marino 6-1, 7-5.
It’s Saville’s first semi-final since 2018 at Acapulco while Kanepi, her age and world rank at 37, seeks her fifth career WTA title but first since the 2013 Brussels Open.
World number 20 Victoria Azarenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, won her first match over Czech Tereza Martincova 7-6 (9/7), 6-2, but her double bid was spoiled by 21-year-old Chinese lucky loser Wang Xiyu.
Wang, seeking her first WTA title, rolled over 33-year-old Azarenka 6-1, 6-3. The 95th-ranked left-hander reached her first WTA semi-final in June at Valencia.
Wang next plays 60th-ranked Liudmila Samsonova, who upset 10th-ranked reigning US Open champion Emma Raducanu 7-6 (8/6), 6-1. The 19-year-old British second seed was seeking her first semi-final since her Grand Slam triumph,
Former Adelaide coach Don Pyke has apologized for the 2018 pre-season camp amid growing scrutiny of his role in it, as players continue to speak out.
On Saturday Bryce Gibbs joined Josh Jenkins and Eddie Betts as past Adelaide players opening up on their disturbing experiences.
Gibbs backed up Jenkins and Betts’ claims, including about counselors asking the players for personal information which was then used to abuse them during camp rituals.
Watch every blockbuster AFL match this weekend Live & Ad-Break Free In-Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Jenkins revealed during the now-infamous ‘harness’ incident he asked Pyke and Crows development manager Heath Younie why it was taking place, telling them “we lost a game of footy (the 2017 Grand Final), we are all good people, this is rubbish and I think we should all leave”.
Crows higher-ups have also been criticized for their handling of the camp fall-out, with Jenkins claiming the club told players it had signed confidentiality agreements on their behalf, and that after Indigenous players’ reaction to the camp, it was suggested they as a group would be excluded from the leadership program.
The Herald Sun’s Mark Robinson wrote this weekend: “Coach Don Pyke, who was on the camp and surely aware of the distress and distrust growing within his playing group, needed to be better.
“I needed to stop it. Someone had to and he was coach.”
Buddy likely to stay in Sydney? | 00:35
Now a Swans assistant, Pyke delivered an apology while speaking to media at Melbourne Airport on Saturday.
“To Josh and Eddie and the Adelaide players and staff who were involved, I apologize for the camp. It’s saddened me to see they’re feeling that way. I acknowledge the hurt and I’m sorry,” he said.
“I’ve been in contact with both of them, haven’t had a chance to speak to them yet but have spoken to a couple of the other guys. Clearly it’s a sad time for us all. I’ll reach out to some other guys in the next couple of days.
“Clearly we’re always reflecting, there’s a couple of components there – firstly with Eddie and Josh, the fact they feel personal information they provided was used against them, that’s disappointing and unacceptable. I’m saddened by that, sorry for that.
“Clearly we entered as I’ve said before, a space to improve from a performance viewpoint. And that space had some challenges and we got it wrong, that has to be acknowledged. Whether it was our planning, whether it was our assessment, the execution or the follow-up or the debriefing following the events of the camp, clearly it was an error and I’ve apologized to the playing group before and I apologise again.
“I respect Eddie and Josh for speaking out and saying their piece about how they felt about the camp. It’s put it on the agenda and on the table for discussion. It’s important we have the discussion to try and deal with the issues that arise from that.
“If there’s still people with ongoing issues we support them and we try and actually move on from this. It’s a challenging time for all of us but one that we’ll hopefully get through.”
Pyke was also asked whether he believed his role in the camp would impact his chances of getting another senior coaching role, such as at GWS, but said that it was “for others” to discuss.
Australia’s cost of living crisis has been laid bare after Sydney residents rushed to a local petrol station upon hearing that prices were much lower than normal.
By the time most arrived, however, the price had fluctuated and was back to a more expensive level.
On Saturday morning, just past 9am, a thoughtful resident spotted that petrol prices were unusually cheap at a service station in Randwick, in Sydney’s east.
She took a quick snap and shared it a local community group, prefacing the image with “Cheap petrol Clovelly Rd.
“I don’t drive but plenty of cars buying.”
It was as low as 115.8 and 129 cents per liter (unleaded and premium unleaded respectively) but just an hour later, the prices had jumped to 161 and 175 cents per liter.
The original poster promised to notify her community if she spotted low prices again.
The current average price for regular unleaded fuel in Sydney is at 169.1 cents per liter, according to the NRMA’s weekly fuel report.
It comes as Australia has been caught in the throes of a cost of living crisis as inflation, rising interest rates and supply chain issues have made it harder to get ahead financially.
In the last quarter, transport costs rose 13.1 per cent as the price of fuel rose to record levels for the fourth quarter in a row.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has previously said he would not extend the 50 per cent fuel excise cut, due to expire September 28, due to the cost to the budget bottom line.
To extend it for another six months would cost the government $3 billion.
Last month, data found that Australians were spending nearly three-quarters more on petroleum each month than they were less than a year ago.
In June, the average monthly spend on petroleum in Australia was $192.63, an increase of $82.05 (74.19 per cent) from September 2021.
These heavy prices have made Australians become more strategic and considered with their driving habits, with more than 60 per cent now shopping around for cheaper fuel.
Rising interest rates might be putting off some people from purchasing a property amid fears they cannot afford the mortgage stress.
But whether you are looking for a house to make your home, or an investment property, there are still some bargains to be found across Australia.
Real Estate Institute of Australia president Hayden Groves told NCA NewsWire markets like Sydney, spurred on by low interest rates and economic stimulus, had experienced rapid price gains of about 30 per cent in 2021, peaking earlier this year.
“Other east coast markets have performed similarly well and are now beginning to moderate as affordability constraints impact,” he said.
“In contrast, the markets of Perth and Darwin, since early 2020, have underperformed comparative to east coast cities.
“They are now enviable, more affordable and continue to grow thanks to migration-led demand, strong economies and tight housing supply.”
Mr Groves observed that in the hyper-inflated markets of Sydney and Hobart, prices were beginning to rationalize due to buyer uncertainty.
“Brisbane’s market remains buoyant thanks to migration pressures fueling demand, whereas Adelaide continues to perform well thanks to the flow-down effects from relocations from higher priced regions across Melbourne,” he said.
“Price rises have already reversed in Melbourne, Sydney and Hobart, while Perth and Adelaide remain strong off the back of more constrained growth.”
Mr Groves said Perth remained the most affordable capital in Australia.
“Average mortgage holders part with around 24 per cent of their wages to service their loans,” he said.
“Compared this to Sydney-siders who currently give up on average 46 per cent of their salary to meet their mortgage payments.
“Median house prices in Perth are about $550,000, less than half that of Sydney’s median prices and well below Hobart, Brisbane and Adelaide.”
Darwin and some major regional city areas in eastern Victoria, north Adelaide and northeast Tasmania also offered good value, Mr Groves added.
He noted interest rates remained low and were coming up from “emergency” levels.
“It is good news that Australian property markets head back to a more balanced environment, although as housing supply remains below underlying demand, property values are likely to retain much of their gains experienced since early 2020,” he said.
NRL legend Cameron Smith believes Nathan Cleary’s lengthy ban leading into finals will provide “a blessing in disguise” for the Panthers.
Cleary flipped Penrith’s season on its head when he was sent off for a dangerous lifting tackle on Eels playmaker Dylan Brown last Friday.
The New South Wales Origin star copped a five-match suspension and won’t return for the competition leaders before the finals.
Five-eighth Jarome Luai is also out set for a lengthy stint on the sidelines, after suffering an MCL injury against the Sharks.
Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >
Without the two experienced playmakers leading the team around the park, the Panthers will have to rely on some relatively inexperienced combinations until the finals.
Penrith have turned Jaeman Salmon and Sean O’Sullivan for Saturday’s clash with Canberra, with the Panthers currently six competition points clear of second with five games to play.
But Smith said the break for the duo can become a positive for the reigning NRL premiers.
“I think it can work in their favour,” Smith said on SEN’s The Captain’s Run on Thursday.
“I actually think that giving this football side an opportunity side to play a month or five weeks without Cleary in particular and Jerome Luai, their two main men, it’s their go-to men in attack, I actually think when they return they’ll both be fresh.
MORE NEWS
‘Biggest joke ever’: Reynolds takes stand as Klemmer call leaves teammates ‘frustrated’
‘The whole thing’s weird: ‘Naive’ Knights under fire amid Klemmer conspiracy theory
‘Could be sacked’: Shock Klemmer twist could spark possible player revolt
Jimmy Brings: O’Brien’s explosive dressing room blow-up revealed
“Nathan Cleary, he’s going to have fresh legs, he’s going to be fresh mentality. He hasn’t had to get up for games for five weeks.
“You could see as soon as he made that tackle he knew he’d let the team down, and the club and the fans. He’s going to come out in that final series and think ‘I’ve got to repay this footy club and my fans for missing five weeks’.
“This footy side can benefit so much from these two guys not being there and guys like Api Koroisau and Isaah Yeo… they’re going to have to shoulder more responsibility now with the way the football team plays.
“I just think they’re going to be a stronger footy side again.”
Penrith have one hand on the minor premiership just over a month out from finals, but they could quickly lose that grip with a couple of losses on the bounce.
The Cowboys are their closest rivals in the race for pole position, but the Sharks are also an outside chance – but are four games back and they have a significantly worse points difference.
Open your eyes! Roosters Scold Walker | 00:31
North Queensland host the Panthers in the final round of the regular season, and although it’s unlikely, it’s possible that the two teams clash with the minor premiership on the line.
It’s potentially a season defining a few weeks for the Panthers, who are looking to defend their NRL crown.
“Let’s just say the top four doesn’t change, they take on Melbourne. If they finish first, they’ll be taking on the Storm,” he added.
“The biggest difference this year is they’ll play their first game at home. They’ll be playing at Penrith.
“Whereas last year and I know it was a neutral ground for the Sydney sides, but they played the Rabbitohs up in Townsville and got beaten. They’re a different footy side at home.
“They’ve lost one game there in a thousand years.”
Parramatta are another side who will be without a key player for a majority of their remaining regular season games.
Star playmaker Mitchell Moses has been ruled out with a finger injury, and will spend at least a couple of weeks watching on from the sidelines.
The Eels could potentially drop out of the top eight if they have a bad month, with the Raiders just four-point behind them.
“(Moses) He’s leading the competition for try assists. He’s got 20 try assists, so now with him out, plus his goal kicking, so now they need to find someone to produce points for them.
“They’re going to have to find some points somewhere. Whether Gutho stands up a little bit more, I think Jake Arthur may be playing in the halves this week.
