Australian leg-spinner Alana King paid tribute to the late Shane Warne in epic fashion, becoming the first female to take a hat-trick in The Hundred as Trent Rockets defeated Manchester Originals by 43 runs.
King finished figures of 4-15 from 20 deliveries, took a spectacular diving catch and was also handy with the bat in hand, scoring 19 from nine balls.
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Alana King of Trent Rockets celebrates dismissing Kate Cross. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
speaking to Sky Cricket post-match, a classy King was just happy to get the win.
“Pretty special but as I said, I’m here to do my job for the team and I’m glad it came off today,” she said.
“It was a fresh wicket today, it was a bit dry and hoping there was some spin and there was. Stoked to get the win and happy I can contribute.”
It was a particularly special performance for King, who made history on the same ground that Warne bowled the ball of the century in the 1993 Ashes series.
“I hope he’s looking down and pretty proud that I’ve spun a few today,” King said.
“Just a special place Old Trafford.”
Alana King did Shane Warne proud. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Earlier, Australian cricketer Beth Mooney came within touching distance of becoming the first centurion in the Hundred women’s competition on Friday, scoring an unbeaten 97 against last year’s runners-up Southern Brave in Southampton.
Fresh off her triumphant Commonwealth Games campaign, the 28-year-old smacked the highest score in the 100-ball tournament’s short history on her London Spirit debut, guiding the side to 4/155 in front of 9000 spectators at the Ageas Bowl.
Mooney needed nothing less than a six off the final delivery to reach triple figures, but the left-hander could only muster a two.
Birmingham Phoenix young gun Will Smeed remains the only cricketer to have scored a century in The Hundred, achieving the feat against the Brave in the men’s competition on Wednesday.
Mooney, who passed 50 in just 32 deliveries, struck 17 boundaries in the 55-ball demolition, combining with New Zealand’s Amelia Kerr for an 87-run second-wicket partnership.
But the Queenslander’s heroics weren’t enough for the Spirit to secure victory, with the Brave chasing the 156-run target with six deliveries to spare, courtesy of a 34-ball 65 from Player of the Match Danni Wyatt.
It was the English opener’s third half-century in The Hundred.
Beth Mooney of the London Spirit. Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“I’m really happy to have contributed to a win and just to get the win on the board is really pleasing,” Wyatt told Sky Sports after the six-wicket win.
“My job at the top is to go out there and be brave and fearless, and if it’s in my area go for it.
“It’s a great start. Beth Mooney batted exceptionally today and we knew it was going to take one of us to go out there and do what she did.”
Australian leg-spinner Amanda Jade-Wellington, the Brave’s highest-wicket taker last year, was the pick of the bowlers on Friday, claiming 3/30 from her 20 deliveries.
Southern Brave captain Anya Shrubsole continued: “Beth Mooney was outstanding, and she makes you feel as a captain and a bowler you don’t have a clue where to put your fielders out. But Danni showed what a good track it was, and I’m really pleased to get a win.
“We go again against Oval on Sunday. It’sa quick turnaround and it’s quite a warm few days as well, but it’s exciting.”
Highest Individual Score in the Hundred women’s competition
97* – Beth Mooney, LS vs. SB (2022)
92* – Jemimah Rodrigues, NS vs. WF (2021)
78 – Smriti Mandhana, SB vs. WF (2021)
76* – Shafali Verma, BP vs. WF (2021)
76 – Rachael Priest, TR vs. LS (2021)
Mooney was a crucial member of the Australian team that won a Commonwealth Games gold medal in Birmingham last week, scoring 61 (41) against India in the final at Edgbaston.
She was the T20 tournament’s highest run-scorer with 179 runs at 44.75 and a strike rate of 133.58.
Mooney currently sits at No. 1 on the ICC Women’s T20I batting rankings, narrowly ahead of Australian teammate Meg Lanning and New Zealand captain Sophie Devine.
The Spirit will next face the Northern Superchargers at Headingley on Sunday, with the first ball scheduled for 8pm AEST.
There are always defining moments in every Queen’s career, say when Elizabeth I stood before her troops at Tilbury in 1588 and gave one of British history’s most famously rousing speeches or in 1947 when the future Elizabeth II delivered her famous radio address from South Africa promising to dedicate her life to her job.
But for Kate, currently the Duchess of Cambridge and the future Queen Catherine, one of the most defining moments came on April 30 2011, the day after her wedding to Prince William, and her first full days as a bona fide member of the royal family.
Crossing the lawn at Buckingham Palace as the newlyweds made their way to a helicopter to whisk them off to start married, just what did Kate choose to wear? An $85 Zara dress.
The symbolism was clear: Kate might have snagged the prince, gotten herself a title and was now calling a palace home but she was the same woman as she had been 48 hours earlier. With one outfit she was making it clear to the world that she would do things her way of her and that despite her elevation to royal ranks, she remained firmly tethered to normal life.
It was a powerful and very canny move and a style strategy we have seen her wheel out again and again in the year since then.
So, what in the name of her extensive collection of tepid coat dresses has been going on of late?
According to my calculations, in the last 100 days Kate has worn more than $83,851 worth of readily identifiable clothes, shoes and jewellery, not including the number of bespoke designer pieces she has showcased, items that I could not find prices for or the value of. the royal jewelery she has worn. (If we added that all in we would easily be well into the six-figures, I reckon. Keep in mind too that members of the royal family cannot accept freebies either.)
What is clear if you pore over photos and details of the last three and a bit months is that over the course of the last 100 days there has been a very discernible shift in her wardrobe towards the much more costly.
Gone, by and large, are her high-street favourites, affordable pieces from mainstream British chains and in their place is an ever-growing roster of four-figure frocks and diamond earrings.
No look came with a higher price tag in this time period than her very chic, pared back ensemble for the Top Gun premiere with Kate opting for a $5,115 Roland Mouret dress, Prada heels, a $4,418 Alexander McQueen clutch and new $18,133 diamond earrings from Robinson Pelham.
While Kate did re-wear a number of pieces, most notably the white Alexander McQueen suit she first debuted during her and husband Prince William, Duke of Cambridge’s disastrous Caribbean tour and a striking Catherine Walker coat she first donned last year, these are all pieces that cost into the thousands. (There are no prices listed on the Catherine Walker website and you know what they say about having to ask how much something is…)
This is a sartorial tendency that extends to her in her off-duty hours too. Back in 2019 Kate was last photographed at the polo wearing a $740 LK Bennett dress. In July, the 40-year-old was back at watching her husband de ella working up a sweat playing a few chukkas but this time she chose a ladylike Emilia Wickstead number from the designer’s 2019 collection. Currently, a white sleeveless dress that is similar is selling for just under $2000.
Since early May, Kate has worn Alessandra Rich on multiple occasions (whose dresses start at about $2,511 and go up to more than $4,000), plenty of Emilia Wickstead, again costing in the thousands, and a variety of pairs of Emmy heels ($690 to pop) or Gianvitto Rossi pumps which come in at $1022 a pair.
The genius of Kate’s style for so long was her ability to seamlessly pair bargain items, such as the $3.95 earrings she chose for her first official event this year, with high end pieces, a perfect blend of the accessible and the aspirational.
What was so delightful about this was not just the demonstration of her fashion nous but the implication it carried; just because ella she could afford all the designer loot she could cart home from Bond Street did not mean ella she wanted to.
It all felt refreshing and just real and over the years the duchess’ regular choice of budget looks interspersed with the luxe carried with it the message that royal life had not fundamentally changed her as a person.
Which is why this emergence of this recent Kate who seems increasingly wedded to top tier labels only is a bit disquieting. To some degree I feel a certain sense of disappointment that one of the most meaningful ways she has, for more than a decade, set herself apart from the royal status quo seems to have disappeared.
(The only notable exception to this trend came on June 3 during a St Paul’s service during the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations when she accessorized her bespoke Emilia Wickstead yellow stunner, which would have set Kate back thousands, and her $2000-plus Philip Treacey hat with … at $34 clutch from homegrown Australian brand Forever New.)
Maybe what I really liked about the Zara-era Kate was that every time she got out of her official car for an engagement clad in a $27 dress it carried with it a certain wonderful sense of defiance and refusal to suddenly change who she was. The takeaway: she She might have a title but she was still Kate.
One way to explain the change in her wardrobe direction might be that it reflects the repositioning we have seen of William and Kate’s image in the last year, from plucky young ‘uns to future king and queen. The runway from where they are now, as working foot soldiers of the royal family, to their coronation inside Westminster Abbey is being very clearly laid out by the Palace, driving home a message of monarchical continuity as the Queen looks shakier and shakier.
Perhaps the argument has been made that it’s fine for a workday duchess to slip into a few pounds worth of polyester but not for a queen-in-waiting. Or perhaps Kate has just grown up a bit and like women the world over is now focusing more on better quality pieces she can wear more often.
But to some degree the ‘why’ does not matter here; what does is what flow-on effect this shift might have.
On a purely functional level, Kate’s deployment of modest clothes over the years went a very long way to making her seem uniquely relatable in a way no royal WAG has before. Now, the more she chooses out-for-reach for everyone but the super-rich labels, the more she risks eroding those gains and making herself into more of a remote figure.
For William and Kate to truly ensure that the royal family remains a thriving concern, they need to seem approachable.
The danger there is obvious – central to the brand the Cambridges’ have assiduously been trying to build is that they are the congenial, normal royals, the hardworking duo happily transforming The Firm from fusty, frosty and all-too grand into a powerhouse of do -goodery.
At a time when the UK is in the grip of a cost-of-living crisis, seeing the woman who has been sold as the refreshingly normal duchess-next-door gadding about the better part of a $100,000 worth of designer duds is a potentially dangerous and certainly ill-conceived move.
Closes might maketh the man but Zara could help maketh a queen.
Daniela Elser is a royal expert and a writer with more than 15 years’ experience working with a number of Australia’s leading media titles.
It was either the Dalai Lama or Shania Twain who once said, “OK, so you’re Brad Pitt? That don’t impress me much”.
But Brad Pitt is not the kind of guy who cares about impressing the Dalai Lama and Shania Twain. He knows he impresses everyone else. That’s why he’s now taking confident strides into the next era of his life from him and embarking on a style revolution.
The 58-year-old has been hitting the red carpets over recent weeks for the premiere of his new movie Bullet Train while rocking a distinct new lewk.
The key fashion elements? Cakes and skorts.
Classic. Timeless. Sophisticated. I wore the same thing to my formal school.
Brad has entered a new phase. Throughout his career, he has transitioned smoothly from Hollywood heart-throb to bona fide movie star. Now he’s keen to explore the territory of eccentric artist.
And, look: We’ll accept Brad Pitt any way we can get him. He has reached a point where he can do whatever he wants and we’ll continue to take him seriously.
In the past, the actor has been accused by memes of stealing his girlfriends’ styles. He cut his hair like Gwyneth Paltrow when the pair dated in the ’90s. I borrowed Jen Aniston’s sea salt spray in the 2000s. And when he started dating Angelina, it seemed the pair made frequent trips to the blow bar together.
But his latest style revolution is truly one to behold. Is he simply being an eccentric artist? Or has he suddenly slipped into competing with the TikTok kids?
Whoever thought we’d see the day where Brad Pitt is trying to keep up with the internet’s boyfriends Timothée Chalamet and Harry Styles — with their flamboyant fashion choices of crushed velvet and bold statement patterns.
In Berlin I rocked a pink shirt, combat boots, and kilt. Then he brought a burst of color to LA with a green suit and yellow sneakers. Other appearances have seen him donning zip-up tops, relaxed jacket-shirts and baggy drawstring pants in a variety of pastel hues.
Asked about the skirt and his latest sartorial explorations, the actor simply replied: “I don’t know! We’re all going to die, so let’s mess it up”.
He makes it sound like there’s not much thought going into it at all – that he’s just taking life as it comes. But coordinated pastels don’t just happen. Co-ordinated pastels are achieved through many meetings with stylists who strategize with Pinterest boards.
For us regular people, you get to a certain age where it’s just too late for a style revolution.
When you’re younger, you can experiment with looks and people. But by the time you reach your 30s, you’ve pretty much settled into who you are. Your style is as predictable and expected as Bart Simpson’s blue shorts and orange shirt combo.
A style revolution doesn’t just affect your own life. It rocks the worlds of everyone around you. Like, imagine if your dad just started wearing accessories.
Or if your mum became one of those annoying people who really overcommits to 1950s rockabilly fashion.
Even a colleague. If your middle-aged boss waltzed into the office tomorrow morning wearing a bowler hat, it would throw the workplace off its axis. No deadlines would be met that day. The pings would be going insane.
It takes a certain kind of confidence to wake up one morning and decide on a whim that you’ll now become Bowler Hat Guy. And it’s foolish to think that the rest of the world will accept it without comment.
Remember when Karl Stefanovic shook up his personal life a few years ago and went through his own style revolution by trying to be Matthew McConaughey with a fedora and braided leather bracelets? We all had a field day.
A style revolution is only for the brave. Like those women who decide they’re going to exclusively wear purple until the end of time. They dedicate their entire lives to purple like it’s a religion. Suddenly, their entire wardrobes are a patchwork of magenta and violet. Amethyst. Lilac, plum and mauve.
They usually also get a purple streak in their hair. Then paint the front door of their home a glossy shellacked purple. If you spot one of these women in the wild, follow them to the car park and you’ll find she probably drives a purple Honda Jazz.
It goes without saying Brad’s new style revolution would be tipping his ex Angelina Jolie over the edge. Her mates of her will have been texting her relentlessly after every red carpet appearance of her: “Did ya see the skort?”
Seeing an ex move on with their life is annoying enough. But seeing an ex go through a style revolution? Enraging. Who the hell do they think they are?
In Australia, a style revolution of Brad Pitt’s scale just wouldn’t fly. Russell Crowe? The country couldn’t handle it. We as a nation will only ever allow Rusty to wear that one black Best & Less tracksuit.
Melbourne have broken the hearts of Carlton fans by snatching victory from the jaws of defeat in the final 15 seconds.
The Blues had their hands on a finals berth for the first time since 2013, holding onto a one point lead in the dying seconds when Melbourne surged forward.
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A long bomb inside 50 from Jayden Hunt went to ground and Kysaiah Pickett got on the end of a Jake Melksham loose ball get and sent a mongrel punt floating goalward.
As it sailed through you could pinpoint the moment Carlton’s fans hearts break.
The win launches Melbourne back to second spot on the ladder and leaves Carlton in a perilous position entering the final round of the home and away season.
“I’m speechless really I don’t know what to say, it’s good to be back on the winning list. We went down last week and to bounce back this week is unreal,” Pickett said after the win.
Dees skipper Max Gawn didn’t even kick his post-game interview off properly before asking just how long was left on the clock.
“That’s pretty clutch. Kozzie is a good player and he’s been playing some good footy this year and that was his moment, ”Gawn said.
“We were on the wrong end of the moments last weekend and we studied it a lot. The last 10 minutes of the Collingwood game we watched it a lot and you saw some good stuff in those last minutes, we were able to hold our nerve.”
Jake Melksham was a standout in front of goal for Melbourne, ending the night with four goals and kicking the second last goal of the contest to bring the Demons back to within a point.
The Blues held the ball with around 60 seconds left to play and looked assured of victory, but one simple miss kick opened the door and the Demons pounced.
Carlton need to secure a win against Collingwood in round 23 or pray Hawthorn can topple the Western Bulldogs next Sunday.
A loss next weekend and a Bulldogs win and the Blues will once again miss out on September action.
“It leaves already gutted, it leaves already disappointed. But I’m also really proud at the same time and I thought our players were really brave right through our whole night,” Blues coach Michael Voss said.
“It hurts. Important game for us but we didn’t quite get it right at the end but as far as the whole game goes I just thought the boys played really brave and played a great style of footy and it’s something we want to keep replicating.”
Fans watching on Saturday night simply couldn’t believe the ending they had just witnessed.
7 News reporter Emma O’Sullivan wrote: “I don’t even barrack for the Demons or the Blues but my heart is still in my mouth, that was wild.”
The Advocate editor Alex Fair wrote: “That was epic. Simply epic. What a reply.”
Broadcaster Darren Parkin wrote: “Nothing can kick you in the pills quite like footy can it? That’s brutal for the Blues.”
Former Brisbane and Port Adelaide player Tom Rockliff believes the final moments played into Melbourne’s hands.
“I think it was a clear tactic from Melbourne to load the corridor. Lever kicks to a 3 vs 1 in middle of ground. Doesn’t happen by chance, something they have trained – Carlton set up well down the line,” he wrote.
Rugby league legend Billy Slater has slammed Isaiah Papali’i’s potential Tigers backflip following the news the 23-year-old would make a decision at the season’s end.
Reports suggest the backrow enforcer will honor his contract and ply his trade for the merger club in 2023, but doubts still linger over Papali’i’s future.
The 23-year-old penned three-year deal with the Tigers late last year, but after the sacking of Michael Maguire the young gun said he wants to have “no regrets.”
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“Obviously people ask me about it, just even on the street or family and friends are hitting me up but that’s kind of for my manager look after and even if I don’t stay here or I do go next year, I want to make sure that this year has no regrets,” he said to 9 News.
“When I did sign it was talking to Madge — he’s an awesome coach. That rattled the cage a bit and I guess you have to have those conversations and I guess that was a massive factor for me.”
Now, Slater has been left stunned that Papali’i could potentially backflip on his deal and urged him to honor his contract.
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“If you sign with a club, go to the club,” Slater said on Nine’s coverage.
“You’re signing with a club. You’re not signing with a coach, you’re not signing with a player — you’re signing with a club. Go to the club.
“You’re not allowed to walk away from a contract. It’s just pressure, public pressure if you want out.
“If you sign with a club, you want to take that money and you sign the deal, go to the club.”
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The Broncos have beaten the Knights 28-10 on the back of brilliant displays from Te Maire Martin and Ezra Mam and a hat-trick to Selwyn Cobbo.
Martin’s return from injury gave the Broncos an edge in attack and Cobbo cashed in with a brilliant three-try performance as the Knights’ edges were blown apart.
MATCH CENTER: Broncos vs Knights teams, SuperCoach scores, videos, updates
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Cobbo opened the scoring in the corner after some brilliant lead-up work from Adam Reynolds and Martin.
Corey Oates crossed in the opposite corner for his 19th try of the season after a questionable last pass from Delouise Hoeter was cleared.
Mam and Martin combined for one of the long-range tries of the season to push the Broncos out to a commanding 18-0 lead.
Daniel Saifiti barged over from close range to give the Knights a chance at a late comeback.
Bradman Best dived over to cut the deficit to eight points and set up a grandstand finish.
However, Cobbo snuffed out the comeback after securing his double to seal an important win for the Broncos.
Cobbo sealed his hat-trick when Reynolds put the ball on a dime for him to score in the corner and put the icing on the cake.
Here are the key takeaways from the match.
MARTIN PROVES MISSING LINK FOR BRONCOS
Te Maire Martin returned for his first game since Round 16 and showed the Broncos exactly what they have been missing in a masterful display.
Martin is a five-eighth turned fullback and his playing ability adds another dimension to the Broncos attack.
Corey Parker believes Martin’s inclusion ensured the Broncos looked far more cohesive in attack and it took the pressure of his halves and allowed them to play their games.
“They look more in sync with Martin back,” Parker said.
“He has got a real nice slight of hand. Not your traditional fullback in regards to getting lots of run meters, but he had two try assists in the first half.
“He alleviated a lot of pressure off the halves just by his ability to be able to ball play and Cobbo and Mam were the beneficiaries of that.”
Michael Ennis credited Martin with getting the Broncos out of their funk in terms of their attack over their two game losing run.
“What a game from Te Maire Martin,” Ennis said.
“Coming into the side after being out since Round 16, boy he made a difference just with his composure and his control.
“He has ignited the Brisbane attack.”
MAM SHINES AS REYNOLDS STEERS BRONCOS TO VICTORY
The Broncos were not at their best but with the brilliant running game of Ezra Mam providing the perfect foil for Adam Reynolds’ organisation, Brisbane took the game by the scruff of the neck in the key moments.
As long as the Broncos can get their defense in order, with Mam and Reynolds driving the ship and Selwyn Cobbo finishing in the corner, they can create more than enough points to make a deep run in the finals.
Cooper Cronk noted that the Broncos were not at the peak of their powers against the Knights, but Reynolds and Mam were able to ice the try-scoring opportunities.
“The Broncos did it in second gear,” Cronk said.
“They had the tools to break open the game at any stage with the likes of Adam Reynolds with some craft to sell the dummy for the Oates try.
“This was the attempt of the first half from Ezra Mam.
“He scored with five minutes to go and it set the tone for the rest of the game for the Broncos.”
Michael Ennis marveled at Mam’s ability to break the game open out of nothing at such a young age and with a long career ahead of him.
“Mam was electric,” Ennis said.
“19 years of age. Boy isn’t he an excitement machine.
“The Broncos have now jumped the Eels into sixth and have a healthy points differential lead over them.”
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KNIGHTS WOEFUL ATTACK GOES FROM BAD TO WORSE
The Knights had enough ball and field position to win easily against the Broncos, but a combination of their soft defense and inept attack gave them no chance at Suncorp Stadium.
Cooper Cronk lamented the Knights’ inability to create any real try-scoring opportunities despite a mountain of possession in the first half.
“It was a strange first half because statistically the Knights were the better team,” Cronk said.
“They had more ball and more possession but to be honest they didn’t look like scoring a try.
“Their centers Bradman Best and Dane Gagai were under immense pressure.
“They carved up Dane Gagai on the right edge for the Knights.
“The Knights didn’t look like firing a shot.
“When they get down the other end they are just not engaging that Brisbane defensive line at all.”
Corey Parker slammed the Knights’ horror attack, which failed to put the Broncos under any sustained scoreboard pressure.
“25 times the Knights were tackled inside the Broncos 20 without even looking like scoring,” Parker said.
“The only time they were able to mount any sort of pressure was off a couple of repeat sets.
“They were awful with their attack the Knights.
“The Knights are in all sorts at the moment.”
Michael Ennis was at a loss as to why the Knights haven’t been able to be more competitive with the roster they have at their disposal. in 2022.
“You just watch that Newcastle side come out and you see the Saifiti brothers, Dane Gagai and Tyson Frizell who are absolute weapons and great leaders at different stages throughout their careers and I find it hard to fathom that Newcastle are sitting where they are this year with the roster they have,” Ennis said.
MATCH PREVIEW
The Brisbane Broncos host the Newcastle Knights in a clash at Suncorp Stadium.
Te Maire Martin returns at fullback for the Broncos, while Delouise Hoeter replaces Brenko Lee in the centers after his hamstring injury.
Ryan James starts at lockout, with Kobe Hetherington switching to the bench.
The Knights have lost David Klemmer to injury, with Jacob Saifiti to start and Sauaso Sue joining the bench.
Adam Clune returns to the No.7 jumper with Jake Clifford out with a fractured arm.
The seventh place Broncos desperately need to avoid a third straight loss to keep their slim top four hopes alive, while the Knights are playing for pride as they look for their second straight win.
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Geelong has extended its winning streak to 12 games and sealed the minor premiership with one round remaining, defeating Gold Coast at Metricon Stadium on Saturday night – 18.11 (119) to 9.5 (59).
The Cats put in yet another ominous performance from virtually the opening bounce, strangling the Suns defensively while the likes of Jeremy Cameron and Tyson Stengle starred in attack.
Geelong will now host West Coast to end its home-and-away season, while Gold Coast will face North Melbourne in its final outing of the season.
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QUARTER-BY-QUARTER MATCH REPORT
first quarter
There were no late changes for either side, with Jeremy Sharp (Suns) and Mark O’Connor (Cats) named the medical subs.
The Suns showed promise early, moving the ball swiftly across Metricon Stadium. But they couldn’t get scoreboard reward for effort.
Geelong, however, could make its early opportunities count, with Tyson Stengle snapping his 40th — and probably best — goal of the season before Jeremy Cameron snapped his first of the night to give the Cats an early advantage.
But the Suns responded thanks to some individual brilliance from Izak Rankine, who gathered the ball in a pocket, spun, kicked off balance and conjured a terrific goal.
“He’s impossible to contain … No wonder the Crows have made him a target,” Fox Footy’s Anthony Hudson said.
The Cats hit back at the other end as Cam Guthrie showed off his left boot and nailed a tough goal, before Sam Menegola and Tom Hawkins snapped a couple more for Geelong.
Stengle then plucked a rare contested mark and snapped his second as the Cats kicked out to a 33-point lead.
Gold Coast got one back late in the quarter, with Sam Day converting a set-shot opportunity, but Stengle couldn’t be stopped as he conjured his third major to give Geelong a 31-point lead at the major break.
Stengle, arguably the recruit of the year, booted 3.1 from a game-high nine disposals and three marks in the first quarter.
Tyson Stengle of the Cats. Picture: Albert PerezSource: Getty Images
“It’s one of the great quarters we’ve seen from a small forward this year,” legendary Hawk Jason Dunstall told Fox Footy.
Hudson added: “He is putting on quite a show.”
second quarter
The Cats’ dominant continued after quarter-time as Mark Blicavs and Brandan Parfitt goaled and Geelong’s lead ballooned out to 42 points.
“This is so impressive,” Hudson said.
The Suns got a couple against the grain, with Elijah Hollands nailing a long-range goal before Alex Davies added another.
But Max Holmes showed off his acceleration by foot and nailed a terrific running goal in a steadying major for Geelong.
The Cats led by 51 points at the main break. Their half-time score of 12.5 (77) was their second-highest of the year to date.
“The Suns are getting a masterclass,” Dunstall said.
third quarter
Gold Coast made an impressive start to the second half.
Rankine snapped a classy goal from a free kick before Noah Anderson nailed a running major.
And when Jack Lukosius was moved forward and nailed a set-shot attempt, Geelong’s lead had been cut to 33 points.
As the Suns continued to push the Cats, Geelong ruck Rhys Stanley was subbed out of the game — the second time in three matches that’s happened.
And then Gold Coast had its own injury issues, with Sam Day limping off with a knee injury that saw
Geelong upped its defensive pressure, which led to a Gold Coast turnover and a Gryan Miers goal against the grain, before Zach Tuohy snapped another to give Geelong breathing space.
Cameron then rejoined the party, receiving a handball on the 50m arc and nailing a running goal off one step.
After being challenged by the Suns, the Cats showed their class to steady and take a 55-point lead at the final break.
fourth quarter
Rhys Stanley was subbed out of the game before the quarter commenced, but he appeared to be running freely prior to the move and could be seen smiling after one of the club’s trainers spoke to him on the ground.
Max Holmes opened the term with a major as the Cats continued to boost their already-impressive percentage.
Cameron missed a chance for a third goal, which left the door open for Gold Coast to peg a couple of goals back, which came via Jarrod Witts and Sam Flanders.
A couple of late Geelong goals helped put the Cats further ahead, with one to Brandan Parfitt right before the final siren capping the 60-point win.
THE 3-2-1
3. CATS SHOW NO MERCY IN RUTHLESS ‘MASTERCLASS’ TO SEAL MINOR PREMIERSHIP
This isn’t the season for ‘loss you need to have’ believers.
For this relentless Geelong outfit, as it proved on Saturday night, he has no plans to show any mercy to any rival club during the closing stages of the home and away season.
Despite managing several stars for the game, the Cats were ruthless against the 11th-placed Suns at Metricon Stadium, claiming their 12th straight win and sealing this year’s minor premiership in what legendary Hawk Jason Dunstall dubbed a professional “masterclass”. They produced their second-best first half of the season and finished with their fourth-highest score and equal-third biggest winning margin of the year to date.
While Jeremy Cameron again starred with three goals from 21 disposals, it was a genuine team performance from Geelong where players took the baton of responsibility from each other from quarter to quarter.
Tyson Stengle set the tone in the first quarter with three goals from nine touches, Brandan Parfitt (14 disposals, 1 goal) and Patrick Dangerfield (9 disposals) then took over with dominant second terms, Gryan Miers and Jeremy Cameron worked hard up the ground and hit the scoreboard in the third quarter before the classy Mark Blicavs proved in the final quarter why he’s so valuable to his team.
Dangerfield, in particular, looks like a man on a mission. After withdrawing himself from last week’s game against St Kilda at the last minute, Dangerfield was crucial to Geelong’s dominance over the Suns at the coalface, finishing with game-high contested possessions and clearances.
The only concern was No. 1 ruck Rhys Stanley, who was subbed out of the game in the third quarter with a lower leg injury. However judging by the reaction of the ruckman, the move was very precautionary.
The Cats next week return to GMHBA Stadium for a Round 23 clash against the 17th-placed West Coast, with Isaac Smith and Mitch Duncan due to come back into the side. If the win over the Suns is anything to go by, don’t rule out a pre-finals bloodbath at the Cattery.
2. RECRUIT OF 2022 POUNCES ON ‘ODD MATCH-UP’ TO PRODUCE ‘ONE OF THE GREAT QUARTERS’
If selectors were unconvinced Tyson Stengle was worthy of an All-Australian spot before Saturday night’s clash, they surely would’ve been after his breathtaking first quarter.
Stengle continued to build his case for AFL recruit of the year against the Suns, sparking Geelong to a fast start at Metricon Stadium.
The 23-year-old, who was picked up by the Cats as a delisted free agent late last year, booted three of Geelong’s seven first-quarter goals, including a pearler from the pocket running away from goal.
As well as the three goals, Stengle had a game-high nine disposals and three marks in the first quarter.
“It’s one of the great quarters we’ve seen from a small forward this year,” legendary Hawk Jason Dunstall told Fox Footy.Stengle (171cm) was manned up by young Sun Mac Andrew (201cm) – a move described as an “odd matchup” by Dunstall.
While Stengle’s ability to hit the scoreboard was superb, his awesome workrate was also on display. He ran hard up the ground to help the Cats’ defense before working back inside 50 to provide a forward option where he got both front and square and took contested marks.
“He just goes from strength to strength,” triple premiership Lion Alastair Lynch told Fox Footy
“He’s got an unbelievable ability to make something out of nothing. He’s really setting himself up for All-Australian small forward selection … he’s putting together quite a season.
“As far as general forwards in the league, only Tom Papley is in front of him for score involvements.”
Small Gold Coast defender Sean Lemmens was moved onto Stengle for the second term and was able to stop the bleeding, but the damage had already been done.
1. RANKINE GOES ALL ‘AKER’ AMID MAJOR CROWS PLAY
The Suns are doing everything possible to convince Izak Rankine to remain at the club – and rightly so when he can pull off great goals like he did against Geelong on Saturday night.
Although all footy fans will have their fingers crossed for the slick Suns forward after he came from the ground during the close stages of the match with an injury concern to his already-heavily strapped left shoulder.
Earlier, while the Cats dominated the first term, Rankine – who’s weighing up a big offer from Adelaide – produced a stunning major for Gold Coast, spinning out of a tackle and nailing a right-foot goal off-balance that left Fox Footy commentators stunned .
“He’s impossible to contain … No wonder the Crows have made him a target,” Fox Footy’s Anthony Hudson said.
Alastair Lynch said Rankine, who was sporting a new look, was “certainly making a fair impression” in a performance that reminded the triple premiership Lion of a former teammate.
“I don’t know who he barracked for as a kid, but he’s got a bit of Jason Akermanis about him with this new hairdo, the black beard and mustache – and he’s playing like him,” Lynch told Fox Footy.
The Crows are making a major play for South Australian-based product Rankine, offering him a five-year deal worth as much as $800,000 per season – a contract Gold Coast is highly unlikely to match, although it’s still willing to pay him about $650,000 a year.
Senior Suns players have reportedly warned him of the increased pressure that would come playing for Adelaide.
But Lions legend Jonathan Brown said Rankine might be a player that could cope with the extra scrutiny of playing in a footy-mad town for extra cash.
“He’s a very talented player, but he strikes me as a guy that might be better under the pressure. He may need to have the foot on the throat a little bit down there,” Brown told Fox Footy on Friday night.
“The problem is at the Gold Coast, you can fly under the radar. Sometimes a player like him – how hard is he really working and getting the best out of himself? You look at his consistency of him in games and it’s not quite there yet.
“Maybe he might be better off going there and putting the pressure on himself at Adelaide.”
Knights playmaker Jake Clifford is reportedly considering an early exit from his contract, while the Panthers links to Jock Madden are heating up.
Meanwhile, Manly forward Ethan Bullemor is considering a shock career move.
Read on for all the latest NRL Transfer Whispers.
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MANLY STAR EYEING SHOCK CAREER MOVE
Manly forward Ethan Bullemor is reportedly considering early retirement from rugby league to take up a career in finance.
The Daily Telegraph reported Bullemor is weighing up cutting his rugby league career short to take up a job at a fund manager in Sydney.
The 22-year-old has scored four tries in 34 NRL games since his debut for the Broncos in 2020, including nine games since his move to Manly this season.
The versatile back-rower is a bright kid away from footy and could opt to use his skills and knowledge of the financial sector over his obvious prowess on the sporting field.
Bullemor is contracted to Manly until the end of the 2023 season, but is weighing up retiring at the end of 2022 to make the shock career switch.
The promising forward has struggled for consistent opportunities at Manly, but with Andrew Davey reportedly moving on at the end of the season and Josh Schuster switching to five-eighth, Bullemor could be a key player next year for Des Hasler.
Haumole Olakau’atu and Ben Trbojevic loomed as his main competition next season, but Bullemor could opt to trade it all in for an opportunity in finance.
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Ethan Bullemor could be set for early retirement from rugby league.Source: Getty Images
KNIGHTS PLAYMAKER EYEING EARLY EXIT
Out of favor Knights playmaker Jake Clifford is reportedly considering cutting his stay at Newcastle short.
The Daily Telegraph reported Clifford’s lack of game time in 2022 could see him exit the club despite being contracted until the end of 2023.
The 24-year-old has scored 11 tries and 187 points in 67 games since his NRL debut for the Cowboys in 2018, but has only managed 12 games in 2022.
No potential destination for Clifford has emerged with a return to the Cowboys unlikely given their success and depth in the halves.
Making a release request difficult for Clifford is the fact the Knights are losing Anthony Milford to the Dolphins next year, while Phoenix Crossland remains unsigned.
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If the Knights don’t get Luke Brooks they would be mad to let Clifford go without getting something in return.
Clifford would walk into the Knights’ starting side next year, but has struggled for form in 2022 and fallen behind Milford and Adam Clune in the pecking order.
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Jake Clifford is reportedly eyeing a release.Source: Getty Images
PANTHERS EYE TIGERS HALF AMID PLAYMAKER LOGJAM
Reports Tigers halfback Jock Madden is set to join the Panthers are growing louder amid the playmaker logjam at Concord.
The Daily Telegraph reported the Panthers have emerged as a potential landing spot for Madden and as there is little interest elsewhere, a move to Penrith is growing more likely.
Madden is currently the Tigers’ starting halfback after injuries to Jackson Hastings and Luke Brooks, but remains unsigned beyond 2022.
The 24-year-old has scored two tries in 13 games for the Tigers since his debut in 2021, but has only managed 10 games in his contract year in 2022.
Madden had been linked with the Dolphins, but the signing of Sean O’Sullivan and Isaiya Katoa from the Panthers and Milford has them well stocked in the halves.
That leaves an opening at the Panthers, but the only issue is Madden is looking for more NRL game time and unless injuries strike he won’t beat Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai to a starting spot.
Jock Madden has been linked to the Panthers.Source: Getty Images
Cowboys skipper Jason Taumalolo said there were “no words” to express what he and his teammates were feeling in the wake of Paul Green’s shock death.
The rugby league legend passed away at his Brisbane home on Thursday and tributes have since flooded in for the former North Queensland coach.
Green led the Cowboys to premiership victory in 2015, with Jason Taumalolo starting at lockout, having been coached by the former representative halfback from 2014 to 2020.
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Taumalolo was the only player to take the field on Saturday that was a part of the 2015 grand final team, giving an emotional plea for people to speak out no matter “how big or small the problem is”.
“It has been a big few days given what has happened, no real words really to express what has happened over the last few days,” Taumalolo said in the post-match press conference.
“How it has affected people in the rugby league community, and families, I can’t imagine what Amanda and the kids are going through right now.
“Everyone should have someone to talk to, regardless of how big or small the problem is, no one should have to carry around that pressure with them.
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Fletch lauds Green’s Roosters influence | 03:04
“We have a tight-knit group and I know rugby league teams have their own little groups, I just hope that if anyone is going through something they have someone to talk to about any problems.”
Taumalolo went on to say the loss of their former coach “shocked and rattled” the playing group after the club’s 32-18 loss to the Roosters.
“I think everyone copes with loss and grief differently and yeah, I am not sure about any of the other boys but everyone is affected differently,”
“I’d like to think we are a tight-knit group and we are able to talk to each other whether we are going through a tough time or something really difficult.
“But again, I think just what has happened has really shocked and rattled most of us and it is going to take some time to get over it.”
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Cowboys coach Todd Payten echoed Taumalolo’s sentiment, revealing NRL powerbrokers have provided the club with necessary resources to deal with the shock loss.
“The club and the league have been great with the resources they have provided us as a group,” Payten said.
“It is my job to make sure that we keep an eye out for each other, that everyone feels comfortable that they can go and see me or someone within the club to get some help.”
During the Cowboys and Roosters clash, both teams wore black armbands to remember Green, who had a lasting impact on both clubs.
Green was assistant to Trent Robinson in 2013, his first year at the helm of the Tricolours club — and in that year they won the premiership.
Green also played 35 games for the Cowboys and 20 for the Roosters during his glittering 162-game playing career.
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McLaren boss Zak Brown is copping backlash from his own network of reserve drivers as the Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri contract saga rages.
Australian F1 driver Ricciardo became embroiled in F1’s mid-year silly season following reports he will be replaced by young compatriot Piastri at McLaren in 2023.
The news erupted last week after Fernando Alonso blindsided the F1 world and jumped into Sebastian Vettel’s vacated seat at Aston Martin.
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McLaren boss Zak Brown. Photo by Clive Mason/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
Alpine then announced Piastri would be the man to replace Alonso, only for the Melburnian to reject the seat — a bold move for a man who is yet to drive in F1.
Now Ricciardo has asked for a $21 million payout from McLaren for the early termination of his contract, according to Speedcafe.com.
But as the drama unfolds, the fallout has extended all the way to the United States.
IndyCar drivers Pato O’Ward, Colton Herta and Alex Palou were each targeting the vacant Alpine seat, but the trio have seemingly been sidelined by Brown.
According to leading IndyCar driver O’Ward, Brown dangled the F1 carrot in front of the Americans before going all in on Piastri.
“It’s not good for me to have that illusion. It’s a dream that’s very far away, because although I’m racing at a very high level, it’s still not enough to convince them,” O’Ward told ESPN.
“There are many things that come into play that are beyond me.
“I found it laughable. I saw it and I laughed.
“The same prize has been put in front of many other drivers by Brown. In the end, there is only one seat and not five.”
Australian F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo. Photo by Francois Nel/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
If Piastri does indeed take his place at McLaren, Ricciardo’s most likely landing spot would be Alpine, the French team formerly known as Renault where he spent two seasons in 2019 and 2020.
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer slammed Piastri for his apparent betrayal in a blistering spray over the weekend.
“I expected more loyalty from Oscar than he is showing,” the Alpine team principal told Spanish publication The confidential.
“I started in 1989 in Formula 1 and I’ve never seen anything like this. And it’s not about Formula 1, it’s about integrity as a human being.
Oscar Piastri of Australia. Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
“It could happen in ice hockey or soccer, it doesn’t matter. But you don’t do that. He signed a piece of paper, a document, saying he would do something different.
“For me, the way I grew up, I don’t need to sign a piece of paper and then have someone say, ‘You’re lying, because you signed this.’ For me, if you say, ‘Hey, help me, I’ll help you tomorrow,’ there’s no way I would go back on my word. No way.”
“He should (drive with the) team that has taken care of him, that has taken him to the world championship and, above all, that during the last year has put him in a Formula 1 car so that he would be ready, so that he would know the circuits,” Szafnauer added.
“He should (drive with the) team that has taken care of him, that has taken him to the world championship and, above all, that during the last year has put him in a Formula 1 car so that he would be ready, so that he would know the circuits,” Szafnauer added.
“You did everything I asked you to do (from Alpine to Piastri) and now I promise you that if you do this, I will do this. I don’t need a piece of paper where it says, ‘With a clause, I can get out of here’.
“There should be some loyalty to the fact that we have invested literally millions and millions of euros to prepare him. So I don’t understand it either, you should ask him.”
