It was touted as a heavyweight bout between two sides who hate each other and it even featured some late biff in the Riff, but it was Melbourne who issued a Storm warning that should strike fear into the rest of the NRL.
It was less than a month ago that Craig Bellamy said he was unsure whether the Storm could turn things around to go on a famous premiership run after they’d just lost their fourth game on the trot.
But the legendary Storm coach might need to be a bit more arrogant after three-straight wins, including a statement victory over the defending premiers on Thursday night that has them primed for a top-four finish.
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“It was important for us because we’ve been hanging around the bottom of the top four,” Bellamy said.
“I thought that was our best performance for quite some time. That’s as well as we’ve defended for a year or two.”
The Storm were without halfback Jahrome Hughes (shoulder) but they smelled blood in the water and feasted on the makeshift Panthers spine in a performance reminiscent of years gone by when they were the NRL’s apex predators.
It was a night to remember for the small contingent of Storm fans at BlueBet Stadium, and it was Melbourne’s biggest human who stole the show with a brutal display in an unfamiliar role.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona was like a wrecking ball on the right, terrorizing Penrith’s edge defenders while at the same time blunting Viliame Kikau’s impact by simply clogging up gaps in the line.
The man mountain relished the extra room out wide with 62 meters, five tackle busts and three offloads in a barnstorming 37-minute stint as the visitors racked up an insurmountable 16-0 lead by halftime.
While he did plenty in attack, his most telling play was in defense when he somehow denied a rampaging Kikau over the line, which then led to David Nofoaluma’s first try in Storm colors from the ensuing set.
Injuries mount for mountain men
They’ve enjoyed one of the smoothest years imaginable, but things are starting to look a bit rough for the Panthers just a few weeks out from the finals.
The defending premiers were missing starting halves Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai as well as powerhouse prop James Fisher-Harris, while they were also dealt a massive blow before kick-off when courageous fullback Dylan Edwards was ruled out after he copped a battering in Canberra last week.
Things got worse on Thursday night with NSW representative Liam Martin rolling his left ankle so badly that he had to be helped from the field by two trainers and was on crutches in the dressing room.
Penrith’s depth is the envy of the league but even they can’t win the comp if they continue to rack up injuries every week, and Thursday’s performance will give their rivals hope that they are in fact fallible.
The mass changes took their toll with the Panthers producing their worst half of football at home since 2017.
They enjoyed the bulk of possession and territory after the break but couldn’t cross the stripe as they were held scoreless at home for the first time since 2015 against who else but the Storm.
“I thought there were some combination issues for us tonight,” Ivan Cleary said. “It was a good lesson for our younger guys.”
Precious Olam
Justin Olam has failed to match his dazzling form of 2021, but the center built of granite produced his best game of the season as a replenished Storm backline showed how potent it can be when the troops are back on deck.
The hitman produced two monstrous shots in defense that Jaeman Salmon and Brian To’o will be feeling for weeks, but it was his dazzling speed that caught the Panthers by surprise.
Olam scorched his way down the sideline to set up the returning Nick Meaney with a pinpoint chip kick and nearly produced an identical play for Cameron Munster to end the half.
oh so close
Waqa Blake produced the finish of the year last week but it would’ve been a short time at the top if Xavier Coates had been able to pull off the most miraculous grounding of all time.
The Storm winger’s body was in Melbourne yet he somehow managed to stretch his arm towards the line, only for the ball to come free an inch from the line after a big shot by Charlie Staines.
It wasn’t the only unique piece of play with Tui Kamikamica playing a big part in Brandon Smith’s try when he pushed ‘the Cheese’ into a hole before he sped straight past Staines.
It was only a few weeks ago that Craig Bellamy made a stunning admission, telling reporters he was “not confident” Melbourne could turn a worrying form slump around.
The Storm had slumped to a fourth-straight loss for the first time in seven years and even Bellamy was unsure if this champion team had it in them to rise to the top again.
It was on the playing group to prove Bellamy wrong and while wins over the Warriors and Titans were certainly needed, Thursday night was their chance to make a statement.
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Sure, the Panthers were severely understrength but so were the Storm and yet a defensive masterclass paved the way for a 16-0 shutout victory over the defending premiers.
Now in a strong position to wrap up a spot in the top four, Melbourne is right back in the title picture and Bellamy has a secret weapon up his sleeve that keeps everyone guessing.
Even Cameron Smith was fooled on Thursday morning, questioning why playmaker Cameron Munster had been moved back to the halves after a starring game at fullback the week prior.
“I was a little bit surprised, I thought he may have kept him there,” Smith admitted on SEN 1170 Radio.
Storm sizzle poor Panthers | 02:01
Bellamy did keep Munster there, although it was not necessarily always going to be the plan as the Storm coach revealed in his post-game press conference on Thursday night.
“It worked pretty well last week as well,” Bellamy said.
“We weren’t quite sure earlier in the week on which way we were going to go. We trained both of them there. I think we will probably look at it on our opposition and what we think the best way to use Munster and the best way to use Nick and their strengths [is].
“I’m not quite sure we’ll actually stick with Munster at fullback all the time but we need to have a bit of a chat about that with the leaders, obviously our halves and see what the coaches think.”
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That in itself spells trouble for the rest of the competition.
It is already hard enough to defend Munster but not knowing where exactly he will be playing in the lead-up to a game makes that tougher, you only have to ask Ivan Cleary.
The Panthers coach was asked after Thursday’s defeat “what sort of threat” Munster posed at fullback, to which Cleary could only laugh.
“A lot,” he said.
“I don’t know whether fullback is much different. I suppose he doesn’t have all the defensive work to do. He’s just playing really well, definitely dangerous and he still seemed to come up with big plays when they needed it tonight. He’s definitely a threat.”
There was a similar response from Panthers great Greg Alexander, who was asked pre-game by Jess Yates which Melbourne player he was most worried about.
“Well, Cameron Munster, Cameron Munster and Cameron Munster,” Alexander replied.
That and “who ended up playing fullback”.
Unfortunately for Alexander and the Panthers, that also ended up being Munster and he backed up last week’s three-try effort against the Titans with another impressive display.
Munster ran for 142 meters at the back to go with five tackle busts two linebreak assists and also kicked for 537, filling the void left by halfback Jahrome Hughes.
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Cameron Munster starred at fullback. (Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“It’s been handy this year,” Bellamy said of having the option of playing Munster at fullback.
“The last few months or so with Paps being out and Nick missing a week. He’s certainly a different character Munster but he’s a great guy to have around the club and obviously one hell of a player.
“We’re fairly lucky to have him. The other big thing about him is he’s such a competitor. He just competes in everything at training and in games. That’s what makes him what he is.”
Bellamy admitted there may have been a point earlier in Munster’s career where he may have wanted a greater say in what position he played.
But this is a more mature Munster, one who is “just happy to play a role that’s best for the team”.
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“Earlier in his career he’d probably have a say or opinion on it,” Bellamy said.
“But I think now, and I haven’t actually spoke to him too closely about it, he just usually says wherever you think I fit best in the team, I’m going to do that.
“Wherever the team needs him, he’s quite happy to do that. I think he really enjoys playing fullback because it gives him a little bit more freedom but he’s just happy to play a role that’s best for the team. It just shows how much he’s matured.”
The Bulldogs and Warriors have traded blows as the score sits 24-18.
Mick Potter’s side sparked a huge comeback after a horror Walsh error on his own tryline, before backrower Eliesa Katoa again handed his side the lead with a charging try.
MATCH CENTER: New Zealand Warriors vs. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
57TH MINUTE
Warriors gun Eliesa Katoa has crossed for a crucial try. charging onto a Shaun Johnson short ball to hand his side the lead.
“There is no stopping Katoa, he is a crash ball specialist,” Smith said.
44TH MINUTE
The Bulldogs have scored off the back of a horror Reece Walsh mistake.
Halfback Kyle Flanagan scooped the ball up to cross untouched and bring his side back into the contest.
“An early error from the Warriors, and the Bulldogs exactly what they needed,” Flanagan said.
“We have a game here in Auckland,” Smith said.
Only moments later, Bulldogs flyer Josh Addo-Carr reeled in an intercept to charge away for an 80-meter try.
Multiple Warriors defenders charged across in cover defense but Addo-Carr streaked away to score.
17TH MINUTE
Bulldogs fullback Jake Averillo crossed for his side’s first of the night, running onto an Aaron Schoupp short ball.
Mick Potter’s side charged at the Warriors line, with Matt Burton breaking through before Averillo crossed.
“Matt Burton going so close on the previous play… good heads up play by Averillo,” Smith said.
Only moments later, the Warriors scored off the back of a scrum with Reece Walsh finding Edward Kosi in space.
“He is a class player Reece Walsh, that was beautifully done, he just skips on the outside,” Shane Flanagan said.
“That is all class from Reece Walsh.”
6TH MINUTE
The Warriors have opened the scoring courtesy of a Shaun Johnson short ball to find Viliami Vailea.
The 19-year-old crossed for an untouched try in his return to the New Zealand side after suffering a broken jaw.
The Bulldogs now trail 12-0 on return to Mt Smart Stadium, having played their last game across the Tasman in Round 1, 2019.
MATCH CENTER: New Zealand Warriors vs. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
“Broken jaw, has been out now for the best part of ten games,” Warren Smith said.
Only moments later, veteran winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak intercepted Matt Burton pass to cross untouched from 90 meters out
“He is a real pro of wing play, a great carrier and he can still scoot,” Smith said.
“He’d have been a great decathlete, he has speed, he has power and great jumping ability.”
PRE-MATCH WRAP
The Bulldogs will make the trip abroad to New Zealand for the first time since Round 1, 2019 for their clash against the Warriors.
Kiwi-born players Jeremy Marshall-King, Jackson Topine, Zach Dokar-Clay and Raymond Faitala-Mariner will make a big homecoming to face their rivals across the Tasman.
Mick Potter’s Canterbury-Bankstown side will be without star enforcer Tevita Pangai Junior for family reasons, shifting Faitala-Mariner to lock.
An hour before kick-off, Potter also made a late change, shifting Harrison Edwards into the starting side in place of Jack Topine.
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MATCH CENTER: New Zealand Warriors vs. Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs
Meanwhile, the Warriors have made a raft of big changes.
Daejarn Asi returns at five-eighth, shifting regular hooker Wayne Egan back into the dummy-half role.
Young gun Viliami Vailea has also slotted into the centers, while interim head coach Stacey Jones has reintroduced Storm recruit Eliesa Katoa onto the bench.
Tom Ale, 23, will also make his first appearance of the 2022 season off the bench, taking the field for his fourth NRL game.
TEAMS
Warriors: 1. Reece Walsh 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak 3. Viliami Vailea 4. Marcelo Montoya 5. Edward Kosi 6. Daejarn Asi 7. Shaun Johnson 8. Addin Fonua-Blake 9. Wayde Egan 10. Tohu Harris 11. Euan Aitken 12. Jack Murchie 15. Bunty Afoa 13. Josh Curran 14. Freddy Lussick 16. Eliesa Katoa 22. Tom Ale 17. Jackson Frei
Bulldogs: 1. Jake Averillo 2. Jacob Kiraz 3. Aaron Schoupp 4. Braidon Burns 5. Josh Addo-Carr 6. Matt Burton 7. Kyle Flanagan 8. Max King 9. Jeremy Marshall-King 10. Paul Vaughan 11. Josh Jackson 16. Harrison Edwards 13. Raymond Faitala-Mariner 12. Jackson Topine 14. Zach Dokar-Clay 15. Joe Stimson 17. Chris Patolo 20. Kurtis Morrin
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Casper Ruud is the biggest name left in the Montreal Masters but the world No. 7 has landed in hot water after a bizarre code violation in his 6-7 7-6 6-4 win over Roberto Bautista Agut.
The thrilling clash took more than three hours to finish but at the end of the first set, which Ruud lost in a tie-breaker, he took a bathroom break.
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Rather than needing to use the amenities however, the Norwegian just wanted a change of clothes.
When he returned however, umpire Fergus Murphy told Ruud he was in violation of the rules because he didn’t go to the bathroom.
While it was just a warning, it was a bizarre scene as Ruud tried to get his head around the umpire’s instructions.
Ruud: “What, but I used it to change my clothes?”
Murphy: “You have to go to the bathroom as well. That’s the rule,”
Ruud: “But if I need to change my underwear, what do I do? Do it on the court?
Murphy: “No, no, you can do both. It’s called a bathroom break.”
Ruud: “But if I need a change of clothes, what do I do?”
Murphy: “Yeah, I know that man but the rule is covered by the bathroom break rule. You can change your clothes but you have to go to the bathroom when you say you’re going to the bathroom.
Ruud: “But I didn’t say I was going to the bathroom, I said I was going to change my clothes.”
Murphy: “No I heard that.”
Ruud: “My socks, my underwear, my shorts, my t-shirt.”
Murphy: “That is covered by the bathroom break rule.”
Ruud: “Ok, well next time I take it, I’m going to go to the bathroom I just go into the toilet.”
Murphy: :You have to go to the bathroom, that’s your business. But when you don’t go I have to give you a warning for not going, that’s why I’m explaining it.”
Ruud: “So what is it, like a $3000 fine or something?”
Murphy: “I have no idea about that.”
Murphy then gave Ruud an official unsportsmanlike conduct warning.
The ATP’s rule book states “Unsportsmanlike conduct is defined as any misconduct by a player that is clearly abusive or detrimental to the success of a tournament, ATP and/or the Sport.”
Fines generally go along with the code violations and the unsportsmanlike conduct violation “shall subject a player to a fine up to $20,000 for each violation” — although it’s unlikely to be a full $20k.
The commentators were laughing at the situation.
“It’s seems a little ridiculous that you almost have to fake going to the bathroom,” one said.
The bizarre scenes were not lost on fans who were stunned by what they had seen.
However, others pointed to it being a 10-minute break when players are allowed “a maximum of three minutes once they have entered the toilet” and “two minutes for a change of attire in addition to the three-minute toilet break”.
In Ruud’s defence, the court was some way from the locker room.
Ruud, who has won three titles so far this season, is the highest seed still remaining in the tournament.
After the break and the warning, Ruud bounced back to take out the second set in another tense tie-break.
But in the deciding set, both meant had to head to the locker rooms after a 69-minute interruption as thunderstorms passed over the area at 1-0 to Bautista Agut in the third.
He said time in the locker room was the perfect antidote for a game which had gone slightly stale as he battled the Spaniard.
“Thanks to the weather gods,” he said. “It was a tough battle, the first two sets, two hours 20 minutes of good intensity.
“But I was feeling it a bit in the legs, it was tough to find my intensity. The rain gave me time to breathe and regain some energy.”
Ruud wrapped up a long afternoon on his fourth match point, ending with 54 winners and 39 unforced errors.
“I’m still surviving, there will be another match tomorrow and I’ll try to survive it,” added the seventh-ranked Ruud, who is the top target remaining after the second-round exits of Medvedev, Carlos Alcaraz and Stefanos Tsitsipas .
He’ll play Canadian sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime, who dispatched Britain’s Cameron Norrie 6-3, 6-4.
Eight months after scoffing at the ATP world rankings, Nick Kyrgios has moved up 100 places — and he might not be done yet.
It was back in January, Kyrgios, 27, started the year in the 93rd spot. Soon after he dropped outside the top 100 and slid as far down as 137th in March.
All along though the outspoken Australian never feared about his slide down the rankings.
“Honestly, if I’m ranked 1000 or 10 in the world I know what I’m capable of and everyone knows what I’m capable of on Tour,” he said in January.
“I’m not a player that hasn’t come from themselves – I talk a lot but I also have beaten a lot of players and I’ve won a lot of tournaments so that’s not something I’m focusing on,” he said.
“I just want to go out there have fun and I want to put on a good performance.
“It’s the Australian summer and people expect me to put on a good show and I think that I’m still capable of doing that.
“I won Acapulco unseeded and I beat four top-10 players … I think the level of tennis has never been this deep, everyone can play, everyone’s capable of doing very, very well.”
Despite his runner-up finish at the All England Courts not counting towards his ATP ranking because of Wimbledon’s decision to exclude Russian and Belarusian players because of the war in Ukraine, Kyrgios has now moved inside the top 30 with his round of 16 win over Alex by Minaur on Friday.
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Demon no match for King Kyrgios | 02:16
After starting the tournament ranked 37, Kyrgios has moved to No.27 in the world after his two-set clinical showing at the ATP Montreal Masters
He will climb as high as No.21 should he prevail over eighth-seeded Hubert Hurkacz in the quarter-finals on Saturday and could move inside the top 15 should he win the tournament. He has now won 15 of his past 16 single matches, including his past nine straight.
Nick Kyrgios was in sublime form against Alex de Minaur during Day 6 of the National Bank Open on August 11, 2022 in Montreal, Canada. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
In a boost to his US Open hopes, Kyrgios’ victory over de Minaur means the volatile Australian will be seeded at the grand slam event.
“It was a goal, more so that I don’t get one of the big titans or gods the first-round, I can actually work my way through the draw, if the draw is kind,” he said.
“I always feel as if my game is right there. I feel like no matter who I play, today I felt amazing, and let’s keep it going.”
The Tennis world was blown away by Kyrgios’ clinical showing in Canada.
De Minaur had few answers against his Davis Cup teammate, who came to the net early and reeled off 22 winners and just nine unforced errors in the 62 minute demolition.
It was the type of tennis that saw Kyrgios progress through his maiden Slam final, where he ultimately went down to Novak Djokovic in a five-set epic.
Things got ugly for Ben Simmons in Philadelphia and if Kevin Durant is not careful, he could be heading down a similar path in Brooklyn — if he is not already.
But could that be all part of the Nets superstar’s master plan?
Well, Durant certainly got the NBA world talking earlier in the week then he issued an ultimatum that left Nets owner Joseph Tsai in a tricky situation.
Durant, who requested a trade in June, reportedly told Tsai he needs to choose between the 12-time All-Star and the pairing of head coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks.
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A subsequent report from The New York Post laid out Durant’s specific grievances with the team, including a lack of consultation over the Nets’ firing of assistant coach and director of player development Adam Harrington.
But not everyone in the NBA world seems to think that Durant actually wants Nash or Marks fired from the organization.
That is certainly the opinion of Fox Sports’ Nick Wright, who said on ‘The Herd’ with Colin Cowherd that Durant’s ultimatum is all about achieving one “single goal”.
“I don’t think Kevin Durant actually wants those guys fired,” Wright said.
“I think he just wants to be traded. I think if he wanted Sean Marks and Steve Nash fired, he would have gone to Joe Tsai a month ago when he did the trade demand and quietly and privately said: ‘Listen, if you don’t fire these guys, I’m going to demand a trade’.
“I read this differently than most. I read this as Kevin Durant asking for something he knew he would not get in order to make it untenable for them to bring him back because he was starting to get concerned they were actually going to bring him back.
“This was him upping the ante to a level that is pretty unprecedented. It’s why I think Durant understood Joe Tsai is not going to do it and they also, I don’t believe, can ask Steve Nash to now coach Kevin Durant. I think it was a really smart move if his single goal is to be traded and I think that is his single goal.
Could Kevin Durant be heading down a similar path to Ben Simmons? (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
You see, it is not like Durant has much leverage in this situation, as NBA front office insider John Hollinger explained in a recent article for The Athletic.
Hollinger pointed towards two numbers in particular to prove that point — 34 and four — Durant’s age and how many years he has left on his contract.
“Throwing both his coach and GM under the bus — in many cases for moves that came with a wink and nod from Durant’s camp — certainly makes it less likely the Nets will find it tenable to reunite everyone in the fall,” Hollinger wrote.
“Of course, this gambit offers no guarantees. The trade offers in front of the Nets today aren’t any different from the ones they rejected yesterday, and it’s not clear how or if Durant’s latest demand will compel action.”
What it could do though is lead to a similar situation to the one Simmons found himself in Philadelphia last year, although there are a few key differences as Hollinger also pointed out.
“Seemingly the sharpest arrow left in Durant’s quiver is pure hardball: a holdout, one that would cost him a chunk of his $44 million 2022-23 salary for every day he sat out,” he wrote.
“It would, ironically, be a near carbon-copy of the situation a year ago in Philadelphia with Durant’s occasional teammate Ben Simmons.
“Here’s the thing: The Nets are working on a different timeline than the Sixers were.”
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Hollinger is right. Philadelphia had to move relatively fast to capitalize on Joel Embiid’s prime and as such was more inclined to reach a swift resolution in the Simmons drama.
The same cannot be said for the Nets though, as Hollinger argued.
“If anything, they would seem to have the opposite motivation,” he wrote.
“Yes, Brooklyn’s first choice would be to run it back with Durant, Simmons and Kyrie Irving (or a suitable replacement). But in the absence of Durant, wouldn’t the Nets’ second choice be to tank the season and try again in 2024? And wouldn’t a Durant holdout do anything more than accelerate the Nets toward that endgame?
“Brooklyn’s best-case scenario may be waiting until midseason, when this summer’s free agents are eligible to be dealt with. It seems less likely they’d let a year of Durant’s contract wither on the vine at his age and wait until next offseason… but it ca n’t totally be ruled out either given the tanking incentive.
Durant has told Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai that he must choose between keeping Durant or head coach Steve Nash and general manager Sean Marks, The Athletic reported on August 8, 2022. (Photo by ELSA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP)Source: AFP
What was consistent among a host of voices in the NBA media landscape was a sense of uncertainty, not knowing what exactly was coming next, again similar to the Simmons saga.
“The whole situation is a mess, but the kind of mess Brooklyn might happily sweep under a rug and ignore, if only it could,” The Ringers Rob Mahoney wrote.
“It’s impossible to replace Kevin Durant. Hell, it’s hard enough just to set a fair return for Durant in a trade, much less one suitors can realistically meet. Every ask sounds ridiculous because Durant is a genuinely ridiculous player.
“That might be the only reason he’s still a Net some six weeks after requesting a trade—and maybe the real reason KD is stirring the pot with this ultimatum in the first place. Does he really want Marks and Nash gone? Or is he just looking to send a shock through the Nets’ system?”
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The Athletic’s Alex Schiffer, meanwhile, pointed towards Durant’s strong endorsement of Marks after the Brooklyn’s four-game sweep at the hands of Boston as proof of just how confusing it all is.
“If Durant wanted Nash out but didn’t feel like putting him on blast to the media 10 minutes after the season ended, he could have discussed Nash’s future with an ‘I don’t know’ or ‘Now’s not the time for that’ . But he didn’t,” Schiffer wrote.
Schiffer agreed one “plausible explanation” is that this is Durant trying to force Brooklyn’s hand, to make the situation so untenable that the Nets back down.
Durant wants out of Brooklyn. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The Heat have been heavily linked to Durant since he first requested the trade but are unlikely to have the assets to make it work, at least in a traditional two-team deal.
The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang though Durant’s ultimatum was an important point in the drama, even if it still left “plenty of questions unanswered”.
“But in the wake of The Athletic’s report that Durant doesn’t want to work with Nash or Marks, the question is: Will this force the Nets to trade Durant prior to the start of training camp in late September to avoid any awkward tension and drama between the two parties? he wrote.
“That sort of deadline could take away some of the Nets’ leverage as the window to trade Durant before training camp shrinks as each day passes.
“The Nets could also decide to take Durant into training camp if a good enough offer doesn’t present itself, which would force Durant to decide whether to skip practices as he waits to be dealt or play through it.”
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NBA insider Brian Windhorst though was not so sure it would pay off, should Durant’s ultimatum have been a ploy to try speed up a trade out of Brooklyn.
“Doing it now is a manoeuvre, a manoeuvre that I don’t think worked because as I talk to teams out there, they don’t think this increased his trade demand. They think this hurt his trade value,” Windhorst said on ‘NBA Today’.
Windhorst brought up Tsai’s tweet earlier in the week as proof of it, in which the Nets owner claimed: “Our front office and coaching staff have my support. We will make decisions in the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.”
“I want to point to the second half of the Joe Tsai tweet,” Windhorst said.
“I think it’s obviously important to look at the first sentence which is that he’s not going to fire Sean Marks and Steve Nash. But the second sentence is really the sentence that the league paid attention to it. And it seems benign when he says ‘We make decisions for the best interest of the Brooklyn Nets.’
“But I’m going to decode that for you. What he’s basically saying is despite what Kevin Durant is trying to do here, we’re not going to change what our expectations are for a trade and if you are not traded, we expect you to be reporting to camp to continue the four years you have left on your contract.”
At this stage though, we are no closer to either party getting what they want, with Schiffer putting it best in his summation of the drama.
“During’s ultimatum,” he wrote, “opened a chest’s worth of questions while the clock to training camp continues to tick more loudly”.
Former Wallabies fly-half Matt To’omua has opened up about his “brutal” divorce from Australian cricketer Ellyse Perry, admitting the taxing order was “not fun at all”.
The sporting power couple, who tied the knot in 2015, announced their divorce in July 2020, confirming the news in a joint statement.
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“It’s with the greatest of respect for one another that we decided to separate earlier this year,” the pair said at the time.
“We felt this was the right course of action and is in the best interests of each other and our current lives. This is something that has evolved and is a mutual decision.
Throughout our relationship we have remained private and we ask that our space and privacy continue to be respected during this difficult time for both of us.”
The couple went public in 2013 when they appeared at the John Eales Medal awards night together before getting engaged the following year.
Ellyse Perry and ex-husband Matt To’omua.Source: InstagramEllyse Perry and ex-husband Matt To’omua. AAP Image/Scott BarbourSource: AAP
speaking to the Sydney Morning HeraldTo’omua revealed he had not spoken to Perry in more than a year,
“It was tough,” he confessed. “Not fun. Not fun at all. It sucks.
“You can see why it breaks people. I’m very lucky that I’ve found someone now who’s amazing, but at the time, it was brutal.
“I’m very fortunate that we had no children and, of the divorces, it was a good one in the sense of the separation of those things. The one unique thing being it was public. Getting sprayed while I’m goalkicking or getting abused on some social media platform isn’t great, but they’re minor things.”
Matt To’omua of Australia. Photo by Michael Steele/Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
To’omua has since started dating forensic psychologist Naomi Cameron, who he met in 2020. They recently got engaged. Earlier this year, the 32-year-old announced he would head overseas and join Japan’s League One, signing with an unnamed club.
To’omua represented the Wallabies in 59 Tests after making his international debut in 2013, also playing 130 Super Rugby games for the ACT Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels.
Meanwhile, rumors emerged last year that Perry was dating Fremantle Dockers captain Nat Fyfe.
The 31-year-old was part of the Australian squad for this year’s triumphant Cricket World Cup campaign in New Zealand.
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer has said he “would not be surprised” if major F1 figures are sharing information behind closed doors as the Oscar Piastri fiasco continues to bubble away.
While the news of Piastri’s mooted move to McLaren to replace countryman Daniel Ricciardo has not been officially announced by the team, Szafnauer has spoken on the issue.
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The issue came to a head when two-time world champion Fernando Alonso sensationally revealed he was leaving Alpine for Aston Martin, leaving a free seat to which the French outfit announced Piastri would be taking.
It was also revealed Alonso did not tell Alpine bosses of his decision to defect before it was made public.
But Piastri threw a spanner in the works, revealed he would “not be driving for Alpine next year” via a social media statement.
It quickly snowballed into reports Piastri was signed with McLaren who were willing to pay out Ricciardo’s seat, which will cost the team a reported $21 million.
The one snag appears to be whether Piastri had a valid contract at Alpine.
French publication Auto Hebdo reported this week the F1’s Contract Recognition Board found both Piastri’s Alpine and McLaren contracts are valid.
It has left Alpine threatening to file a civil lawsuit to recover the millions of dollars in training it has spent on Piastri this season.
“Going to the High Court is over 90 per cent certain that’s what we’ll do,” Szafnauer told Reuters.
“If the CRB (Contract Recognition Board) says ‘Your license is only valid at Alpine’, and then he (Piastri) says ‘That’s great, but I’m never driving for them, I’ll just sit out a year’, then you’ve got to go to the High Court for compensation.”
But the Alpine boss has also hinted at potential collusion between Piastri’s manager Mark Webber, Alonso and his manager Flavio Briatore.
Webber and Alonso are close friends after their time in F1, while Briatore, who was a former team boss at Bennetton and Renault, has been Alonso’s long-term manager.
“Look, I have no record of it, but this is Formula 1 and maybe in a couple of years someone says that they have evidence of shared information, I would not be surprised,” Szafnauer said.
“I always tell everyone that in Formula 1 you have to act as if everyone knows everything. That there are no secrets in these things. When you ask someone not to say anything, they act like everyone knows.
“That’s how I’ve run my business in Formula 1 for 25 years. And if this (information sharing) has happened, you should not be surprised.”
The Piastri drama has been getting fairly heated as Alpine still want the Aussie in their car, but Szafnauer has questioned the youngster’s integrity.
Szafnauer may not be the only one who smells something fishy either.
Former F1 driver turned pundit Christian Danner said Piastri’s tactics “clearly has the handwriting” of Briatore.
Briatore was forced out of the sport in disgrace after the 2008 Singapore Grand Prix, when Nelson Piquet Jr. alleged he had been ordered to deliberately crash to help Alonso, who was his teammate at the time. Alonso went on to win the race.
Briatore was banned from the sport indefinitely for a short time but it was overturned.
The 72-year-old continues to manage Alonso.
“It’s classic Flavio. There was certainly a contract for Piastri that Flavio has skimmed over … there was definitely a clause,” Danner told German publication Motorsport Magazine.
“When he believes in someone, he has the foresight to plan in a positive sense – and not just ruthlessly, which is logically the case in this business.
“I could imagine Piastri being able to free himself from Alpine’s grip, so that he can hopefully drive for McLaren for the next two years and then be free for a big deal. That definitely has Briatore’s signature.
“It can all go wrong, of course, but if it works out, then he (Briatore) has done everything right.”
It seems all the twists and turns are a long way from over in this drama.
Anne Heche’s family have released a statement following her horror car crash last week, saying she’s “not expected to survive.”
The 53-year-old US actress has been in a coma since the accident in Los Angeles last Friday.
“Unfortunately, due to her accident, Anne suffered a severe anoxic brain injury and remains in a coma in critical condition,” a representative said in a statement on behalf of Heche’s family, obtained by People. “She is not expected to survive.”
Heche’s rep added that the actress was being kept on life support to “determine if her organs are viable”.
“It has long been her choice to donate her organs,” Heche’s rep said.
Heche’s family went on to thank wellwishers for their support over the last few days, before talking about the star’s legacy.
“We want to thank everyone for their kind wishes and prayers for Anne’s recovery and thank the dedicated staff and wonderful nurses that cared for Anne at the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills hospital,” the statement said.
“Anne had a huge heart and touched everyone she met with her generous spirit. More than her extraordinary talent, she saw spreading kindness and joy as her life’s work — especially moving the needle for acceptance of who you love.
“She will be remembered for her courageous honesty and dearly missed for her light.”
It comes after police confirmed earlier today that Heche tested positive for cocaine and possibly fentanyl at the time of her crash.
Los Angeles Police Department sources told TMZ that the actress’ blood test results came up positive for both substances.
However, the law enforcement insiders cautioned that fentanyl may have been administered to Heche at the hospital to help manage her pain after the accident, so they will do more testing to determine whether the fentanyl was in her system at the time of the crash, Page Six reports.
the Six Days Seven Nights actress, who dated Ellen DeGeneres in the ’90s, has been in an “extreme critical condition” at the medical center following the collision in Mar Vista, which also destroyed a house and displaced a woman and her dogs.
“She has a significant pulmonary injury requiring mechanical ventilation and burns that require surgical intervention,” Heche’s rep said earlier this week.
“She is in a coma and has not regained consciousness since shortly after the accident.”
Meanwhile, DeGeneres gave a surprisingly curt response yesterday when asked by a photographer about her former girlfriend.
When asked on Thursday if she’d checked in on Heche since the crash, DeGeneres said simply: “No, have not. We’re not in touch with each other, so I wouldn’t know.”
When asked if she wanted to send Heche any well-wishes, DeGeneres again kept it brief. “Sure… I don’t want anyone to be hurt,” she said.
DeGeneres and Heche were arguably Hollywood’s most visible same-sex couple for the three years they were together, from 1997 to 2000.
It’s the message that should be conveyed (and clearly is behind closed doors) despite Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes scrutinizing Collingwood for over celebrating its epic seven-point win over Melbourne last Friday night.
Cornes this week said the Pies went “over the top” and called for them to “keep a lid on it” given it’s only Round 21.
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“I haven’t seen stuff like this for a long time — we’ve all loved what they’ve done but they haven’t achieved anything yet,” the dual All-Australian said on Channel 9’s Footy Classified.
“You don’t see Geelong doing this — it’s like a WWE wrestler. Fremantle has qualified for finals, have you seen them doing that? Have you seen Sydney doing that?
“If I was advising them, I’d say ‘keep a lid on it’, narrow your focus and we’ll judge you when you win in September, not in Round 20. We’ll see how it goes on for the finals — I’ve still got some question marks on them.”
It came after probably the game of the season between Collingwood and Melbourne that went right down to the wire in front of a rowdy packed house of over 70,000 fans at the MCG.
With it the Magpies had knocked over the reigning premiers for a second time in 2022, extended their remarkable winning streak to 11 games and moved into second place—of course continuing their stunning rise from last year’s 17th place finish.
Ash Johnson celebrates after the win (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
Factoring in all of the above, wins don’t come much bigger than that.
It set up for the euphoric atmosphere for the black and white post-match. Players, just as they’ve done in several of their previous close wins, immediately huddled in celebration before hugging and high-fiving.
Even coach Craig McRae was sighted on the bench going nuts with players and staff.
The Pies then got around their fans, who were as vocal as you’ll ever hear them throughout the night and jumping for joy on the final siren, embracing with the black and white faithful all around the ground and taking selfies with smiles beaming across their faces.
How could you possibly not live at the moment!?
It was scenes of pure passion and jubilation, and frankly, simple human instinct to react in such a way after yet another epic win — scenes of emotion that make footy what it is. After all, the game isn’t life and death.
You can’t even imagine how players would’ve felt. Going from the feeling of being so hyper focused on the game and questioning, ‘can we do this?’ To then the relief and bliss of, ‘we’ve won our 11th straight, and we’re second.’
And for that one hour after the match they can celebrate and soak up the victory as the pressure valve is momentarily released.
Johnson and McRae embrace (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)Source: FOX SPORTS
“I would like to know what the levels of celebrations actually are. How much are you allowed to celebrate after another win like that?” Dual premiership Kangaroo David King awning foxfooty.com.au.
“The excitement should be shared with the fans, which was how it was done. It wasn’t disrespectful, it wasn’t demeaning in any way.
“They are taking their own on a ride that is so special, why wouldn’t you celebrate like that? Why wouldn’t you embrace what’s happening, as ridiculous as it is.
“And the bottom line is—who cares what people think.”
Footy has changed. Ten years ago there was a vibe in the rooms after wins of players trying to cover up smiles and stay in this overly professional, serious mood and act as if they weren’t happy.
This shift to a more jovial, lighthearted approach was widely said to be key to the Tigers’ resurgence in 2017 (where McRae was an assistant), and the exact same can be said for Collingwood in 2022.
While winning clearly helps, the Magpies simply look like a much happier club — you only need to attend or watch a game or be in the rooms post-match to really feel it — and it’s bizarrely made even Collingwood’s biggest haters warm to it (perhaps some more than others).
McRae’s message all season has been for his troops to stay in the moment week to week and celebrate the good times when they come — and this message has clearly resonated with the group in a breath of fresh air for the competition.
Maynard BUZZING after big hit and win | 00:47
Whenever the Magpies coach after a win has been quizzed about upcoming clashes, his reply has been consistently along the lines of: ‘We’re enjoying this one for now and we’ll worry about that later.’
“He’s really light hearted and has a lot of fun,” Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury said of McRae on Triple M over the weekend.
“Even (against Melbourne) before the game he said, ‘make sure we go out and enjoy the occasion. Take a look around, take the crowd in. I want you boys to play with freedom and fun, smile, enjoy this.’
“You just feel so comfortable and confident. You can see it with how we play, we’ve got energy and enjoying ourselves — and that’s all off the back of our coaching group and ‘Fly’ (McRae) driving that message home.”
What may be perceived as over celebrating is this very positive energy Pendlebury speaks of and aura galvanizing the group and driving one of the most unprecedented runs in league history. The players are simply living McRae’s mantra and riding the tidal wave of emotion.
No matter how far they go, Pies fans will always remember this winning streak and McRae’s first season at large as a truly special period.
This idea that clubs can only celebrate after finals (or grand finals) is mad. Does that mean of the 400 plus games that are played across the season, only one match is worthwhile celebrating because it ends in silverware? Or players who don’t play in flags shouldn’t cherish special victories along the way? That’s too shallow.
Jamie Elliot signs with Feet until 2025 | 00:37
The same can be said for scrutiny towards North Melbourne after it recorded its second win for the season against Richmond in Round 18. The club had just seen its coach depart amid a particularly tumultuous stretch of its horror season, and against all odds, knocked off one of the league’s powerhouses. Bloody lap it up.
There’s too many lows in footy to not enjoy the highs, and for Collingwood, last Friday night might well be the peak of its season. The odds are that the Pies probably won’t go all the way (not that you’d confidently bet against them right now!) But what may or may not happen in September shouldn’t matter.
Of course, context is everything and there’s a line. Not every win should prompt such a reaction, although it’s fair to say the Pies have played in an unrivaled amount of games that have probably warranted it in 2022.
But after having no crowds for the best part of the last two years and the club enduring a particularly rocky period over that span including the infamous 2020 trade exodus and departures of long-time president Eddie McGuire and coach Nathan Buckley, the players should be allowed to enjoy their unforeseen bounce back.
Although winning a flag is ultimately every club’s goal, there’s no rule that they can’t have fun along the journey.
