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NRL 2022 Canterbury Bulldogs v North Queensland Cowboys, live score, updates, stream, start time, teams, Supercoach scores

NRL 2022 Canterbury Bulldogs v North Queensland Cowboys, live score, updates, stream, start time, teams, Supercoach scores

The Bulldogs lodged the quickest captain’s challenge in NRL history and earned a dream start against the Cowboys.

That led to the first try in the opening set of the game and Matt Burton crossed for the Dogs’ second.

But the Cowboys hit back just before the break with quick-fire tries to Griffin Neame and Chad Townsend to make 10-10 at halftime.

MATCH CENTER: Bulldogs v Cowboys, stats, teams, videos

North Queensland kicked off the match and the touch judge ruled it to bounce out, but Braidon Burns said he got a hand to it with his foot planted out.

The Dogs challenged and replays proved Burns correct, giving Canterbury a penalty on halfway which led to the first try.

Burton put through a grubber and Peta Hiku hesitated just long enough for Josh Addo-Carr to swoop through and score in the third minute.

Burton then turned scorer when he proved too strong from close range off the back off a scrum move in the 18th minute.

The Cowboys were finally rewarded for their sustained pressure when forward Griffin Neame barged over from close range in the 31st minute.

North Queensland halfback Chad Townsend made it two tries in three minutes when he put his head down and burrowed over in the corner.

34TH MINUTE

North Queensland halfback Chad Townsend put his head down and burrowed his way over in the corner.

31ST MINUTES

The Cowboys were finally rewarded for their sustained pressure when forward Griffin Neame barged over from close range.

18TH MINUTE

Bulldogs five-eighth Matt Burton proved too strong from close range to finish off the back off a scrum move.

3RD MINUTE

Matt Burton put through a grubber and Peta Hiku hesitated just long enough for Josh Addo-Carr to swoop through and score.

“Hiku thought the fullback Scott Drinkwater was going to come in and attack the ball and the Foxx is right there on the sport,” Steve Roach said on Fox League.

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MATCH PREVIEW

The Bulldogs have brought Raymond Faitala-Mariner into their starting side at lock to face the Cowboys, with Tevita Pangai Junior moving to the bench.

Canterbury look like a new side under Mick Potter and the Dogs are chasing a third straight win in what would be their biggest scalp of the season.

North Queensland have won six of their past seven and are looking to solidify a second spot on the ladder.

The Cowboys are 1-17 on side coach Todd Payten named on Tuesday.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow takes Kyle Feldt’s place after it was confirmed he would miss two games with a hamstring injury. Jake Granville slots onto the bench.

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Australian mum’s travel hate booms into $20m business Luxico

Australian mum's travel hate booms into $20m business Luxico

When it comes to holidaying, deciding whether to go with the expected comforts of a hotel or the relaxed amenities of an Airbnb generally comes down to the guest and the mood of the trip.

For mum and businesswoman Alexandra Ormerod, travel has always been high on the priority list – and she had no plans for that to change when she and husband Tom decided to start a family.

But with a little one in tow, the pair soon realized that the simple pleasures they once took for granted in a hotel room were no longer applicable for a young family.

“We have a lot of family overseas… we are avid travelers and after our first daughter was born we quickly discovered in our travels that hotels were dead to us and that came as a bit of a shock,” Ms Ormerod told news.com. ouch

“We soon found it very challenging to be traveling with a small child and finding accommodation that was of a standard better than a serviced apartment.

“We realized quite early on that places like Europe and Asia have a more mature market than Australia, so there are a lot more villas to hire in different locations. Whereas when you came to Australia and you effectively had the option of a holiday home. That home would be hired through a real estate agent and generally you were restricted to a coastal location and picking the keys up from the local fish and chip shop because the office was closed.

Ms Ormerod said the “disconnected experience” and “transactional approach” to hiring holiday homes in Australia meant guests “never really knew what they were going to get” on arrival.

With a background in advertising, Ms Ormerod said her work in travel and tourism along with her husband’s involvement in property development and real estate meant they identified a gap in the market for couples, friends and family groups seeking options in the luxury end of the holiday homes market.

As a result, ‘Luxico’ – which essentially combines hotels and holidays homes into one – was born in 2013.

“Luxico was a bit of an obvious outcome,” she explained of the company, which is now worth almost $20 million.

“We found there was a real niche for designer accommodation which we identified as not really existing at the time Luxico was born.”

Having a house on the Mornington Peninsula, Ms Ormerod said a lot of neighbors and Melbourne residents had “big homes” in the area which sat empty for most of the year. So she and Tom started renting out properties in the area which signaled a huge area of ​​demand for beautiful, high-end homes temporarily.

“We found there was a lot of demand for that $1000-a-night or more price point that was not being serviced,” she said.

“So we then built on that to try and service that demand, and try to take the experience away from a transactional offering to a more hospitality or hotel offering [within a luxury home].”

Each Luxico stay comes with a concierge service – essentially a local who ‘checks you in’ to the home. Each concierge acts as a point of call for guests, with no request too big, small or bizarre. The homes range from $250 to $15,000 or more per night.

“It’s bringing the human element back into that holiday home stay, and all our concierges are from the local area,” she explained of the company which exclusively manages $700 million worth of property across Australia.

“The extra services you can have – from chefs, to butlers and specialist touring – are all part of the optional extras.

“But for the everyday traveller, the feedback has been that the concierge had given them insider tips to the area … maybe told them of an amazing hidden gem they wouldn’t have otherwise known about that made their holiday.”

While celebrity clients make up a large bulk of the brand’s clientele, Ms Ormerod said “mums and dads” still make up the majority of bookings.

“Luxico is an end-to-end service so we exclusively manage all of the properties that we offer,” she said, adding that if a family is looking to book two or three hotel rooms – a home works out to be better value.

“So we are managing the guest experience not just through the booking process, but the experience they have in home and even afterwards.

“So from the slippers, to the towels to prepared toiletries, the concierge is going in there and provisioning and preparing the home so if you are traveling with small children we will bring in a toy box so they have something to play with. So it’s all those little touches that make the experience a continuance of the booking process.

“It’s more a holistic experience, connecting you with local products, experiences and service providers that will build on that stay.”

Read related topics:airbnb

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Inner West major to look into stadium safety after Leichhardt Oval grandstand crash

Inner West major to look into stadium safety after Leichhardt Oval grandstand crash

A Sydney Mayor who has lashed out at Dominic Perrottet for alleged rugby stadium “pork barreling” has reacted with shock after a grandstand collapsed at the weekend.

A disturbing video shows the moment a railing at a Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsed under the weight of fans attending a schoolboy rugby match.

A number of fans went tumbling over the stand like dominoes and face planted onto concrete meters below.

Paramedic crews at the game treated some minor injuries but no one was taken to hospital, NSW Ambulance reported.

Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne, who has campaigned for funding to upgrade the Leichhardt Oval, issued a media release just days before the collapse, accusing the state government of pork barreling for choosing to spend upwards of $300 million to build Penrith Stadium despite numerous commitments to fund suburban sports grounds.

“Dominic Perrottet is happy to spend $300 million in Stuart Ayres seat, to build a shiny, new Panthers Stadium for the exclusive use of one club,” Mr Byrne said, referring to the outgoing trade minister and MP for Penrith.

“But the Wests Tigers, and all of the other senior and junior, men’s and women’s Rugby League, Soccer and Rugby Union teams who regularly use Leichhardt Oval get nothing.”

The Council had plans to use part of a planned $250m slated for suburban sports grounds to upgrade and expand their grandstands.

“I call on Mr Perrottet to explain why this shocking pork-barrelling continues while most footy fans across Sydney get dudded,” the Labor mayor said.

Leichhardt Oval hosts more than 50 games a year across various rugby codes while Penrith Stadium will host just 11 Penrith Panthers games a year.

Mr Byrne took to his social media following the grandstand collapse to share his shock over the dangerous incident.

“The collapse of grandstand seating at Leichhardt Oval today during a schoolboy rugby match was incredibly dangerous,’ he said.

“The footage is shocking.”

Inner West councilor Philippa Scott jumped into the comment section to direct her anger at the state government.

“I am heartened to know that the spectators were sent home with only minor injuries, however I am incandescently angry at how our inner west infrastructure is treated by the state government,” she said.

“We are being smashed by not being a marginal Liberal seat.”

Mayor Byrne said his team are working to make the site safe and will fully investigate the safety risks it raises.

Australia Rugby League boss Peter V’landys this week accused Premier Dominic Perrottet of reneging on his agreement after he redirected funds set aside for sports grounds to flood recovery.

Premier Dominic Perrottet has denied backflipping on his deal to upgrade Brookvale Oval, Leichhardt Oval and Shark Park.

“We won’t give up. We’re going to make sure the fans will get the facilities,” Mr V’Landys told 2GB radio this week.

A tense 24 hours of negotiations on Tuesday night had the ARL boss and the government tussling over whether the grand final would be moved from Sydney to Queensland.

Mr V’landys said in a radio interview at the weekend negotiations were ongoing and that a decision on the grand final would be made on Monday.

“We’re still negotiating with the NSW government, we don’t accept the excuse they’ve given us,” he said.

“The (ARL) commission will meet on Monday to decide the strategy it’s going to use … we don’t want to punish the NSW fans because the government isn’t meeting its commitments.”

Read related topics:sydney

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Construction industry collapse: Sign sector is heading for a bust

Construction industry collapse: Sign sector is heading for a bust

In the history of Australia, the nation’s economy has often been defined by booms and busts. From the 1890s depression driven by a collapse in wool prices and housing price crash, all the way through to the current boom in thermal coal prices, Australia’s economy has thrived and dived on boom and bust cycles.

In October 2019, the Reserve Bank warned of yet another boom that would turn to a bust, this time in the construction sector. At the time RBA Deputy Governor Guy Debelle made a speech to warn of falling activity in the industry, stating that it would subtract around 1 percentage point from GDP growth and that there was some risk the decline could be even larger.

Around that time investment bank UBS was equally concerned, warning that construction job ads were pointing to around 100,000 jobs potentially being lost in the industry as activity levels dropped from its peak.

With every boom comes a bust

Looking at the data, it’s clear why Debelle and the RBA were concerned about the direction of the industry. Between April 2012 and November 2017, the construction sector underwent an enormous boom following a period of rapidly falling activity resulting from the end of projects driven by the Rudd and Gillard government’s first homeowner grants. During this period dwelling approvals rose by 119 per cent and the construction sector enjoyed a period of strong growth even while other parts of the economy struggled.

But the continued strength of the construction sector was not to be.

Between November 2017 and the pre-pandemic lows of January 2020, dwelling approvals fell by 41.5 per cent. Naturally in time, dwelling commencements also fell from their peaks, dropping by 31.8 per cent between March 2018 and September 2019.

The pandemic effect

At the start of 2020, it was all very much looking like the RBA’s concerns about the future of the construction sector were justified. But when the pandemic arrived on Australia’s shores just a few months later everything changed.

In just a few months the fortunes of the construction sector changed dramatically, from a slowly dwindling pipeline of projects to unprecedented levels of government support for the industry.

From June 4 2020, the federal government’s ‘HomeBuilder’ program provided a $25,000 grant for eligible new builds and large scale home renovations on homes that met the government’s criteria. According to the federal Treasury as of March 2022, HomeBuilder had cost a total of $2.1 billion and received more than 137,000 applications (113,113 for new builds and 24,642 for renovations).

According to an analysis from Master Builders Australia, the value of building work supported by HomeBuilder amounted to $41.6 billion.

Various state and territory government grants for new homes also helped increase the number of new homes under construction to all time record highs.

Meanwhile, as the way Australians live and work changed dramatically as a result of the pandemic, demand for home renovations surged. According to the ABS during 2021 Australians spent $12.3 billion on renovating their homes, up 33 per cent compared with 2020.

Amid all this stimulus and pandemic driven activity, the construction sector has at times suffered from materials and labor shortages as it attempted to keep pace with rising demand.

But with HomeBuilder and various state and territory grants now in the rear view mirror, a concerning picture of the future is now slowly emerging.

Concerning signs

Since peaking in March 2021, dwelling approvals have failed by 29 per cent as of the latest data for June this year. After hitting an all-time record high in June 2021, dwelling commencements are following approvals down, falling 27.5 per cent as of the March quarter.

While a relatively strong pipeline of work remains and tradies are still in huge demand across much of the nation, the various forward looking indicators for the industry are showing similar concerning signs to those displayed in 2019.

However, unlike 2019 the broader economic circumstances are quite different and there are risks that the fortunes of the construction sector could deteriorate more swiftly. With mortgage rates currently rising at their most rapid relative rate in Australian history and inflation tipped by Treasury to hit 7.75 per cent by the end of the year, in time Australians may be much more reticent to take the plunge and pull the trigger on building a brand new home.

In 2020 the construction sector became the latest example of the “Lucky Country’s” good fortune coming to the rescue at exactly the right time. But now with a very different backdrop of economic circumstances, the sector has become even larger and activity levels even higher than the previous peaks, from which the RBA and UBS warned that the falls from could prove quite challenging.

Ultimately, despite the deteriorating forward looking indicators it is still very much early days for the construction sectors eventually slow down. More government stimulus or social housing construction may yet still come to somewhat fill the gap, but whether the sectors good fortune will hold, remains very much up in the air.

Tarric Brooker is a freelance journalist and social commentator | @AvidCommentator

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Elon Musk says he would fight Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin

Elon Musk says he would fight Kim Jong-un, Vladimir Putin

Elon Musk has thrown the gauntlet down at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un after challenging Russian President Vladimir Putin to physical blows earlier this year.

speaking to the full-send podcast, Musk said in the hypothetical scenario posed to him that he “wouldn’t say no” if the North Korean leader wanted to fight him.

In March, Musk went viral for a tweet in which he challenged the Russian President to fight.

“I hereby challenge Vladimir Putin to single combat,” he wrote.

“Stakes are Ukraine.”

When asked who Musk’s biggest “enemy” was at the moment, the billionaire mentioned his challenge to the Kremlin.

“I am not sure if they are going to send him, but I did challenge him on Twitter,” he said.

So how exactly would Elon Musk battle against the Russian leader known for his military martial arts background?

Easy. Musk says it’s a little known technique called “the walrus”.

“Listen, (the fight will) be a pay-per-view,” the Tesla and SpaceX CEO envisioned.

“It’ll be an interesting question because (Putin’s) good at martial arts and he’s pretty buff. You’ve seen those pictures of him on a horse.

“He has won like Judo championships… so he is pretty good, but I think I am 30 per cent bigger than him.”

Musk said his “weight advantage” would help him overthrow Putin with his ultimate MMA move.

“I’m going to use a move called ‘the walrus’, where I just lie on you. You can’t get away.”

While Musk is known for making controversial commentary that even he worries “could really backfire” on him, the billionaire has focused part of his Starlink efforts to aid Ukrainians.

As Ukraine enters its fifth month during the Russian invasion, Musk has deployed thousands of Starlink satellites to aid the Ukrainian defensive effort.

Musk activated the broadband service in Ukraine, after a Kyiv official urged the tech titan to provide his embattled country with stations.

“Starlink service is now active in Ukraine,” Musk tweeted, adding “more terminals [are] enroute.”

The Satellites have been a vital resource allowing Ukrainians to maintain access to the internet with encrypted data as Russia seeks to target Ukrainian power grids in attempts to disrupt information sharing.

Read related topics:Elon Musk

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Miles Bergman to Victoria, teams interested, Geelong number one target, Jacob Hopper

Miles Bergman to Victoria, teams interested, Geelong number one target, Jacob Hopper

A former first-round pick is drawing interest from clubs in his home state of Victoria.

Plus Geelong’s “number one target” in the upcoming trade period revealed.

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POWER FIRST-ROUND PICK COULD BE HEADING HOME

Miles Bergman is drawing interest from Victorian clubs and veteran SA journalist Michelangelo Rucci believes he will not be at Port Adelaide next year.

The 20-year-old has played seven games this season after featuring 23 times in his 2021 debut season, including playing in both finals.

A first-round pick in 2019, Bergman is contracted for another season but Rucci reported he is drawing interest from teams in his home state.

“We know there’s going to be an enormous trade market, but it’s not just going to be players falling out of contract,” Rucci said on SEN SA’s The Run Home.

“Miles Bergman is under contract until 2023, the end of next season. But he has – what I’ve been told – fair interest from a few Victorian clubs to lure him back to Melbourne.

“He was a first-round draft pick, number 14 for Port Adelaide in 2019, has a Rising Star nomination last year and had a difficult past 12 months with Covid.

“If he gets tempted to move, Port are going to have some interesting talks with clubs about what they want back.

“I don’t think (he will be at Port next year).”

Bergman was the Rising Star nominated in Round 21 last year after being selected with Pick 14 in the 2019 draft, in between Will Day (Hawthorn) and Cody Weightman (Western Bulldogs), and just before Mitch Georgiades (Port Adelaide) and Sam De Koning (Geelong).

Best three kicks at goal since Plugger | 00:58

CATS’ NUMBER ONE TARGET REVEALED

Geelong is prioritizing contracted GWS midfielder Jacob Hopper in the upcoming trade period, reports SEN’s Sam Edmund.

The Cats are one of a number of clubs showing interest in Hopper, who is among a group of Giants expected to depart the club this off-season.

His midfield mate Tim Taranto has been linked to clubs including Richmond and Collingwood, while the Tigers and Adelaide have interest in Hopper.

The Cats have also been linked to Geelong Falcons product and 2020 first-round pick Tanner Bruhn, but reported Edmund Hopper is their number one target.

“GWS, all bets are off here, they might be the most active in the trade window which we’ve spoken about as they look to balance the books,” he said on SEN’s Crunch Time.

“It’s not an exodus as such, I think it will be really targeted in terms of who they let go and they’ve got some levers to pull here given not all their players are in contract.

“Tanner Bruhn is definitely out, he wants to get back to Victoria only two years after being taken with Pick 12 in the 2020 draft.

“Bobby Hill has wanted a trade since this time last year, and Tim Taranto is out of contract and widely expected to seek a fresh start.

“And then there’s his midfield running mate Jacob Hopper, who’s got a year to run but Geelong have expressed a real interest in him, as well as Jordan De Goey.

“I think Hopper is their number one target there.

“Nick Haynes has been raised, contracted long term, Lachie Whitfield even just around the edges as well as someone who’s locked in for the long term as well.

“So there’s a bit to work out at GWS also with a new coach coming in.”

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Cronulla Sharks vs St George Illawarra Dragons, scores, stream, live, highlights, Supercoach scores, Kade Dykes, Matt Moylan

Cronulla Sharks vs St George Illawarra Dragons, scores, stream, live, highlights, Supercoach scores, Kade Dykes, Matt Moylan

The Sharks have taken the upper hand in the cross town derby, leading 18-12 at halftime.

In the absence of Matt Moylan, Braydon Trindall has stood up with a try and a try assist.

Sharks hooker Blayke Brailey was also sent to the bin for a professional foul before Tautau Moga scored for the Dragons.

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MATCH CENTER: Cronulla Sharks vs St George Illawarra Dragons, live scores

45TH MINUTE

The Dragons have hit back, courtesy of a floated pass from young gun Junior Amone to find Tautau Moga.

The Sharks tryline defense had held the Red V out, prompting the five-eighth to look out wide and turn Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo around.

26TH MINUTE

Sharks half Braydon Trindall sliced ​​through the Dragons line to score, handing his side the lead.

Trindall was a late replacement for Matt Moylan, who was ruled out due to a quad injury.

According to Fox League’s Lara Pitt, the 31-year-old playmaker will be fit for Round 22.

But only moments later, Trindall again charged at the line, finding Teig Wilton with a short ball to cross with his first tough.

“Braydon Trindall again, at speed, runs to the line… just look at him, takes off,” Alexander said.

“Braydon Trindall has been the man in this first half.”

“The man who is really shining in the absence of Matt Moylan,” Ginnane said.

Only moments later, Blayke Brailey was sent to the bin for a professional foul.

12TH MINUTE

Dragons veteran Tariq Sims was sin binned for an ugly high shot which forced Sharks gun Connor Tracey to be stretched off the field.

Sims shoulder made direct contact with Tracey’s chin and as a result was given his marching orders.

Fox League’s Dan Ginnane was shocked Sims wasn’t sent off.

“That would be the minimum there and that is a best case result for the Dragons,” Dan Ginnane said.

3RD MINUTE

Sharks marquee star Nicho Hynes opened the scoring only three minutes into the contest, throwing a big dummy before ducking underneath the tackle of Tariq Sims.

The scores sit level at 6-6 in the cross-town derby — and the playmaking responsibility sits on Hynes’ shoulders in Moylan’s absence.

“There is plenty of responsibility on Nicho Hynes tonight,” Greg Alexander said.

“Throws the dummy, gets on the inside of Tariq Sims, and Sims can’t stop him.”

Moments later, Dragons forward Jack De Belin was able to collect a bouncing Ben Hunt kick to score his side’s first.

Sensationally, the star forward is only one try away from being the club’s leading try scorer.

PRE-MATCH WRAP

Craig Fitzgibbon will be without one key playmaker for the club’s local derby — Matt Moylan.

Braydon Trindall has been drafted in to replace the 31-year-old, pairing marquee player Nicho Hynes in the halves, while Lachlan Miller moves onto the bench.

Young gun Kade Dykes will also make his debut at the back after impressing for feeder club Newtown Jets, replacing Will Kennedy after a syndesmosis injury.

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Meanwhile, Anthony Griffin has made changes of his own, with Billy Burns coming out of the side in place of veteran Josh McGuire.

Fitzgibbon’s Sharks will be desperate to come away with the points, currently sitting equal with the Eels after a win against Manly.

If Cronulla can beat their cross-town rivals they will sit in third, above the Melbourne Storm on 14 wins.

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Wests Tigers, video of Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsing amid NSW stadium funding standoff

Wests Tigers, video of Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsing amid NSW stadium funding standoff

Calls for several local stadiums in Sydney to be upgraded will only grow louder after shocking footage emerged of a grandstand collapsing at Leichhardt Oval.

Radio host Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald was attending a high school rugby union match between St Joseph’s College and Riverview on Saturday and he shared a video of an ugly incident on Twitter.

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In the clip, a Joeys player goes over for a try to the delight of the packed crowd in attendance.

But the video then shows a railing at the front of a small grandstand collapse under the weight of the fans, causing a number of them to faceplant onto concrete meters below.

Fitzgerald wrote: “Do you reckon Leichardt Oval needs an upgrade?”

It’s unclear if any of the spectators were injured. Channel 9 reports paramedics are at the scene.

The collapse happened in front of a crowd of around 15,000 and brought the game to a standstill.

The unfortunate incident will only heap more pressure on the NSW government to commit to funding upgrades to three Sydney stadiums including Leichhardt Oval, the traditional home of the Wests Tigers.

A grandstand at Leichhardt Oval suffered a mini collapse. Photo: Twitter.Source: Twitter

This week it emerged Sydney is on the brink of losing the NRL Grand Final after the state government reportedly walked away from an $800 million pledge.

The agreed upon deal, reportedly struck in May, is on the brink of collapsing and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys is said to be fuming.

The agreement would see Brookvale Oval ($100m), Leichhardt Oval ($50m) and Cronulla’s Shark Park ($100m) receive significant upgrades — and if delivered, the Grand Final would remain in Sydney for the next 20 years until 2042 on the proviso the Olympic venue would receive an $800m upgrade.

Those plans were scrapped during the pandemic with the NRL moving to shift those funds to suburban grounds and V’landys claiming he had received verbal confirmations from NSW Premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Dominic Perrottet for between $250 and $350 million.

Penrith Stadium was also in the agreement, however $300m has reportedly been ticked off to upgrade the grounds.

“We are in delicate negotiations with the NSW government,” V’landys said.

“All options will be on the table if these negotiations fail.”

A deadline on Tuesday passed with the two parties still staring each other down with reports Perrottet is set to walk away from a $250 million pledge to upgrade grounds, according to The Daily Telegraph.

2GB host Ben Fordham grilled NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, who has since resigned from his ministerial posts for separate reasons, over why Penrith Stadium had received funding but the other grounds had not.

Penrith fans will be enjoying an upgrade at Penrith Stadium. (Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images

“You’re the Sports Minister, your home ground is Penrith, you’re a Panthers fan and for all I know you’re probably the number one ticket holder,” Fordham said.

“So they got the $300 million, so what about Brookvale, Shark Park, Leichhardt Oval… I would be seriously surprised if you don’t know the answer I am posing to you.

“Why did your home ground get the money at your home ground and the others didn’t?

“Ben, there’s a long-term strategy,” Ayres said.

“We made decisions in what was the best interests of the public.

“We’ve had a long-term stadia strategy that we’ve been delivering since 2015. We’ve rebuilt Parramatta Stadium, we’re just about to open the new Sydney Football stadium.

“We’re committed to a stadium in Penrith, it reflects our three city strategy.

“We’ve invested well in excess of $1.5b dollars, part of that is, we’d like to have a long-term commitment from the NRL for the grand finale.

“We’ve just had Covid, we’ve had substantial flood impacts that have put more pressure on the budget.”

The Queensland government is now readying a bid to claim to NRL grand final for years to come.

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David Warner set to sign with Sydney Thunder, 2022-23 summer of cricket

David Warner set to sign with Sydney Thunder, 2022-23 summer of cricket

David Warner is reportedly on the verge of confirming his long-awaited return to the Big Bash League by signing with the Sydney Thunder.

The Age reports that the in-demand Australian opener could sign for the western Sydney club as early as Saturday, marking his first return to the domestic competition since 2013.

Warner’s deal will reportedly be worth at least $340,000, which is the same as what’s being offered to the highest tier of overseas players in the competition’s inaugural draft.

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Candice addresses David’s BBL future | 01:30

The left-hander — who was said to be in talks about playing in the UAE’s inaugural ILT20 — will replace Usman Khawaja, who has moved to the Brisbane Heat.

The door opened for Warner to return to the BBL after South Africa pulled out of an ODI series against Australia in January.

According to The AgeWarner was then among several Australian contracted players offered as much as $650,000 to play in the UAE start-up.

In the case of Warner, however, that outcome has been avoided — marking a massive boost for the Big Bash.

Warner will be available for five BBL matches after Australia’s three-Test tour against South Africa wraps up in Sydney in early January.

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NRL 2022: Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsing video, NSW stadium funding standoff

NRL 2022: Leichhardt Oval grandstand collapsing video, NSW stadium funding standoff

Calls for several local stadiums in Sydney to be upgraded will only grow louder after shocking footage emerged of a grandstand collapsing at Leichhardt Oval.

Radio host Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald was attending a high school rugby union match between St Joseph’s College and Riverview on Saturday and he shared a video of an ugly incident on Twitter.

Stream every game of every round of the 2022 NRL Telstra Premiership Season Live & Ad-Break Free During Play on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now >

In the clip, a Joeys player goes over for a try to the delight of the packed crowd in attendance.

But the video then shows a railing at the front of a small grandstand collapse under the weight of the fans, causing a number of them to faceplant onto concrete meters below.

Fitzgerald wrote: “Do you reckon Leichardt Oval needs an upgrade?”

It’s unclear if any of the spectators were injured. Channel 9 reported paramedics were at the scene.

The collapse happened in front of a crowd of around 15,000 and brought the game to a standstill.

The unfortunate incident will only heap more pressure on the NSW government to commit to funding upgrades to three Sydney stadiums including Leichhardt Oval, the traditional home of the Wests Tigers.

This week it emerged Sydney is on the brink of losing the NRL Grand Final after the state government reportedly walked away from an $800 million pledge.

The agreed upon deal, reportedly struck in May, is on the brink of collapsing and ARLC chairman Peter V’landys is said to be fuming.

The agreement would see Brookvale Oval ($100m), Leichhardt Oval ($50m) and Cronulla’s Shark Park ($100m) receive significant upgrades — and if delivered, the Grand Final would remain in Sydney for the next 20 years until 2042 on the proviso the Olympic venue would receive an $800m upgrade.

Those plans were scrapped during the pandemic with the NRL moving to shift those funds to suburban grounds and V’landys claiming he had received verbal confirmations from NSW Premiers Gladys Berejiklian and Dominic Perrottet for between $250 and $350 million.

Penrith Stadium was also in the agreement, however $300m has reportedly been ticked off to upgrade the grounds.

“We are in delicate negotiations with the NSW government,” V’landys said.

“All options will be on the table if these negotiations fail.”

A deadline on Tuesday passed with the two parties still staring each other down with reports Perrottet is set to walk away from a $250 million pledge to upgrade grounds, according to The Daily Telegraph.

2GB host Ben Fordham grilled NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres, who has since resigned from his ministerial posts for separate reasons, over why Penrith Stadium had received funding but the other grounds had not.

“You’re the Sports Minister, your home ground is Penrith, you’re a Panthers fan and for all I know you’re probably the number one ticket holder,” Fordham said.

“So they got the $300 million, so what about Brookvale, Shark Park, Leichhardt Oval… I would be seriously surprised if you don’t know the answer I am posing to you.

“Why did your home ground get the money at your home ground and the others didn’t?

“Ben, there’s a long-term strategy,” Ayres said.

“We made decisions in what was the best interests of the public.

“We’ve had a long-term stadia strategy that we’ve been delivering since 2015. We’ve rebuilt Parramatta Stadium, we’re just about to open the new Sydney Football stadium.

“We’re committed to a stadium in Penrith, it reflects our three city strategy.

“We’ve invested well in excess of $1.5b dollars, part of that is, we’d like to have a long-term commitment from the NRL for the grand finale.

“We’ve just had Covid, we’ve had substantial flood impacts that have put more pressure on the budget.”

The Queensland government is now readying a bid to claim to NRL grand final for years to come.

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