FIFA has officially brought forward the opening match of this year’s World Cup by one day to November 20 in a rare change so that hosts Qatar feature in the gala game.
Football’s top officials universally approved the decision, FIFA said in a statement while Qatar said it would give unspecified help to fans affected by the change.
On the old schedule, Qatar against Ecuador was to be the official inauguration match on November 21 but Senegal against Netherlands would be the first match of the day. England against Iran would have been second.
RELATED: Qatar pushes for late World Cup change
Qatar had also been frustrated as it has invested in a huge opening ceremony show.
“Host country Qatar will now play Ecuador on Sunday 20 November as part of a stand-alone event,” said FIFA.
“The opening match and ceremony of this year’s tournament at Al Bayt Stadium have been brought forward one day following a unanimous decision taken by the bureau of the FIFA Council today.”
The bureau is made up of FIFA leader Gianni Infantino and the six heads of the continental confederations.
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‘Smooth tournament’ vow
“The change ensures the continuity of a long-standing tradition of marking the start of the World Cup with an opening ceremony on the occasion of the first match featuring either the hosts or the defending champions,” added FIFA.
Under the new plan, the Group A game between Senegal and the Netherlands has been shifted from 1pm on November 21 to a 7pm start. There is no change to England’s opening Group B clash against Iran.
Qatari organisers, who have spent billions of dollars preparing for the event, immediately welcomed FIFA’s gesture.
“Opening the first FIFA World Cup to be held in the Middle East and Arab world is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Qatar,” said the organizing committee in a statement.
“The impact of this decision on fans was assessed by FIFA. We will work together to ensure a smooth tournament for the supporters affected by the change,” they added without giving details.
Some Ecuador fans may have to change flights to arrive in Qatar earlier and football sources said the date switch could force changes to some World Cup contracts.
But many companies linked to the World Cup expressed confidence that disruption would be overcome.
“It is something we will deal with,” said Jaime Byrom, chairman of Match Hospitality, which has a deal with FIFA to organize hospitality packages for World Cup matches and has locked in 450,000 tickets for the tournament.
“It is really not – compared to the other challenges that we could have faced or have faced in the past – a particularly large problem,” Byrom told AFP.
“We have to focus on those customers who are most affected and I guess in this case we will be looking at our Ecuadorean customers who are traveling from overseas, and making sure that they are on time for the match.”
Official countdown clocks for the event were quickly changed. The 100 day countdown to the opening match will now start on Friday, instead of Saturday.
The decision was also announced as Qatar staged the first official match at the Lusail stadium which will host the December 18 World Cup final.
Before more than 10,000 fans, and with players engulfed in airconditioning to ward off stifling summer heat, Al Arabi beat Al Rayyan 2-1 in the Qatar championship.
A British woman has gone viral after sharing the “selfish” efforts her neighbour’s go to in order to keep a parking spot on the road outside their home.
Tasha Bonner revealed her “pathetic neighbours” have devised a plan to ensure they never lose a specific parking space outside their house.
A bemused Tasha claims the father and son next door make sure one of their cars is always parked on the street outside their home, swapping over when one needs to leave, despite having off-street parking for two vehicles in their driveway.
She recorded the scheme in action, showing the moment the two cars change guard ensuring they “won’t allow anyone to park in their space”.
After the woman captured and shared the evidence of her neighbor’s parking plan TikTok, it has prompted a flurry of support from other people with equally as frustrating experiences.
“Here we go again… brown car is ready to dash into the space,” she wrote over the video, which has now racked up 1.5 million views.
The video then shows a blue car driving away, immediately followed by another vehicle pulling into the space it had left behind.
The short clip was captioned with an array of hashtags, including “neighbourwars”, “pathetichhumans” and “neighboursfromhell”.
Social media users were quick to respond to the infuriating clip, with some claiming their “rage” would be through the roof.
“This must be causing him such stress to be that worried about a space,” one wrote.
“My rage issues would put everyone’s life in danger cos I’d straight reverse into them,” another added.
While one said: “Why are people so petty about parking spaces? If it’s that important, move to a house with a bigger drive.”
Others shared their own frustrating experiences with neighbors and parking spots.
“My neighbor does the same… her son lives at the top of our estate but he parks in her driveway so then she has an excuse to park on the road,” one woman wrote.
“My neighbors leave their drive empty and park either side of my drive with two cars and a work truck, and ring each other to keep the spaces when they leave!!” another said.
But there were some who didn’t see what the issue was, stating the neighbors weren’t blocking the driveway.
“I don’t get what’s wrong? Looks like they just want to park in front of their house?” one stated.
“He’s made room for his drive? Nothing wrong with that,” someone else mused.
However Tasha said the dedication to keeping the spot was “the biggest stress of his life”.
“The son wouldn’t be able to leave if he wasn’t there to move the brown car,” she explained in a comment.
She previously documented the car act in action in a separate video, describing the neighbor as a “sad old man”.
One of the stars of a hit British band that produced one of the 1980s most seminal reggae songs has died at the age of 55.
Frederic Waite Jr was the drummer in Birmingham band Musical Youth.
The band performed their defining song, Pass the Dutchiejust days ago at the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games.
In 1982, the cannabis inspired anthem went to number one on the charts in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Ireland and reached the top 10 of the US Billboard chart.
It also had a recent resurgence after featuring in the hit Netflix show Stranger Things.
On Wednesday, the ban announced the death of Waite Jr on social media.
“We are sad to announce the passing of Musical Youth’s drummer Frederick Waite Jr.
“Our thoughts go out to him and his family during this sad time. We have lost a musical legend, who inspired many young musicians over the last 40 years,” the tribute stated.
Rest in Eternal Peace.
Waite, known as “Freddie” died on July 20 in Birmingham with details only being announced now. It is not known what caused his death.
The British-Jamaican band formed in the UK’s second city in 1979.
They first performed for students at their own school, Duddeston High, in the city, reported website Birmingham Live.
Pass the Dutchie was the first single after the group signed to a major label, in their case MCA Records.
Musical Youth was the first black act to have a music video played on the then new music channel MTV.
Debut-album The Youth of Today, also released in 1982, was certified gold in the UK and Canada and spawned a number of further hit singles. Musical Youth were also nominated for a Grammy Award for best new band in 1984.
The band disbanded in 1985. Two of the band members, Dennis Seaton and Michael Grant, resurrected the band as a duo in 2001.
The band came back together for the closing ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in on July 20 as part of a celebration of Birmingham culture alongside singer Beverley Knight, the band UB40 and a TV show Peaky Blinders.
However Waite did not appear with another drummer taking his place.
Tributes have poured in for Waite with people saying it was “beyond sad,” and remembering his youth in Birmingham.
“How incredibly sad, Freddie, you inspired so many black British teenagers in the 1980s and made them realize their dreams could come true,” one said.
Serena Williams sounded just the tiniest little bit salty as she reflected on likely finishing her tennis career with one less grand slam title than Australian legend Margaret Court.
Williams’ crusade to win an elusive 24th major title and draw level with Court has been a five-year saga that looks almost certain to end fruitlessly when she retires at this year’s US Open.
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The 40-year-old American revealed her plans to end her career to focus on having another child in an article in Vogue Magazine published on Tuesday night (AEST).
Williams referenced Court twice in the piece, and while she was careful with her words left the impression she should be remembered as tennis’ greatest ever player.
“There are people who say I’m not the GOAT because I didn’t pass Margaret Court’s record of 24 grand slam titles, which she achieved before the ‘open era’ that began in 1968,” Williams wrote.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want that record. Obviously I do. But day to day, I’m really not thinking about her. If I’m in a grand slam final, then yes, I am thinking about that record. Maybe I thought about it too much, and that didn’t help.
“The way I see it, I should have had 30-plus grand slams. I had my chances after coming back from giving birth. I went from a C-section to a second pulmonary embolism to a grand slam final. I played while breastfeeding. I played through postpartum depression.
“But I didn’t get there. Shoulda, woulda, coulda. I didn’t show up the way I should have or could have. But I showed up 23 times, and that’s fine. Actually it’s extraordinary. But these days, if I have to choose between building my tennis resume and building my family, I choose the latter.”
Williams stepped onto a hardcourt for the first time in a year and a half on Monday in the WTA Toronto tournament where she fought through to the second round with a straight sets victory over Nuria Parrizas Diaz.
It was her first singles victory since the 2021 French Open, some 14 months ago. The former world number one had played her first singles match in a year during a first round defeat at Wimbledon in June.
“I know there’s a fan fantasy that I might have tied Margaret that day in London, then maybe beat her record in New York, and then at the trophy ceremony say, ‘See ya!’ I get that. It’s a good fantasy,” she wrote.
“But I’m not looking for some ceremonial, final on-court moment. I’m terrible at goodbyes, the world’s worst.”
Another Aussie champion, Ash Barty, also got a mention in Williams’ self-penned article as she revealed how hard she was finding it to walk away.
Barty stunned the tennis world by retiring at age 25 earlier this year.
“I know that a lot of people are excited about and look forward to retiring, and I really wish I felt that way,” Williams wrote. “Ashleigh Barty was number one in the world when she left the sport this March, and I believe she really felt ready to move on. Caroline Wozniacki, who is one of my best friends, felt a sense of relief when she retired in 2020.
“Praise these people, but I’m going to be honest. There is no happiness in this topic for me. I know it’s not the usual thing to say, but I feel a great deal of pain. It’s the hardest thing that I could ever imagine. I hate it. I hate that I have to be at these crossroads. I keep saying to myself, I wish it could be easy for me, but it’s not.”
The boss of Australia’s largest bank has warned that the economy is already declining and that a “short, sharp contraction” is on the way.
Late on Wednesday, the chief executive of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Matt Comyn, delivered the company’s annual results.
Although the CBA made an eye-watering $9.6 billion in profit over the last financial year, Mr Comyn warned that tougher times were on the horizon.
He told the Australian Financial Review that he predicted “a short, sharp contraction in the Australian economy.”
“We are definitely expecting a more challenging year ahead than we have seen in the last 12 months,” he added.
However, in some good news, the banking CEO believes a contraction is almost a certainty but a full-blown recession is less likely.
Australia is in the throes of an economic crisis as inflation rose to 6.1 per cent last month, the highest level it’s been for 20 years.
And for the first time in more than a decade, Australia’s central bank has had no choice but to increase the cash rate in a bid to stop rampant inflation.
For the last four consecutive months, the Reserve Bank of Australia has increased interest rates by 1.75 percentage points and Mr Comyn more rate increases will come.
Mr Comyn told the publication his bank predicts the cash rate to increase by another 75 basis points to sit at 2.6 per cent.
The cash rate is currently 1.85 per cent.
Once the cash rate hits 2.6 per cent, Mr Comyn said the economy would experience a contraction of 1.5 per cent.
He said he “hoped” that once the cash rate reached this point it would be enough to curb spending, adding “We need to see a slowdown in demand.”
Speaking to the ABC, Mr Comyn said “We do forecast recessions in the US, UK and Europe. We don’t believe that that’s the likely outcome in Australia.”
Already there are signs that Australians are splashing their cash less.
Mr Comyn said their customer data shows that spending is falling for both debit and credit cards.
This was significantly more for customers who had mortgages.
“It’s quite early post the immediate rate rises, [but] we are already seeing a downturn in spending across our customer base, both from a debt and credit perspective,” he said.
“Of course, that’s more pronounced with customers who have a home loan, and we expect that it will continue throughout the course of the calendar year.”
A group of Melbourne men have been absolutely roasted online after they were snapped all wearing the same, very popular outfit.
It’s no secret that Aussies love a good North Face jacket, with the black puffer jackets coming out any time the temperature drops below 15C.
Australia’s obsession with this jacket is a long-running joke, which is probably why Tahlea Aualiitia couldn’t resist taking a snap when she spotted five men all sporting the clothing item.
“Surely Melbourne has a collective noun for this,” the ABC reporter wrote on Twitter above the image.
The picture shows everyone in the group wearing a black North Face jacket, black or navy pants and RM Williams boots.
The tweet has received more than 10,000 likes and almost 800 retweets.
“Always the boots … Australians cosplaying as farmers,” one Twitter user wrote.
Another person said: “I’ve got one of these coats myself. I thought it was great until I went to Melbourne wearing it and discovered that it seems to be part of a uniform there.”
The post was also also shared to the Reddit group r/Melbourne, with the poster suggesting a “puff of people” could be a good name for the phenomenon.
This prompted a long list of hilarious suggestions from users, including Kathmandudes, a Clusterpuff, Puff Daddies and a MacPack.
“The classic black puffer jacket and RM Williams combo,” one user wrote.
“RM Williams, for all that rugged outdoorsy stuff you do in your day to day life in the inner city. Like climbing in and out of the drivers seat of your Prado before hiking the 10 meters from your driveway to the front door,” another added.
One person said: “Ah yes the common Melbourne male. He can be seen with a latte in one hand as he obnoxiously takes up the whole footpath with his work colleagues. ”
While others were ridiculing the group for their matching fashion, one Reddit user was quick to jump to their defense.
“Look, it gets bloody cold in Melbourne and there isn’t anything warmer, lighter and functional than a down-filled jacket. Puffer jackets are a necessity not a fashion choice – they are a very intelligent addition to a winter wardrobe in Melbourne,” they wrote.
“The problem (it isn’t a problem) is lack of choice. Every store has puffer jackets but the styles and colors available are extremely limited. So you buy a black one that will go with anything. What looks good with a black jacket? Black jean. So you wear it with black jeans.
“Interstate visitors often mention the ‘Melbourne uniform’ (because we wear a lot of black). We don’t choose to wear black, black chooses us. I’m ignoring the black and brown Chelsea boots, because they are an Australia-wide plague.”
The North Face jacket obsession is so widespread, that a British expat dedicated a whole TikTok to mocking Aussies over it.
Daniel Olaniran, known as @olantekkers, is originally from the UK but has lived in Australia for over two years.
The former professional footballer is clearly no stranger to chilly English training sessions, which is probably why he thinks Australia’s obsession with mountain wear brands North Face and Kathmandu as soon as it gets cold is a bit rich.
“Australians in the winter man, you lot are funny man,” he said.
“You guys can’t wait to bring out the North Face jackets… I’m seeing big puffy North Face jackets looking Arsène Wenger, you know what I mean.”
One video captioned “mornings in Bondi” showed dozens of Sydneysiders in huge puffer jackets with the sun out.
He said he’s noticed the amount of Aussies in “North Face drip from head to toe, including the hat and gloves, like what is this man”.
“It’s not even that cold man, all you need is a light jumper and you’re ready to roll bruv.”
“In Sydney I really don’t think it gets too cold… it gets chilly but not on the level of a winter in London,” he said via the Daily Mail.
“I think most Aussies struggle because they’re obviously so used to the sun.”
Olivia Wilde believes ex-partner Jason Sudeikis was trying to aggressively embarrass and “threaten” her when she was publicly served legal papers during a panel in April.
Wilde claims that Sudeikis used “outrageous legal tactics,” according to new court documents obtained by the DailyMail.
“Jason’s actions were clearly intended to threaten me and catch me off guard,” Wilde, 38, alleged in the filing, Page Six reports. “He could have served me discreetly, but instead he chose to serve me in the most aggressive manner possible.”
Wilde further claimed that Sudeikis, 46, was intentionally trying to air their personal matters to the public in a way that isn’t fair to their two children: Otis, 8, and Daisy, 5.
“The fact that Jason would embarrass me professionally and put our personal conflict on public display in this manner is extremely contrary to our children’s best interests,” Wilde argued. “Since Jason has made it clear that we will not be able to work this out for our children’s sake outside of the court system, I filed a petition for custody in Los Angeles.”
the ted lasso star notably served Wilde legal documents concerning child custody while she was on stage in front of nearly 4000 people at CinemaCon.
Page Six reported at the time that Wilde was mortified and confused.
“Olivia was confused when she was handed the envelope, and she was even more confused when she opened it,” the source told us, adding, “It seemed unthinkable to her, and it took a moment to set in, but as mortifying as it was, she did not want to give a reaction.”
However, a source close to Sudeikis had insisted to Page Six exclusively that he “had no prior knowledge of the time or place that the envelope would have been delivered … and he would never condone [Wilde] being served in such an inappropriate manner.”
Sudeikis and Wilde had been co-parenting their kids since calling off their engagement and breaking up in 2020, but the actor decided to launch the custody battle when the pair couldn’t agree on a permanent city to raise their children.
In court documents, Wilde alleges that they agreed to send their children to school in Los Angeles for the upcoming year as Sudeikis was set to film the final season of ted lasso inLondon.
“Recently, however, Jason decided that he wanted to go to New York for the next year while he is not working, and wanted the children to be with him there during this time off,” the actress claimed. “When I did not agree, since the children have not lived in New York for several years, Jason filed these papers.”
Sudeikis fired back in a declaration to the court, saying that their Brooklyn home has always been the family’s permanent residence.
“For better or worse, I am a New Yorker,” Sudeikis said in the filing, adding that it was best for their kids to grow up in Brooklyn.
He added that he was reluctant to pursue legal action against Wilde but that he was worried she would take their kids away from him after she allegedly told him she would only let him see their children on weekends and holidays if he didn’t permanently live in LA and that she also allegedly had plans to relocate to London, where her boyfriend, Harry Styles, lives.
Sudeikis further asserted that the legal documents were supposed to be served to Wilde at an airport or at her hotel. But after several failed attempts, she was located at the event thanks to a tweet where the process server handed her the confidential envelope.
“I understand that the process server had only done her job; however, I deeply regret what happened. Olivia’s talk was an important event for Olivia, both professionally and personally, and I am very, very sorry that the incident marred her special moment, ”Sudeikis said.
Wilde has been dating Styles since January 2021. Meanwhile, Sudeikis has been romantically linked to model Keeley Hazell.
This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission
Olivia Wilde believes ex-partner Jason Sudeikis was trying to aggressively embarrass and “threaten” her when she was publicly served legal papers during a panel in April.
Wilde claims that Sudeikis used “outrageous legal tactics,” according to new court documents obtained by the DailyMail.
“Jason’s actions were clearly intended to threaten me and catch me off guard,” Wilde, 38, alleged in the filing, Page Six reports. “He could have served me discreetly, but instead he chose to serve me in the most aggressive manner possible.”
Wilde further claimed that Sudeikis, 46, was intentionally trying to air their personal matters to the public in a way that isn’t fair to their two children: Otis, 8, and Daisy, 5.
“The fact that Jason would embarrass me professionally and put our personal conflict on public display in this manner is extremely contrary to our children’s best interests,” Wilde argued. “Since Jason has made it clear that we will not be able to work this out for our children’s sake outside of the court system, I filed a petition for custody in Los Angeles.”
the ted lasso star notably served Wilde legal documents concerning child custody while she was on stage in front of nearly 4000 people at CinemaCon.
Page Six reported at the time that Wilde was mortified and confused.
“Olivia was confused when she was handed the envelope, and she was even more confused when she opened it,” the source told us, adding, “It seemed unthinkable to her, and it took a moment to set in, but as mortifying as it was, she did not want to give a reaction.”
However, a source close to Sudeikis had insisted to Page Six exclusively that he “had no prior knowledge of the time or place that the envelope would have been delivered … and he would never condone [Wilde] being served in such an inappropriate manner.”
Sudeikis and Wilde had been co-parenting their kids since calling off their engagement and breaking up in 2020, but the actor decided to launch the custody battle when the pair couldn’t agree on a permanent city to raise their children.
In court documents, Wilde alleges that they agreed to send their children to school in Los Angeles for the upcoming year as Sudeikis was set to film the final season of ted lasso inLondon.
“Recently, however, Jason decided that he wanted to go to New York for the next year while he is not working, and wanted the children to be with him there during this time off,” the actress claimed. “When I did not agree, since the children have not lived in New York for several years, Jason filed these papers.”
Sudeikis fired back in a declaration to the court, saying that their Brooklyn home has always been the family’s permanent residence.
“For better or worse, I am a New Yorker,” Sudeikis said in the filing, adding that it was best for their kids to grow up in Brooklyn.
He added that he was reluctant to pursue legal action against Wilde but that he was worried she would take their kids away from him after she allegedly told him she would only let him see their children on weekends and holidays if he didn’t permanently live in LA and that she also allegedly had plans to relocate to London, where her boyfriend, Harry Styles, lives.
Sudeikis further asserted that the legal documents were supposed to be served to Wilde at an airport or at her hotel. But after several failed attempts, she was located at the event thanks to a tweet where the process server handed her the confidential envelope.
“I understand that the process server had only done her job; however, I deeply regret what happened. Olivia’s talk was an important event for Olivia, both professionally and personally, and I am very, very sorry that the incident marred her special moment, ”Sudeikis said.
Wilde has been dating Styles since January 2021. Meanwhile, Sudeikis has been romantically linked to model Keeley Hazell.
This story originally appeared on Page Six and is republished here with permission
Controversy swirling over the upstart LIV Golf series got “a little more personal” when 11 LIV rebels sued the US PGA Tour this week, according to Northern Ireland star Rory McIlroy.
McIlroy and fellow US PGA Tour pro Justin Thomas both welcomed a judge’s ruling that denied a request by three LIV Golf players for a temporary restraining order that would have allowed them to play in the St. Jude Championship this week, the first event of the US PGA Tour’s season-ending playoffs.
The three players qualified for the playoffs were among 11 golfers who filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the US Tour challenging the indefinite suspensions imposed by PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan upon those who played in any of the Saudi-backed LIV tour’s first three events.
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Rory McIlroy says the PGA had a little win against LIV Golf after a court’s decision to bar three players from playing in the FedEx Cup at TPC Southwind. Photo: Getty ImagesSource: Getty Images
McIlroy, who has been a critic of the new series offering stunning $20 million purses for its 54-hole events as well as signing bonuses reportedly worth tens of millions for some stars, said he believed golfers had the right to choose the new tour — but the US PGA Tour also had the right to exclude those who made that decision.
“Guys are going to make their own decisions that they feel is best for them and that’s totally fine,” McIlroy said after playing a pro-am round at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.
“I don’t begrudge anyone for going over to play LIV or taking guaranteed money.
“I think where the resentment comes from the membership of this tour is the fact that they want to try to get their way back in here with no consequences, and anyone that’s read the PGA Tour handbook or abided by the rules and regulations, that would feel very unfair to them.”
Cam Smith and others set to join LIV | 01:30
As a PGA Tour board member, McIlroy has even-handedly fielded questions about LIV Golf — spearheaded by Australian Greg Norman — for months. It comes as the Australian world No.2 Cameron Smith is said to have joined the rebels on a deal worth $140 million.
But I have acknowledged that the lawsuit hit close to the bone.
“I certainly have a little more respect for the guys who haven’t put their names to the suit,” McIlroy said.
“It’s become a little more personal because of that.”
The fact that Australian Matt Jones and Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford weren’t given temporary relief from their suspensions to compete in the playoffs was, McIlroy said, “a good day for the Tour and for the majority of the membership.”
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Donald Trump backs LIV Golf Series | 00:46
I have noted, however, that it remained to be seen how the full lawsuit would play out.
“It’s like you birdied the first hole, but you’ve still got 17 holes to go,” he said.
– Play golf, stop worrying –
Thomas said he’s not looking too closely at what promises to be a protracted legal battle.
“The only thing I really care about is this golf tournament and trying to play well and trying to win the FedExCup,” Thomas said.
“And to be honest, I just don’t care about all that stuff that’s going on.
“However it’s going to happen is going to happen. I may have an opinion here or there, but at the end of the day, once it gets to this point, it’s way out of my hands in terms of getting to lawyers and judges and things of that nature.
“So I just want to play golf and stop worrying about it,” added Thomas, who described being asked about the controversy at a wedding he attended recently.
That said, Thomas agreed with McIlroy that the lawsuit, and the demand of LIV rebels that they be allowed to return to the PGA Tour, intensified feeling around the issue.
“You can have your cake, but you don’t need to eat it, too,” he said.
“And they got their fair share of a large, large amount of cake and go eat it on your own means. You don’t need to bring it onto our tour.”
The Wests Tigers have been urged to “move on” from new recruit Isaiah Papali’i and use his $1.9 million contract to make a splash in the transfer market.
The Eels enforcer Isaiah had agreed to a three-year deal with the Tigers, but the star recruit is considering a backflip which could leave the club in a tough spot.
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The 23-year-old revealed his concerns after the Tigers parted ways with premiership winning coach Michael Maguire, and has since been linked with a return to the Warriors.
Papalii inked the big-money deal last November, but told 9 News that his future is still far from certain.
“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,” Papalii said.
“I reckon somewhere in the off-season because this is distracting me at the moment.
“We have a massive opportunity and I don’t want to leave any stone unturned this year and look back on it and think ‘I shouldn’t have left that stuff get in the way’.”
Tom Trbojevic reveals World Cup doubts | 01:12
The Daily Telegraph’s David Riccio and NRL360 co-host Paul Kent said the Tigers could not afford to wait until the end of the season for Papali’i to make a decision.
“They have a salary cap to manage, they can’t sit back and wait for this guy,” Kent said.
“That’s why they the Tigers should move on now, move on and use the money before it’s too late,” Riccio added.
“Don’t wait until November. If they do there will be no market for them,” Kent replied.
Should Tigers hear the message and cut ties with Papali’i, it leaves them with two clear options.
Spend the money now and bring in a player to bolster the side for next season or save it up and make a play for one of the big-name stars off-contract from 2023 who can begin negotiating with rivals from November 1.
BEN HUNT
Age: 32
Club: St George Dragons
Position: half-back
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
While the Dragons are reportedly leading the race for Hunt’s signature, the Tigers should do everything they can to ensure he’s wearing their colors in the future.
Hunt, who was leading the Dally M race before the count went behind closed doors, has begun negotiations with the Dragons over a two-year extension.
The Daily Telegraph have revealed that the playmaker’s management had met with the Dragons late last month.
Since then, however, the Dragons have hit turmoil.
James Hooper reported there had been a major blow-up at the Dragons following the treatment of hooker Andrew McCullough and the axing of assistant coaches Peter Gentle and Mat Head for next season.
Hunt is extremely close with McCullough, having played together at both the Dragons and Broncos as well as for Queensland. The development could provide an opening for rivals to make a move.
The Tigers, who would only be able to speak to Hunt since November 1, are in desperate need of a solution at halfback.
Jock Madden has been sporting the No. 7 jersey for the Tigers over the past couple of weeks, but with just 13 games of NRL experience to his name, the club could use a boost.
If Luke Brooks is allowed to leave it would free up plenty of money for the Tigers to make an all-in move.
Hunt is in high demand with a number of clubs interested in services, and he wouldn’t come cheap. But fresh off his Origin heroics, the Tigers should be willing to move mountains if that’s what it takes to lure the star half to the western suburbs.
COREY OATES
Age: 27
Club: brisbane broncos
Position: wings
Current contract: expires at the end of the year
At just 27-years-old, there’s no reason why a club like the Tigers shouldn’t spend big money on a proven try scorer such as Corey Oates.
Oates, who has 188 NRL games to his name, equaled his record for most tries in a season with a double in Round 21 against the Roosters.
Corey Oats. Broncos V Storm. Picture: NRL ImagesSource: Supplied
Oates comes off contract at the end of this season with the Broncos, so he could become an immediate piece of the Tigers’ puzzle for next season.
He would also offer new coach Tim Sheens some versatility having experience playing in the back row.
DAVID KLEMER
Age: 28
Club: Newcastle Knights
Position: Prop
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
Klemmer was reportedly close to having his contract torn up with the Knights after being issues with a breach notice for an on-field issue.
The former New South Wales prop is on a big-money contract with the Knights, but came under fire after he verbally abused trainer Hayden Knowles during a 14-point loss to the Bulldogs.
“A big overreaction’ Johns on Klemmer | 04:26
Parramatta were reportedly interested in signing the prop for the remainder of the 2022 season on loan before the incident.
While Klemmer has been among the Knights best players, the recent incident, and his hefty contract, could convince Newcastle to agree to release him early.
LIAM MARTIN
Age: 25
Club: Penrith Panthers
Position: second row
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
Another player who comes off contract at the end of next season, Martin would be an incredible signing for the Tigers who could approach him from November 1.
Martin has been a key part of the Panthers’ dominance over the last few seasons and has reaped the rewards after cementing his place in the Blues Origin fold.
Liam Martin is among a list of big names who can talk with rivals since November 1.Source: Getty Images
The Panthers still need to lock down fellow Origin stars Brian To’o and Stephen Crichton which could mean Martin is gettable.
He would be a more than handy replacement for Papali’i if the Tigers can convince him to make the switch.
MARTIN TAUPAU
Age: 32
Club: Manly Sea Eagles
Position: second row
Current contract: expires at the end of the year
Sea Eagles enforcer Taupau reportedly requested an immediate release to join the Eels before the August 1 deadline.
It appears as if he wants out of Brookvale, and with his contract expiring at the end of the season, it’ll be interesting to see which colors he dons next season.
The former Kiwi international played for the Tigers for two seasons before moving to Manly for the 2016 season.
With plenty of power to throw around the field, Taupau can be an asset to any team when he’s in-form.
TYSON FRIZEL
Age: 30
Club: Newcastle Knights
Position: second row
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
It wasn’t too long ago that Tyson Frizell was a regular for both the New South Wales Blues and Kangaroos teams.
Frizell made his name with the Dragons before securing a lucrative deal to sign with the Knights, where he’s played the last two seasons.
Tyson FrizellSource: Getty Images
While he still has one more year to run on that contract, Frizell could potentially be lured to the Tigers on a smaller deal than what he’s on now.
What’s more, his name has been mentioned as part of a potential swap deal for Luke Brooks.
While it was denied by Tim Sheens, there is clearly some movement around Frizell.
VICTOR RADLEY
Age: 24
Club: sydney roosters
Position: Lock
Current contract: expires at the end of 2023
Hypothetically speaking, Roosters lock Victor Radley has the potential to be an incredible signing for the Tigers.
The 24-year-old, who has sworn his international allegiance to England ahead of the World Cup, has premiership winning experience and 93 NRL games to his name.
What’s more, Phil Rothfield revealed on NRL360 that the Roosters are facing a cap crunch with seven players commanding more than half their salary cap.
