Author: Australian Associated Press

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Qld Maroons recall high flyer Nanai as NSW Blues axe To’o for State of Origin Game 3

  • Coach Billy Slater brings back North Queensland’s Nanai for Game 3

  • To’o and Kotoni Staggs among four NSW players dropped

North Queensland second-rower Jeremiah Nanai has been recalled to the Maroons side while star winger Brian To’o and second-rower Dylan Lucas are among four players dropped by NSW for the State of Origin decider.

Aerial specialist Nanai has been superb in 11 Origin games for the Maroons and is fresh from a stunning two-try man of the match display for the Cowboys in the 26-12 win over Penrith on Saturday.

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Newcastle Knights player Asu Kepaoa given six-week ban for using homophobic slur

  • Forward pleaded guilty to judiciary for comment in reserve-grade game

  • Former Tigers and Panthers player yet to make NRL debut for third club

Newcastle forward Asu Kepaoa has been hit with a six-match ban for using a homophonic slur in a round-of-16 NSW Cup match.

The 26-year-old fronted the NSWRL judiciary on Wednesday when he pleaded guilty to making the slur in the Knights’ reserve-grade defeat of St George Illawarra last week.

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AFL great Tony Modra in critical condition after truck crash near Adelaide

  • Former Adelaide star’s wife thanks medics for saving his life

  • ‘It’s pretty amazing that he’s got through it,’ says Mark Ricciuto

Tony Modra’s wife has thanked the two first responders who rushed to the AFL great’s aid after a truck accident.

Modra is in a critical but stable condition in an Adelaide hospital with head injuries after an accident on his cattle property on Thursday afternoon.

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James Slipper answers SOS for coach Joe Schmidt’s last three Wallabies Tests

  • Veteran prop out of retirement for Nations Championship Tests

  • Three uncapped players in line for potential debuts against Ireland

Veteran prop James Slipper and uncapped trio Declan Meredith, Lachlan Shaw and Miles Amatosero have all been included in the Wallabies squad for next month’s Nations Championship Tests in Australia.

After retiring last November, 37-year-old Slipper could surpass All Blacks great Sam Whitelock as rugby’s second most-capped player in history after answering an SOS call from coach Joe Schmidt.

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Zampa edges Australia past Bangladesh to avoid ODI whitewash as Connolly hits first ton

  • 3rd ODI: Australia, 9-277, bt Bangladesh, 5-274, by 1 wkt

  • Connolly (149) falls in late collapse; hosts win series 2-1

Cooper Connolly came of age with his maiden international ton as Australia squeaked out a nail-biting one-wicket victory over Bangladesh in the third and final ODI of their series.

Connolly defied cramps to play the innings of his life at the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on Sunday, smashing 149 off 133 balls as Australia narrowly avoided a whitewash by edging past Bangladesh’s five for 274 with three deliveries to spare.

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Australia lose three wickets before scoring a run in historic ODI defeat to Bangladesh

  • Australia 187-8; Bangladesh 195-5 | Bangladesh win by five wickets

  • Tourists slump to series defeat with one game to play

Australia have slumped to their first ever ODI series defeat against Bangladesh after losing by five wickets in the second match of their three-game series.

After crashing to an unprecedented 0-3 from the first two overs at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday, Australia recovered to salvage 187-8 from 42 overs when rain forced the players off the field at Mirpur.

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‘We will play on for you, Dad’: Neale Daniher’s family pay tribute to AFL great at state funeral

Prime minister and governor general join family and football greats to remember the life and achievements of the Australian football legend and MND crusader

Neale Daniher was best known as an AFL legend and motor neurone disease crusader but his family have used his state funeral to remember him for his laugh, sweet tooth and love of music.

The 2025 Australian of the Year died on 25 May aged 65 after a 13-year-long public battle with MND, which he dubbed “the Beast”. On Wednesday, more than 5,000 mourners clad in blue beanies gathered at the Melbourne Cricket Ground for his state funeral.

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Australia crash to first ODI loss against Bangladesh for 21 years

  • Tourists go down by 86 runs on DLS method in Dhaka

  • Shoddy fielding and poor bowling marked defeat

Australia have crashed to their first ODI loss against Bangladesh in 21 years, crushed by 86 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis system in the opening match of their three-game series.

Bangladesh, hosting Australia in a men’s ODI for the first time since 2011, posted a formidable 284-8 after being sent in at the Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium in Dhaka on Tuesday, before restricting the tourists to 191-9 from 42.2 overs when lightning and rain ended play. It was Bangladesh’s second victory in 23 ODIs against Australia, alongside their famous 2005 run chase in Cardiff.

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Kane Evans: former NRL player finally ‘free’ after coming out as gay

  • Evans becomes first men’s player to come out since Ian Roberts in 1995

  • Former Roosters and Eels player had struggled with suicidal thoughts

Former prop forward Kane Evans says a weight has lifted from his shoulders after he became only the second male NRL player to come out as gay. In an emotional interview with Channel Nine’s 100% Footy, the 131-time NRL player said he had struggled with addiction, suicidal thoughts and experienced homelessness as he grappled with his sexuality.

“I had three goals in life,” Evans said. “And it was to play NRL, to buy my parents a house, and then I wanted to top myself, because I was living in denial from a young age. I know that I’m gay. But I went down every other avenue to sort of build up these walls. To be someone, to escape who I am.”

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AFL investigating ‘vile and racist’ abuse sent to Hawthorn player Mabior Chol

Club and AFL condemn messages received by Hawks forward, who told social media followers ‘don’t be like this guy’

The AFL and the Hawthorn football club have condemned “vile and appalling” racial abuse sent to player Mabior Chol via a series of direct messages on social media.

Chol, a Hawthorn forward who is of South Sudanese heritage, posted a screenshot of the comments he received on Instagram following his side’s loss to the Western Bulldogs on Friday night. The language contained in the comments were not fit for publication.

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Pakistan beat Australia by four wickets to claim ODI series 2-1

  • Hosts hold their nerve on a tricky wicket to reach target

  • Australia only set 158 despite Josh Inglis’s 65

Pakistan overcame Australian spin on a tricky wicket to win the third and final one-day international by four wickets in Lahore and clinch the series 2-1 on Thursday.

Pakistan had to fight hard on a turning wicket to reach 161-6 in 41.5 overs after Australia had crashed to their lowest ODI total in Pakistan after being dismissed for 157 in 42 overs.

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Nathan Ellis stars with 4-33 as Australia beat Pakistan in second ODI

  • Pace bowler leads rout of hosts for 190 in 41-run win

  • Josh Inglis and Cameron Green helped set 232 target

Australia turned the tables on Pakistan, battling their way to victory on a difficult track at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium to level the ODI series one-apiece with one to play. On a surface catered for spinners seamer Nathan Ellis was the star, returning 4-33 in his nine overs with some key wickets.

In the absence of Pat Cummins, Josh Hazlewood and Mitch Starc Ellis stepped up to lead the attack superbly. With stand-in captain Josh Inglis and Cam Green both making half-centuries the makeshift Australian XI set Pakistan a challenging 232 to win.

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‘Pinnacle of cycling’: Jai Hindley creates Australian history with Giro d’Italia podium hat-trick

  • Red Bull BORA-hansgrohe rider, who won in 2022, finishes third

  • No stages won by an Australian but four finish in top 17

Jai Hindley has roared again in the “pinnacle of cycling”, making history as just the second Australian to enjoy three overall podium finishes in Grand Tours as he rode home for a valiant third place in the Giro d’Italia.

As new champion Jonas Vingegaard confirmed his place among the sport’s all-time elite in Rome by completing his set of the three Grand Tour triumphs and dominating the 109th Giro with five magnificent stage wins, Hindley underlined why he is one of Australia’s greatest.

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Kasatkina overpowered by Sabalenka to end Australia’s French Open hopes

  • Last Australian player in singles draw is defeated

  • Kasatkina loses 6-0, 7-5 to world No 1 in Paris

Australia’s lukewarm challenge at a boiling French Open is over after Daria Kasatkina was beaten 6-0, 7-5 by the world No 1, Aryna Sabalenka.

Kasatkina became the last of Australia’s 13 singles contenders to bite the red dust before the end of the first week, a battling fightback almost inevitably denied by Sabalenka, who will face Naomi Osaka in the last 16.

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Alex de Minaur knocked out of French Open after letting lead slip

  • Australian goes down 0-6 6-2 6-2 6-3 to Jakub Mensik

  • No 8 seed will rue a golden chance to advance in Paris

Alex de Minaur was blown out of the French Open just when opportunity had knocked deafeningly for all the would-be contenders.

With Jannik Sinner’s sensational exit having made everyone believe their chance could be at hand, de Minaur’s enduring dream was this time dynamited by young Czech powerhouse Jakub Mensik 0-6 6-2 6-2 6-3 in the third round.

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