Author: Australian Associated Press

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Brett Lee hails current bowling attack as Australia’s ‘best ever’

  • Former fast bowler says attack has gone past his group from early 2000s

  • ‘The Australian public won’t recognise how good they are until they’re gone’

Brett Lee has labelled Australia’s current bowling attack as the country’s greatest ever, declaring that Pat Cummins’ side have now surpassed his group from the early 2000s.

Australia’s attack will take one step closer to being reunited in Adelaide this week, with Cummins and Nathan Lyon back in the team alongside Mitchell Starc.

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Ex-Alice Springs school principal spared jail for assaulting Indigenous students

Gavin Morris, a former NRL referee, found guilty of putting pupils in choke holds and twisting their ears

A former NRL referee has been spared jail after abusing his position of trust as a school principal by putting Indigenous students into choke holds and painfully twisting their ears.

Gavin Morris was found guilty of four counts of aggravated assault and on Thursday was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment fully suspended for two years on condition he be of good behaviour.

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Barry O’Farrell to be reinstated as Wests Tigers chair after club owners bow to NRL pressure

  • Four independent directors sacked by Holman Barnes Group invited back

  • No bearing on Shane Richardson’s exit as hunt for new CEO starts

Barry O’Farrell is set to return as Wests Tigers chair alongside his ousted independent directors after the joint-venture club’s owners bowed to NRL demands.

In the latest bizarre twist after 10 days of Tigers turmoil, the Holman Barnes Group (HBG) on Thursday agreed to invite back the board members sacked last Monday.

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Injured Australian fast bowler Josh Hazlewood ruled out of rest of Ashes series

  • Paceman has struggled with hamstring and achilles issues

  • ‘It’s really flat for him,’ says Australia coach Andrew McDonald

Australian fast-bowler Josh Hazlewood has been ruled out of the remainder of the Ashes series amid hamstring and achilles tendon injuries.

Injuries have thwarted the reliable right-arm quick in recent years and had forced him to watch from afar as Australia took a 2-0 series lead at the Gabba last week.

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NRL proposes heavy bans for Tonga doctors and trainer over Eli Katoa head knocks

  • Head doctor, assistant doctor and head trainer issued breach notices

  • Storm player to sit out 2026 season after surgery for bleeding on brain

The NRL is proposing to ban three members of Tonga’s medical staff for two years, claiming serious concerns over the handling of Eliesa Katoa’s multiple head knocks.

More than a month after Katoa required surgery for bleeding on the brain following seizure activity, the NRL handed down findings into the matter on Monday.

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Oscar Piastri vows to regain ‘unstoppable’ feeling after F1 disappointment

  • Australian ends 2025 season third in driver standings

  • McLaren driver determined to learn lessons from low points

Just as calm and measured amid his obvious disappointment as he’s been level-headed during the highest points of a remarkable season, Oscar Piastri is confident of rediscovering that giddy feeling of being “unstoppable” behind the wheel of his McLaren.

Taking his title disappointment on the chin on Sunday after finishing runner-up in Abu Dhabi and third in the championship race, the Australian said he was ready to use any sense of anti-climax to fuel a push to become a world champion of the future.

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Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen conjures 18th hole miracle at Australian Open to break Cameron Smith’s heart

  • Dane makes stunning up-and-down on final hole to beat Australian

  • Rory McIlroy finishes 14th but says it has been an ‘amazing week’

Cameron Smith has come up just short in his bid for a coveted maiden Australian Open title as Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen made an up-and-down for the ages on the final hole at Royal Melbourne.

The pair were tied at 15-under coming to the par four-18th on Sunday and it looked as though Smith was in the box seat when he landed his second shot on the green.

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Rory McIlroy’s Australian Open hopes slip on discarded banana skin

  • World No 2 hits double bogey after playing under peel

  • McIlroy five-under after third round at Royal Melbourne

The luck of the Irish has deserted golfing superstar Rory McIlroy, with Royal Melbourne tossing up a banana peel in the latest obstacle to his second Australian Open title.

The world No 2 was hoping to maintain the momentum of three birdies late in his second round when he arrived on course for an early tee time on Saturday, seven shots off the pace.

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Josh Hazlewood faces second injury setback putting Ashes pace attack reunion in doubt

  • Achilles complaint stalls bowler’s recovery from injury

  • Cummins to rejoin hosts’ squad for third Test in Adelaide

Josh Hazlewood is racing the clock to play a role in the Ashes series after another injury speed bump on his road back to the bowling crease.

It has been a case of one step forward two steps back for the 34-year-old paceman who had been making positive steps in his return from a hamstring injury, sustained while playing for NSW against Victoria in the Sheffield Shield.

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Tasmanian parliament finally approves $1.13bn Hobart stadium plan

Late-night decision on the 23,000-seat roofed venue paves the way for Tasmania Devils to enter AFL and AFLW

A contentious $1.13bn AFL stadium has been given the official tick of approval by Tasmania’s parliament to pave the way for the Devils to enter the AFL and AFLW.

The 23,000-seat roofed venue at Macquarie Point was voted through the island state’s upper house of parliament at 11pm on Thursday following two days of debate.

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Usman Khawaja ruled out of second Ashes Test due to back injury

  • Australia opener will not be replaced in the squad in Brisbane

  • 38-year-old’s absence paves way for Travis Head to open at the Gabba

Usman Khawaja’s back injury has ruled the veteran opener out of the second Ashes Test and thrown his future in the Australian team further into doubt.

The 38-year-old’s place in the XI had been under intense scrutiny since back spasms forced him from the field in the victorious first Test and prevented him from opening the batting.

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Australia no guarantee to pick Usman Khawaja for second Ashes Test even if injury-free

  • Opener dealt with back spasms in Perth as Travis Head excelled

  • Josh Hazlewood’s injury not bad enough to sideline him for series

Australia coach Andrew McDonald has failed to guarantee Usman Khawaja will be selected for the second Ashes Test, even if the under-pressure veteran opener is fit, while Josh Hazlewood is expected to take “some part” in the series despite speculation hovering over the severity of the star quick’s hamstring injury.

Khawaja dealt with back spasms during the series opener in Perth, batting at No 4 in the first innings, then wasn’t required in the stunning day two run chase.

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Wallabies condemned to winless Europe tour in loss to France as pressure mounts on Joe Schmidt

  • Despite improved showing, Australia fall 48-33 to Les Bleus in Paris

  • Wallabies make unwanted history with first winless Europe tour in 67 years

Pressure continues to mount on the beleaguered coach Joe Schmidt after the Wallabies ended a disastrous spring tour with a damaging 48-33 loss to France in Paris.

Despite a vastly improved showing after insipid displays against England, Italy and Ireland, the Wallabies have now endured a winless four-Test tour of Europe for the first time since 1958.

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Best Australian player was wearing Irish colours, Wallabies coach says after heavy loss

  • Joe Schmidt says 46-19 defeat to Ireland is ‘a tough one to take’

  • Australia on brink of first winless Europe trip in 67 years

The beleaguered Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has ruefully admitted that the best Australian player on the pitch in his side’s latest calamitous defeat was playing in Irish green.

Mack Hansen, the ex-Brumby who grew up in Canberra and was snapped up by his mother’s home country, scored his hat-trick of tries within the first half-hour to kickstart Ireland’s record 46-19 win over Australia in Dublin on Saturday.

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Alex de Minaur reaches ATP Finals last four after gutsy win over Taylor Fritz

  • Australian defeated world No 6 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 but had anxious wait

  • Semi-finals spot confirmed after Carlos Alcaraz beats Lorenzo Musetti

Alex de Minaur has shown extraordinary resilience to bounce back from the depths of misery and book an “incredible” place in the last-four of the ATP Finals in Turin.

The Australian No 1, a picture of despair just a couple of nights earlier after feeling he had thrown away victory during defeat to Lorenzo Musetti, started his unlikely resurrection with a backs-to-the-wall 7-6 (7-3) 6-3 win over Taylor Fritz on Thursday, his first ever victory at the season-ending championship.

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