Melbourne Storm 26-18 Canterbury Bulldogs
Visitors hampered by early loss of Stephen Crichton
Melbourne have earned a week off after locking down a preliminary final with a 26-18 victory over a gallant Canterbury, who played much of the match without injured skipper Stephen Crichton.
The top-four teams opened the NRL finals series at AAMI Park on Friday night, with the home side edging the Bulldogs, who were hunting their first play-off victory in 10 years.
Continue reading...Suns set up first Q-Clash final with one-point win over Dockers
Lions midfielder Lachie Neale to miss semi-final due to calf injury
Gold Coast coach Damien Hardwick has declared his club will no longer be stomped on or forgotten after beating Fremantle in dramatic fashion to set up a blockbuster Q-Clash semi-final.
The Suns blew a 26-point lead against the Dockers on Saturday night but managed to regain their composure in the dying minutes to seal a famous one-point elimination final win at Optus Stadium.
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Continue reading...David Swallow behind sees Suns win 11.4 (80) to 12.7 (79)
Late drama sets up semi-final against local rivals Brisbane
Retiring Gold Coast champion David Swallow has kicked a behind with nine seconds remaining to lift his team to a thrilling one-point elimination final win over Fremantle at Optus Stadium.
Fremantle fought back from 26 points down late in the third quarter to take a six-point lead with three minutes remaining in Saturday night’s blockbuster in front of 57,507 fans.
Continue reading...Hawks beat Giants 16.11 (107) to 13.10 (88) at Engie Stadium
Hawthorn set up semi-final with Adelaide; season over for GWS
Hawthorn sensationally prevailed in a fourth-quarter shootout to claim a 19-point elimination final win over GWS. The Giants had clawed back a game-high 42-point deficit in the third quarter to level the scores at 13.7 (85) early in the fourth at Engie Stadium on Saturday.
But after the Hawks steadied, Sam Butler kicked truly to give them a seven-point lead 17 minutes into the last term, before Mabior Chol slotted two straight goals for the cherry on top in a 16.11 (107) to 13.10 (88) win.
Continue reading...Australia edge Pumas 28-24 after thrilling finale to game in Townsville
Hosts rewarded for pushing for victory when draw was on table
The Wallabies have turned down three opportunities to kick a match-tying penalty and instead scored an 86th-minute winner in their latest Houdini Test act.
Australia beat Argentina 28-24 in Townsville on Saturday afternoon, with Angus Bell’s barging try coming after the Wallabies trailed by three points with 90 seconds to go.
Continue reading...Lions tamed 16.16 (112) to 11.8 (74) at Melbourne Cricket Ground
Cats to play Crows, Giants or Hawks for place in grand final
Perennial AFL premiership contenders Geelong have marched into a home preliminary final with a scintillating and spiteful 38-point qualifying final win over reigning premiers Brisbane.
The Cats dominated from the outset as they shrugged off the demons of last year’s preliminary final loss to the Lions, prevailing 16.16 (112) to 11.8 (74) in front of 86,364 at the MCG on Friday night.
Continue reading...Flyhalf Tom Lynagh also returns; Nic White keeps place
James O’Connor to come off bench in Townsville on Saturday
Nic White’s retirement tour will continue in Townsville when the halfback partners returning Wallabies flyhalf Tom Lynagh and captain Harry Wilson against Argentina.
Andrew Kellaway has won the battle to fill the injured Tom Wright’s boots at fullback at Queensland Country Bank Stadium on Saturday in the other change to the side that lost narrowly in Cape Town a fortnight ago.
Continue reading...Adelaide star speaks publicly on return from overseas trip
‘I am fully committed to bettering myself,’ says Crows forward
Adelaide ace Izak Rankine says he is committed to regaining society’s trust in the wake of his AFL ban for a homophobic slur. An emotional Rankine returned to Australia on Tuesday night and fought back tears during a public apology at Adelaide airport.
“Going away has given me space to reflect and educate myself to understand the weight of my mistake,” Rankine said. “And I am fully committed to bettering myself. In the next few days I will be standing in front of my teammates and the AFLW and apologising to them personally – and they deserve this at the very least.
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Continue reading...Australia captain to miss home white-ball series against India
Mitchell Starc retires from T20Is as squad named to tour New Zealand
Australia still expect Pat Cummins to be available for the first Ashes Test, even as the captain deals with stress in his back.
The star quick will miss the upcoming T20 tour of New Zealand and back-to-back home white-ball series against India due to lumbar bone stress.
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Continue reading...Australian No 1 too good for Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi
No 25 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime awaits in quarter-final
It took until the second week of the US Open for the No 8 seed to be given a slot on one of the US Open’s three show courts, but having finally been granted a premium placing Alex de Minaur has wasted no time putting on a show.
In truth the Australian No 1 did not play at his best, but he did not need to as his opponent, Swiss qualifier Leandro Riedi, made a slew of errors.
Continue reading...Australian leads 6-7 (9) 6-3 6-4 2-0 when Daniel Altmaier retires
Women’s 15th seed knocked out in 6-0 4-6 6-3 loss to Naomi Osaka
Alex de Minaur has surged into the US Open second week for a fifth time with a business-like win over wounded German Daniel Altmaier.
Australia’s last player standing once more, De Minaur recovered from a set down to progress after Altmaier retired injured when the Demon was leading 6-7 (9-7) 6-3 6-4 2-0 on Saturday (Sunday AEST).
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Continue reading...Players’ Association president and Collingwood captain applauds Brown as ‘tremendously courageous’
The AFL industry needs to use Mitch Brown’s coming out as an opportunity to “shift culture” and genuinely tackle homophobia, the AFL Players’ Association president Darcy Moore says.
On Wednesday, Brown, who played 94 games for West Coast, became the first past or present men’s AFL player to come out as bisexual.
Continue reading...De Minaur and Kasatkina keep hopes alive in New York
Four other Australians crash out in second round
Alex de Minaur and Daria Kasatkina have expressed relief for different reasons after saving Australia’s blushes with contrasting second-round US Open victories in New York.
As Alexei Popyrin, Adam Walton, Tristan Schoolkate and Maya Joint all crashed out, De Minaur hit the go button in a straight-sets victory over Japanese qualifier Shintaro Mochizuki.
Continue reading...Federal court orders club to be wound up in insolvency
Decision comes after months of financial turmoil
The embattled A-League club Western United is officially defunct after the federal court ordered its management group be wound up in insolvency.
Lawyers for the club had sought an adjournment to proceedings, claiming they had found a fresh $15m investment to pay off their debts.
Australia’s No 1 reaches second round with 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 win
Teenager Joint beats Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva 6-4 7-6 (8-6)
Alex de Minaur cast aside friendship to lead three more Australians into the US Open second round in New York. As Alexei Popyrin set up a showcourt showdown with defending champion and world No 1 Jannik Sinner, De Minaur was all class in defeating fellow Sydneysider Chris O’Connell in straight sets.
The two-time Open quarter-finalist did not face a solitary break point in ousting O’Connell 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 on the Grandstand on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST). De Minaur’s reward is a second-round meeting with Japan’s world No 112 Shintaro Mochizuki.
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