Semi-final: Canterbury Bulldogs 26-46 Penrith Panthers
Dominant win sounds alarm for next opponent Brisbane
Penrith have sounded the alarm in their pursuit of a fifth straight premiership, destroying Canterbury 46-26 and setting up a preliminary final against Brisbane.
The Panthers produced one of the most dominant 40 minutes of football of their dynasty, blowing Canterbury out of the water with a record-breaking 36-8 first half.
Continue reading...Semi-final: Raiders 12-32 Sharks
Win sets up showdown with the Storm in Melbourne
Nicho Hynes spent the week pondering why Cronulla are not given more respect, then helped the Sharks take their biggest step to earn it in the Craig Fitzgibbon era. For the first time since their finest hour – the 2016 premiership season – the Sharks won consecutive finals games by ending the NRL season of Canberra, the minor premiers, with a stunning 32-12 victory on Saturday.
Cronulla had won one of their past nine finals matches before this year and were assumed once again to be making up the numbers as they finished fifth. The bookmakers had them the seventhout of eight to win the premiership before the finals began, despite a good run of form heading into the business end.
Continue reading...Lions defeat Magpies 15.10 (100) to 11.5 (71) in preliminary final at MCG
McCluggage stars with 37 disposals to lead second-half fightback
Reigning premiers Brisbane will meet Geelong in next Saturday’s AFL grand final after blowing away Collingwood in the last quarter of their preliminary final.
Lachie Neale watch will now be a key feature of grand final week after the Lions kicked away in the last quarter on Saturday at the MCG and won 15.10 (100) to 11.5 (71) before a crowd of 96,033.
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Continue reading...Australia’s injured captain may not be in all five Tests starting November
Konstas and Labuschagne score centuries in bid for selection
Australia’s injured captain Pat Cummins will play a “significant” part in the Ashes but may not feature in all five Tests, coach Andrew McDonald says.
McDonald concedes uncertainty remains around Cummins amid the skipper’s back injury. But he dismissed speculation Cummins could miss the highly anticipated Test series against England starting on 21 November in Perth.
Continue reading...Aleksandar Vukic loses final decider against Raphael Collignon 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3
Earlier De Minaur defeated Zizou Bergs and Rinky Hijikata and Jordan Thompson won doubles
Australia’s men’s tennis stars have suffered Davis Cup despair, falling a set short of completing one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the 125-year-old competition.
A day after overcoming severe cramping to defy Alex de Minaur, unfancied world No 91 Raphael Collignon wore down late stand-in Aleksandar Vukic 6-7 (5-7) 6-2 6-3 in the deciding rubber to lead Belgium to a pulsating 3-2 second-round qualifying triumph in Sydney.
Continue reading...Brisbane defeat Canberra 29-28 to secure home preliminary
Reece Walsh goes from sin bin to leading unlikely comeback
Brisbane are within one win of the NRL grand final, after Ben Hunt slotted a 93rd-minute field goal to kick the Broncos to an epic 29-28 qualifying final victory over Canberra.
On a day of utter madness at GIO Stadium, Reece Walsh was sin-binned for a head-butt before engineering one of the most unlikely finals comebacks in memory.
Continue reading...World No 8 and Jordan Thompson suffer singles losses in Sydney
Belgium take 2-0 lead over Australia in second-round qualifying tie
Tennis officials have been branded “barbaric” as Australia slumped to a shock 2-0 deficit in a dramatic start to their second-round Davis Cup qualifying tie against Belgium in Sydney.
Lowly ranked Raphael Collignon overcame severe cramping to upset world No 8 Alex de Minaur 7-5 3-6 6-3 in a three-hour, 12-minute epic before Zizou Bergs beat Jordan Thompson 7-6 (4) 6-4 in Saturday’s second singles rubber.
Continue reading...Cronulla hold off Sydney for 20-10 elimination final victory
Penrith defeat NZ Warriors 24-8 to set up semi-final with Bulldogs
Cronulla have proven they are no finals pushovers, ending the Sydney Roosters’ season with a classic 20-10 win in their sudden-death clash at Shark Park.
Often derided for their poor finals record, Cronulla overcome an early deficit and then hung on late to claim victory in a Saturday night bellringer.
Continue reading...Hawks 14.17.101 beat Crows 10.7.67 in semi-final at Adelaide Oval
First minor premiers to exit in ‘straight sets’ for 42 years
Five goals from veteran Jack Gunston and another Jai Newcombe midfield masterclass have powered Hawthorn to a stirring 34-point semi-final triumph against Adelaide.
The Hawks will meet fierce rivals Geelong in a preliminary final after their 14.17 (101) to 10.7 (67) victory win at Adelaide Oval on Friday night.
Continue reading...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.
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