分类： sports

In an NRL upset that echoes one of professional wrestling’s most iconic shocking results, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs have brought Penrith Panthers’ historic undefeated season bid to a crashing halt, claiming a 32-16 victory at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on Thursday night. The match was billed as a celebration for Panthers star halfback Nathan Cleary, who was set to mark his 200th NRL appearance, but the night quickly turned sour for the league-leading side. What made the result all the more remarkable is that the Bulldogs claimed the win without their injured captain Stephen Crichton, silencing widespread critics of the club and young playmaker Lachlan Galvin in one dominant 80-minute performance.

Galvin entered the match under intense public and media scrutiny, with widespread questions raised over his attacking output and ability to compete at the top NRL level. But the young five-eighth delivered a career-defining performance that dominated the contest from the opening whistle. He finished the night with four line-break assists, constantly tearing apart Penrith’s vaunted left-edge defence, and built a devastating on-field combination with forward Jacob Preston that stepped up multiple gears when it mattered most. Galvin guided the Bulldogs to an early 16-0 lead, setting up Preston for a pivotal try with a perfectly weighted short ball before creating the match-clinching score for Sitili Tupouniua. Beyond his playmaking, he showed unprecedented defensive intensity, repeatedly crashing into tackles and displaying a kicking range and accuracy that had not been seen in his previous outings this season.

Recalled winger Bronson Xerri, returning to the top flight after a spell in the NSW Cup, added to the Bulldogs’ standout performance by setting up the club’s second try, while coach Cameron Ciraldo will now see this upset as one of the signature wins of his tenure at Belmore. Penrith entered the contest on unprecedented form: they became the first NRL side in history to open a season with five straight 20-point-plus victories, fueling widespread discussion about whether they could become the first team in decades to finish a full regular season undefeated. That conversation has now been firmly put to rest. To make matters worse for the Panthers, star edge forward Liam Martin was forced to leave the match early with a left knee injury, and key playmakers Cleary and Isaah Yeo turned in uncharacteristically underwhelming performances, with the club’s legendary impenetrable defence shut out for a full 38 minutes in the second half.

Panthers winger Tom Jenkins did notch one historic milestone on the night, scoring two tries to extend his run of consecutive doubles to six matches. That achievement levels the record set by South Sydney Rabbitohs legend Alex Johnston back in 2021, and pushes Jenkins’ season try total to an extraordinary 14. His second try was particularly impressive, a perfectly timed finish onto a pin-point cross-field kick from Cleary that will feature in NRL highlight reels all season.

The match was not without its contentious moments, however. Teenage Panthers forward Casey McLean, a touted future Origin representative, faces an anxious wait for the NRL’s match charge sheet to drop on Friday after he was sin-binned for a high tackle on Bulldogs prop Max King. The Bunker reviewed the contact on replay, which saw McLean’s shoulder connect with King’s head, and ordered referee to send the player from the field for a 10-minute spell off the pitch after the completion of the next set. Bulldogs utility Kurt Mann was also placed on report for a similar high contact incident on Panthers forward Scott Sorensen, but escaped a sin-bin suspension during the match.

The 2025 NRL season has started in nightmare fashion for the St George Illawarra Dragons, who head into Friday’s clash against Manly Sea Eagles still searching for their first victory. With a winless 0-5 record and growing calls for head coach Shane Flanagan to step down, the veteran mentor has remained unshaken, doubling down on his commitment to turning the club’s fortunes around.

Last week’s humiliating 0-nil defeat to the North Queensland Cowboys left fans furious, with the home crowd booing the team off the pitch after a dismal attacking performance. That loss amplified the already intense pressure on Flanagan, who has been the target of constant scrutiny from fans and media alike over the past fortnight, coming just two weeks after Manly Sea Eagles terminated the contract of head coach Anthony Seibold. If Flanagan can lead his side to an upset win over Manly on home turf in Wollongong, it would immediately ease the heat on the embattled coach.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Flanagan struck a defiant but pragmatic tone, saying he will not be distracted by speculation over his future. “I’ve never been through this experience, but I’ve just got to battle on. All I can do is my best, and that’s what I’m doing at the moment. I turn up to work every day, prepare the team the best we can and look after the staff as best I can. That’s all I can do,” he said.

Flanagan emphasized that his priority remains the long-term stability of the Dragons organization, rather than his own job security. “I’m not worried about my future. I’ve got more important things to worry about at this stage of my career. I’ve got to worry about the club, and I value the stability, the team and the whole organisation, rather than self. If I do my job and we get through it, then that’s great. If we don’t, I can walk away and say I did my best.”

The 2016 premiership-winning coach acknowledged that pressure is inherent to coaching in the NRL, but added that the intensity of recent criticism has been difficult to endure. “It’s the NRL. If you don’t win, it’s going to come. I can’t believe the way that we attack each other in this great game of ours. I love the game, I love the people I’ve met through it and I love the players that I’ve coached. I understand it (the pressure), but I don’t enjoy it and I don’t encourage what’s going on. I wouldn’t wish what’s going on with me over the last few weeks on anyone,” he said.

For the pivotal Manly clash, Flanagan has made key positional adjustments to address the team’s ongoing attacking woes. Star captain Clint Gutherson will miss the game with a hamstring injury, while playmaker Kyle Flanagan – Shane Flanagan’s son – is set to return to the starting side after a scary head knock ruled him out of last week’s game. Flanagan rejected claims of nepotism around his son’s selection, saying the young halfback has earned his spot through consistent performance.

“He’s our best halfback in the club and he competes hard. You can ask all our other coaches who have got some qualifications behind them, Mick Ennis and Dean Young and Willie Talau. I don’t go pick Kyle because of his surname. He’s got to do a job and he is within our top three or four players – competitive wise – week in, week out. He’s our best halfback in the club at the moment, so we pick him,” Flanagan said.

Key recruit Daniel Atkinson, who struggled with a poor kicking performance against the Cowboys while filling in at halfback, has been shifted from halfback to five-eighth. Flanagan explained the change is designed to play to both players’ strengths: Kyle Flanagan will take charge of on-field organization, while Atkinson can focus on his strength: running the ball and generating attacking momentum.

“As time’s gone on, we just feel that Kyle’s strength is to organise the team and get them around the park. Daniel’s probably felt a bit of pressure, especially last week with Kyle not there, to do both. His strength is his running game and his kicking (even though) he kicked a couple dead last week, but that was probably under pressure being on his own. It’ll take the pressure off Daniel and we’ll go back to Kyle’s strength about getting the team around the park. So I think it’s just a change in number, but it’s also a change in mindset,” Flanagan said.

The Dragons have already been rocked this season by the sudden departures of star players Ben Hunt and Zac Lomax, departures that have disrupted the team’s structure and left gaps in the starting lineup. Flanagan noted that young development players have stepped up in their absence and shown promise for the future, but a win Friday is critical to turning around the club’s devastating start to the 2025 campaign.

The Grand National, one of the most iconic steeplechase events in global horse racing, has undergone a dramatic transformation from the challenge it presented when Mick Fitzgerald secured his legendary 1996 victory aboard Rough Quest. In an exclusive interview with AFP, the 55-year-old Irish former jockey emphasized that these ongoing updates are not a dilution of the sport’s heritage, but an unavoidable adaptation to shifting public attitudes — a case of “evolve or die” for the historic race.

Stretching over four miles with 30 notoriously challenging obstacles, the Grand National long ago outgrew its status as a niche horse racing event. It draws millions of once-a-year casual bettors and commands a massive global television audience, cementing its place as a cultural phenomenon beyond the sport itself. In response to growing pressure from animal welfare organizations over equine safety, organizers have rolled out a series of course modifications in recent years, with the latest adjustments implemented in 2024.

Key changes include shortening the approach to the first fence, altering the design of multiple jumps including the iconic Becher’s Brook, and reducing the maximum number of starting runners from 40 to 34, all aimed at cutting the risk of serious injury and fatality for competing horses and jockeys. For Fitzgerald, who won the 1996 running before suffering a career-ending spinal injury in the 2008 edition of the race, these adjustments are a reasonable tradeoff to secure the event’s long-term future.

“If someone was to say we have to make these changes so the National can last 100 years then so be it,” Fitzgerald explained. “One has to evolve or die — to give a little so one can carry on.” He drew a parallel to shifting social norms around public smoking, noting that what was once widely accepted can become untenable as public values change. “Back in the day one could smoke in pubs, planes and cinemas. If somebody said to you today ‘Go ahead, smoke on the plane’ you would reply ‘You are kidding me’. Times have changed, as they have with the National. The risk has been reduced, but it was inevitable it would be, as people’s attitudes have changed as to what is acceptable.”

While Fitzgerald acknowledges the course is a far different test than it was 20 to 30 years ago, he insists the Grand National retains its unique aura and status as the world’s greatest steeplechase. “It is still a unique test,” he said. “I am not going to dress it up as still being the same race, though it is the greatest steeplechase, but it is not the same test it was 20-30 years ago. The fences are obviously not the same, the horses jump them differently. Most horses could get round these days whereas in the old days you needed a horse of a certain type to navigate the course.”

Thirty years after his iconic win, when he famously joked that even sex was an anticlimax after crossing the Grand National finish line, Fitzgerald still holds that winning the event elevates a jockey to a unique status unmatched by any other race in the sport. Even with a decorated career that includes wins at the Cheltenham Gold Cup and Champion Chase, he notes the first question casual racing fans ask is always about the Grand National. “If someone who knows little about racing asks you what you do for a living and you reply ‘jockey’, they will ask you not about did you win a Gold Cup or a Derby but the Grand National,” he said. “It has a unique fascination for people. Absolutely it makes a difference to have that on your CV. Gives you a bit of kudos. You have succeeded where some of the legends of the sport fell short — John Francome, Peter Scudamore and Jonjo O’Neill.”

Ahead of this year’s running, jockeys will once again visit Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, an annual tradition where Fitzgerald serves as a patron. He calls the visit a humbling “reality check” that puts the stakes of the race into perspective. “It makes one realise galloping round a track does not matter, when you see the parents and their seriously ill children,” he said. “You realise what is really important in life.”

Brisbane Broncos have been thrown a last-minute curveball ahead of their highly anticipated Friday clash with the North Queensland Cowboys, with veteran captain and starting halfback Adam Reynolds ruled out of the fixture due to an ongoing groin injury.

Reynolds had originally been named in the matchday squad when lineups were announced on Tuesday, just days after he was forced off the field during Brisbane’s previous match against the Gold Coast Titans. However, a final fitness assessment held during the Broncos’ captain’s run training session confirmed the experienced playmaker had not recovered sufficiently to meet match demands, particularly when it came to the high-intensity kicking workload required for the role.

The sudden withdrawal clears the way for 22-year-old newcomer Tom Duffy to make his club debut for the defending premiers just months after making a move north from the Cowboys, the side he will face off against on Friday. Duffy, who signed a one-year contract with Brisbane in the off-season, will step straight into the starting halves combination to partner star playmaker Ezra Mam.

Having featured in six first-grade matches for North Queensland during the 2023 season, Duffy has impressed Brisbane coaching staff with his work ethic during pre-season and throughout the early rounds of the current campaign. Broncos head coach Michael Maguire says he has full confidence in the young debutant to step up to the challenge.

“Reyno did all the running in training and he was comfortable with that side of things, but he just didn’t feel his kicking was where it needed to be to help this team,” Maguire told reporters ahead of the match. “We’re really fortunate that Tommy is fit, ready and prepared to step in. I’m incredibly excited to see him get this opportunity. He’s fitted into our squad seamlessly from day one, threw everything into pre-season, and this opportunity is something he’s earned through hard work. He’s a strong organiser who can lead the team around the park, and he’s got an excellent kicking game that will suit us well. I have no doubt he’ll do his job for this side.”

This match marks a second significant blow to the Broncos’ starting lineup, already missing superstar fullback Reece Walsh who will remain sidelined for at least another month as he recovers from a fractured cheekbone. Experienced utility Ben Hunt is also out long-term with a lingering knee injury, forcing further adjustments to Brisbane’s matchday 17.

To cover Walsh’s absence, versatile utility Jesse Arthars will move into the starting fullback position to face the red-hot Cowboys, who enter Friday’s clash on the back of three straight wins. The Cowboys’ turnaround comes as a dramatic reversal of fortune after a dismal opening to the season that sparked widespread speculation that the club could part ways with head coach Todd Payten.

While Arthars cannot be expected to replicate the dynamic attacking impact Walsh brings to the Broncos side, Maguire says he has full trust in the selfless utility to execute his role effectively. “Jess is one of the most selfless, great team men we have in this squad. He fits in wherever we need him, and he always works his backside off for his teammates,” Maguire explained. “Every player has their own role to play for this team, that’s how we get the best out of every individual. That’s what we saw with Reece, and that’s exactly what we expect from Jesse out in the fullback position on Friday.”

For the Broncos, the match represents a key test of their depth after a rocky start to the title defense that has since stabilized, as they look to continue their upward momentum against a resurgent Cowboys side that is rapidly gaining confidence in 2024.

The Monte Carlo Masters delivered one of the most stunning upsets of the 2025 ATP clay court season on Wednesday, as former world number one Daniil Medvedev suffered a humiliating 6-0, 6-0 defeat at the hands of Italian wildcard Matteo Berrettini in the tournament’s second round. The result marks the first double-bagel loss of Medvedev’s entire professional career, wrapping up in just 49 minutes of play on the iconic red clay of the Mediterranean resort.

Medvedev’s match unravelled almost from the opening serve. After failing to convert two early break points in the first game, the Russian’s rhythm collapsed entirely. He coughed up 30 unforced errors and five double faults over the course of the match, failing to win more than two points in any of the final 11 games. As his frustration mounted in the second set, Medvedev vented by smashing his racquet into the court surface four times in a display of visible disappointment.

For Berrettini, a former Wimbledon finalist now ranked 90th in the world, the result stands as one of the standout performances of his career. “I think it was one of the best performances of my life,” the Italian said post-match. “I think I missed three shots in the entire match and it is not easy against a tricky player like Daniil. I think the game plan was perfect and my weapons were working.” Berrettini will next face 19-year-old Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca in the round of 16, after Fonseca claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 win over France’s Arthur Rinderknech to advance.

While Medvedev exited early, world number three Alexander Zverev fought through a grueling three-set battle to avoid an upset of his own, edging out Chilean qualifier Cristian Garin 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 in a match that stretched over two hours and 50 minutes. Zverev, who is targeting his first clay-court Masters 1000 title to complete a full set of titles across all three clay Masters events, looked set for an early exit after dropping the opening set and falling 4-0 behind in the deciding set. When Garin held serve to go 5-3 up, he even held a match point on his own serve, but Zverev dug deep to break the Chilean’s momentum, reeling off five consecutive games to seal the comeback. He saved three break points in a tense final game before converting his third match point to advance.

Speaking after the match, Zverev admitted his performance was far from his best, noting his lack of preparation on clay this season. “My level was not there at all to be honest,” he said. “But it was my first clay-court match in 11 months. I didn’t have much time to prepare as I played well in Miami. I am happy to get the win. It was a tough match and he is someone playing well, especially here.” Zverev will next face unseeded Belgian Zizou Bergs in the third round, after Bergs pulled off a major upset of his own, beating 2023 Monte Carlo champion Andrey Rublev 6-4, 6-1.

Wednesday’s play also saw a string of other early upsets for seeded players. Fourth seed Lorenzo Musetti, who entered the tournament as last year’s runner-up, suffered a 7-6(6), 7-5 defeat to home wildcard Valentin Vacherot of Monaco. The result continues a difficult run for Musetti, who has struggled with injury since retiring from the Australian Open quarter-finals in January with an upper leg injury, and lost his opening match on return at Indian Wells last month before withdrawing from Miami with an arm problem.

Other seeded players fared better: sixth seed Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada advanced past Croatia’s Marin Cilic in straight sets, while 2024 Monte Carlo finalist Casper Ruud of Norway overcame a tough test from France’s Corentin Moutet to move through. Czech 11th seed Jiri Lehecka also came from a set down to beat Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo, but two other seeded players – Flavio Cobolli and Francisco Cerundolo – crashed out in the second round, continuing the trend of early upsets on the Monte Carlo clay.

The UEFA Champions League quarter-final stage kicked off with a statement performance from defending champions Paris Saint-Germain, who handed Liverpool a 2-0 defeat in Wednesday’s first leg at Parc des Princes. The result leaves the English side facing an uphill battle in next week’s return fixture at Anfield, with Luis Enrique’s squad holding a commanding two-goal cushion to protect on enemy soil.

PSG controlled the contest from the opening whistle, and their early pressure paid off in the 11th minute. Desire Doue picked up a loose ball just outside the 18-yard box after a mazy dribble from Ousmane Dembele, cutting into the area to fire off a shot. The attempt took a lucky deflection off Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch, looping over Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili to put the French side ahead.

The first half was lopsided in every sense: PSG held 70% of possession, with Mamardashvili called into action to stop further attempts from both Doue and winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Liverpool’s only shot of the half came from an offside Jeremie Frimpong, leaving Arne Slot’s side with little to build on going into the break.

The pattern of domination did not shift after halftime. Midway through the second half, a perfectly threaded through pass from Joao Neves released Kvaratskhelia down the inside-left channel. The Georgian shrugged off a challenge from Gravenberch, rounded compatriot Mamardashvili, and slotted home to double PSG’s lead, putting the holders firmly in control of the tie.

A brief moment of reprieve came for Liverpool when Spanish referee overturned his own initial penalty decision. VAR review confirmed that Ibrahima Konate had successfully won the ball from Warren Zaire-Emery despite the contact, ruling out what would have been a chance for PSG to extend their lead further. Late in the match, Dembele hit the post for PSG, but the 2-0 scoreline held, capping off a one-sided performance from the reigning champions.

The result marks Liverpool’s second heavy defeat in five days, coming off the back of a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final thrashing at the hands of Manchester City last weekend. Slot has overseen a difficult campaign for the Reds, who have now dropped 16 matches across all competitions this season and claimed just one win from their last six outings.

In a surprising tactical adjustment that ultimately failed to pay off, Slot set Liverpool up in a rare three-centre-back formation, with Joe Gomez joining regular starters Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate at the back. Star forward Mohamed Salah was left on the bench, with former PSG striker Hugo Ekitike starting up front; Ekitike spent 18 months at PSG but never managed to cement a first-team place behind the iconic attacking trio of Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar. Brazilian number one Alisson Becker, who single-handedly kept Liverpool in the tie during their last meeting with PSG in the 2023-2024 knockout stage, was absent for this fixture, forcing Mamardashvili into the starting lineup. Slot made a quadruple substitution in the 78th minute to try to shift momentum, bringing on Alexander Isak — returning from a December leg fracture — but kept Salah on the bench for the full 90 minutes.

Post-match, Kvaratskhelia acknowledged PSG’s dominance while warning against complacency ahead of the return leg. “I think we had chances to score more. There were many moments where we should score but it is OK,” he told Canal Plus. “I think 2-0 is good but we have to stay focused because we have to play at Anfield. We know that the atmosphere will be amazing so we are already starting to prepare that game.”

Liverpool now face the enormous challenge of overturning a two-goal deficit to advance to the semi-finals. The club did pull off a similar comeback in the round of 16 this year, overturning a 1-0 first-leg loss to Galatasaray with a 4-0 home win. However, this task is far steeper: PSG have history on their side at Anfield, having claimed a 1-0 away win in last season’s round of 16 second leg before advancing on penalties, a result that helped launch their run to the 2024 Champions League title. The French side have also now won nine of their last 11 matches against Premier League opposition dating back to the start of 2024, underscoring their current form against top English competition.