Global Pulse

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  • South African police arrest 4 in the killing of former champion boxer Zolani Tete

    South African police arrest 4 in the killing of former champion boxer Zolani Tete

    JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — Law enforcement authorities have confirmed the arrest of four people connected to the fatal shooting of former two-weight world boxing champion Zolani Tete, in an update released to reporters Monday. The coordinated ambush that claimed Tete’s life unfolded last week in Mdantsane, a township located in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, according to official police accounts.

    Investigative details show Tete had just returned to his residential property and was waiting inside his personal vehicle for the property’s security gate to open when the attackers struck. Two gunmen, concealing their identities with balaclavas, opened fire on the vehicle immediately, striking Tete fatally. A female passenger who was with Tete in the car suffered bullet wounds in the attack and was rushed to a local hospital for emergency care, where she remains for ongoing treatment as of the latest police update.

    South African police confirmed that four suspects have now been taken into custody in connection with the killing. One of the four suspects, who was apprehended two days prior to Monday’s announcement, is scheduled to make his first court appearance on the same day the arrest news was made public. The remaining three suspects will have their initial court hearings at a later date, as the investigation continues to progress.

    Beyond the criminal case details, Tete leaves behind a decorated career in professional boxing. He captured the World Boxing Federation (WBF) flyweight world title in 2007 and successfully defended the belt until 2008. More than a decade later, he claimed the World Boxing Organization (WBO) bantamweight world title, holding the championship between 2017 and 2019, cementing his status as one of South Africa’s most successful professional boxers of his generation.

  • Boks drop Feinberg-Mngomezulu to bench for All Blacks rematch

    Boks drop Feinberg-Mngomezulu to bench for All Blacks rematch

    Just one week after a lopsided opening Test defeat to the All Blacks in Johannesburg, South Africa’s Springboks have made sweeping changes to their starting lineup for this Saturday’s highly anticipated rematch in Cape Town, dropping underperforming fly-half Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu to the reserves bench. Under new head coach Dave Rennie, a revitalized All Blacks side cruised to a comfortable 33-16 victory in the series opener, putting the defending world champions on the back foot early in the four-match series billed as “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry”.

    Feinberg-Mngomezulu, who struggled throughout the first 80 minutes, was credited with five possession turnovers and repeatedly found himself exposed in defensive gaps before being shifted to full-back in the second half. That underperformance opened the door for 32-year-old two-time Rugby World Cup winner Handre Pollard, who has been recalled to the starting fly-half position for the second Test.

    In addition to the playmaker switch, two injury-forced changes have been made to the starting XV: injuries to Cheslin Kolbe and Grant Williams mean Ethan Hooker will start at wing, while Cobus Reinach takes over at scrum-half. There is still uncertainty surrounding the availability of captain Siya Kolisi, who is recovering from a hamstring injury and in line for a return to the back row. To cover for any possible setback in Kolisi’s recovery, Erasmus has named Paul de Villiers as a backup blindside flanker.

    One of the most notable inclusions on the Springboks’ replacements list is 39-year-old Deon Fourie, who came off the bench to play 77 minutes in the Springboks’ 2023 Rugby World Cup final win over the All Blacks. If called into action this weekend, Fourie will earn his first international cap since that iconic tournament victory.

    Reflecting on the opening Test, head coach Rassie Erasmus acknowledged the mixed performance from his side, saying that unforced errors at critical moments, not a lack of scoring opportunities, cost South Africa a positive result. “There were a handful of positives and negatives last week, but the main thing that let us down was that we created so many chances, but mistakes at crucial times cost us,” Erasmus said. “We’ll put in a lot of work this week to ensure that we are sharp in that regard this weekend because if we had used even some of those chances, the result could have been completely different.”

    Across the All Blacks camp, the big story of the week is the imminent international return of star playmaker Richie Mo’unga, who has not featured for New Zealand in three years after signing with Japanese club side Toshiba Brave Lupus. With the 32-year-old now set to return to domestic rugby with the Crusaders and Canterbury, and an injury to Billy Proctor opening up a spot in the selection pool, Mo’unga is now in line for an immediate Test recall as the All Blacks look to close out the series with a 2-0 lead.

    Mo’unga, who was the starting fly-half for New Zealand’s 2023 Rugby World Cup campaign and earned a spot in World Rugby’s 2023 Team of the Year, will make his first appearance in a black jersey this week, starting at 10 in a midweek tour match against the Johannesburg-based Lions provincial side. The playmaker says his desire to return to international rugby was sparked during an unexpected moment last year, when he watched a Six Nations match from a Japanese karaoke bar, and he has spent months mentally preparing for his comeback.

    “I’m competitive; I want to be the best,” Mo’unga said. “I know that there’s a process to that, and at this point in time, the process looks a bit different around preparing someone else [All Blacks’ current first-choice fly-half Ruben Love] to be the best. I’m really competitive, but I’m also a team man. Whoever gets the role, gets the role, and if it’s not me, I’ll do anything I can to help them succeed. This game was always coming for me. There was always going to be a return. I wasn’t sure when it was, but mentally I’ve prepared for my return in the black jersey, and I’m ready.”

    The high-stakes second Test between South Africa and New Zealand is set to kick off this Saturday in Cape Town, with the All Blacks targeting a stranglehold on the four-match series and the Springboks desperate to even the score on home soil.

  • Fans suffer firework burns and eye injuries in Eredivisie

    Fans suffer firework burns and eye injuries in Eredivisie

    A tense Eredivisie opening weekend fixture was brought to an abrupt halt on Sunday after visiting Feyenoord supporters launched fireworks into stands holding home fans at SC Cambuur’s Kooi Stadion, leaving five spectators with serious injuries including burns, permanent hearing impairment risk and eye damage. The chaotic disruption, which unfolded in the 12th minute of the first half, forced match officials to pause play for 10 minutes as stewards and security responded to the scene. One stray explosion was captured just meters away from Feyenoord goalkeeper Tjark Ernst, highlighting how close the dangerous projectiles came to harming on-pitch personnel.

    In the aftermath of the incident, newly promoted Eredivisie side SC Cambuur released a strongly worded statement condemning the reckless behavior of the visiting fans. The club, which returned to the Dutch top flight this season after three consecutive campaigns in the second tier, emphasized that the use of pyrotechnics and fireworks has no place in professional football stadiums. Officials confirmed that five home supporters had been medically assessed for injuries following the incident, and added that the club would fully cooperate with local law enforcement and football governing bodies to identify and sanction every person responsible for the disorder.

    Feyenoord, who went on to secure a 5-2 victory after the match resumed, moved quickly to distance itself from the unacceptable actions of its fanbase. Head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst, who previously served as assistant manager to Arne Slot at Liverpool ahead of taking his current role at the Rotterdam club, issued a formal apology to SC Cambuur on behalf of the entire organization following the final whistle. The club also announced it would request full access to stadium security camera footage to assist with investigations into the trouble.

    Feyenoord general manager Robert Eenhoorn acknowledged that even the three-point win failed to offset the damage of the incident, noting that frustration over the disorder overshadowed any positive result from the fixture. “This problem obviously does not only affect Feyenoord and is unfortunately something we have been unable to put a stop to for decades,” Eenhoorn told reporters. “We will therefore have to sit down again with all stakeholders, clubs, the KNVB [Royal Dutch Football Association], and the authorities to look for a solution together.”

    This incident is not an isolated case for Dutch top-flight football. Just last season, a league fixture between Ajax and Groningen had to be completely abandoned after fans ignited fireworks and flares behind one of the goals at Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena. Following Sunday’s disruption, local Leeuwarden mayor Foort van Oosten joined in condemning the violence and pledged a full official investigation into how the fireworks were smuggled into the stadium and who was behind the attack.

    The KNVB has also announced it will open a review of existing crowd disorder protocols to address gaps in prevention and response revealed by the latest incident. Match rules currently only require officials to abandon a fixture if a player or match official is hit by pyrotechnics or projectiles, a rule that KNVB professional football competition manager Jan Bluyssen acknowledged may need adjustment. “That doesn’t feel right,” Bluyssen told Dutch national news agency ANP. “We need to examine whether the protocol is still appropriate and how we might want to adjust it.” Despite the calls for review, the match resumed after the 10-minute suspension to allow Feyenoord to claim their opening victory of the 2026-27 Eredivisie season.

  • Champions League fairytale team Bodø/Glimt close to return as 7 playoffs decide full 36-team lineup

    Champions League fairytale team Bodø/Glimt close to return as 7 playoffs decide full 36-team lineup

    Europe’s top club soccer competition is just days away from finalizing its historic 36-team expanded lineup, and a beloved low-profile underdog stands on the cusp of securing one of the last coveted spots.

    Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt, the tiny Cinderella club hailing from a fishing town located above the Arctic Circle, carries a comfortable 3-1 first-leg advantage into Tuesday’s decisive second leg of Champions League qualifying against Dutch first-time qualifier NEC Nijmegen, played on Bodø/Glimt’s home turf. If the club advances, it will earn a place in the main draw, which will be unveiled Thursday evening at a ceremony in Monaco, alongside global soccer heavyweights including defending champion Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich.

    Bodø/Glimt is no stranger to giant-killing runs in the Champions League. Last season, the side pulled off upset wins against European elites including Manchester City, Atletico Madrid, and Inter Milan on its way through the competition. This qualifying campaign, the team has shown consistent offensive firepower, netting three goals in each of its three qualifying matches so far, and eliminated Belgium’s Union Saint-Gilloise 6-5 on aggregate to reach this final playoff stage. Unlike many small clubs that lose their top talent after standout runs, Bodø/Glimt has retained nearly its entire 2023-24 squad, with only one high-profile departure: Danish forward Kasper Høgh was sold to Scottish side Celtic for a reported $15 million. Høgh and Celtic will also play a decisive qualifying match on Tuesday, carrying a 3-0 first-leg lead into their away fixture against Austria’s LASK.

    Norway could see two clubs qualify for the expanded Champions League main draw. Domestic champion Viking hosts Croatia’s Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday for their second leg, with the tie leveled at 2-2 after Dinamo Zagreb squandered an early two-goal lead in the opening fixture last week.

    The official Champions League draw ceremony is scheduled to kick off at 6 p.m. local time (1600 GMT) in Monaco, just a short 10-minute drive from where local club AS Monaco will kick off its own Conference League playoff second leg, defending a 3-2 first-leg lead over Poland’s Gornik Zabrze. Monaco is one of 36 clubs across European soccer’s second-tier Europa League and third-tier Conference League playing second legs this week to finalize lineups for their own main draw ceremonies, set for Friday.

    UEFA has already released the confirmed seeding pots for Thursday’s draw, with 29 of the 36 spots already locked in. Pot 1 is packed with the sport’s most high-profile sides: Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Inter Milan, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid. The draw will use UEFA’s specialized software to assign eight opponents to each of the 36 teams, with two opponents drawn from each of the four seeding pots. Seven spots in Pot 4 remain unclaimed, reserved for the seven playoff winners to be decided this week.

    The new-look expanded Champions League will begin its group-stage round with first matchdays held across September 8-10, marking the only round of matches before a newly scheduled four-game international break that starts September 24. The competition will resume October 13 for the second round, with the sixth group-stage round set for December 8-9 before a winter break through January. The eighth and final round of group-stage matches, which will see all 36 teams play simultaneously, is scheduled for January 27.

    This week also sees decisive qualifying action across UEFA’s other two club competitions, both of which feature surprisingly strong lineups for their upcoming league phases. The Europa League, which will hold its draw Friday, counts global powerhouses AC Milan, Juventus, and Bayer Leverkusen among its already qualified teams, plus an unusual trio of English sides: defending Conference League champions Crystal Palace, first-time European qualifier Bournemouth, and Sunderland, which is returning to UEFA competition for the first time in 53 years. The winner of the 2024-25 Europa League, which will hold its final in Frankfurt, Germany next May, earns an automatic spot in the 2025-26 Champions League.

    Many second legs for Europa League qualifying are scheduled for Thursday, overlapping with the Champions League draw in Monaco. Notable ties include Mo Salah-associated Trabzonspor, which trails 1-0 ahead of its away match against Hungary’s Ferencvaros, and former European Cup winners Benfica and Red Star Belgrade. A number of feelgood underdog domestic champions have already fallen in earlier qualifying rounds: Swiss champion Thun, who was eliminated from Champions League qualifying by Dinamo Zagreb, suffered a lopsided 7-0 first-leg loss to Poland’s Lech Poznan in Europa League qualifying, while Sweden’s Mjällby carries a 1-0 home loss into its second leg against Austria’s Red Bull Salzburg. All Europa League playoff losers will drop down to the Conference League main phase, which will be played across six rounds through December.

    The Conference League, for its part, features a number of clubs that are regular contenders in the Champions League, including Ajax, Atalanta, and AS Monaco. Former Europa League finalist Freiburg has dropped down to the third-tier competition, while England’s Brighton will aim to secure a third consecutive Conference League title for English clubs, following previous wins by Chelsea and Crystal Palace. No teams have received a bye to the six-round league phase, meaning all must secure playoff wins this week to advance. Atalanta, the 2024 Europa League winner, is at particular risk of elimination after playing to a 0-0 home draw in the first leg against Israel’s Hapoel Tel-Aviv; the second leg will be played on neutral ground in Hungary due to ongoing regional conflict. The tiny principality of Andorra is also poised to make history, with Inter Escaldes carrying a 2-2 aggregate tie into its home second leg against Kosovo’s Drita, while Northern Ireland’s Larne carries a 2-0 advantage into its home leg against Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps.

  • Four arrested over boxing champion’s murder in South Africa

    Four arrested over boxing champion’s murder in South Africa

    South African law enforcement officials have taken four people into custody in connection with the fatal shooting of celebrated two-time world boxing champion Zolani Tete, who was killed in an ambush outside his Eastern Cape home last Friday. The 38-year-old former titleholder, who had recently completed a four-year doping ban and was actively training for a much-anticipated comeback to the ring, was gunned down in Mdantsane as he waited in his vehicle for his residential gate to open. A 27-year-old woman who was travelling with Tete was also wounded in the attack and remains hospitalized for treatment.

    According to official accounts of the incident, two armed attackers wearing balaclavas exited a separate vehicle and opened fire with multiple rounds at Tete and his passenger. The first suspect, a 22-year-old man taken into custody on Saturday, is scheduled to make his initial court appearance on Monday, where he will face formal charges of murder and attempted murder. The three remaining suspects were arrested on Sunday, and are set to appear in court this coming Tuesday. Two of these three suspects are already facing charges of unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, though it has not yet been confirmed whether they will also face murder and attempted murder charges connected to Tete’s killing.

    Tete leaves behind a decorated combat record in professional boxing, with a career total of 29 wins, four losses, and one no-contest ruling across 34 bouts. He claimed his first world title in 2014, when he won the IBF super-flyweight belt, before holding the WBO bantamweight crown from 2017 to 2019. He also secured a place in Guinness World Records for the fastest knockout in the history of professional title fights, stopping his opponent Siboniso Gonya just 11 seconds into their 2017 bout. Tete fought eight times across the United Kingdom during his career, including memorable bouts against Paul Butler in 2015 and Jason Cunningham in 2022. That 2022 knockout win over Cunningham was later overturned to a no-contest after Tete tested positive for the anabolic steroid stanozolol, leading UK Anti-Doping Agency to issue a four-year competition ban that expired just last month.

    In the weeks following the end of his ban, Tete had returned to full training to prepare for a comeback fight, his manager Mla Tengimfene confirmed following his death. Since news of the champion’s killing broke, tributes have poured in from across South Africa’s sporting and political communities. South Africa’s current Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie called the loss a devastating blow for the nation, saying “South Africa has lost one of the finest fighters it has ever produced.” Former Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula also honored Tete’s legacy, remembering him as a “great South African who has made an immense contribution in the sport of boxing”.

  • AFL 2026: Carlton defender Billy Wilson wins Rising Star nomination

    AFL 2026: Carlton defender Billy Wilson wins Rising Star nomination

    AFL side Carlton’s remarkable late-season resurgence has unearthed another exciting young talent, with 22-year-old defender Billy Wilson named the club’s fourth Rising Star nominee of the current campaign. Wilson’s nomination comes off the back of a standout performance against ladder-topping Fremantle in Round 24, capping a stunning breakout season that few could have predicted when head coaching changes rocked the club earlier this year.

    Before new coach Josh Fraser took over the senior role from Michael Voss, Wilson had only featured in a single senior game for the Blues. But under Fraser’s leadership, which has been credited with erasing the culture of fear of failure that had lingered under the previous regime, Wilson has evolved into one of Carlton’s most reliable and impactful players across the halfback line. He is now part of a wave of promising young talent including Jagga Smith, Harry Dean and Talor Byrne that is driving the club’s return to finals contention.

    What many fans do not know is that four-fifths of this exciting young cohort already live and breathe Carlton football together on a daily basis. Wilson shares a home just a short walk from Carlton’s training ground with teammates Harry Dean, Talor Byrne and Flynn Young, and the group has developed a quirky pre-game ritual that they credit for their consistent on-field form: a shared pesto rigatoni pasta with chicken ahead of every match.

    “We’ve stuck with the same routine all season, and we’ve won a lot of games eating this pasta – it’s just pesto rigatoni with some chicken,” Wilson explained in an interview after his Rising Star nomination was announced. “I jump in to help here and there, but Flynn Young is definitely the head chef of the house – he loves cooking for all of us.”

    Off the field, the young group keeps a surprisingly low profile compared to many young professional athletes. Wilson says aside from Dean and Byrne occasionally zooming around the house to burn off excess energy late in the day, the household is quiet and focused on preparation. “We’re a pretty cruisy, measured group,” Wilson said. “Most nights before a game, we just end up sitting down to watch some old footy together. We don’t get up to much crazy stuff, that’s for sure. We’re all just really excited to be here, and we can’t wait for what comes next.”

    Carlton will now face Melbourne in a wildcard final this week, a knockout match that marks the club’s return to finals football after years of rebuilding. Wilson acknowledges that this weekend’s contest carries more weight than a standard regular-season game, but says the entire squad is ready to lean on the roaring support of Carlton fans to push for an upset win.

    “At the end of the day, our job is still just to go out and play the footy we’ve been playing,” Wilson said. “All we need is for our supporters to get behind us, and that’s what’s really driving us right now. We’re ready for the challenge.”

  • Pant, Jurel guide India to 419-6 at lunch on Day 2 of the 2nd cricket test against Sri Lanka

    Pant, Jurel guide India to 419-6 at lunch on Day 2 of the 2nd cricket test against Sri Lanka

    The second Test match between India and Sri Lanka in Colombo entered its second day on Monday with India building on a strong overnight foundation, thanks to a game-changing seventh-wicket stand from experienced wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant and young batter Dhruv Jurel. Resuming play at 300 for five wickets after a dominant first day of action, India lost an early wicket just seven runs into the day’s scoring, when maiden Test batter Saransh Jain was dismissed for six runs. Fast bowler Asitha Fernando delivered a high bouncer, and Jain’s attempted defensive fend ended in a caught behind, with fielder Kamil Mishara securing the catch to leave India at 307 for six.

    That set the stage for Pant and Jurel to turn the tide in India’s favor, putting together an unbeaten 112-run partnership that carried the visitors to 419 for six by the lunch interval. Pant, who had been forced to return to the pavilion late on Day 1 after taking a blow to the body from a Lahiru Kumara delivery, reached his 21st Test half-century and remained not out on 63 off 88 deliveries at the break. His innings included six boundaries and two towering sixes, anchoring the middle order with calm experience after India’s early wicket.

    Alongside him, Jurel notched up his third Test half-century, finishing the first session unbeaten on 59 from 107 deliveries, with five well-placed boundaries to his name. For Sri Lanka, Fernando was the standout bowler, finishing the first session with impressive figures of four wickets for just 46 runs, while Kumara and spin bowler Keshara Nuwantha each claimed one wicket apiece.

    The strong session for India followed a stellar first day headlined by opener Devdutt Padikkal’s second Test century. Carrying the red-hot form he showed in the series opener, where his 167-run first innings knock helped India secure a 165-run win in Galle, Padikkal scored 117 runs from 193 deliveries on Day 2. He spent nearly five hours at the crease, hitting 12 boundaries to build a solid platform for India’s batting innings and set up the big total the side built on Monday morning.

    Heading into the second Test, India already holds a 1-0 lead in the two-match series, putting Sri Lanka under increasing pressure to respond with a strong all-round performance to level the tie.

  • Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball sells for £2.5m

    Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ ball sells for £2.5m

    One of the most controversial and recognizable pieces of football memorabilia in history — the match ball Diego Maradona used to score his infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal during the 1986 FIFA World Cup — has found a new buyer at auction, closing at a final price of £2.5 million ($3.3 million).

    The moment that cemented the ball’s place in global sports lore came during Argentina’s tense World Cup quarter-final clash against England in 1986. With the match tied at 1-1, Maradona extended his left arm to punch the ball past England goalkeeper Peter Shilton, a handball that went unnoticed by referee Ali Bin Nasser. After Argentina secured a 2-1 victory, Maradona famously quipped to reporters that the goal had been scored “a little with the head of Maradona and a little with the hand of God” — a quote that turned an already controversial moment into a permanent part of football folklore. Later in the same match, Maradona scored what is still widely referred to as the ‘Goal of the Century’, weaving past five England outfield players in a 60-yard mazy run before beating Shilton again to secure Argentina’s place in the next round of the tournament.

    The Adidas Azteca match ball was brought to auction by its current owner at Heritage Auctions’ sports memorabilia event held in the United States on Saturday. While auction specialists had initially projected the one-of-a-kind item could sell for as much as $10 million (£7.3 million), the final winning bid fell far short of those expectations.

    Ahead of the auction, Mike Provenzale, a senior specialist auctioneer at Heritage, described the piece as an unparalleled artifact for football fans. “It’s a true one-of-one item,” Provenzale told Reuters. “Arguably the most significant soccer item that exists.”

    The ball has a decades-long ownership history tied directly to the 1986 match. It was collected by Bin Nasser, the Tunisian referee who officiated the quarter-final, right after the final whistle blew. Bin Nasser kept the ball in his personal collection for more than 30 years before selling it at auction for the first time in 2022, when it fetched $2.37 million (£1.74 million). After the 2022 sale, the ball’s new owner put it back up for auction in 2022, but the lot failed to sell as incoming bids did not meet the reserve price set by the owner. In 2023, authentication of the ball was solidified when Bin Nasser issued a signed formal letter confirming it was the actual match ball used throughout the entire 1986 quarter-final, a finding that was later independently verified by third-party experts.

    The ‘Hand of God’ ball is not the only piece of memorabilia from that iconic match to break sales records in recent years. The match shirt Maradona wore during the 1986 quarter-final sold at auction for £7.1 million back in 2022, setting a new benchmark for match-worn football apparel at the time.

  • ‘Blaize knows’: Panthers face selection headache for finals as Ivan Cleary addresses Kangaroos rumour

    ‘Blaize knows’: Panthers face selection headache for finals as Ivan Cleary addresses Kangaroos rumour

    Veteran NRL head coach Ivan Cleary is navigating two major looming storylines simultaneously: a crunch selection dilemma for his in-form Penrith Panthers side amid a tight minor premiership race, and growing speculation linking him to the vacant Australian Kangaroos head coaching job.

    With just two rounds remaining in the 2024 NRL regular season, Penrith finds itself deadlocked with the New Zealand Warriors and Sydney Roosters atop the ladder on 38 competition points. A slightly inferior for-and-against record drops the Panthers to second place, but two wins from their remaining fixtures against Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Wests Tigers would lock in a second-place finish, guaranteeing two home finals matches to open the post-season.

    This tight ladder position rules out the approach Penrith took in last year’s corresponding round 26 clash with the Bulldogs, when the side rested nearly all of its starting 17. This week, the Panthers will already be without starting five-eighth Jack Cogger, who accepted a three-match suspension for a high tackle against the Melbourne Storm. Cogger opted to accept the ban rather than contest the charge at the NRL judiciary, where a prior earlier-season offence would have pushed the potential suspension to four matches had he lost his appeal. “Three weeks is bad enough, but four’s worse,” Cleary told reporters. “Super disappointed with it, to be honest. But ultimately, we didn’t think we could win.”

    Cogger’s suspension has thrown a last-minute curveball into Penrith’s finals preparations. Only a few weeks prior, Cogger had reclaimed the starting five-eighth spot from young talent Blaize Talagi over ongoing defensive concerns, and Talagi has since lined up for the club’s reserve grade side. While Talagi offers significant attacking upside, repeated defensive misreads have put his selection in doubt for Friday’s clash. The current frontrunner to partner Nathan Cleary in the halves is Jack Cole, who already stepped into the starting role when Cogger was unavailable in round 23.

    Cleary noted that the squad has already addressed Talagi’s defensive gaps, and that the sudden vacancy is just another routine challenge of a long NRL season. “You’d prefer it if you get a little bit more cohesion there, but all the boys that have played there have sort of played enough. It’s just another challenge that you get throughout the season,” he said. “It’s an important position, a big game with top two spots still up for grabs. The team is the most important thing. Whoever fills the job, we have confidence they’ll do it. Injuries and suspensions have hit every side this year, so you just have to be ready for everything, have different contingencies. It’s not all about one guy who starts, there are plenty of other things that you’ve got to work out as well.”

    In additional injury news, starting hooker Mitch Kenny remains sidelined with a serious lower-leg injury and will not return this week, though he is on track to record game minutes in the final round of the regular season.

    Off the field, Cleary remained tight-lipped when asked about speculation linking him to the Kangaroos head coaching vacancy, which opened after incumbent coach Kevin Walters announced he would step down following the 2024 World Cup to take over at English Super League side St Helens.

    Cleary is currently contracted to Penrith through the end of the 2027 NRL season, and recently stepped down from his role as New South Wales Blues head coach, with the NRL locking in Matt King as his replacement several weeks ago. The four-time premiership-winning coach previously served as an assistant coach for the New Zealand Kiwis at the 2013 World Cup, making him a high-profile candidate for the Kangaroos role, alongside Kangaroos legend Cameron Smith.

    “If I’ve been linked to it, I’d be very honoured, but it’s not something I’m thinking about because I don’t know what I’ll be doing,” Cleary said. “I’m still coaching in the NRL, it’s a big enough job, plenty to be worrying about anything else, so that’s what I’m doing. I don’t know why I’m being considered because I don’t know much to it.”

  • What do locals think of IndyCar in Washington DC?

    What do locals think of IndyCar in Washington DC?

    On a sunny Sunday in the heart of the U.S. capital, Washington D.C. played host to a rare and thrilling event: an IndyCar street race that drew hundreds of spectators from across the region – and one very high-profile guest. Former U.S. President Donald Trump was spotted in the crowd, joining racing enthusiasts and curious onlookers alike to watch the high-speed competition roar past iconic downtown landmarks.

    The race marked a unusual moment for Washington, a city better known for political gridlock and bureaucratic business than for wheel-to-wheel motorsports action. As the open-wheel cars zoomed along closed city streets, the event sparked a range of reactions from local residents, who weighed in on everything from traffic disruptions to the economic boost the race could bring to the district. For many locals, the arrival of IndyCar offered a welcome break from the daily grind of political news, bringing a new form of entertainment to the nation’s capital that put D.C. in the national sports spotlight. Others raised questions about the long-term value of hosting major motorsports events in a dense urban environment, citing concerns over road closures, noise pollution, and public resources allocated to the one-off event. Regardless of differing opinions, there was no denying that the race generated widespread buzz across the city, with Trump’s appearance adding an extra layer of media attention to the already high-profile sporting occasion.