分类： sports

A controversial plan to add a new consolation match between the two losing teams from the NRL preliminary finals during grand final week has been firmly pushed back by current players, with injury risk cited as the primary point of opposition. The proposal, which emerged in media reports over the weekend, draws loose inspiration from the FIFA World Cup’s third-place playoff match between England and France earlier this year – a high-scoring 6-4 contest that produced plenty of on-field highlights but failed to match the relentless intensity of the tournament’s other knockout round fixtures. Even so, NRL officials have floated the idea as a way to generate extra broadcast and gate revenue on the Friday night of grand final week, though the plan still faces major hurdles to win buy-in from players and their representative body.

Canterbury Bulldogs veteran Kurt Mann, one of the first active players to publicly comment on the proposal, has emerged as a prominent critic, arguing that there is little incentive for athletes to risk long-term damage in a meaningless match. Mann, who has spent years navigating the physical and emotional toll of a full NRL schedule, highlighted that coming off a devastating preliminary final loss already puts players in a vulnerable state. “It’s a big emotional rollercoaster, and usually when you have a massive emotional high and then you have the big comedown – which would be losing a preliminary final – the likelihood of getting injured or something going on in those next games is pretty high,” Mann explained. “You don’t really want that to happen to any of the players, especially if there doesn’t need to be. If there’s nothing in it for them, then it probably doesn’t need to happen.”

Mann added that the risk of losing key talent to injury ahead of the next pre-season and regular season far outweighs any potential benefits the extra game could bring to the league. “You just wouldn’t want to risk it,” he said. The Rugby League Players Association (RLPA), which has long advocated for reducing the total number of games on the annual calendar to protect player welfare, has echoed these concerns. As of the latest update, the association has not yet received a formal briefing on the proposal, but has already signaled it would prefer players get an extended break between the preliminary finals and the season-ending grand final. This year, player workload has been an even more pressing issue, with the NRL season overlapping with the men’s Rugby League World Cup, creating an unusually packed schedule for elite athletes.

Not all players have outright rejected the idea, however. Bulldogs prop Max King acknowledged that psychologically and physically, gearing up for another match just days after a season-ending heartbreak would be a major ask, but said he would comply with any league decision if it benefits the sport financially. “I’m a football player, it’s a business, so I’m respectful enough to know that,” King said. “It’s such a tough sport that we play, you leave everything out there. You go home after game days and the next two or three days you’re just a wreck. So it is tough knowing you’re out, but then getting up for another game from a player’s side, it would be tough. But again, I’m a player, I get paid to play, so whatever they tell me to play, I’ve got to play it.”

King added that if the match drives ticket sales and grows overall revenue for the code, it is not his place to dismiss it out of hand. “I’m sure it would be tough for the players, but like I said, if it’s bringing in crowds, if it’s bringing in revenue, I guess who am I to say it’s a bad thing for the game,” he noted. For context, if the match had been introduced last season, it would have pitted the 2023 preliminary final losers the Cronulla Sharks and Penrith Panthers against one another. It remains unclear if the NRL will move forward with the plan, or how the league would address player concerns around injury and workload to secure the support needed to launch the fixture. At this stage, league head office still has a long way to go to convince the playing group that the extra match is a worthwhile addition to the grand final week schedule.

As South Sydney Rabbitohs gear up for their high-stakes Friday blockbuster against the Canterbury Bulldogs, young utility player Jayden Sullivan — the frontrunner to replace injured starting half Ashton Ward — has launched a candid critique of the National Rugby League’s controversial six-man bench rule, arguing it is actively holding back the development of emerging specialist playmakers.

Ward was forced out of South Sydney’s Saturday night victory over the Parramatta Eels after suffering a hamstring injury during a goal attempt, and the 24-year-old playmaker is set to miss an extended stretch of games. His injury has created an unexpected starting opportunity for Sullivan, who will make only his third starting appearance of the 2024 NRL season if named this week.

This season, Sullivan has spent the majority of his time on the first-grade bench: he has made several appearances coming on as a reserve, while he has been left as an unused substitute six times already this year. For the young half, this lack of consistent game time is a direct unintended consequence of the NRL’s decision to expand the match day bench to six players. While the rule provides much-needed flexibility for teams dealing with early-game injuries to outside backs, Sullivan says it robs young specialists of the regular minutes they need to grow.

“I’ve been part of the six-man bench set-up for a while now, but I’ve never really been a big fan of it,” Sullivan told reporters ahead of the Bulldogs clash. “I’ve stayed healthy all season and I’ve only played 10 games — it’s been pretty tough. I’m still a young player, I’ve only got 50 first-grade games under my belt, and I’m still learning how to play the half position. The best way to improve is to play week in and week out, whether that’s in the Cup or the NRL, and I just haven’t been getting that opportunities right now.”

Sullivan has not been completely sidelined this year, picking up seven matches in the NSW Cup to stay in match condition, and he has held open, honest conversations with legendary Rabbitohs head coach Wayne Bennett about his development pathway. The young playmaker says Bennett has been a consistent advocate for him, and the pair regularly align on the best way forward for his career.

“It’s a tricky position to be in,” Sullivan explained. “I still want to be part of the first-grade squad, even if that means sitting on the bench, but it’s hard to stay sharp when you’re not getting on the field. Wayne’s been great with me, we can talk honestly about where I’m at, which I really appreciate.”

With Ward sidelined, Sullivan is set to get an extended run of game time over the coming weeks, an opportunity he says he is relishing as the Rabbitohs push toward a finals berth. Sullivan has not played finals football at the NRL level, but his last post-season appearance came in 2019, when he led the Illawarra Steelers to a famous SG Ball Cup grand final victory over Manly Warringah Sea Eagles — and seven years on, he is hungry for another shot at high-stakes football.

“Seven years is a crazy long time to wait for another crack at finals footy, but I’m just grateful to get any opportunity to play now,” he said. “I’ve been healthy all year, even if I haven’t played as much as I want, and the two years before that I was out with injuries the whole time, so I don’t take any minute for granted.”

Sullivan also paid tribute to Ward, who he says is one of his closest friends off the field, with both hailing from Wollongong. “Wardy’s had an outstanding year, and I’ve learned so much from him,” he said. “I know exactly what it’s like to do a hamstring injury, I’ve had a few myself, so it’s really tough for him right now. I’m just sending him all my support as he recovers, and I’m going to do my best to fill in while he’s out.”

A growing controversy over a contentious concussion-related waiver agreement involving Geelong Cats player Jake Kolodjashnij has prompted the club’s captain Patrick Dangerfield to publicly acknowledge the team made missteps in the process, while urging the public and football community to wait for full details before drawing final conclusions.

The scandal first broke into public view last Thursday, when it was revealed that Geelong’s leadership and Kolodjashnij had reached an agreement that saw the defender waive his right to file future legal claims against the club if he develops long-term brain injuries linked to repeated on-field concussions. By Friday, the player himself went public to confirm his identity as the athlete at the center of the case, and Geelong chief executive Steve Hocking released a statement emphatically denying that Kolodjashnij had been pressured or coerced into signing the controversial document.

Speaking to Fox Footy Monday morning while arriving for team training, Dangerfield offered the most candid comment from a club leader to date, admitting that portions of the process were handled poorly. “It’s not until you unpack all of the detail that you sort of find out what the whole process was,” Dangerfield said. “Why it was done the way that it was. Clearly, there’s some parts of it that we buggered it up and we can be better, but I still think there’s a bit to unpack yet.”

Like most outside observers, Dangerfield said he first learned of the agreement via social media last Thursday morning, a reveal that came as a shock even to the team’s captain. He acknowledged that the topic of player brain health is deeply emotionally charged for football communities, making it difficult to wait for full context before reacting. “As an older player what I’ve learned over time is you’ve got to wait for the detail before the shock and awe kicks in,” he explained. “That’s a bit of a challenge with something like this that is very much emotive, and especially when it comes to players’ health and when it’s one of our own, one my players – that’s certainly concerning in that sense.”

Dangerfield added that key contextual details about the agreement are still being assessed by the Australian Football League (AFL), with Geelong staff working over the past several days to compile and share full records. “But you’ve got to get the detail first. The nuance to that is the context of how it was done and clearly there has been more information needed from the AFL and that’s what the club has been doing over the past few days,” he said. “I think it’s not until we get all that information, that’s assessed, there will be a decision made around process and all that sort of stuff.”

Beyond the procedural controversy, Dangerfield emphasized that the human impact on Kolodjashnij and his family has been largely overlooked amid intense media scrutiny. “I think that’s not a question that’s been asked a lot over the last little bit, that human element sometimes gets lost in the chase for a story,” he said. “That’s been, as players, the most important thing for us. And as leaders of the football club, it’s been a pretty difficult few days for Jake and his family for obvious reasons.”

The National Rugby League’s (NRL) match review committee has handed down controversial charges that have upended two clubs’ late-season campaigns, with Canberra Raiders forward Corey Horsburgh headlining the sanctions after a reckless act that ended his side’s shot at 2024 finals football.

Horsburgh was charged with a Grade 1 contrary conduct offence following a unprovoked slap to Newcastle Knights winger Dane Gagai during Sunday’s crucial clash. The moment came at a pivotal juncture for the Raiders: with the team trailing by just two points, officials had just awarded Canberra a penalty within striking distance of the posts, only to reverse the decision after spotting Horsburgh’s slap. The forward was sin-binned for the infraction, a costly exclusion that ultimately derailed the Raiders’ comeback.

If Horsburgh accepts the early guilty plea, he will only face an AU$1800 fine, avoiding a suspension that would have ended his season outright. But the damage to the club’s finals hopes, and to his standing with head coach Ricky Stuart, is already done. After the match, Stuart launched a scathing rebuke of his forward’s lapse in judgment, laying bare the cost of the mistake.

“It should have been 28-all, and there’s a brain explosion when we got a penalty,” Stuart told reporters post-game. “It was a f–king brain explosion and we lost the opportunity. We lost the start of the season because we were self-entitled and undisciplined and we lost the opportunity to still then continue and try to make the semis. It wasn’t everybody’s fault. There are 16 other blokes there that made a lot of massive effort. There’s one sh*t bloody decision choice that has cost us.”

The incident has reignited off-season transfer speculation around Horsburgh, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Brisbane Broncos in recent weeks. Rugby league analysts are now waiting to see if Stuart’s anger over the blunder will accelerate the forward’s exit from the Canberra outfit ahead of the 2025 season.

In a separate blow to another NRL side, Cronulla Sharks enforcer Addin Fonua-Blake has also been sanctioned for a dangerous play during the Sharks’ shock upset loss to St. George Illawarra Dragons. Fonua-Blake was charged with a Grade 2 careless high tackle for a hit on Dragons player Hamish Stewart, which also earned him a sin bin during the match. If he accepts the early guilty plea offer, the front-rower will serve a one-match suspension, forcing him to miss Cronulla’s upcoming clash against the Raiders this coming Saturday. The absence of their starting enforcer is a fresh setback for the Sharks, who are already fighting to secure their own place in the 2024 finals series.

The National Rugby League’s newest expansion franchise, the PNG Chiefs, has pulled off another high-profile recruitment coup, locking in Penrith Panthers premiership-winning winger Brian To’o on a three-year contract that will see him join the club at the beginning of the 2028 season. To’o, a four-time NRL premiership winner with the Panthers, will complete one final season with the Penrith-based side in 2027 before making the move north to link up with his close friend and former Panthers teammate Jarome Luai at the Papua New Guinea-based franchise, which is currently building its roster ahead of its inaugural entry into the NRL competition.

In announcing the signing, PNG Chiefs chief executive Lorna McPherson emphasized that the addition of To’o extends far beyond the club’s on-field goals. “Brian is an exceptional rugby league player, but this signing is about much more than football,” McPherson said. “The PNG Chiefs will be a club proudly built in Papua New Guinea but with a strong Pacific identity. Across our region, family, culture, community, and rugby league are deeply connected, and Brian represents those values every time he takes the field.”

To’o, who is fiercely proud of his Samoan heritage and known for his tight-knit family bonds, embodies the regional identity the PNG franchise is working to build, McPherson added. “He understands what it means to represent something bigger than yourself. That is exactly the kind of person we want wearing the Chiefs jersey. We want young people across Papua New Guinea and the Pacific to look at this team and see themselves in it. Brian choosing to become part of the Chiefs sends a powerful message about the club we are building and what this team can represent for our region, and we are incredibly proud to welcome him, his wife and children into the Chiefs family.”

A Panthers junior product, To’o made his first-grade debut for the club in 2019, and has gone on to claim four NRL premiership titles across his tenure with the side. The 27-year-old has also earned representative honours, turning out for both New South Wales in State of Origin and Samoa internationally. A powerful, consistent performer on the flank, To’o has crossed for 99 tries across his 144 first-grade appearances for Penrith, and is widely regarded as one of the game’s best outside backs for his ability to generate valuable yardage from the backfield.

Penrith head coach Ivan Cleary paid tribute to To’o’s contributions to the Panthers dynasty, praising both his on-field skill and off-field character. “Brian is an exceptional player, but he’s an even better person. He’s a great teammate, a devoted family man and someone who brings so much energy and positivity to our club every day,” Cleary said. “He’s been a huge part of what we’ve built here and we’re looking forward to sharing one more season with him before he begins his next chapter.”

To’o is the latest high-profile name to commit to the PNG Chiefs, joining former Panthers playmaker Jarome Luai and ex-St George Illawarra centre Zac Lomax as the expansion side continues to assemble a competitive inaugural squad. The signing comes as Penrith faces a wave of upcoming player contract changes: three of the club’s star players, including head coach Ivan Cleary’s son Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo and Liam Martin, are all set to become free agents when their current deals expire at the end of November 2027.

Panthers chief executive Matt Cameron said the club respects the right of all its out-of-contract players to choose their next career step, including To’o. “The club has maintained a strong position that this cohort of players has absolutely earned the right to choose what is the next step in their rugby league journey,” Cameron said. “We are so proud of what Brian has been able to do for our community and fully respect the decision he has made. It’s an exciting period for the game as the NRL continues to grow, and we believe a strong competition is ultimately good for rugby league.”

The global football community is united in grief this week following the passing of Jorge Messi, the father, first coach, and long-time agent of Argentine football legend Lionel Messi, at the age of 68 after a private battle with cancer. Lionel Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, returned to his hometown region of Rosario, Argentina, over the weekend to lay his father to rest, arriving on a private jet from Miami on Saturday alongside his wife Antonela Roccuzzo and their three children.

On Sunday, a small, private memorial service was held at El Prado Cemetery in Perez, a small town adjacent to Rosario, attended only by close family members and a handful of Messi’s current and former Argentina national team teammates. Even as the service remained closed to the public, hundreds of messages of support from fans across Argentina and around the world appeared on the cemetery’s gates: handwritten notes offering comfort to the Messi family, a large floral wreath, and signs reading “Stay strong, Leo, we love you” dotted the entrance. Fans traveled hundreds of kilometers to stand with the football star during his time of loss. Fifteen-year-old Lucas Blanco was among those gathered outside, noting that Messi had spent decades bringing joy to Argentine people, and this was a small chance to return that support. One couple drove 700 kilometers from Tres Arroyos, a town south of Buenos Aires, just to be present to offer their condolences.

News of Jorge’s passing broke late Friday, when he died at a clinic in Rosario. Tributes began pouring in immediately from across the global football ecosystem. The Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced that all domestic matches across every age group would hold a minute of silence and require players to wear black armbands throughout the week. Clubs that Messi has represented throughout his iconic career—including FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami—along with governing bodies like the Spanish Football Federation, have all released statements of sympathy to the Messi family.

Rodrigo de Paul, Messi’s close friend and current Inter Miami teammate, was among the first to pay public tribute. After scoring in Inter Miami’s 2-1 loss to Monterrey on Saturday, De Paul removed his match shirt to reveal a replica of Messi’s iconic number 10 Argentina jersey, honoring his friend’s loss. Leandro Paredes, a fellow Argentina international who plies his trade at Boca Juniors, told reporters after his club’s Saturday match that the national team’s players were rallying around their captain, saying “It will surely do him good for us to be there” as they planned their attendance at the service. De Paul had already traveled to Argentina to be with Messi before the service.

Speculation over Jorge’s health had been circulating for months before his passing, after his conspicuous absence from Argentina’s campaign at the 2024 FIFA World Cup in June. During the tournament, Messi’s family publicly asked media to respect their privacy, asking for “humanity” amid ongoing rumors about Jorge’s condition. After scoring against Algeria during the group stage, a visibly emotional Messi broke down in tears, later acknowledging he was navigating “a situation outside of sports” that had left him with “a few difficult, complicated days.” He thanked his teammates and the Argentine delegation for standing by him through the turmoil, and returned to Rosario immediately after Argentina’s final loss to Spain to be with his family.

Jorge Messi leaves behind a legacy as the foundational force behind one of the greatest football careers in history. A working-class metalworker from Rosario, Jorge also coached youth teams at local amateur club Grandoli, and introduced four-year-old Lionel to the game on the empty neighborhood lots where local children gathered to play. When 13-year-old Lionel was invited to join FC Barcelona’s youth academy in 2000—an opportunity that would allow him to access treatment for a growth hormone deficiency he had been diagnosed with as a child—Jorge made the life-altering decision to leave his job, his wife Celia, and his three other children behind in Argentina to relocate to Catalonia with his son.

In later interviews, Messi recalled the quiet struggle the pair endured in those early, uncertain days in Spain: “When we arrived in Barcelona, I used to lock myself in my room to cry alone, and my father did the same — either without me seeing him or thinking I didn’t see him. We pretended we were both fine, but we were struggling.” As Lionel’s career exploded into global stardom, Jorge stepped into the role of his long-time agent, negotiating every major contract of his son’s career from his first deal with Barcelona through his moves to Paris Saint-Germain and most recently Inter Miami. For decades, he remained Lionel’s closest advisor and emotional anchor, through every trophy, every win, and every setback of a glittering, record-breaking career.

The 2026 Tour de France Femmes concluded in dramatic fashion on Sunday, as Dutch cycling star Demi Vollering secured her second overall general classification title with a stunning solo victory on the hilly final stage outside Nice. The 29-year-old, who also won the race in 2023, cemented her legacy as one of the event’s greatest competitors by executing a perfectly timed nine-day campaign, capped by back-to-back solo stage wins on the weekend’s final two routes.

Vollering’s path to the yellow jersey was anything but straightforward. After 2024 winner Kasia Niewiadoma of Poland seized the overall lead with a dominant victory on the iconic Mont Ventoux climb on Friday, the race was set for a tense, high-stakes showdown. Vollering clawed back into the top spot on Saturday, launching a late attack on a short climb to take an eight-second advantage over Niewiadoma heading into the final stage. The day’s racing was marred by minor controversy, however: Niewiadoma publicly accused one of Vollering’s teammates of blocking her at a critical moment in the stage, though race officials took no disciplinary action. Following the Sunday finish, Vollering revealed that her teammate Celia Gery, who was identified as the rider in question, had received death threats on social media in the 24 hours after the incident. Calling the experience a devastating one for Gery, Vollering noted that such tight-quarters incidents are an unavoidable part of mass cycling races, adding that her entire team approached the event with honesty and humility.

The final stage, featuring four grueling ascents of Col d’Eze on the outskirts of Nice, set the stage for a dramatic conclusion. With the general classification still within Niewiadoma’s reach, Vollering bided her time through the first three climbs before striking near the summit of the fourth ascent. She quickly opened up a 20-second gap on the chasing pack and held her advantage all the way down the descent to the Nice finish line, securing both the stage win and the overall title.

Niewiadoma held on to second place overall after the tense final battle, while Italy’s Elisa Longo Borghini moved up to third after Swiss rider Marlen Reusser crashed on a downhill descent and lost a two-minute buffer that had secured her place on the provisional podium. Additional classification honors went to Dutch riders across the board: sprinter Lorena Wiebes claimed the green points jersey, thanks to back-to-back wins on the opening two stages held in Switzerland, while Puck Pieterse secured the polka dot jersey for best climber ahead of the final stage. Germany’s Antonia Niedermaier took home the best young rider jersey and finished fourth overall in the general classification.

Vollering, who has now finished on the Tour de France Femmes podium five times since the event was relaunched in 2022—including three second-place finishes—expressed overwhelming gratitude for the win at the finish line. “It’s a dream to live this life,” she told reporters after lifting her bike overhead in celebration. “I knew my level and even when Kasia won on Mont Ventoux I was still confident.”

Her team, FDJ-United Suez, made history as the first French-registered squad to win the overall title at the modern Tour de France Femmes, drawing high praise from team principal Stephen Delcourt. Delcourt described Vollering as a transformative figure for the sport, highlighting her off-the-bike impact as much as her race results. “Through her high standards, sensitivity, authenticity, and the way she brings others along with her, she is redefining what it means to be a modern leader,” he said. “She inspires her teammates, she inspires the fans, she inspires an entire generation … She doesn’t just win races; she shows the way forward.”

A devastating hamstring injury to St Kilda AFL star Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera has thrown the club’s wildcard finals hopes into serious jeopardy, coming just eight minutes into a lopsided 44-point defeat to Carlton on Sunday night. For Saints head coach Ross Lyon, the early exit of one of the club’s most talented young players hit harder than any on-field blow.

Describing the moment the star utility limped off the field, Lyon called the injury an “arrow through the heart” for the entire club. The injury blow capped off a catastrophic night for St Kilda, who entered the clash as a critical fixture in their push to secure a top-10 ladder position and a spot in the expanded wildcard finals series. Compounding their misery, the Saints also lost key forward Mason Wood to a calf injury during the match, while Tom De Koning, Brad Hill and Liam Ryan all played through painful shoulder and knee niggles that limited their on-field impact.

Lyon, who typically keeps injury details close to his chest in post-match press conferences, openly acknowledged the severity of Wanganeen-Milera’s injury Sunday. Even in the best-case scenario, the 22-year-old star will be sidelined for a minimum of three weeks, ruling him out of any potential wildcard final if St Kilda somehow manages to cling to their spot in the top 10.

“ I’m not sure what worst case is, but I would think what I saw – and I don’t know much about hamstrings – minimum three weeks,” Lyon told reporters post-game. “At halftime he just gave me a bit of a hug, really, so he’s a positive person, but hopefully it turns out not too significant. It’s weird … it’s not like we worked them (at training), so we’re scratching our heads a little bit on the soft tissue injury.”

The Saints now face an uphill battle to secure a finals berth, needing to win both of their remaining regular-season matches against Richmond and Gold Coast without their star utility. The club’s current position on the brink of elimination is a particularly bitter disappointment for fans and management, after St Kilda invested a multi-million dollar sum in high-profile recruiting during the 2023 off-season to build a team capable of competing for finals. Lyon took full responsibility for the team’s underperformance this season, saying the failure to deliver on pre-season expectations sits with him.

“That sits with me. I’ve got to wear it. I’m fine. I’m a big boy. I’m happy to take what comes,” Lyon said. “Leaders shepherd, protect and nurture and challenge their people under pressure and that’s my job and I’ll continue to do it until I’m either tapped or I tap myself. I hate losing. It’s a winning business … when you’re playing good footy you’ve got to win. When you’re playing good footy and you can get across the line and you don’t because these nights are coming. You’ve got to take your moments.”

With the team’s poor form on full display against Carlton, Lyon confirmed that the club plans to make significant changes to their starting line-up for their remaining matches, calling up in-form players from the club’s VFL affiliate to add intensity and hunger to the side. “People have been knocking on the door,” Lyon said. “You know what? System is not being delivered on, we’ll bring the hardness and the hunger and the enthusiasm in because if you’re not getting it done, in the end, that’s what we’ve really done over the last few years. The feedback is: you need to develop from within more. We’ve got to set some standards and not accept some stuff, so we’ll look to bring some in.”

St Kilda’s finals hopes now rely not just on two straight wins to close the season, but also on favorable results from other competing clubs around the league, leaving one of the league’s most improved recent sides on the brink of missing out on September action.