标签： Oceania

In the aftermath of a dominant 72-point victory over Essendon at Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on Sunday, Adelaide Crows senior head coach Matthew Nicks has publicly thrown his full support behind his trusted coaching director, Murray Davis, as Davis competes for the vacant Essendon senior coaching role.

Nicks confirmed he has already held open discussions with Davis about the career opportunity, and made clear that the 49-year-old assistant has his complete blessing to pursue the Bombers’ top job, even if it means Davis departs the Adelaide program ahead of the upcoming September finals series.

“I trust Murray completely,” Nicks told reporters post-game. “If he wants to stay with us, we would be thrilled to keep him here and work through the rest of the season. He has done incredible work for our program over the past two seasons, and he deserves every bit of this opportunity. If this role works out for him, we wish him nothing but the best.”

Davis has emerged as an unexpected dark horse contender for the Essendon position, standing out from the three other high-profile candidates due to one key difference: he is the only applicant in the running without prior senior-level AFL playing experience. His competitors for the role include Essendon club legend James Hird, former Bombers midfielder Mark McVeigh, and 2000 premiership-winning defender Dean Solomon, who currently serves as Essendon’s interim head coach.

Davis built his coaching resume over 13 seasons with the Brisbane Lions before joining Nicks’ Adelaide coaching staff at the start of the 2024 AFL season.

Beyond the coaching staff drama, Sunday’s blowout win over Essendon delivered major postseason momentum for the Crows. Combined with Brisbane’s lopsided loss to Carlton on Saturday, the victory pushed Adelaide up past Brisbane into the AFL’s top four, putting the club in an excellent position to secure a valuable double chance in the September finals series.

Nicks said his playing group is well aware of the opportunity now in front of them, but emphasized the squad remains focused on taking each remaining game one at a time. “We don’t shy away from the fact that a top-four spot is now within our reach,” he said. “If we win our final three games of the regular season, that spot is ours. But it’s easier said than done — we’ve got three really tough matches coming up, so we just have to lock in on the next challenge first.”

The Crows will return to their home ground this Saturday night to face Richmond, before traveling west the following week to take on league ladder leaders Fremantle in what is shaping up to be a critical test of their top-four credentials.

One of the Brisbane Broncos’ most decorated athletes is facing an unexpected and devastating end to her storied NRLW career, after the league’s match review committee issued a severe grade 3 dangerous throw charge following a controversial tackle during the recent Magic Round clash against the Canterbury Bulldogs.

The incident, which has sent shockwaves through Australian women’s rugby league, unfolded in the 28th minute of the weekend’s fixture. Brigginshaw, a four-time NRLW premiership winner playing what was meant to be her farewell season before retirement, pulled off a tackle on Bulldogs halfback Tayla Preston that dumped the playmaker directly on her head. Commentating during the match, rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns famously compared the high-impact play to a professional wrestling maneuver, calling it a “WWE toss” that was well outside the bounds of acceptable on-field contact. Though Brigginshaw was only sent to the sin bin for the infraction, match officials later noted she could have been immediately sent off for the dangerous play. Fortunately for Preston, she escaped the incident without serious long-term injury.

The charge has directly referred Brigginshaw to an upcoming judiciary hearing scheduled for Tuesday night, leaving her playing future this season hanging in the balance. The 33-year-old playmaker holds one of the most impressive ironman streaks in league history: since the NRLW’s 2018 relaunch, she has appeared in every single one of Brisbane’s 61 regular season and finals matches, never missing a single fixture through injury or suspension. That streak is now on the brink of ending.

With Brisbane holding six remaining regular season matches plus a potential finals run on the schedule, Brigginshaw had been on track to complete a full final campaign before hanging up her boots. A lengthy suspension, however, could cut that farewell tour drastically short, leaving her with just one or two more appearances in Broncos colors. Currently, the longest suspension in NRLW history stands at four matches, a mark that Brigginshaw could match or even exceed if the judiciary upholds the serious charge.

Despite the off-field controversy hanging over the club, the Broncos did secure a win over the Bulldogs over the weekend. Their next fixture is a road trip to Canberra, followed by a highly anticipated grand final rematch against the Sydney Roosters. It remains to be seen whether their legendary halfback will take the field for either game.

For the struggling Wests Tigers, the NRL’s final bye week of the 2024 season could not have come at a more opportune moment, with head coach Benji Marshall preparing to make high-stakes decisions about injured star players and team selection that will shape both the end of the current campaign and the club’s long-term future.

After a devastating two-month form slump that has seen the club drop seven consecutive matches and stumble to an effectively season-eliminated position, Marshall will use the seven-day break to weigh two competing priorities: grinding out a few late wins to salvage some pride from the year, or prioritizing long-term health and development by moving injured stars to season-ending surgery and giving young developing prospects valuable top-flight experience.

The Tigers have already had byes in rounds 1 and 12, leaving the squad stretched by two long stretches of back-to-back competitive matches. The team’s attacking unit has collapsed entirely during their losing streak, managing to put up just 45 points across their last six outings, a statistic that has left them adrift in the league standings.

In their most recent outing, a heart-breaking narrow loss to the Parramatta Eels on Sunday, playmaker Adam Doueihi turned in a standout performance in his first game back after missing the club’s previous loss to Canberra, scoring a try and nailing a late field goal. Even Doueihi’s best effort was not enough to halt the Tigers’ losing run, however.

Speaking after the match, Marshall acknowledged the physical toll the brutal losing streak has taken on his playing group, noting that multiple key stars have been playing through serious injuries that would already have required surgery for most players.

“It’s taking its toll,” Marshall said. “We’ve got guys playing busted who probably should have surgery but are still playing to fight for the club, which says how much it means to some of the blokes. So in terms of niggles and injury, it’s a good time for us.”

One of the biggest calls on the table is the future of fullback Jahream Bula, who has been managing a persistent shoulder injury for months and was barely able to impact Sunday’s match, which was marked as Api Koroisau’s 250th NRL game. The bye week opens the door for the club to send Bula and other injured players in for early surgery to get them healthy ahead of next season, a move that would require accepting further losses late in this campaign to open up spots in the matchday squad for young prospects.

Marshall must also decide how much game time he is willing to give rising young talents like Javon Andrews, who would benefit from senior minutes ahead of the 2027 season and beyond, ahead of tough upcoming road matches against the Sydney Roosters, North Queensland Cowboys, and Penrith Panthers.

The coach confirmed that the entire staff and playing group will hold strategic discussions this week to map out the final four weeks of the season, after using Sunday’s match to honor Koroisau’s milestone. “This game was a big occasion for us. We wanted to play for Api, and everyone wanted to be on board for that. I guess the bye gives us a good chance to just take a breath, have a look at the final four weeks, what the priorities are moving forward, and make a plan accordingly,” Marshall explained. “I want to win as many games as possible to finish the season. That’s the first priority. How that looks, we’ll see.”

While the Tigers were left to lick their wounds, the Eels celebrated a narrow win that netted them two crucial competition points, though head coach Jason Ryles made it clear he was far from satisfied with his side’s performance on Sunday. The Eels committed 15 unforced errors throughout the match, a mistake count Ryles described as unacceptable.

“The outcome was winning. The process wasn’t good,” Ryles said. “It was simple, fundamental errors that were self-inflicted. We have made a habit of that this year, and against an opposition further up the table, you don’t win those games.”

Ryles lamented his young, inexperienced side’s ongoing inconsistency: after pushing reigning premiers Penrith to the brink in a heroic performance last week, the Eels turned in a messy, disjointed display against the lowly Tigers. Isaiah Iongi scored a late match-winning try for the Eels, but that did little to ease Ryles’ frustration with the team’s overall effort.

“It was a really good performance from our younger guys in particular, to take Penrith to where we took them (last week) and probably be a little bit unlucky, to then dish that up is the most disappointing part,” he said. “It’s about being consistent every week. You can play NRL or you can be an NRL player. An NRL player is consistent every week, and we’re still learning that.”

Ryles added that the squad understands where they fell short, and the quick six-day turnaround ahead of their next match against South Sydney on Saturday is a welcome chance to put the poor performance behind them quickly. “The players are not silly. They are disappointed in the way we went about it and our process. But when you do win a game of footy at the NRL level, you have to make sure you celebrate it. Then we’ll park it, review it, and move on. I’m glad it’s a six-day turnaround.”

Weeks after delivering a landmark State of Origin series victory for New South Wales at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, Laurie Daley has formally announced his departure from the role of NSW Blues head coach, leaving NSW Rugby League (NSWRL) officials with a pivotal decision to make on his replacement.

Daley, one of the most iconic figures in NSW rugby league history, bows out of the top job at the peak of his coaching tenure, wrapping up a decorated association with the Blues that spans decades as both a player and a leader. His playing career saw him make history as the first NSW captain to secure three consecutive State of Origin series wins between 1992 and 1994, and he carried that winning legacy into coaching. He first took the helm in 2014, where he ended Queensland’s record-breaking eight-year consecutive series winning streak – a triumph still regarded as one of the greatest upsets in Origin history. After a short break, Daley returned for a second coaching stint last year, facing widespread scrutiny from fans and pundits alike after NSW lost a home decider in 2024. Criticism followed him into the 2026 series, with analysts questioning his player selection strategies and bench management tactics. But Daley brushed off the backlash to lead the under-pressure Blues to a decisive game three victory in Brisbane, cementing his place in Origin folklore: he is the only NSW representative to claim an away series win at Suncorp Stadium as both a captain and a coach.

In a statement confirming his departure, Daley spoke of his lifelong pride in representing his home state. “I’ve always considered it an absolute honour and privilege to be involved with the NSW Blues State of Origin team, whether that was as a player or a coach, and I’ve always been ready to answer the call for my state whenever they needed me,” he said. “We faced plenty of challenges in the 2026 series and I’m proud of the way the players banded together to overcome them and save their best performance for game three in Brisbane to secure a memorable series win. I thank the fans for their passion and their support, and I can’t think of a better way to move on with the shield back where it belongs in NSW.”

Daley added that he was grateful for the opportunity to work alongside a talented cohort of players, coaching staff and administrators throughout his tenure. “The dedication, resilience and care they showed for each other and for the jersey is something I will always be proud to have witnessed,” he said.

NSWRL chief executive David Trodden, who faced heavy criticism for choosing to re-appoint Daley last year, said the 2026 series win vindicated that decision, adding that the organisation owed Daley a profound debt of gratitude for his decades of service. “NSWRL owes a massive debt of gratitude to Laurie for the service he has given to his state as both a player and a coach,” Trodden said. “He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players to have ever pulled on a sky blue jumper. He has also led NSW to arguably two of the greatest Origin series wins of all time as a coach after ending Queensland’s eight-year winning streak in 2014 and overcoming adversity to steer the Blues home in 2026. Those wins transcended football. They lifted and reinvigorated the whole state. He deserves to leave the NSW Origin arena as the hero that he is.”

Now, NSWRL officials face the task of selecting a new head coach to carry on Daley’s legacy, with two high-profile former Blues stars emerging as the early frontrunners. Former Blues captain Boyd Cordner, who served as an assistant coach under Daley during the 2026 series, is widely tipped as the top candidate to take over for the next campaign. Cordner, who represented NSW 16 times throughout his playing career, has already built a strong coaching resume through his successful work leading the Sydney Roosters’ youth development pathways program.

Fellow former Blues forward and current assistant coach Matt King is the second leading contender for the role. Penrith Panthers head coach Ivan Cleary, who is set to finish his tenure with the Panthers next year, has been heavily linked to the job despite publicly ruling himself out of the running for 2027. Many rugby league observers continue to push for Cleary to take over the role immediately, with a potential move to the Blues job in 2028 already flagged if he declines an earlier appointment. Should the top two frontrunners and Cleary decline the opportunity, Andrew and Matthew Johns are considered long-shot outsider candidates for the role.

On a sun-baked, tension-charged weekend at Royal Lytham & St Annes, 23-year-old Japanese golfer Shiho Kuwaki etched her name into golf history, clinching her first-ever major championship title at the 50th edition of the Women’s British Open. The victory came after a nerve-wracking two-hole playoff against Germany’s Esther Henseleit, capping a pulsating finale that lived up to the tournament’s milestone anniversary.

Kuwaki entered the final day of regulation play locked in a tight battle for the top spot, wrapping up four rounds at an impressive five under par. It was Henseleit who forced the overtime showdown, sinking a stunning long-range birdie putt on the 18th green to match Kuwaki’s final score, sending the crowd into a frenzy and setting the stage for the dramatic playoff.

The first extra hole ended with both players tied: Kuwaki landed a precise wedge shot to secure par, while Henseleit’s 15-foot title-winning putt rolled just wide of the cup. On the second playoff hole, a costly miscue derailed Henseleit’s bid: her tee shot deflected off a course marshal and landed deep in thick gorse bushes, leaving her with an impossible recovery that only resulted in a bogey. Kuwaki stayed calm under pressure, rolling in a short putt to seal the historic win.

This breakthrough comes as a stunning rise for the young Japanese pro, who only turned professional in 2021. Her previous best finish at a major was a tie for 14th place at this year’s Women’s US Open, and she missed the halfway cut in her only prior Women’s British Open appearance last year. Ahead of the tournament, she already claimed one title in 2024, winning the Japan LPGA Tour Championship Ricoh Cup. Renowned for her bold fashion choices, Kuwaki turned heads all week in a bright mint green top paired with a luminous green golf ball—an eye-catching look that matched her standout performance on the course.

With the win, Kuwaki extends Japan’s recent dominance at the Women’s British Open, becoming the second consecutive Japanese golfer to lift the trophy after Miyu Yamashita’s 2023 victory in Porthcawl. She is also the fourth Japanese woman to claim the title overall, following Ayako Okamoto and Hinako Shibuno alongside Yamashita. Beyond the glory of the major title, Kuwaki also takes home a tournament record $1.5 million in prize money, a payout that pales in comparison to the achievement for the rising star.

In the wake of her win, Kuwaki took a moment to send support to her home country, which recently faced a devastating earthquake that killed at least 36 people. “Recently we had an earthquake in Japan and I’d like to wish people a speedy recovery and best wishes,” she told reporters after the win, adding, “It’s an amazing feeling to win again as a Japanese player. I hope as team Japan we can continue to light up the golf world.”

Overnight leader Yealimi Noh saw her three-shot lead slip away on Sunday, finishing the tournament in third place at four under par. World number one Nelly Korda, who was chasing a historic third major title of 2025 after winning the Chevron Championship and Women’s US Open earlier this year, settled for a share of fourth place alongside Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul at two under par. South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran, also vying for a third 2025 major title after clinching the Women’s PGA Championship and Evian Championship, finished tied for sixth at one under par.

Speaking after her win, Kuwaki shared she stayed focused on one shot at a time throughout the tense final round and playoff. “I just can’t believe it. To be on a stage like this is an honour and every hole I was just focused on shot by shot. I just tried to enjoy it as much as I could,” she said, capping a transformative trip to the UK that confirms her status as one of golf’s most exciting rising stars.

One of cricket’s most demanding environments is about to become a critical training ground for Australia’s most promising young cricket talent, as Cricket Australia has confirmed a 16-player under-19 squad will travel to the Indian subcontinent next month for a high-stakes bilateral series against India’s age-group side.

Scheduled to run from September 13 through October 9, the series will split across two host cities – Rajkot and Ahmedabad – and pit the young Australians against their Indian counterparts in three 50-over contests and two four-day red-ball matches. The tour will be led by experienced Australian cricket coach Tim Nielsen, who already guided this core group of players to a semi-final finish at last summer’s Under-19 Cricket World Cup, a resume that officials say makes him the ideal leader for the developmental trip.

Regular tours of India for under-19 squads have long been a core part of Cricket Australia’s youth development strategy, designed to expose the nation’s top emerging players to the unique subcontinent conditions – from spinning pitches to high heat and humidity – that test even the most seasoned international cricketers. This year’s squad brings a mix of proven youth talent and comeback stories: pace bowlers Will Byrom and Kasey Barton are tapped to lead the Australian bowling attack, while New South Wales batter Neel Patel is expected to anchor the top of the batting order. One of the most compelling narratives surrounds Victorian batter Jack Czosnek, who missed all of last domestic summer recovering from a major ACL injury, but has worked his way back to full fitness and found form in Darwin grade cricket during the Australian winter to earn his spot in the side.

Sonya Thompson, Head of National Development at Cricket Australia, emphasized that the tour is far more than just a series of exhibition matches – it is a foundational step in building the next generation of Australian senior international cricketers. “We believe this group has the talent, resilience and character to represent Australia strongly, and this tour will provide an outstanding opportunity for our players to continue their development,” Thompson said in a statement announcing the squad. “Touring India will be a valuable experience for these aspiring cricketers. Playing against high-quality opposition in challenging conditions will test our players both technically and mentally across formats.”

Thompson also highlighted the unique value Nielsen brings to the program, pointing to his long track record of player development and prior success at the international level as a senior Test coach and most recently with the under-19 program. “We are also delighted to have Tim Nielsen leading the program. Tim brings a wealth of coaching experience and has a deep understanding of player development with him,” Thompson added.

The full 16-player squad for the tour is: Kasey Barton (TAS/Mosman CC), Hayden Barbulovic (SA/Tea Tree Gully DCC), Eli Brain (QLD/Northern Suburbs District Cricket Club), Will Byrom (NSW/Northern District CC), Blake Cattle (NSW/Keira CC, Illawarra), Jack Czosnek (VIC/Richmond CC), Spencer Green (QLD/Toombul District Cricket Club), Connor Gregory (SA/Sturt DCC), Charlie Henderson (QLD/University of Queensland Cricket Club), Zed Hollick (WA/Scarborough CC), Matthew Lough (WA/Claremont Nedlands Cricket Club), Neel Patel (NSW/University of NSW Cricket Club), Jacob Pietz (VIC/Camberwell Magpies CC), Patrick Sullivan (VIC/Geelong CC), Theo Tsingos (QLD/Sandgate Redcliffe District Cricket Club), Thomas Vaseo (QLD/Redlands Tigers Cricket Club).