NRL world in uproar over 'ridiculous' scenes amid crushing blow for Origin hopeful
Haumole Olakau'atu's hopes of playing a part in this year's Origin series for the Blues have taken a crushing blow after the Manly star dislocated his shoulder in Friday night's NRL defeat to the Titans. The bottom-placed Gold Coast stunned the Sea Eagles in a 28-8 flogging, with Daly Cherry-Evans failing to fire after being axed as Maroons skipper earlier in the week.
But another controversial Bunker call left fans seeing red as under-fire Titans coach Des Hasler got one over his former club to ease some of the pressure off his shoulders. Manly's 20-point loss sees them lose further ground on the top-eight but their pain was compounded by a second half injury to Olakau'atu that could sideline the forward for at least six weeks and ruin his chances of an Origin recall.
Olakau'atu was part of NSW's extended squad for Game 1 but passed up the chance to train with the Blues ahead of Game 2, so he could stay close to his partner for the birth of their second child. However, Olakau'atu's hopes of forcing his way into Blues coach Laurie Daley's Game 3 side were dealt a horror blow in a second half incident that could have dire ramifications for Manly as well.
RELATED:
Calls for immediate change amid apparent NSW rule breach
Nathan Cleary comes clean amid rumour around Mary Fowler
The Sea Eagles wrecking ball looked to have scored a try to get an out-of-sorts Manly back in the game. But a superb try-saving tackle from axed Maroons star Beau Fermor dislodged the footy as Olakau'atu fell awkwardly on his right arm. The Manly star was in obvious discomfort and their fears were realised when he was escorted from the field and the shoulder dislocation was confirmed.
Manly coach Anthony Seibold confirmed after the game that Olakau'atu is set for an extended stint on the sidelines. "My understanding is if there's bone damage he'll need a reconstruction, if it's muscle or ligaments only he could potentially rehab it over six weeks, but he's going to be gone for a while," he said. "But it probably summed up our night - he's going for a try and dislocates his shoulder."
The injury capped off a grim night for the Sea Eagles, who trailed 22-8 at halftime and failed to score a point in the second forty. Alofiana Khan-Pereira's first half double helped Gold Coast jump out to a big lead and saw him become the fastest man to 50 tries in the NRL era - reaching the milestone in just his 52nd game.
Khan-Pereira was also at the centre of the game's biggest controversy after being awarded a first half penalty during an aerial contest with Manly opposite, Jason Saab. The wingers both went up for a high ball, but Saab misjudged his leap and made minimal contact with the Titans winger, who spilled the ball close to his tryline.
The Sea Eagles looked set to get the footy back in prime attacking position but Bunker official Chris Butler pinged Saab for making contact with the Titans star in mid-air. Cherry-Evans summed up the frustrations of fans by describing the decision as "outrageous", with veteran commentator Phil Gould suggesting it was yet another example of the Bunker officials having very little feel for the game.
"Oh please, did we miss a meeting or something? When did they come up with this?," Gould questioned on Nine after comparing it to Brian To'o's sin-bin in Origin Game 1. "I don't know what goes through their heads that they work themselves in a position where they're looking for those types of things now. Why? Who put them up to this? That's not how the game is played, nor should it be the way the game is refereed."
NRL great Brad Fittler added: "(Saab) barely touched him - he touched his hip. It's a big call. It would be interesting if Garrick catches the ball and scores. Do they go back to the touch? There was nothing more than a touch."
The @NRL bunker has truly lost the plot on kick contests. Manly epically stiffed by a ridiculous ruling or 'outrageous' as DCE said. #NRLTitansManly
— retro_footy_cards (@ScanlensFooty) June 13, 2025
Dear @NRL , if even your official commentators are disgusted and sppechless about the referee and bunker decisions , you should be aware that your product has become unwatchable. Outrageous. #NRLTitansManly
— Joshua (@ouk_rouk) June 13, 2025
Why do they look for penalties that simply aren't there? No one - no titans fans, Manly fans, or neutrals thought that was a penalty. #NRLTitansManly
— Moz Morris (@Moz_Morris) June 13, 2025
Im out, better things to do. If you blokes wanna watch these referees take the piss then go for it. #NRLTitansManly
— Pingz (@FanParanoid) June 13, 2025
Stop competing in a jump contest. Man oh man I hope these ridiculous calls dont alter big game results. Hard to watch #nrltitansmanly
— Jack Buchanan (@jack11buchanan) June 13, 2025
How does the Bunker continually get it so wrong 🤦♂️ #NRLTitansManly
— Eden Richards (@Eden_Richards) June 13, 2025
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
25 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Frustrated Brumbies go back to the Super drawing board
Frustrated ACT Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham will go back to the drawing board after his team fell short in their Super Rugby Pacific semi-final against the Chiefs, continuing the horror record for Australian teams in New Zealand. The Brumbies went down 37-17 in Hamilton, which was the third successive time under Larkham they've reached the last four but failed to make the title match. It stretched the run to 0-21 for Australian teams in Super play-off matches across the ditch. Despite Wallabies playmaker Noah Lolesio being an early casualty after a head knock, the Brumbies only trailed 19-12 at halftime. They closed the margin to two points, with winger Corey Toole putting his hand up for Wallabies selection by showing his finishing prowess in his second try of the night. But on the back of a slew of penalties, which star flyhalf Damian McKenzie guided through the posts, momentum swung to the Chiefs. McKenzie finished with six penalties, two conversions, one try-assist and a miracle try-saving tackle on Tom Wright. Larkham said his team had the right game plan but their execution and discipline let them down, particularly in the second half. "It sort of went back and forth for the first 50 minutes there and I thought our physicality was outstanding," Larkham said. "Then in the second half, there became a point there where we're obviously chasing the game and we're trying to hold the ball to score and it's tough conditions to do that in. "There's frustration because it's the same story as last year and we've had this story for more than two years in a row now and it's not a good feeling, obviously, getting this far in the competition and not getting to the final hurdle." The Wallabies great said they would go through the same reflective process as they did last year to try to ensure a better outcome in 2026. "There's lots of areas that fell down - set-piece, kick-off receipt exits, things that we'll look at. "We'll go through the process of identifying, particularly in these last two games, what wasn't robust, what wasn't good enough, and then just spend enough time in the pre-season and in-season to put us in a better position next year. "Hopefully put in a better performance, a more consistent performance for 80 minutes, next year." DMAC WITH THE TRY SAVE! 🤯The guy can do it all 🥵#SuperRugbyPacific #CHIvBRU — Super Rugby Pacific (@SuperRugby) June 14, 2025 Larkham, who was part of the Brumbies' title wins in 2001 and 2004, said his team arrived in New Zealand with belief they could be the team to end the hoodoo. "Psychologically, I thought we were in a good place, I thought that our preparation was really good," he said. "It's hard to play away from home, whether it's in Australia or New Zealand, it's hard to play away from home." The Chiefs will face the Crusaders in the final in Christchurch, losing their home advantage after their shock qualifying final defeat by the Blues. While he thought the Chiefs were playing well, Larkham felt the Crusaders could be tough to topple at home. "The home crowd advantage, the hometown advantage for the Crusaders might be too much," he said.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jason Day reveals he roots for both Browns and Steelers despite long-standing rivalry
Australian golf star Jason Day is going viral on social media for a hot take on his favorite NFL team. On Saturday, the 37-year-old revealed that his favorite team is the Cleveland Browns and his second favorite is their rival, the Pittsburgh Steelers. During the U.S. Open tournament, Day revealed, "My favorite football team is the Cleveland Browns. Advertisement "Even though they have a rivalry, my second favorite team is Pittsburgh," he continued. "I know I'm gonna get a lot of slack for that but I do have the Pittsburgh colors on today so I'll just leave it at that." Fans quickly took to the comment section to discuss the take, given the heated history between the Browns and Steelers. "Someone needs to tell just how wrong this is," one user wrote. "I guess he didn't get the memo. If you are a Browns fan, it is required that you hate the Steelers and vice versa. Don't be like a f**king politician, pick one," another added. Advertisement "That's wild. Imagine if he said he was a Bears and Packers fan? lol," wrote a third. The Browns-Steelers rivalry dates back to the AAFC-NFL merger in 1950, which placed the teams in the same conference. Their proximity and eventual placement in the AFC North division has led to the teams facing each other twice a season. The Turnpike Rivalry has now led to 146 meetings. The Steelers have the upper hand in the longest-standing AFC North rivalry with an 82–64–1 record against Cleveland. Pittsburgh also has a 2-1 playoff record over the Browns. Day currently sits in a six-way tie for 26th place at the U.S. Open.
Washington Post
2 hours ago
- Washington Post
At LIV and loving it, Leishman returns to the majors and gets in the mix at the US Open
OAKMONT, Pa. — Marc Leishman's bunker shot splashed out of the sand, took four quick bounces and rolled straight into the hole for birdie on the long, par-3 eighth hole at Oakmont. Suddenly, a name that was once no stranger to leaderboards at majors was up there once again. Not bad for a player who had every reason to wonder if he'd ever get another chance to play in one, let alone contend. The 41-year-old Australian, whose departure to LIV Golf three years ago generated few headlines but changed his life completely, shot 2-under 68 at the U.S. Open on Saturday. He made five birdies over his first 12 holes to briefly get on the leaderboard before leaving the course six shots off the lead. 'I've been playing some of the best golf of my career this year,' said Leishman, who is coming off his first LIV win, at Doral in April, then earned one of four spots at a U..S. Open qualifier in Maryland this month. 'The schedule sort of lends itself to be able to work on your game between tournaments, and I was really able to prepare for this tournament.' This is Leishman's first major since the 2022 British Open. He is already exempt for this year's British based on a third-place finish at the Australian Open in December. His move to LIV, where tournaments do not qualify for points in the world ranking that help decide large chunks of the field in major events, left the six-time winner on the PGA Tour in limbo when it came to ever playing in golf's biggest events again. 'You wonder, of course, if you're ever going to get in,' Leishman said. 'But there was certainly no regret. My life is as good as I've ever been right now.' The $24.8 million Leishman has won since heading to LIV, to say nothing of the reduced schedule and the 54-hole tournaments, help explain that. What went missing were the all-but-automatic spots in golf's biggest tournaments that go to the PGA Tour's top performers. Leishman played in 39 of 41 majors between 2012-22. For a time, he had a knack for getting in the mix. His three top-10s at the British Open in the 2010s included a three-way tie for the lead iafter 72 holes in 2015, before losing in a playoff eventually captured by Zach Johnson. The Aussie played in the second-to-last group on Sunday at the 2013 Masters (with fellow Aussie and eventual winner Adam Scott). 'I like tough courses,' Leishman said. 'I like courses that separate the field, when it really punishes bad shots and rewards good shots.' He had his share of both Saturday. Good: the bunker shot on 8, and a 300-yard fairway wood on the par-5 12th that set up birdie and got him to 2-over par. Bad: Three straight bogeys on 14-16, though he came back with a birdie on the drivable par-4 17th and par on No. 18. Leishman left the course tied for 15th, six shots out of first, with the leaders still early in their rounds Saturday. He's well aware that a top-four finish here would add the Masters to his 2026 schedule. Either way, he is at peace with the choices he made, and where that left him — which in this case is with a late starting time in the final round of a major again. 'I really enjoyed sitting down with my kids and my mates watching the Masters and the PGA,' Leishman said of the year's first two majors. 'I'd be more happy if people were sitting down watching me.' ___ AP golf:
