Boomers thump Tall Blacks to clinch Trans-Tasman series
Australia's defence was all over the Tall Blacks early on the Sunshine Coast on Friday night, before the Boomers finished with a flurry on offence, scoring 15 of the last 16 points.
Sydney Kings captain Xavier Cooks (16 points, eight rebounds) stepped up impressively after he was well held in Wednesday's series opener in Adelaide.
Perth Wildcat Elijah Pepper (12 points, five boards) and Illawarra Hawks' championship-winning veteran Todd Blanchfield (11, six) provided punch off the bench.
"That's the way Boomers culture is built," Australia captain Mitch Norton said.
"It's not just one guy. We've got a number of guys who can step up and our depth is endless, really. It's really cool to be part of."
Reserve Taylor Britt (19 points) and Melbourne United veteran Shea Ili (18) were the standouts for the visitors.
The Boomers held the tourists to 21 per cent shooting from the field in the first term to open up an 18-10 quarter-time lead.
The second stanza was more free flowing, but still on the terms of the hosts, who got on a roll late with a pair of Blanchfield three-pointers to hold sway 42-28 at half-time.
The home side's advantage was out to 18 points before Britt went on a tear for the Tall Blacks, single-handedly outscoring Australia 9-0 in less than two minutes to slice the margin to single digits.
The gap was down to six points on a pair of Ili free throws early in the fourth period, before Norton, Cooks and Pepper revived the Aussies, who sprinted to the finish line.
The Boomers, who won the opening stoush in Adelaide by 12 points, hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the first bilateral series between the rivals since 2015.
The third and final game will be in Hamilton in NZ on Sunday.
The Boomers have clinched the inaugural Trans-Tasman Throwdown with an emphatic 92-67 win over New Zealand at a sold-out UniSC Arena.
Australia's defence was all over the Tall Blacks early on the Sunshine Coast on Friday night, before the Boomers finished with a flurry on offence, scoring 15 of the last 16 points.
Sydney Kings captain Xavier Cooks (16 points, eight rebounds) stepped up impressively after he was well held in Wednesday's series opener in Adelaide.
Perth Wildcat Elijah Pepper (12 points, five boards) and Illawarra Hawks' championship-winning veteran Todd Blanchfield (11, six) provided punch off the bench.
"That's the way Boomers culture is built," Australia captain Mitch Norton said.
"It's not just one guy. We've got a number of guys who can step up and our depth is endless, really. It's really cool to be part of."
Reserve Taylor Britt (19 points) and Melbourne United veteran Shea Ili (18) were the standouts for the visitors.
The Boomers held the tourists to 21 per cent shooting from the field in the first term to open up an 18-10 quarter-time lead.
The second stanza was more free flowing, but still on the terms of the hosts, who got on a roll late with a pair of Blanchfield three-pointers to hold sway 42-28 at half-time.
The home side's advantage was out to 18 points before Britt went on a tear for the Tall Blacks, single-handedly outscoring Australia 9-0 in less than two minutes to slice the margin to single digits.
The gap was down to six points on a pair of Ili free throws early in the fourth period, before Norton, Cooks and Pepper revived the Aussies, who sprinted to the finish line.
The Boomers, who won the opening stoush in Adelaide by 12 points, hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the first bilateral series between the rivals since 2015.
The third and final game will be in Hamilton in NZ on Sunday.
The Boomers have clinched the inaugural Trans-Tasman Throwdown with an emphatic 92-67 win over New Zealand at a sold-out UniSC Arena.
Australia's defence was all over the Tall Blacks early on the Sunshine Coast on Friday night, before the Boomers finished with a flurry on offence, scoring 15 of the last 16 points.
Sydney Kings captain Xavier Cooks (16 points, eight rebounds) stepped up impressively after he was well held in Wednesday's series opener in Adelaide.
Perth Wildcat Elijah Pepper (12 points, five boards) and Illawarra Hawks' championship-winning veteran Todd Blanchfield (11, six) provided punch off the bench.
"That's the way Boomers culture is built," Australia captain Mitch Norton said.
"It's not just one guy. We've got a number of guys who can step up and our depth is endless, really. It's really cool to be part of."
Reserve Taylor Britt (19 points) and Melbourne United veteran Shea Ili (18) were the standouts for the visitors.
The Boomers held the tourists to 21 per cent shooting from the field in the first term to open up an 18-10 quarter-time lead.
The second stanza was more free flowing, but still on the terms of the hosts, who got on a roll late with a pair of Blanchfield three-pointers to hold sway 42-28 at half-time.
The home side's advantage was out to 18 points before Britt went on a tear for the Tall Blacks, single-handedly outscoring Australia 9-0 in less than two minutes to slice the margin to single digits.
The gap was down to six points on a pair of Ili free throws early in the fourth period, before Norton, Cooks and Pepper revived the Aussies, who sprinted to the finish line.
The Boomers, who won the opening stoush in Adelaide by 12 points, hold an unassailable 2-0 lead in the first bilateral series between the rivals since 2015.
The third and final game will be in Hamilton in NZ on Sunday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Telegraph
19 minutes ago
- Daily Telegraph
Billy Brownless set for shock TV return for AFL Legends Game, Victoria vs All Stars
Don't miss out on the headlines from AFL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Loveable AFL icon Billy Brownless is set to make a shock return to TV screens when he picks up the microphone for Channel 7 next month. Brownless will line up in the commentary booth alongside several greats of the game for the Victoria vs All Stars Legends Game on August 28. FOX FOOTY, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every match of every round in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season LIVE in 4K, with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Join now and get your first month for just $1. The 58-year-old Geelong cult hero will join Hawks icon Robert 'Dipper' DiPierdomenico, Brian Taylor, Matthew Richardson, Rebecca Maddern and Andy Maher in calling the iconic contest. The appearance for Brownless on the rival network comes after his long-running stint with Channel 9's Footy Show ended in 2021. Since departing the screen, Brownless has made sporadic appearances on the Sunday Footy Show but has mainly kept to radio with his Triple M show The Rush Hour with JB & Billy. Brownless will be on hand for the match which has been rebranded as the Legends Game for Prostate Cancer and marks 30 years since footy legend E.J. Whitten passed away from the disease. The contest is set to feature a handful of returning superstars with Gary Ablett Jr, Cyril Rioli, Nick Riewoldt, Luke Hodge and Brendan Fevola all set to pull on the boots. Billy Brownless will be back behind the microphone. (Photo by) Dipper is also returning for the Legends Game. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images) Brownless' return to the commentary booth comes after he left his family horrified last month by posting a photo of himself skinny dipping on social media. In the midst of a mid-year getaway with partner Crystle Fleur in Western Australia, the Geelong icon decided to share some happy snaps from the trip. But it was one image from a swimming pool in Broome that stole the show. The image showed him relaxing in the pool with his obvious lack of swimwear leaving little to the imagination — thankfully he was facing away from the camera. 'Some call it 'Skinny Dipping' I like to call it 'Fat Dipping' #fatstraveldiary,' he wrote. Safe to say the X-rated post was a bit of a surprise to Brownless' friends and family. Former AFL star Dale Thomas joked: 'Reverse angle is a Nirvana album cover.' Bec Judd commented: 'Ahahaha. Nice seeing you yesterday. Glad you had some clothes on.' Brownless' horrified daughter Ruby commented: 'Wow it gets worse', after responding to his swimming pool post with 'Honestly no words'. Brownless told the Herald Sun his partner had uploaded the viral skinny dip photo to his Instagram account without his knowledge. Billy Brownless was living his best life on holiday. Photo: Instagram. The Geelong icon left little to the imagination. Photo: Instagram. 'She thought it was fun. I was just paddling around in the pool, splashing around,' he said. 'She said I've got a shot here for you. Darl, we'll get rid of those shorts and we'll just have a bit of fun with it. And she thought it would be funny to go nude. She knows how to post off my account. 120,000 views, the punters loved it.' The Cats Hall of Famer said his kids let him know they were less than impressed. 'They're the ones who aren't so happy,'' Brownless said. 'Ruby is the most outspoken, she rang me. She said 'dad, you're a dickhead'.' Originally published as Geelong cult hero Billy Brownless set for shock commentary comeback
News.com.au
25 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘It seems that way': Everyone assumes Daly Cherry-Evans will be at the Roosters next year, but nothing is official ahead of Saturday's clash
Lachlan Galvin's reunion with the Wests Tigers on Sunday isn't the only headline-worthy showdown this weekend, with Sea Eagles skipper Daly Cherry-Evans set to take on the club everyone assumes he'll join in 2026. His bombshell announcement earlier in the year that he would leave Manly caught everyone off guard, but we're still waiting for confirmation that he will join the Roosters next season. It seemed a fait accompli at the time that he would join them, with speculation he'd announce the move after the State of Origin series. That's come and gone, with reports now that nothing will be confirmed until both Manly and the Roosters have finished up their playing commitments. 'It seems that way (that he's going there), but I haven't heard that from 'Chez'. But that's the way it seems to be going,' long-time teammate Jake Trbojevic said. 'I suppose people out there know and they always seem to be right. 'We know Chez and what he does for Manly. He is passionate for Manly and goes out and puts his best foot forward no matter what. 'And if he is going there I am sure he would want to go out there and want to impress them, so hopefully that works for us and he puts in a great performance and we go out and play really well. 'It is what it is, he has chosen to move on. We can't control that, he has a right to do that and he's been great for Manly. We can't begrudge him in any way, with the service he has given to the club he has a right to do what he wants. 'It's not about him, it's not about us, it's about the club. We've got to go out there and play well for Manly and we're there or thereabouts. 'It hasn't been the best season, hasn't been the worst. We would love to finish it off strongly regardless of who is there next year or what is going on.' The club has always insisted that the move hasn't been a distraction this year, although that doesn't mean that players saw it coming. 'He obviously let us know he wasn't going to be at Manly next year, which was a shock. I think it was a bit of shock for everyone to hear,' Tom Trbojevic said. 'He's told the playing group he will make his decision in due course. Obviously, there are a lot of reports around it which we can't help. 'He has done a lot for this club, and he is a friend as well, so I respect his decision to do that and he has earned the right to make a decision when he feels ready to.' Roosters skipper James Tedesco praised Cherry-Evans for how he'd handled the situation this year but played down the notion that his impending arrival had affected the club at all. Cherry-Evans will partner Sam Walker in the halves and will be a great mentor for Hugo Savala, but it potentially leaves Sandon Smith on the outer, while veteran playmaker Chad Townsend won't be at the Roosters after announcing his retirement. 'There was a lot of talk at the start of the year about us and Cherry and him not staying at the club, but since then there hasn't really been much said,' Tedesco said. 'Us as a team, we haven't really talked about it. Early on you probably wanted to talk about it with the young halves to make sure they're feeling good and they're not too concerned or worried about what could potentially happen. 'But Cherry has been around the game for a long time now and played a lot of games and has been through all the ups and downs, so he knows how to handle these situations.' The contract intrigue is a great narrative but it pales in comparison to the finals race between two teams separated by just two competition points, with the loser facing a monumental battle to make the top eight. 'If you look too far ahead and try and work out what games you need to win and can lose, you probably lose place of where you are,' Tom Trbojevic said. 'The reality is we're sitting 9-9 and we probably need to win more than we lose now and we'll be a chance. I know they sit around us and it adds that little bit of extra importance. 'You don't want to say it's must win, but it's an important game for us.'
Courier-Mail
an hour ago
- Courier-Mail
Hayes brothers aim to challenge Ciaron Maher for metro title after winning Victorian premiership
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. Lindsay Park has sights on challenging Ciaron Maher in the Melbourne training premiership. Brothers Ben, JD and Will Hayes claimed the state title last season, with 240 Victorian winners. Lindsay Park saddled 253½ winners Australia-wide – up from 199 the previous season. Co-trainer Ben Hayes credited the success to the Lindsay Park collective – staff, owners and horses. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! 'Since being in partnership – JD and I, and then Will, JD and I – every year we have had really nice improvement and last year, we were very annoyed we didn't get 200,' Hayes said. 'It's a great effort by the whole team behind us, who are working really hard. 'We get really good support from our owners and we've got a great team (horses) behind us now.' Evaporate and Shining Smile produced five wins apiece for Lindsay Park last season, while five other horses including Dublin Journal, Marble Arch, Rise At Dawn saluted on four occasions. Mr Brightside and inherited War Machine, previously trained by late Michael Moroney, combined for six wins, three at the highest level and about $6m prizemoney. • Bedggood set for another drought-breaking win at Flemington Despite the overall Victorian success, Lindsay Park trailed the powerhouse Maher yard 113 winners to 69 in the metropolitan trainers' premiership but saddled 300 fewer starters in Melbourne. 'Will, JD and I are just proud (of the results) and hopefully, we've got a big task ahead of us next year to try and beat what we've set this year,' Hayes said. 'It's definitely been our best year to date … to be leading Victorian trainer for all wins is a good effort, hopefully, we'll be a little bit more competitive next year with metro, that's our aim.' Trainers Will, Ben and JD Hayes, with Mr Brightside and strapper Will Evans, claimed the Victorian premiership with 240 winners. Picture: Michael Klein Lindsay Park improved its metropolitan output 66 to 69 year-on-year. 'We trained a couple more metro winners this year, I think we've got the quality to improve again,' Hayes said. 'Ciaron has been dominant for years now, it would be good to hopefully make it a bit more even but we'll be trying our best and being as competitive as we can be.' Hayes could make an impression on Saturday at Flemington with six starters, including Aztec State. 'He didn't win the other day but it was a huge run,' Hayes said. 'He's building nicely and could pop up.' • 'We were the common enemy': How Morrison united Victorian racing Lindsay Park has the firepower to compete anywhere, anytime this season with Mr Brightside, War Machine, Evaporate and Rise At Dawn primed for spring campaigns. Shining Smile, Scenic Point, Tycoon Star spearhead generation next. Aztec State is one of six runners for Lindsay Park at Flemington on Saturday. Picture: Racing Photos via Getty Images Hayes said Lindsay Park Euroa, Flemington and Pakenham stables were 'probably at capacity now', with horses inherited from late Melbourne Cup-winner Moroney and Godolphin more recently. 'There's been a big influx of horses and also had good support from our two-year-olds,' Hayes said. 'There's lots of exciting unraced ones too, which is great … full steam ahead. 'We have got to work harder than ever to try and win that metro premiership.' • Shinn holds off Williams for Melbourne jockeys' title Mr Brightside is slated to trial on Monday. 'He's building up well, he looks great,' Hayes said. 'We cannot fault him.' Stradbroke Handicap-winner War Machine is being aimed at the Group 1 Manikato Stakes (1200m) next month in a bid to boost potential The Everest stocks. Originally published as Lindsay Park trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes target metro title after claiming Victorian premiership
