Hinds adds sevens muscle to Wallaroos' World Cup push
Tia Hinds will miss Australia's rugby sevens world championship and instead join Charlotte Caslick and Bienne Terita in edging a step closer towards a Wallaroos World Cup berth.
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West Australian
an hour ago
- West Australian
Milestone man Ryan thought Socceroos career was over
Socceroos goalkeeper Maty Ryan was sitting on the bench, thinking his international career was finished. It was November last year, and Ryan had started life under coach Tony Popovic as an unused substitute for three straight games as Joe Gauci took the lead in their World Cup qualifiers. Ryan couldn't convince Popovic after struggling for game time at former club AS Roma, before a hip injury to Gauci reopened the door. Now six months on, the 33-year-old nears his 100-cap milestone as Australia look to finally confirm their path to the 2026 tournament with a win over Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (AEST). He is the third-most capped Socceroo, behind fellow keeper Mark Schwarzer (109) and Tim Cahill (108). "There were definitely thoughts that I had there that I could well have played my last game for the national team," Ryan said on Monday. "If you look at perhaps every footballer's career - look at Cristiano Ronaldo and his time at Man United with (Erik) ten Hag there. He wasn't playing there either. "I don't think life or football discriminates against anyone in that regard. "No one is ever entitled to playing for a team. You've got to go out there and earn that right. "'I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've managed to find my way back in." The Socceroos are within touching distance of an automatic spot for the 2026 finals after a hard-earned 1-0 win over Japan in Perth. Saudi Arabia will only be able to snatch Australia's automatic spot if they manage a highly improbable win of five goals or more. Ryan was on the bench last time the Socceroos suffered a defeat of that magnitude, watching a side coached by Holger Osieck in a 6-0 horror friendly defeat to France in 2013. While Ryan wouldn't be drawn when asked about the now faint memory, he stuck close to the team's week-long 'no complacency' message. "At the end of the day, action speaks louder than words," Ryan said. "In life, anything is possible, so you can't take anything for granted "And by no means is the job finished." Ryan will notch the 100-game milestone after 13 years with the national team, earning his first call-up for the 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Saudis in 2012. "I'm always trying to make the next achievement the best one," Ryan said. "To be in the position we are right now, being a strong one, to go and have it right on our fingertips right now - it gives meaning to us footballers as to why we want to play "It's the most fulfilling and purposeful thing when you've got that success at your fingertips, and you obviously want to take that final last step to go and achieve it."
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Milestone man Ryan thought Socceroos career was over
Socceroos goalkeeper Maty Ryan was sitting on the bench, thinking his international career was finished. It was November last year, and Ryan had started life under coach Tony Popovic as an unused substitute for three straight games as Joe Gauci took the lead in their World Cup qualifiers. Ryan couldn't convince Popovic after struggling for game time at former club AS Roma, before a hip injury to Gauci reopened the door. Now six months on, the 33-year-old nears his 100-cap milestone as Australia look to finally confirm their path to the 2026 tournament with a win over Saudi Arabia on Wednesday (AEST). He is the third-most capped Socceroo, behind fellow keeper Mark Schwarzer (109) and Tim Cahill (108). "There were definitely thoughts that I had there that I could well have played my last game for the national team," Ryan said on Monday. "If you look at perhaps every footballer's career - look at Cristiano Ronaldo and his time at Man United with (Erik) ten Hag there. He wasn't playing there either. "I don't think life or football discriminates against anyone in that regard. "No one is ever entitled to playing for a team. You've got to go out there and earn that right. "'I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've managed to find my way back in." The Socceroos are within touching distance of an automatic spot for the 2026 finals after a hard-earned 1-0 win over Japan in Perth. Saudi Arabia will only be able to snatch Australia's automatic spot if they manage a highly improbable win of five goals or more. Ryan was on the bench last time the Socceroos suffered a defeat of that magnitude, watching a side coached by Holger Osieck in a 6-0 horror friendly defeat to France in 2013. While Ryan wouldn't be drawn when asked about the now faint memory, he stuck close to the team's week-long 'no complacency' message. "At the end of the day, action speaks louder than words," Ryan said. "In life, anything is possible, so you can't take anything for granted "And by no means is the job finished." Ryan will notch the 100-game milestone after 13 years with the national team, earning his first call-up for the 2014 World Cup qualifier against the Saudis in 2012. "I'm always trying to make the next achievement the best one," Ryan said. "To be in the position we are right now, being a strong one, to go and have it right on our fingertips right now - it gives meaning to us footballers as to why we want to play "It's the most fulfilling and purposeful thing when you've got that success at your fingertips, and you obviously want to take that final last step to go and achieve it."
The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Brumbies ace credits Wallabies legend for Super charge
Noah Lolesio has credited his coach Stephen Larkham - widely considered the greatest Wallabies flyhalf - for giving him the tools to steer the Brumbies into their fourth successive Super Rugby Pacific semi-final. The Brumbies will travel to Hamilton for a semi-final clash with the Chiefs, who topped the ladder but suffered a shock qualifying final loss to the Blues. No Australian side has ever won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of Super Rugby and the Brumbies' last three seasons have ended in semi-final defeats across the ditch. Despite this record Lolesio said the Brumbies wouldn't be shifting far from the game plan that helped to dispatch the Hurricanes 35-28 in their qualifying final in Canberra. "The Blues play a bit different to how we play but if anything, it just shows that if you show up physically with the right mindset you put yourself in a good position to win, so that's where our heads are at as a team," Lolesio said on Monday in Canberra. "Nothing really changes for us in how we play our game right now; we know our game works and it's very effective and efficient so we just have to back our systems in place and game plan. "If everyone just does their job to the best of their ability, hopefully we put ourselves in a good position to get a good result." Lolesi played a composed game at No.10, pulling the right strings as his team mixed up their attack between forward play and using their sizzling pace out wide. Dependent on the result, Saturday's match could be the 25-year-old's last in Brumbies colours, with Lolesio taking his playing career to Japan. "I'm giving everything into this game this weekend, knowing that potentially it could be my last," he said. "I'm not going to leave any stone unturned ... not just for myself, but for this special organisation that have been so good to me ever since I came to Canberra as a 17-year-old." With 23 caps, the Test flyhalf was first coached by Dan McKellar before Larkham took over at the ACT side in 2022. While he may not have the natural talent of Larkham, who helped Australia fill its trophy cabinet including the 1999 World Cup, Lolesio said he'd grown as a player under "Bernie". "He's been awesome, ever since he arrived, he's just always been telling me to back whatever I see on the field," Lolesio said. "Just simple cues and triggers on how to manipulate the defence with quick ball or slow ball. "I've been really enjoying my time, especially the one-on-one chats with Bernie just on how I can develop my game as a 10 and help the team around as well. "I think if you look at my game from when I first debuted to where my game's at now, I think I've taken huge strides as more just a game manager than anything else. "I take serious pride in leading the team around the best I can, doing the best for the team, so having Bernie there at the same time, it helps massively." Noah Lolesio has credited his coach Stephen Larkham - widely considered the greatest Wallabies flyhalf - for giving him the tools to steer the Brumbies into their fourth successive Super Rugby Pacific semi-final. The Brumbies will travel to Hamilton for a semi-final clash with the Chiefs, who topped the ladder but suffered a shock qualifying final loss to the Blues. No Australian side has ever won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of Super Rugby and the Brumbies' last three seasons have ended in semi-final defeats across the ditch. Despite this record Lolesio said the Brumbies wouldn't be shifting far from the game plan that helped to dispatch the Hurricanes 35-28 in their qualifying final in Canberra. "The Blues play a bit different to how we play but if anything, it just shows that if you show up physically with the right mindset you put yourself in a good position to win, so that's where our heads are at as a team," Lolesio said on Monday in Canberra. "Nothing really changes for us in how we play our game right now; we know our game works and it's very effective and efficient so we just have to back our systems in place and game plan. "If everyone just does their job to the best of their ability, hopefully we put ourselves in a good position to get a good result." Lolesi played a composed game at No.10, pulling the right strings as his team mixed up their attack between forward play and using their sizzling pace out wide. Dependent on the result, Saturday's match could be the 25-year-old's last in Brumbies colours, with Lolesio taking his playing career to Japan. "I'm giving everything into this game this weekend, knowing that potentially it could be my last," he said. "I'm not going to leave any stone unturned ... not just for myself, but for this special organisation that have been so good to me ever since I came to Canberra as a 17-year-old." With 23 caps, the Test flyhalf was first coached by Dan McKellar before Larkham took over at the ACT side in 2022. While he may not have the natural talent of Larkham, who helped Australia fill its trophy cabinet including the 1999 World Cup, Lolesio said he'd grown as a player under "Bernie". "He's been awesome, ever since he arrived, he's just always been telling me to back whatever I see on the field," Lolesio said. "Just simple cues and triggers on how to manipulate the defence with quick ball or slow ball. "I've been really enjoying my time, especially the one-on-one chats with Bernie just on how I can develop my game as a 10 and help the team around as well. "I think if you look at my game from when I first debuted to where my game's at now, I think I've taken huge strides as more just a game manager than anything else. "I take serious pride in leading the team around the best I can, doing the best for the team, so having Bernie there at the same time, it helps massively." Noah Lolesio has credited his coach Stephen Larkham - widely considered the greatest Wallabies flyhalf - for giving him the tools to steer the Brumbies into their fourth successive Super Rugby Pacific semi-final. The Brumbies will travel to Hamilton for a semi-final clash with the Chiefs, who topped the ladder but suffered a shock qualifying final loss to the Blues. No Australian side has ever won a knock-out game in New Zealand in the almost 30-year history of Super Rugby and the Brumbies' last three seasons have ended in semi-final defeats across the ditch. Despite this record Lolesio said the Brumbies wouldn't be shifting far from the game plan that helped to dispatch the Hurricanes 35-28 in their qualifying final in Canberra. "The Blues play a bit different to how we play but if anything, it just shows that if you show up physically with the right mindset you put yourself in a good position to win, so that's where our heads are at as a team," Lolesio said on Monday in Canberra. "Nothing really changes for us in how we play our game right now; we know our game works and it's very effective and efficient so we just have to back our systems in place and game plan. "If everyone just does their job to the best of their ability, hopefully we put ourselves in a good position to get a good result." Lolesi played a composed game at No.10, pulling the right strings as his team mixed up their attack between forward play and using their sizzling pace out wide. Dependent on the result, Saturday's match could be the 25-year-old's last in Brumbies colours, with Lolesio taking his playing career to Japan. "I'm giving everything into this game this weekend, knowing that potentially it could be my last," he said. "I'm not going to leave any stone unturned ... not just for myself, but for this special organisation that have been so good to me ever since I came to Canberra as a 17-year-old." With 23 caps, the Test flyhalf was first coached by Dan McKellar before Larkham took over at the ACT side in 2022. While he may not have the natural talent of Larkham, who helped Australia fill its trophy cabinet including the 1999 World Cup, Lolesio said he'd grown as a player under "Bernie". "He's been awesome, ever since he arrived, he's just always been telling me to back whatever I see on the field," Lolesio said. "Just simple cues and triggers on how to manipulate the defence with quick ball or slow ball. "I've been really enjoying my time, especially the one-on-one chats with Bernie just on how I can develop my game as a 10 and help the team around as well. "I think if you look at my game from when I first debuted to where my game's at now, I think I've taken huge strides as more just a game manager than anything else. "I take serious pride in leading the team around the best I can, doing the best for the team, so having Bernie there at the same time, it helps massively."
