The Tiwi Islands footy grand final
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Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Dragons forward Jack de Belin to face ex‑cop who lied in sexual assault case that was ultimately dropped
Jack de Belin will next week face a former police officer in court who admitted lying during his sexual assault proceedings. The officer, known only as Officer A, will be sentenced for giving false evidence under oath in 2020. The false testimony related to his handling of legally privileged text messages found on de Belin's seized phone. The officer, under a court suppression order, pleaded guilty to perjury. The charge relates to false evidence given in February 2020 in the NSW District Court. He told the court he believed text messages between de Belin and his lawyer were 'Dragons business'. The messages were in fact with solicitor Craig Osborne, a Dragons director and part of de Belin's legal team. Police seized de Belin's phone in December 2019 and examined it using Cellebrite software. They accessed 203 messages between de Belin and 'Craig Lawyer', many covered by legal privilege. Lawyers for de Belin and co‑accused Callan Sinclair argued this breached their right to a fair trial. The issue emerged during a pre‑trial stay application, which was rejected. De Belin and Sinclair were accused of sexually assaulting a 19‑year‑old woman in December 2018. They denied all allegations and pleaded not guilty. The first trial in 2020 ended without a verdict. A retrial in 2021 also failed to reach a verdict. The Director of Public Prosecutions later dropped all charges. Both men maintained the encounter was consensual. The NSW Police Professional Standards Command investigated Officer A's conduct for three years. He was later medically retired from the force. He will be sentenced in Wollongong District Court on Tuesday. De Belin, Sinclair and their families are expected to attend. They have called for an inquiry into police handling of the case. De Belin was sidelined from the NRL for three years under the 'no fault' stand‑down rule. He challenged the policy in the Federal Court but lost. Justice Melissa Perry ruled the rule lawful. De Belin returned to the field after the case ended. He has since played regularly for the Dragons. The 34‑year‑old has made 245 NRL appearances since 2011. He has represented New South Wales in State of Origin and Papua New Guinea at Test level. Earlier this year, Parramatta Eels announced they had signed him for 2025. De Belin said leaving the Dragons 'broke his heart' after his long career at the club.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: Why Andy Farrell should stay on as Lions coach for New Zealand in 2029 - as he targets 3-0 whitewash aganst Australia
History beckons for the Lions and Andy Farrell as coach. Some may think the last Test with Australia is a dead rubber given the Lions are 2-0 up. Not a bit of it. A whitewash is a real possibility and history shows what an achievement that would be. It would be the first clean sweep in the professional era, the first time since 1927. It would also be the first unbeaten tour since 1974 (Willie John McBride's famous 'Invincibles' drew the final Test in South Africa). These are remarkable statistics. I'm sure they will be driving Maro Itoje as captain, the squad and Farrell. They can seal their place in Lions history. But it is very difficult — nigh-on impossible, in fact — to compare Lions tours. The level of opposition Australia have provided hasn't been the same as in other series in the past. But the Lions can't do much about that. And the way they fought back from 18 points down to win in Melbourne was hugely impressive. That comeback will be remembered for a long time. We knew Farrell was a brilliant coach but his reputation has gone to another level this summer. If the Lions win 3-0, it will go up again. Farrell has to be the leading contender to be Lions coach in New Zealand in 2029. I don't see any reason why not as he has a contract with Ireland until the 2027 World Cup so will remain involved in Northern Hemisphere rugby. I love that Farrell hasn't made massive changes for the third Test. It shows he means business and is taking this game as seriously as the first two matches, if not more so. The Lions is the pinnacle. It is no place for handing out easy Test caps. It would have devalued the Lions concept. But that is not what Farrell is about. Farrell has stuck to his guns, making only two changes with James Ryan and Blair Kinghorn coming in. His selection has been consistent all series, changes mainly due to injury. The Lions won't lack for motivation on Saturday. Conversely, I wonder if the same can be said of Australia. They put in such a huge effort in the second Test and still lost. My experience tells me it is very difficult to respond to that. The third Test will be competitive. But I expect the Lions to pull clear in the final quarter and go three from three. That would start one hell of a party and one which would be entirely deserved.
The Independent
2 hours ago
- The Independent
Lando Norris plays it very cool when asked on F1 title battle: ‘Won't matter once we're all dead'
Lando Norris has offered a remarkably philosophical take on his Formula One championship battle with McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, declaring that the outcome ultimately matters little because "in 200 years we will all be dead". Norris arrives at the final round before Formula One's three-week summer shutdown 16 points adrift of Piastri, whose title momentum surged after last weekend's rain-affected race in Belgium. Despite starting on pole, Norris was overtaken by Piastri in treacherous conditions. With McLaren's current superiority, it is Piastri who has emerged as Norris's primary rival for this season's crown, holding six wins to Norris's four. When asked if he needs to get under the Australian's skin to secure his maiden F1 title, Norris replied: "I don't enjoy that. In 200 years no one is going to care. We'll all be dead. "I am trying to have a good time. I still care about it, and that's why I get upset sometimes and I get disappointed and I get angry at myself. And I think that shows just how much I care about winning and losing. But that doesn't mean I need to take it out on Oscar. I just don't get into those kind of things." Historically, intra-team title battles in F1 are fraught, but Norris maintains a pragmatic view. "Yes, he (Piastri) is the guy I want to beat more than anyone else," he admitted. "But if I don't beat him, then that's just because he has done a better job. I will do it the way I believe is best for me, and just because one person did it a few years ago, it doesn't mean you have to do that, too. I don't really care about those things." At the Hungaroring on Friday, Norris demonstrated his prowess with an impressive practice double, narrowly beating Piastri by just 0.019 seconds in the first session before extending his lead to nearly three tenths later in the day. Norris has an unblemished record of never being out-qualified by a team-mate in his six previous visits to this circuit, a promising sign from his practice performance. Elsewhere, Lewis Hamilton, a record eight-time winner and nine-time pole-sitter in Hungary, struggled for pace. The 40-year-old, still seeking a podium in Ferrari colours, complained his car didn't "feel good" and ran off track after a major lock-up in the first session, ending the day sixth, three tenths and three places behind team-mate Charles Leclerc. Max Verstappen, who recently committed his future to Red Bull for at least another season, also had an uncharacteristically difficult day, finishing a distant 14th in practice, 1.1 seconds slower than Norris. "I don't know what is going on," Verstappen radioed. "It is just undriveable." He also faced a stewards' investigation for throwing a towel from his cockpit but received only a warning.
