DCE sacking has Maroons on high alert
State of Origin: The sacking of QLD Maroons veteran Daly Cherry-Evans has left the other veterans of the side on high alert.
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News.com.au
43 minutes ago
- News.com.au
‘Gold digger tests': The new way men are tricking women on dates
A growing number of people in the dating world are reporting a troubling new phenomenon known as 'gold digger tests' — deliberate situations where one person gauges the other's financial intentions by unexpectedly making them pay or setting traps to see if they're more interested in money than a genuine connection. Georgina*, 27, from Melbourne, recalls a bizarre experience on a recent date. 'I'd been on a few dates with a guy and things were going okay. He'd cover dinner, I'd grab drinks,' she tells 'But one evening, he invited me out for a casual frozen yoghurt date. When it came time to weigh the yoghurts, he rushed ahead to pay for his while I was still mid-chocolate drizzle. I was shocked, having to awkwardly weigh and pay for mine just moments later, while he hovered next to me. We ate in silence. He acted like nothing had happened and kept asking me out after that. 'He has a good job, so it was honestly so strange to me to do that over a $6 yoghurt.' Her experience is far from unique. Across social media and dating forums, more people are sharing similar stories. One 29-year-old woman detailed her unsettling encounter on Reddit. Set up by a mutual friend, she met a 31-year-old man at a cafe. 'It actually started really well,' she wrote. 'We had a lot in common, great conversation, and I was feeling positive. But when the $100 check arrived, the tone shifted.' She was prepared to split the bill, but was instead handed the entire amount and asked, 'Is it alright if you pay for this?' She said she was caught off guard but, unbothered by the amount, she agreed. 'Right after I paid, he grinned and said, 'Congratulations, you passed the test! You're not a gold digger,'' she recalled. When she probed him about this comment, he admitted he'd been burned before by an ex who expected him to foot every bill. Now, he 'tests' women to ensure they're not after his money. Christine Rafe, sex and relationship expert for Womanizer, sees this trend as symptomatic of broader cultural shifts. 'The rise of 'gold digger tests' reflects the growing gender divide and rhetoric on social media and 'alpha male podcasters' suggesting heterosexual women only want the 'top 10 per cent' of socially, financially and physically attractive men,' she explains. 'This baseless theory, popularised by Andrew Tate and his followers, encourages men to be suspicious of women's intentions, leading them to 'test' financial expectations by making women pay for dates or lying about their jobs to see if they stay interested. This is worsened by increasing rhetoric online and politically advocating a return to traditional gender roles, especially in modern heterosexual relationships.' Georgina believes dating app culture also plays a role. 'I'd estimate some men go on multiple dates a week with different women, and it adds up. The days of dating slowly and investing time in one person are almost gone. So even if a guy earns well, it's hundreds of dollars a week if he pays for every date,' she says. And with the cost of living rising, some men simply aren't willing to cover every bill. The Choosi Swipe Right Report supports this, and found Australians aged 18-49 spend an average of $158 per date, with men estimating $233 and women $101. Nearly three in four (74 per cent) agree dating has become much more expensive than before. Despite these pressures, Ms Rafe warns that financial 'tests' are manipulative and damage trust. 'These behaviours encourage lying and dominance from the very start,' she says. 'When one person sets a trap to see if the other will 'pass', they establish distrust that undermines emotional intimacy and connection.' She emphasises that healthy relationships are built on open communication, which these 'tests' can undermine. There are healthier ways to navigate financial expectations, she explains, such as asking about hobbies, lifestyle, travel plans, values, and how each person prefers to handle bills and shared expenses. 'These conversations give a clearer picture of someone's expectations without manipulation or testing,' she notes. She also encourages self-reflection. 'If you have concerns about expectations or motives in dating, explore them through therapy or journalling to understand where your views on status and money come from, and what a healthy relationship looks like,' she advises. 'When discussing these topics, share your vulnerabilities rather than projecting insecurities onto your date.' If you find yourself 'testing' someone's motives before even meeting, she says you should reflect on whether this suspicion comes from your own experience or unreliable sources. And if you've been on a date where someone set a dishonest 'test' or 'trap', see it as a sign of their emotional immaturity and inability to communicate openly — and move on.
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Impressive colt stands up for Phillip Stokes after favourite scratched at Murray Bridge
Trainer Phillip Stokes looks to have a handy colt in his stable following Matahga's impressive victory in the Magic Millions Racing Rewards SA 2YO (1000m) at Murray Bridge. The son of Tivaci showed very little gate speed on debut and it was the case again at start number two after flopping out the back from a wide barrier. • 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! But with the leading pack going along at a strong tempo, it allowed Matahga to get right into the race and he sprouted wings over the final 200m to steal the victory. Stokes' son, Kerrin, was on course following the victory and was rapt to see Matahga break through at his second race start. 'He's going super,' Stokes, a former A-League player for Melbourne City, said. 'He was very good on debut and he's just a horse that takes a lot of riding to get through his gears. 'Jacob Opperman has had a few sits on him now and knows him well. 'He's a nice horse.' Matahga was an $80,000 purchase for the stable at Karaka in 2024 and he was able to get a fair chunk of that back with the first placed cheque worth $57,250. They will look to notch up a similar result later this month with Stokes earmarking a Listed race for Matahga. 'He's progressive, will go to the Oaklands Plate next and it's exciting,' Stokes said. Stokes initially had the favourite for the race with Ground Control before the horse was scratched. Nothing is wrong with the talented galloper other than giving the indication he had come to the end of his preparation. 'He's just ready for the paddock and was starting to feel the pinch,' Stokes said. 'So he'll have a good spell and come back as a nicer horse.' Meanwhile, trainers Richard and Chantelle Jolly went close to winning the two-year-old feature with Mostly For Show. But 35 minutes later saw the duo take out the Racing Rewards 3YO with The Sprinkler. They also trained the third placegetter in the race with the favourite Out Of Square running on well.
The Australian
an hour ago
- The Australian
Yellow Brick goes agonisingly close to fairytale upset in Stradbroke Handicap
Queensland hero Yellow Brick almost pulled one of the great fairytale upsets in recent Stradbroke Handicap history but the $41 roughie was narrowly outgunned by favourite War Machine in the $3m race at Eagle Farm on Saturday. It was a bittersweet moment for father-and-daughter trainers Tony and Maddy Sears, who were proud of Yellow Brick's incredible effort but the moment was tinged with some sadness given they came so close to jagging the $1.8m winner's cheque. But they will settle for $540,000 in prizemoney as the runner-up in Queensland's premier race run on a good track on a sunny day in Brisbane. • 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! The Straddie is 1400m but if it was run over 1500m on Saturday, the Sears would be popping the champagne corks because Yellow Brick, with Andrew Mallyon on board, was starting to wear down War Machine ($2.65) approaching the winning post. Tony Sears said he was incredibly proud of Maddy, who had been training Yellow Brick at the pair's Gold Coast stables before he joined his daughter on the Glitter Strip just two weeks ago. • 'The boys have done it': Hayes proud of sons' landmark Stradbroke success 'I'm more proud of Maddysen than the horse,' he said. 'She's done a great job getting him ready. 'I've only been down the Gold Coast for two weeks. She's defied all the odds. People think he wasn't going very well but we knew he was going well. 'I backed him. We honestly thought he could win. He's just got to be ridden quiet like that. 'It was unbelievable, she's done a great job with him.' Maddy Sears said after the race she was 'speechless'. 'He was tremendous,' she said about Yellow Brick, who last won in a $160,000 Listed race over 1400m at Eagle Farm in October. 'That was the favourite (War Machine) in the race and he gave him a fair headstart at the top of the straight. 'He was the widest runner and he had to do things the hard way but I couldn't be any prouder.' This week Maddy Sears compared five-year-old gelding Yellow Brick to a Labrador Retriever because he 'loves to be the centre of attention'. And although the spoils of victory went to War Machine and Lindsay Park, Yellow Brick sure grabbed his share of attention. • What the jockeys said: 2025 Stradbroke Handicap Meanwhile, champion jockey Craig Williams said another Queensland hero, old warrior Rothfire, was 'gallant' in finishing seventh for trainer Rob Heathcote, who would have preferred a softer track. The seven-year-old Rothfire had battled a hoof injury for the past 10 days after suffering an untimely stone bruise and was lucky to even make the prestigious race. 'From the outside barrier draw he gave me a beautiful ride from there,' Williams said about the 2020 JJ Atkins champion. 'I got on the back of the eventual winner. He travelled so well but the winner was too good for us late. 'He just got a bit tired today and as Rob Heathcote said, he didn't have the ideal preparation.'
