Latest news with #CameronMurray
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘Unbelievable' Camerons are hailed as Lever's Hamer heroes
Captain Josh Gent hailed Little Lever's match-winning Camerons as 'unbelievable' after the two opening centurions helped the club win a first Hamer Cup title in more than 50 years on Sunday. Little Lever beat Padiham by 104 runs in a run-filled final at Read, with Cameron Murray and overseas amateur Ryleigh Cameron to the fore. Murray top-scored with 108 off 61 balls and Cameron added 104 off 101 as the Bolton side amassed a daunting 40-over total of 336-4. In defence, the latter's seam accounted for 4-44 from eight overs as Padiham were bowled out for 232 in 32 overs. The Australian OA was named as the player-of-the-match. 'It was unbelievable how well they played,' said Gent, of the two Australians. Murray is an Anglo-Aussie, while Cameron is fully-fledged. Gent continued: 'Especially on a big occasion, a big crowd watching and all that. 'A lot of times, people can crumble under that kind of pressure, but it was the other way with those two. They took it all in, really, and had a brilliant day. 'They're both in their first season with us. I think that was Cameron's third or fourth century of the season, and Ryleigh's been in good form as well. 'He got 92 when we beat Padiham in the league the weekend before last.' The pair shared 186 inside 22 overs after Gent had elected to bat first at Read, which is a notorious batter's paradise with a good pitch and short boundaries. 'I spoke to Will Wrathall (Read captain) before the final,' revealed Gent. 'And he said to me, 'If you get 270, don't think the game's done because it can be so difficult to defend at Read'. 'If someone had offered me 336 off 40 overs beforehand, I would have snapped your hand off. I think anyone would. But we were well aware that there was still work to do.' Padiham's local professional Iftikhar Naseer blazed 85 off 27 balls with 12 sixes, including reaching 50 off only 16 balls, to keep the game alive as he took the reply to 184-4 in the 22nd over. 'Credit to their pro, he smashed it,' said Gent. 'It was some of the biggest hitting I've ever seen. But he had a lot of work to do. 'When they were 160-4, halfway there, he had about 70. And I was thinking, 'He's still got to get another 80 here at least'. 'Yes, it was nervous times, but we just had to ride the storm. Thankfully, we did. 'It was a great day and couldn't have gone any better.' When Naseer fell caught as one of Cameron's four wickets, Padiham fell to 184-5 in the 22nd over and, in the end, lost their last six wickets for only 48 runs to hand Little Lever a first Hamer Cup title since 1972. They also became the first team to win all three main titles in the NWCL, having won the Premiership league and T20 Birtwistle Cup double in 2023. 'It's a massive achievement and great for the club that we've won everything and the first to do it,' said Gent, whose side have also qualified for next year's Lancashire Knockout Cup as a result of this triumph. 'But it will be forgotten about pretty quickly. So we've got to enjoy it now but reset, start planning and probably make more of a push to win the league next year I would have thought. 'We've probably been a little bit inconsistent in the league (fourth place at present). 'But, as far as cups have gone, it's shown we can rise to the occasion. We've won the Hamer Cup and reached the T20 final. We were in last year's Hamer Cup final as well. We're definitely a force to be reckoned with.' This was Gent's first Hamer Cup title, but he said: 'I was more happy for the club itself. There are a lot of people who put the hard work behind the scenes. 'People who turn up and play perhaps don't realise how much money it costs to put a game of cricket on, what goes on behind the scenes to allow us to have a professional, an overseas amateur, a good side and everything else that goes with it. Good facilities, nice ground, everything. 'Yes, I'm pleased to have won it because I'd never done it before. But they're the people I'm most pleased for.' Little Lever fielded a sub-pro on Sunday in South African Diego Rosier, who contributed 91 not out off 55 balls and a wicket. Their regular pro, Muhammad Junaid, had returned to Pakistan a fortnight ago. They will have Jurie Snyman (Accrington) for the remainder of the season. 'We're going to have a look around now for next year's pro,' said Gent. 'We'll have a look and see who stays around for the longest and probably go for someone like that. It would be good to have a pro who can stay for as long as possible.' And in terms of the possibility of their final star Cameron returning for a second season as overseas amateur, Gent added: 'If he wants to come back, we'd definitely have him. The ball's in his court. 'I'm pretty sure he'd want to come back. He's said he wants to, so fingers crossed we can get it sorted.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kevin Walters 'excited' to pick forward for Australia who hasn't played this season
New Kangaroos coach Kevin Walters has suggested he would be willing to select injured South Sydney Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray for the Ashes tour if he gets a game in before the season's end. The Rabbitohs have been hit with a tragic injury toll in 2025 with a number of their big names out for huge portions of the season. Before the season started captain Murray went down in training having ruptured his Achilles and was expected to miss the majority of South Sydney's campaign. And Murray has worked tirelessly to get himself back in the frame for a return before the end of the NRL season. Coach Wayne Bennett has been singing Murray's praised having claimed if he wants to reward himself with a return to footy then he won't stand in his way. 'If it's important for Cam to play a couple of games at the end of the season, he can do that – I won't spoil it for him,' Bennett said after the game against Cronulla in Gosford. 'There is a chance he'll play before the season finishes. He's done a remarkable job with his recovery.... I'll do what he wants to do. He's worked so hard to be a part of the team again." And Bennett knows Murray's desire to wear the Australian jersey. While Murray would be returning to represent the Rabbitohs and to help them avoid a wooden spoon, he would also be looking to put his hand up and play for Australia. Murray has been a pivotal player for his state and country in recent years. Michael Maguire even selected Murray to start over NSW captain Isaah Yeo in the 2024 State of Origin series victory. Meanwhile, Murray has represented Australia 10 times and has scored seven tries in a stellar international career. And Walters admitted Murray would come into the selection frame if he made a return. Walters could opt to shift Isaah Yeo through the middle for Australia - where they are short - against England and play Murray at lock. The new Kangaroos coach said on Triple M he would only need to see Murray prove his fitness to potentially earn a position in the 22-man squad. "40 minutes of football," Walters said when asked about how long he would need to see Murray play to be up for selection. "He is highly that I speak to. I am really excited to see him come back and play and put himself in the picture and in the frame because we're all aware and particularly Jason Demetriou of his talents. I am sure if he can get back on the field and play somewhere near where he has shown he can play, well he makes most rep teams certainly." Former Rabbitohs coach Demetriou was with Walters and was singing Murray's professionalism. "He can play in the back-row and you can minimise his minutes as a forward. If he comes back and plays you know he is fit because he is a supreme athlete," Demetriou added. Payne Haas move opens door for Cam Murray Walters has already admitted he has an eye on Murray's recovery, but a major concern would be reports around Payne Haas. On Thursday, claimed Haas had confirmed he will switch allegiances and represent Samoa at the end of the season. This would be a monumental loss for the Kangaroos and Walters losing the best prop in the game with their front-row depth already being challenged ahead of the historic Ashes tour starting 25 October. Losing Haas means it could open the door for Murray if their is a reshuffle in the extended squad.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
RBA delivers shock interest rate decision for millions of Aussies
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has defied expectations by deciding to hold the official cash rate at 3.85 per cent. The central bank was largely predicted to provide the third rate cut of the year on Tuesday, but homeowners will have to hold on for at least another few weeks. An overwhelming majority (88 per cent) of the experts who spoke with Finder thought there was going to be a 25 basis point reduction today. Economist and Yahoo Finance contributor Stephen Koukoulas thought the board had plenty of data available to warrant another rate cut, especially trimmed inflation falling to its lowest level since November, 2021. All the Big Four banks also thought there was going to be at least a 25 basis point reduction. Money crisis sparks capital city exodus as Australians embrace 'new frontier' Common $358 a day expense the ATO lets you claim on tax without receipts Shock as Baby Boomers candidly reveal their savings balances: 'Millionaires everywhere' However, there were a few insiders who were tipping that a hold was going to be handed down. The Housing Industry Association's Tim Reardon said unemployment was still low and believed the RBA would wait until quarterly consumer price index (CPI) data is released at the end of this month to see how Australia is faring in its fight against inflation. UNSW's Nalini Pr agreed the Board would want a longer-term look at inflation before a third rate cut. Cameron Murray from Fresh Economic Thinking felt inflation was in the RBA's Goldilocks zone of 2 to 3 per cent, and a cut isn't necessary right now. 'Current rate settings have achieved a balance between growing consistency in maintaining the RBAs inflation target and a strong economy reflected in a robust and resilient labour market," Andrew Wilson, My Housing Market added. According to Canstar, a homeowner with a $750,000 loan was set to save $114 per week if the RBA cut rates on you didn't get the news you were hoping for, rest assured there are several more chances of a rate cut this year. Here are the remaining dates it will meet in 2025: August 11 to 12 September 29 to 30 November 3 to 4 December 8 to 9 The meetings always take place on a Monday and Tuesday, with the announcement coming on the second day at 2:30pm AEST/ in to access your portfolio
News.com.au
01-07-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
Call to scrap Australia's superannuation system sparks heated debate
Should Australia's superannuation system be scrapped? Two financial experts have gone head to head over this question, with one claiming we would be 'better off without it' and the other branding the notion 'insane'. This is one of the questions posed during Tuesday night's episode of SBS's Insight, eliciting impassioned responses from two of the program's guests, Cameron Murray, chief economist at Fresh Economic Thinking, and Andy Darroch, independent financial adviser and director at Independent Wealth Advice. Dr Murray believes superannuation is 'heavily skewed' to the top 20 per cent of Australian earners. 'It's skewed to the people who would never be on the age pension and would be independently wealthy at retirement age anyway,' he told Insight. Asked by host Kumi Taguchi if he believes the super system should be scrapped, he proposed that, on average, Australians would be 'better off without it'. He noted that one in seven men will die before they are able to access their super, adding that is already a significant number of people who are not benefiting from the system. Speaking to Dr Murray said there are multiple issues with superannuation, with the problems outweighing the positives. He also noted that the current system soaks up a huge amount of economic resources, saying much of the country's top talent is taken up by this 'unnecessary industry'. If you want to access your super as soon as you turn 60 you have to stop working, with the economist saying this system encourages early retirement and therefore less labour force participation. 'Super doesn't help the poor, who generally will still need to rely on the pension because of disrupted work and family life. It doesn't help the rich, as they have enough wealth to support themselves,' Dr Murray said. 'It only increases the retirement income of the middle by making them poorer when they are young and poor with a family to support so they can be richer when they are old and rich with no one to support.' It's a very different view to the one held by Mr Darroch, who told Insight that Australia's super system was the 'envy of the world' and 'you would have to be insane' to want to get rid of it. While he accepted that the scheme needs tweaks, he doesn't believe there is anyone that has been disadvantaged by compulsory superannuation. 'I think Australia is the only country on Earth that you can have a nurse and a diesel fitter get to age 65 with close to a million dollars in super,' the financial adviser said. Speaking to Mr Darroch said scrapping super would be the 'single most destructive thing you could do to middle class Australians'. 'In doing so you'd probably condemn half or a third of the population to poverty in retirement,' he said, reiterating that getting rid of it would be the 'stupidest economic decision of the millennium'. 'You could get rid of super tomorrow and it wouldn't solve a single issue in society, financial or otherwise – not a single one,' he said. 'What you would guarantee in causing is significantly bigger problems for ordinary people, for tax payers, for the government and for the economy.' When it comes to pressing issues like housing and the cost of living, Mr Darroch said we need to be careful not to conflate these problems with superannuation. While super and housing are the biggest financial assets and decisions for any Australian, he pointed out they are different and serve completely different purposes. There are circumstances where the two can crossover, such as your homeownership status impacting your retirement or whether, when you reach retirement age, you need to pay off the cost of your home with your super. However, Mr Darroch said they are still separate. 'Understandably, people see their superannuation balance and have a desire to use it to assist with housing. The issue is, superannuation is can't and won't fix housing, any of the suggestions won't even move the dial,' he said, adding that, if anything, it may make housing less affordable. 'Worse still, it would create systemic issues with poverty in retirement later on. You'd have squandered your financial security in over 60 for no gain.' The financial adviser said the same applies for the cost of living. While there are existing provisions in place for those in extenuating circumstances to access their super early, he said super is not the driver of the high cost of living leading to financial struggles and, therefore, can't act as a solution. However, Dr Murray believes Australians should be able to access their super at any time and spend the money on anything they want, not just in certain circumstances. So, what would unwinding the current superannuation system actually look like? Well, the chief economist suggested current superannuation payments could be instead required to be deposited into a worker's regular bank account so they can do with it as they please. 'From existing super balances, a maximum withdrawal of, say, $15,000 per year can be allowed over a transition period of five years, then after that, all remaining super funds will retain their asset portfolios and be converted into non-tax-advantaged investment funds,' Dr Murray said. 'During the transition, income tax rates can be ratcheted down and income tax bracket ratcheted up to account for the shifting of income from super to take home and taxable.' Once the superannuation system is completely scrapped, Dr Murray believes there would be no need to replace it with something else. His argument is that, much of what people are saving in superannuation would still be saved outside of superannuation. 'The age pension already keeps the elderly out of poverty and most people will voluntarily save regardless,' he said. 'We can quibble about the adequacy of the age pension, but we should do it in the context of all welfare payments including families and the unemployed.'
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bennett takes Souths into top eight with miracle run
Wayne Bennett's magic dust has worked more wonders on South Sydney, with the injury-ravaged Rabbitohs entering the top eight with a 22-12 win over Wests Tigers. Smashed by injuries since February and still missing three of their biggest names, the Rabbitohs went to a 12-0 lead early on Sunday before holding onto win. The victory did not come easily, with the Tigers appearing to level the scores at 16-16 with five minutes to play when Lachlan Galvin went over on the left edge. But replays showed the departing Tiger dropped the ball as he dived over the line, before Jai Arrow crossed late to seal the win for the Rabbitohs. A desperate tackle from Campbell Graham in the dying minutes sees South Sydney secure the 2 points! 🫣#NRLTigersSouths Telstra moment of the match. — NRL (@NRL) May 18, 2025 Bennett is renowned as one the greatest coaches in rugby league history, but if he is to keep this Souths side in the top eight it would be among his best feats. The Rabbitohs finished 16th last year and were only saved from collecting the spoon by a woeful Wests Tigers. They have then spent the first 11 rounds of 2025 without Cameron Murray, while Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker have headlined big names to spend time out. Even on Sunday night at Campbelltown they were still without first-choice five-eighth Walker, centre Jack Wighton and hooker Peter Mamouzelos. But still, they were clearly the better side, with Keaon Koloamatangi a man mountain in the middle of the field with 329 metres at prop. Siliva Havili got the Rabbitohs' first when he burrowed over out of dummy-half, before Jayden Sullivan laid on their next. Effectively on loan from the Tigers and set to return there next year, Sullivan spotted a gap behind the ruck and went 60 metres before Euan Aitken finished the job. In contrast, the Tigers failed to capitalise on their best chances with Apisai Koroisau playing a lone hand. On the same night he was again overlooked by NSW for Reece Robson, Koroisau almost single-handedly dragged the Tigers back into the match. He scored their first when he spotted a gap from his own 30-metre line and broke down field, The hooker got one-on-one with Latrell Mitchell, feigned a kick, dummied and stepped past the fullback to score while leaving the Souths No.1 falling to the ground. At 16-6 down Koroisau then got Souths down to 12 men when he burst into a gap from a Terrell May offload and forced a professional foul from Tallis Duncan. The hooker then made immediate use of the extra man, dummying out of the ruck on the next set and stepping through the defence to score. But any hope of a Tigers comeback were dimmed by Galvin's error over the line, before Arrow officially killed them off to leave the joint-venture stuck in 10th spot. May also had a big game for the Tigers with another 199 metres from 19 runs, but it will not be enough to win his way into the NSW team.
