Latest news with #Johns
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Stephen Crichton makes mockery of Andrew Johns snub after legend's Trbojevic call
Stephen Crichton showed why he is considered the best centre in the game having caused havoc on the right side for NSW and his performance has made a mockery of Blues legend Andrew Johns' selection call. Crichton won the plaudits from fans in State of Origin Game 1 after stamping his authority on a hapless Queensland side. The NSW forwards - led by Payne Haas - dominated the middle of the field with Zac Lomax and Brian To'o continuing the momentum on the kick returns to leave Queensland pinned in their own half for large ports of the game. And while Crichton was a major doubt leading into the game with a corked thigh, the centre showed no signs of injury when taking to the field. Crichton recorded the try assist for the first four-pointer having dodged the onrushing Queensland defence and threw a bullet pass to Lomax to open the scoring. The Bulldogs centre was steely in defence as well having made a number of crucial tackles to deny Queensland's dangerous left edge. NSW coach Laurie Daley knew how important Crichton was to the team and gave him right up until the day of the game at Suncorp to play. And Crichton repaid the faith of his coach with a trademark performance. However, his efforts also made a mockery of Johns' selection call ahead of Game 1. Johns might be one of the brightest minds in the game, but he snubbed Crichton from his NSW side when selecting the team on Channel Nine a few weeks ago. Crichton has captained the Bulldogs to the top of the NRL table in 2025 and was in unreal from leading into Game 1. His player-of-the-match performance against Canberra only two weeks out from Origin Game 1 had most people praising the centre. Although Johns opted to select Manly Sea Eagles fullback Tom Trbojevic in the centres. This was a controversial move considering Trbojevic has battled injuries in 2025 and has yet to find his form. While Johns is a big fan of Trbojevic and his work at fullback, his call to leave Crichton out certainly stuck in the minds of fans. Many were quick to remind Johns of his pre-match call after Game 1 at Suncorp. No Crichton btw — The SuperCoach Whisperer (@SCWhisperer) May 28, 2025 — Big Dog 1935 (@CBB1934) May 28, 2025 Origin is ridiculous I'm so jealous How good is Crichton, he MIGHT be the best centre in the world….. If Jake Wardle didn't exist — Wigan Warriors Fans (@WiganFans_RL) May 28, 2025 Stephen Crichton came into this game as the best centre in rugby game has just widened it get a MoM, but every interaction was outstanding.#StateOfOrigin — Philip Greenwood (@bigestphilou) May 28, 2025 Johns has also made another big selection call ahead of Game 2 having claimed Queensland coach Billy Slater needs to mix things up. The Blues were utterly dominant and the scoreline even flattered Queensland with NSW only converting one of four conversions. Queensland's attack looked clunky with Cherry-Evans, Harry Grant and Cameron Munster failing to link up. And Johns feels it could be time for Slater to tap Cherry-Evans on the shoulder and replace him with the more energetic Tom Dearden. "Look, no one beats Father Time and DCE is what, (36)? I think they have to pull the trigger and bring Dearden in," Johns said during Channel Nine commentary. "I don't know where the improvement comes with this group. RELATED: Billy Slater under fire over huge mistake as QLD sink to 27-year low Awkward claim about Bulldogs players amid Lachie Galvin signing "NSW, if they were on tonight, they they win by 40 or 50. They left so many tries out there and they'll be better for that. "I don't know if they can go up another level, Queensland. I think there has to be changes with (Canberra prop) Corey Horsburgh, he's one I think can add something. (South Sydney forward) Jai Arrow is an Origin player, but the big one is Dearden and whether they pull the trigger on Dearden with DCE." Cherry-Evans isn't ready to give up the Maroons jersey though and admitted he wanted another opportunity of redemption. "Yeah, definitely. I guess with losing comes the question," he said. "So we've opened ourselves up to these sorts of questions, but I'd love the opportunity to come back and correct it."
7NEWS
6 days ago
- Sport
- 7NEWS
NRL greats slam State of Origin opener as below standard: ‘It wasn't a genuine Origin game'
It appears Queensland fans aren't the only ones who suffered through the State of Origin series opener, with rugby league lovers in general disappointed at the lack of spectacle on Wednesday night. New South Wales won 18-6 in an emphatic performance at Suncorp Stadium, outclassing a Maroons outfit which frankly was lucky to be as close as it was on the scoreboard. WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: New South Wales thump Queensland in Origin opener. But even Blues fans went to sleep unsatisfied later that night, after what experts said was a poor standard State of Origin game. NSW legend Andrew Johns said it just wasn't up to standard. 'I've got to say, it wasn't a genuine Origin game,' Johns said. 'It didn't feel that way for whatever reason. It just didn't feel like the intensity and the physical side of an Origin game. 'For me, it was like a good club game.' Queensland champion Cameron Smith agreed that 'it didn't feel like' an Origin game. The match was close on the scoreboard until Dylan Edwards' 72nd-minute match-sealing try, which kept interest in the contest. But the game was littered with mistakes, particularly in the first half, and Queensland stars Cameron Munster, Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Kalyn Ponga failed to make an impact. Fans saw it the same way. 'Was that the worst quality Origin ever?' one said. 'Close enough to keep the viewership switched on but that game felt like a bunch of elite players trying to work themselves into form — almost like a third of them are from bottom-four teams, huh,' another added. 'Honestly not really a great game. So many errors. QLD were their own worst enemy,' a third said. 'Top-five worst Origin games ever this one,' someone claimed. One viewer thought it was fitting that Queensland's last chance at staging a miracle comeback in the dying minutes was denied by yet another error — a clear forward pass. 'Forward pass to ice it is fitting for possibly the worst Origin game of all time,' they said. 'Officially the worst State of Origin to watch,' someone else said.
Sky News AU
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
'Time travelling now?': Fans voice concern for former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns after bizarre post referencing 1994 Pulp Fiction premiere
Daniel Johns has seemingly alluded to time-travelling in his latest social media post, leaving fans concerned and confused. The former Silverchair frontman, 46, took to Instagram on Monday to share a photo of himself draped in a pink paisley robe jacket, sitting against a plush green velvet backdrop. With his striking purple-and-blue hair and a knowing stare into the camera, Johns also showed off his neck tattoo that reads "DREAMS" a nod to his musical project with Luke Steele from Empire of the Sun, as well as a rose inked on his left hand. "Just got back from Cannes, the 1994 Pulp Fiction premiere was incredible- I always wanted to see it on the big screen!" he wrote. "Great job @tarantinouniverse and cast @johntravolta @samuelljackson #brucewilliss @umathurman / heading to a rave next week!" While the post quickly amassed nearly 16,800 likes (at time of writing), its strange caption raised eyebrows. "Time travelling now?" one fan asked, while another wrote: "1994DanielJohns is that you?" Another fan noted this isn't the first time Johns has referenced time travel, pointing to an earlier post marking his birthday on April 22, where he wrote: "I have to go back in time to finalise something and as a result I won't be on socials… All is love xx." Others saw deeper symbolism in his reference to 1994- the year Silverchair exploded into fame after their breakthrough single 'Tomorrow' hit number one on the ARIA charts. Originally named Innocent Criminals, the band was formed in Newcastle in 1992 by Johns and his childhood friends Ben Gillies and Chris Joannou. Rebranded as Silverchair in 1995, the trio would go on to become one of the country's most successful rock acts, selling more than 10 million albums and winning a record 21 ARIA Awards from 49 nominations. But by May 2011, the band announced they were going into "indefinite hibernation", citing a "lack of spark" between members. In 2023, Ben and Chris released a memoir titled 'Love & Pain: The epic times and crooked lines of life inside and outside Silverchair', detailing the rise and fall of the band and their complicated relationship with Johns. The book was supported by a two-part episode of Australian Story, which aired on ABC, but Johns was notably absent from the special and later claimed he was denied a chance to preview the memoir despite being asked to approve several of his songs for use. "I was told again that Ben and Chris would not give me a copy to read. That's why the iView use was denied," Johns claimed in a statement at the time. "I have never sought to block their book, I merely asked to receive a copy in advance to fact check it. "I was concerned about my personal health records being discussed, I don't think that's unreasonable." Since Silverchair's disbandment, Johns has launched a solo career with two albums, TALK (2015) and FutureNever (2022). He has been open about his struggles with anxiety, addiction, anorexia, and arthritis, particularly in his 2021 Spotify podcast, "Who Is Daniel Johns?'. In the series, he spoke about his five-year marriage to Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia from 2003-2008, describing it as "the best marriage ever." In a notable episode, Johns famously stated, "I wouldn't even get Silverchair back together for a million dollars with a gun to my head." More recently, he described himself as "a truly independent artist" who loves "making everything on my own terms". It's understood that Johns still lives in Newcastle. If you or anyone you know needs help: Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800 Lifeline – 13 11 14 Beyond Blue – 1300 22 4636
NZ Herald
21-05-2025
- Health
- NZ Herald
Piha beach rescue: Off-duty lifeguards save drowning man from surf
Lamont said he was visiting his bach to do some work for the day when he became aware of the incident. 'I was just on a walk, so I'm not typically out here on a weekday.' He said, 'I saw a guy and his partner, and I saw the guy go for a swim while his partner was standing on the beach, and it wasn't a good place to swim. 'So I thought I'd just keep an eye on them.' Lamont said he realised the man was in serious trouble when he spotted his partner distressed on the beach. 'I checked again and I could see his partner running back and forward along the beach, which indicated that there was an issue. .. I couldn't see him swimming. 'She was very distressed while it was all going on,' he said. Lamont said he ran up to the surf club and grabbed some binoculars to try and see the man in the water. 'I managed to sight him, and he was obviously in trouble.' Lamont and Johns then launched an Inflatable Rescue Boat (IRB) and rescued the 26-year-old patient, who was in critical condition. 'We got him back to the beach. He was vomiting, He was in a very serious condition,' Lamont said. An initial assessment was performed on the patient, who was losing consciousness, Surf Life Saving New Zealand (SLSNZ) said. They were then joined by members of the SAR Squad and first responders from Hato Hone St John to provide first aid to the patient, Piha Surf Life Saving Club said. Lifeguards and SAR handed over the patient to Westpac Rescue Helicopter at 11:15am, with the patient being transported to hospital. Lamont said there only appeared to be around six other people on the beach at the time, so the man was lucky to be spotted. Piha Surf Life Saving Club said they applaud Lamont's vigilance and quick thinking, and thank all those involved for their swift response. 'Without these volunteers, it likely would've been a very different outcome. 'Please be mindful of the dangerous conditions at Piha and if you see anyone in trouble call 111 to ask for police to activate our SAR Squad.' The Piha Surf Life Saving Club wrapped up its 2024-2025 patrolling season in April.
Otago Daily Times
20-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Boiler step towards lower emissions
Fonterra staff unveiled the first of its fossil fuel-free boilers recently and announced the co-op will invest $70 million in two more at its Edendale site, in another step towards its goal of halving its carbon emissions by 2030. The major milestone was marked with the official ribbon-cutting of a new electrode boiler at its Southland milk powder plant, replacing one of the site's five coal-fired burners. The ceremony, attended by Minister of Climate Change and Energy Simon Watts, Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds, representatives from the Hokonui and Waihopai Runanga, Environment Southland and two southern mayors, celebrated what Fonterra described as a key step in its "decarbonisation journey". Fonterra chief operating officer Anna Palairet announced the construction of two more electricity-powered boilers would begin shortly and were expected to be operational by August 2027. The new and incoming boilers would help the company achieve a 50.4% reduction of carbon emissions by 2030. General manager of operations for the lower South Island Andrew Johns said the upcoming $70m project would engage more than 400 local and national contractors. The newly installed boiler was designed by a team of engineers in Napier, made in China and then put together and constructed by New Zealand-based personnel. The company tried to hire Southland workers when possible, but the infrastructure or ability to build this new kind of asset in New Zealand was still growing, Mr Johns said. Addressing the crowd, Mr Watts said growing the economy was "interconnected" with meeting emissions targets. Businesses in the private sector such as Fonterra were leading the innovation charge and sometimes it was best for the government to get out of the way of business and industry. The government was doing anything it could to remove the "red or green tape" to create less friction in the system, he said. It wanted to partner with industry and Fonterra's farmers across the country as they were the "backbone of our economy". During the tour, spectators saw the beginnings of the construction site of the plant's UHT milk plant which will be completed next year. Mr Johns said the thermal heat generated from the five existing boilers, and the two more to come, could be distributed to any of the factories on site — "whether it's making cream products or powders or proteins". Fonterra's Edendale plant is New Zealand's oldest dairy processing site, established in 1881.
