Latest news with #MarkEvans
RNZ News
3 days ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
Super Rugby Pacific live updates: Hurricanes' season on the line against Brumbies
David Feliuai is tackled during the Brumbies v Hurricanes, Super Rugby Pacific Qualifying Final match, GIO Stadium, Canberra. Photo: Mark Evans/ActionPress Who will come out on top in the battle of the capitals? The Canes got the job done the last time they were in Canberra, kick-off is at 9:35pm NZT.
News.com.au
30-05-2025
- Business
- News.com.au
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon has no interest in angry fallout from disparaging comment about Gold Coast Suns
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon says he was oblivious to the dramatic fallout of his 'nepo baby' comments about the Gold Coast Suns despite a furious response, adamant his focus remains solely on making his team the 'best St Kilda team ever'. Lyon was hit between the eyes by both Suns coach Damien Hardwick and chief executive Mark Evans for his comment, made before last Sunday's game at Marvel Stadium, won by Gold Coast. Hardwick labelled the comment 'disrespectful', while Evans said it was 'offensive and out of order', having also made the club's displeasure known to St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena. It was also called a 'whinge' coming as part of a lengthy campaign from the Saints against draft concessions given to the expansion clubs and the impact it has had on their own list building. But on Friday, Lyon, who was preparing to board a flight with AFL executives to Alice Springs for his team's cash with Melbourne, said apart from a 'few calls' he took little notice of the blowback. Instead he delivered a message about how the Saints, who sit 14th with four wins from 11 games, were 'executing' on their own strategy implemented when he returned for a second stint as coach. 'I had a few calls from people on (TV) shows. I haven't read one article or listened to one show,' he said. 'I moved on to the review, we really need to improve our footy.' Key to the criticism of what many perceived to be a planned attack on the Suns was previous instances of St Kilda officials bemoaning their position. But Lyon said he and the club would continue to stay the course and not be 'derailed' by outside noise, with support of some of the club's greats. 'We've 25 list changes in two years, gone from second and fifth oldest to third youngest (list),' he said. 'In that period of time, we played a finals series … we've beaten some decent teams this year, we're inconsistent, and we're still trying to build out our list. 'We know we have that strategic vision we are working on, getting our salary cap in order, trying to target free agents, going to the draft, signing our really good players. 'We want to become the best Saints ever and we feel by definition winning a premiership will do that. The overarching view is we are executing. 'I get texts all the time, Barry Breen says stay the course. It's a bit rough, keep playing the kids, which we are doing.' Key to the success of the strategy is signing superstar Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, with Lyon dispelling any idea he was 'gettable' for other clubs. 'All I do is coach him,' he said. 'I said to him last week 'how about 1000m gained'. He said no worries and delivered 920. He said 'they missed me on a couple of handballs'. 'I don't want to get caught in that week-to-week narrative. 'I see the headline 'gettable' but opinion isn't fact.'
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seething Suns hit back at Lyon's 'offensive whinge'
Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans has joined Damien Hardwick in condemning "offensive and out of order" comments about the AFL expansion club by St Kilda coach Ross Lyon. Lyon sparked a war of words in a pre-match interview at Marvel Stadium on Sunday, when he referred to the Queensland outfit as "the AFL nepo baby". It was an apparent reference to the draft concessions and access to academy talent the Suns have enjoyed. Hardwick hit back after his side's gritty 19-point victory, firing up over Lyon's "disrespectful" remark. He urged St Kilda to "focus on their own backyard" and took a parting shot over the low crowd figure after only 13,486 fans turned up. It was the Saints' smallest crowd at the Docklands venue and their lowest attendance at a home game in Melbourne since 2002. Dimma is not holding back in response to a comment made by St Kilda coach Ross Lyon 😳#AFLSaintsSuns — AFL (@AFL) May 25, 2025 Still seething on Monday, Evans backed his coach and delivered a stinging response to Lyon's "whinge". "I thought the comments were offensive and out of order," Evans told SEN radio. "Offensive in that the word (nepotism) implies corruption and favouritism. That really stabs at the club's hard work over a lot of years. "We haven't always had the best history at stuff. We lost a lot of players, we had to rebuild, we knew we were going to reset through the draft. "There was a lot of hard work to get to a position where we finally get some wins at the front end of the season." Evans also pointed to priority picks St Kilda were given to secure Nick Riewoldt (2000) and Luke Ball (2001) in the national draft. "It would be like me getting up and saying, 'The only reason they made the grand final (in 2009 and 2010) was because they were gifted Riewoldt and Ball and (Justin) Koschitzke'," Evans said. "There is so much work that goes into getting to that stage. Imagine belittling the club that was just gifted them. "So we found it offensive and out of order. "It's unusual in a pre-game interview. It's hard to see those words would just fall out at the particular time, so we didn't like it." Evans crossed paths with St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena at Marvel Stadium and voiced his opinion about Lyon's comments. "This seemed like a whinge that was out of order and we want to stand up for our club," Evans said. Hardwick, meanwhile, intends to have a "very strong conversation" with the AFL umpiring department after accusing St Kilda defenders of manhandling his key forwards. Ben King, Jed Walter and Ethan Read managed just three goals between them against the Saints. Coleman Medal contender King didn't have a kick for three quarters, kept quiet by Callum Wilkie, but finished with two important goals in the final term. Walter kicked one major from nine disposals and Read was scoreless from five touches before being subbed out in the third quarter. Hardwick admitted his charges were down on form against the Saints but wasn't happy with what he perceived as unfair treatment by opposition defenders. "There'll be a very strong conversation coming from my coaching panel to the umpiring fraternity this week," Hardwick said. "We didn't get a hell of a lot of reward for our one-on-one contests. "You can sit there and you want an even battle, and we understand that, but I thought our guys were manhandled all day today. "They're young and they're inexperienced, so they'll get better at handling it, but they've also got to be given a fair chance." Hardwick's demands from the umpiring department will be straightforward. "Just some clarification around what we can and can't do, but more importantly how our players can combat it," he said. "Like, what do you want to see from our guys? "We don't want them to play for free kicks but we also want them to be able to run and jump at the ball." Hardwick will continue to back his three key forwards, with the Suns next meeting a Fremantle side set to be without key defender Alex Pearce through suspension. Gold Coast sit third on the ladder with an 8-2 record for the first time in their 15-year history as they chase a maiden finals appearance.
News.com.au
26-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Furious Gold Coast Suns boss lashes St Kilda coach Ross Lyon for ‘nepo baby' comments
Furious Gold Coast chief executive Mark Evans has taken his club's anger over Ross Lyon's 'nepo baby' comments to another level, calling them 'offensive' and telling the St Kilda chief executive just that on Sunday as the heat between the two clubs rises. Saints coach Lyon has infuriated Gold Coast officials, including coach Damien Hardwick, who lashed the poor turnout of just more than 13,000 people at Marvel Stadium on Sunday and said St Kilda should 'look after their own house'. 'Chock full of talent aren't they, the AFL nepo baby,' Lyon told Fox Footy pre game, likely referencing the concessions the Suns have received. Evans went hard at Lyon on Monday morning and said it was a 'whinge' that was 'out of order'. 'I thought the comments were offensive and out of order,' Evans said on Monday. 'Offensive in that the word implies corruption and favouritism, so that really stabs at the club's hard work over a lot of years. 'We haven't always had the best history at stuff. We lost a lot of players, we had to rebuild. We knew we were going to reset through the draft. 'There's a lot of hard work to get to a position where we've finally had some wins at the front end of the season. 'Ross is an outstanding coach, St Kilda have had some good moments in their history. Grand final in 2011. It would be like me getting up and saying, 'Oh, the only reason they've made the grand final is because they were gifted Nick Riewoldt, Luke Ball and Justin Koschitzke'. 'There's so much work and effort that goes into getting to that stage. Imagine belittling the club that it was just gifted to them.' Evans said he didn't get 'much' from St Kilda chief executive Carl Dilena when he raised the matter on Sunday afternoon and suggested the comments could have been planned. 'We found it offensive and out of order,' Evans told SEN. 'It's unusual in a pre-game interview. It's hard to see that those words would just fall out at that particular time. 'We didn't like it. 'Carl Dilena and I passed each other in the corridors yesterday and I was walking along with him for 20 or 30m. 'I'm not sure whether he had heard the comments by that stage, but I told him we thought they were offensive. He didn't offer up much at that point in time.' Evans said the Suns were used to being the subject of attacks but wanted to 'stand up' for the club who are third on the ladder with eight wins from 10 games and eyeing off a maiden finals berth. 'We don't really care, we get a lot of things said about us – as does every club – we're not so worried about that,' he said. 'But this seemed like a whinge that was out of order, and we want to stand up for our club. 'This goes to the heart of all of the hard work of a lot of people, and to turn it around from where we've been, then to just say that that is only because of some corruption and favouritism – that is uncalled for. 'This particular comment, I think, went too far because it talked to the possibility of corruption and favouritism as being the only things that are going well for Gold Coast Suns.'
RNZ News
14-05-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Fijian Drua to focus on winning for fans against Western Force
Fijian Drua Photo: PHOTOSPORT Winning for the fans is the motivation the Fijian Drua's top brass are using to inspire the players as they focus on securing victory over the Western Force in Lautoka on Saturday. A dismal season, following two quarterfinal appearances in the last two years, has seen the Drua sit at the 11th position on the Super Rugby Pacific competition standing. Three home losses, to the Brumbies, Crusaders and the Blues have resulted in fans beginning to stay away from matches. That was seen in the team's three recent games at home, one in Lautoka and two in Suva, where what used to be packed seatings at Churchill Park and the National Stadium in 2023 and 2024, saw half capacity filled stadiums. Head coach Glen Jackson, who was handpicked by the Drua chief executive officer, Mark Evans, for the job, told the media in his press briefing in Nadi on Tuesday, the team know they have let their fans down. "I know there's a lot of responsibility and effort and sort of expectation on our men to perform for our country," Jackson said. "There's never a problem with our boys wanting the fans to do well. We love the fans, you know, we're hoping a good turnout in Lautoka. "Our boys love Lautoka and there's a great opportunity for a great free flowing game of rugby. I know they're in a similar boat to us. So it's going to be a good just making sure we put on a good performance for everyone." Jackson said the challenge has been working on players to believe in themselves and their capabilities, adding the bottom line is the players need to enjoy the game they play, and what they are doing, win or lose. "Our job is to make sure that they believe they're great rugby players," Jackson stated. Will Jordan is tackled against the Fijian Drua. Photo: PHOTOSPORT "I believe they're great rugby players. And then with the distractions that we've sort of had with players, which we know are going to leave, just making sure that everyone finishes the season strongly. Enjoy what it they doing and it's the mentality to making sure that we got it, win or lose, is very important. "But at the end of the day, it's making sure these fellas love what they do, and love the club and and give back to it, to everything that the supporters and the sponsors give to us in this club." The former Chiefs player and international whistleman said the team have had an interrupted campaign this season, including news of players leaving and a couple linked to domestic violence cases. "We've had a heck of a lot of distractions this year, which hasn't been ideal," he said. "We've got a lot of players playing their last game in Lautoka, so it's important that they finish strongly." Having had a tough run against the Crusaders, Moana Pasifika, Waratahs, Reds and Blues, Jackson is not backing away from the fact that the Western Force is going to be another tough nut to crack. He reckons the men from Perth will be tougher than the Blues in Suva, last weekend. "They're very different to the Blues," he said of their upcoming opposition. "They use the ball a lot. Their lineout is as a weapon of theirs. "We've already highlighted a few things that we feel they do well, but probably incorrectly. Jumping across the lineout and the breakdown is a massive fight. "So we've said to our boys, that's going to be the area that you wouldn't lose. Looking after that ball on the ground, making sure we take the ball into contact, and once we look after it, hopefully using our good back three to score some tries." He said both teams will be fighting for a win. The Force are at ninth position with 22 points - seven more than the Drua. A win for the Drua and a loss to the Highlanders, who are at 10th position, will see the Fijians jump out of the bottom spot. The Force will stay on at 9th if they lose but could move up to 8th or 7th if they win. "There's definitely two games that stand out that we we didn't play anywhere we'd like to play, and one of them was in Perth," Jackson said, pointing to the 52-15 thrashing they received from the Force in Round 5. "So, they're fighting for every point as we are." Jackson said Lautoka is special to the Drua, with a nine win record there out of 10 matches. "It's an important place for us, and we'd like to keep that winning record up," he said. "But we certainly have to have to go with the mentality to win the game. The Force are very at good lineouts, extremely well disciplined, pretty well played. It's going to be a good scrap in a nice place to get a win." That home base tag is what he hopes will also inspire the team to play well and get what they want in front of their fans. The Blues was a tough one for them and Jackson said they have moved on and learned. "I'm sure they'll be better than last week, you know, when we're still in the scrap," he stated. "We've had a very hard review of our performance, and what went wrong there, in terms of our want, I suppose. "We knew the Blues would play the way they did. And at times we defended really well. At times we hung under the ball, and then other times we just let ourselves down. "As a club we're striving very hard to finish as high as we can. We know if we can still win and come seventh. But we're just going to concentrate on this game, and it goes a long way of winning this, not only for for our confidence, but also for the people Fiji." Meanwhile, the Drua will lose key players Iosefo Masi and Selesitioni Ravutaumada to French clubs after the competition this year. However, they have also signed England-based Flying Fijian, Temo Mayanavanua, who will join the club after his assignments with the Fijian national side. Jackson has also revealed that they are also going to recruit a number of other players. "As I said, we've we're making sure we're signing some good people that come back into this club," he said. "We're signing some people that really want to be here, and we're excited to finish well, but also then obviously into the next year." Fijian Drua v Western Force Kick-off: 3.35pm Saturday 17 May Venue: Churchill Park, Lautoka Other matches this weekend : Friday May 16: Hurricanes vs Highlanders at the Sky Stadium at 7.05pm; Waratahs vs Crusaders at the Allianz Stadium, Sydney at 9.35pm Saturday May 17: Moana Pasifika vs Blues at North Harbour Stadium, Albany at 7.05pm; Brumbies vs Reds at the GIO Stadium, Canberra at 9.35pm.
