Latest news with #MarkNawaqanitawase
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ban to stretch Cronulla's backline even further
Ronaldo Mulitalo has added to Cronulla's backline issues, with the winger facing a one-match ban for his late shot that levelled Mark Nawaqanitawase. Mulitalo was on Sunday hit with a grade-two dangerous contact charge for hitting Nawaqanitawase after he passed in the Sydney Roosters' win on Saturday. If the Sharks were to fight the matter at the NRL judiciary, Mulitalo would risk a second game on the sideline. Watch all the highlights as the Roosters take on the Sharks in Round 12!#NRLRoostersSharks — NRL (@NRL) May 24, 2025 Cronulla have already faced depth issues in their outside backs this year, after Sione Katoa required shoulder surgery after an injury in a pre-season trial. Sam Stonestreet is also out with an ankle injury, after sustaining damage to his syndesmosis against Melbourne last week. Cronulla are hopeful of Katoa returning after next week's bye, otherwise Mulitalo's ban would leave the Sharks without both first-choice wingers against the Warriors. In that case, Chris Vae'ila would be the front-runner to debut for the Sharks. Mulitalo was sin-binned for the shot on Saturday night, with referee Grant Atkins identifying direct shoulder contact to the head after Nawaqanitawase passed. But the match review committee on Sunday deemed it to be dangerous contact and not a shoulder charge, which would have resulted in an extra game out. Penrith forward Liam Henry is also facing a two-match ban out of Saturday night's games, in trouble for a crusher tackle on Fletcher Sharpe in the loss to Newcastle. The review committee on Sunday opted for a grade-two charge, meaning Henry would risk a third match on the sideline if he elects to fight the ban. The last-placed Panthers at least expect to have their entire State of Origin cohort back for those games, provided the quintet get through game one unscathed. Backrower Scott Sorensen is also due back from a suspension against Parramatta next Sunday, while Luke Garner should be able to return from a concussion.
News.com.au
24-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Shark Ronaldo Mulitalo's sickening high shot rocks the NRL
Sharks winger Ronaldo Mulitalo may have just booked himself a decent holiday after a horror high shot on the Roosters' Mark Nawaqanitawase on Saturday night. With just over 15 minutes remaining in the first half of the Roosters' 42-16 victory in Gosford, Mulitalo set himself and wiped out Nawaqanitawase as he was making a pass near the right touchline. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer. The former Wallaby's flick pass found Dom Young, who then passed inside to James Tedesco, with the Roosters skipper producing an audacious backhanded flick to Hugo Savala. Savala strolled over the tryline to cap a moment of absolute brilliance from the Tricolours, but Cronulla's woes deepened when referee Grant Atkins called Mulitalo over to inform he he'd been placed on report and handed 10 minutes in the bin. Watch the high shot in the video player above 'Off he goes,' Dan Ginnane said on Fox Sports. 'This night just goes from bad to worse and Ronaldo Mulitalo – not sure there'll be much sympathy for him outside the Cronulla region. 'He's been sent to the bin and he's got a problem.' Michael Ennis replied: 'He's got a problem all right. That's a heavy shot and he just launches. 'Although his body position is lowering at the point where he's delivering the pass, the duty of care which they look for, he gets him flush.' Those looking on were confident Mulitalo would be facing a suspension for the high shot. 'That's going to be a suspension and they're playing the Warriors next week,' Ginnane said. 'When a player is sent to the sin bin, it pretty much is an automatic suspension, but the match review team will have a look at that.' At halftime, NRL great Cooper Cronk said the Sharks winger was lucky the shot didn't have a worse result, with Nawaqanitawase managing to recover and play out the game. 'The lead up to that, Ronaldo Mulitalo put Mark Nawaqanitawase into next week with that contact,' Cronk said. 'He went to the sin bin, there was a penalty, and I think that is going to get looked at. 'He's lucky he didn't get him flush, he might be off the field for the rest of the game.' The Sharks were trailing 20-6 after the Savala try, with the Roosters playing some outstanding football. Trent Robinson's side scored two more tries after the break to stretch their lead before the Sharks rallied with two late tries of their own. But the Mulitalo act was a major talking point, with most watching on believing the 25-year-old should have copped a tougher punishment from the officials. Sports journalist Martin Gabor tweeted: 'That's a clear send off. Late, forceful, direct to the head. Gonna be a long break for Mulitalo.' X account Wandering Eels said: 'Ronaldo should be sent off, not 10m bin. Shocker.' Cookie man wrote: 'Just saw the Mulitalo shot, that's a send off.' There was a smattering of support for the Cronulla star, with Luke Sheppeard tweeting: 'He went low, had his head down and braced himself. Mark then went lower. Not much Mulitalo could have done in that situation.'
ABC News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Mark Nawaqanitawase's NRL 'try of the decade' will remind Wallabies of what they're missing
As the NSW Waratahs were falling to a 48-33 defeat at the hands of the Crusaders in Sydney on Friday night, Australian rugby was given a reminder of the one that got away. Across town at the Olympic stadium in Homebush, former Wallabies winger Mark Nawaqanitawase scored an astonishing try for the Sydney Roosters in their NRL clash with Canterbury. In commentary, Nine broadcaster Mathew Thompson described Nawaqanitawase's effort as perhaps the "try of the decade". Rugby league immortal Andrew Johns used the word "freakish" to sum up what the ex-Waratah pulled off. Nawaqanitawase's try — his second of the match — didn't prevent the Roosters from going down 24-20 to the Bulldogs, but it illustrated the talent the Wallabies had at their disposal only two years ago. In late 2023, Nawaqanitawase announced he would be switching codes and joining the Roosters on a two-year contract ahead of the 2025 season. The decision robbed him of the chance to play the British and Irish Lions this year but provided the opportunity to return to rugby union ahead of the 2027 World Cup to be staged in Australia. The move was brought forward to last year, with Nawaqanitawase making his NRL debut against South Sydney in September. He has impressed for the Roosters this season and was mentioned as a potential bolter for the NSW State of Origin squad. Naysayers will contend the Wallabies are well stocked with wingers ahead of the Lions series and Nawaqanitawase's services aren't required. Such an argument, though, is missing the point. Australian rugby can't afford to lose world-class talent like Nawaqanitawase in any position, as adequate player depth is a significant challenge it faces in the professional game. At the junior level, it's locked in a continual tug of war with the NRL, who enjoy a much stronger financial position than governing body Rugby Australia. The task of keeping players in rugby will become more difficult due to the NRL's expansion to Perth and Papua New Guinea, in addition to the regular exodus to European and Japanese clubs. As much as securing Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii from the NRL was a coup for Australian rugby, losing Nawaqanitawase served as a major blow. With Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt looking on from the stands, James O'Connor showed his wares in Crusaders colours for the first time on Australian soil. O'Connor came off the bench for the New Zealand heavyweights in the 52nd minute of their match with the Waratahs. The Crusaders were comfortably leading 31-14 when O'Connor entered the fray and despite an early forward pass, he impressed with ball in hand during the lead-up to Tom Christie's try in the closing stages of the match. Across the early rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, this column suggested O'Connor needed to be considered for a spot in the Wallabies' squad against the Lions, despite a three-year absence from the Test arena. His versatility and mentoring skills would be of value, and he could be activated off the reserves bench in the same way the Crusaders have used him this season. Schmidt has spoken with O'Connor and acknowledged the 34-year-old's experience would be an asset, especially as he played against the Lions when they last toured Australia in 2013. Whether O'Connor has done enough to earn a Wallabies' recall remains to be seen. But Crusaders skipper David Havili is convinced O'Connor is up to the task. "He's been there, done it before, and certainly if I was picking a team, he'd be there," Havili said after the Crusaders' win over the Waratahs. "I think him being able to come on and finish games is exactly what you need in big Test matches." Regardless of results in the final two rounds, the ACT Brumbies will finish the regular season as the top-ranked Australian team. It's just reward for Stephen Larkham's troops, who overcame hiccups early in the season to be on top of the overall standings at the end of round 14, although they have played one more match than the Chiefs and Crusaders. The Brumbies faced a stiff domestic challenge against the Queensland Reds at Canberra Stadium on Saturday night, before coming away with a 24-14 victory. They survived off 42 per cent possession, scoring three tries to two, and showed greater discipline, with the Reds conceding 12 penalties to their opponents' six. In the big matches, the Brumbies know they can turn to their stars, such as Rob Valetini and Tom Wright. Valetini was particularly effective in defensive breakdowns against the Reds, earning two penalties for the Brumbies with his work over the ball. Wright crossed the chalk for his first try of the season, but it was his link play in attack that came to the fore. Schmidt would be buoyed knowing both Valetini and Wright are enjoying solid form as the Lions series approaches. Ryan Lonergan's recent performances have been attracting attention. But anyone monitoring the Brumbies' scrum-half's form beyond the past few weeks will know he's been nailing his KPIs since round one. Lonergan's passing from the scrum and ruck bases is slick and his decision-making has been sound. He is not afraid to show initiative and take calculated risks, such as when he darted down the blindside off a line-out to score a try in the Brumbies' 36-32 win over Fijian Drua in round one. Another string to Lonergan's bow is his goal-kicking and he slotted three conversions and a penalty goal against the Reds on Saturday night. Throughout the match, Lonergan held his own against Reds captain Tate McDermott, whose form this season makes him a deserved frontrunner for the Wallabies' starting scrum-half role. The Wallabies have choices in the position, with Jake Gordon the Wallabies' preferred nine last year and Western Force veteran Nic White playing well enough to be in contention. But Lonergan can't be discounted from at least nabbing a spot in the Wallabies' wider squad, given the career-best form he's enjoying with the Brumbies. They're hardly dropping like flies, but several Wallabies players are under injury clouds two months out from the first Lions Test in Brisbane. Both the Wallabies and Brumbies will be hoping Allan Alaalatoa sustained nothing more than calf tightness when he was assisted from the field in Canberra on Saturday night. Alaalatoa has been the stand-out Australian tight-head prop this season and will be crucial to the Brumbies' chances of going deep in the final series. The Brumbies are expected to give an update on their skipper on Monday. Wallabies staff will be sweating on the diagnosis, given the growing injury list among the four Australian Super Rugby Pacific teams. Reds trio Harry Wilson (arm), Liam Wright (shoulder) and Matt Faessler (hamstring) are sidelined with long-term injuries, while Suaalii (fractured jaw) has joined Max Jorgensen (syndesmosis) in missing the end to the Waratahs' season. Blindside flanker Rob Leota may have played his last match for the Waratahs after he left the Crusaders encounter during the first half with a suspected fibula injury. At best, Leota is a bench prospect for the Wallabies, given their back-row strength, but they would dearly love to have the Bayonne-bound utility forward available as he can provide cover lock. The Force were without Carlo Tizzano in their 38-7 loss to the Drua in Lautoka on Saturday, with the result ending their slim finals chances. Tizzano has missed the Force's past two matches with a pec injury. Again, the Wallabies can only wish this is a short-term issue as Tizzano provides a second option at openside flanker behind Fraser McReight.
News.com.au
16-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Clutch Matt Burton try seals victory despite Roosters star's magic act
The Bulldogs are officially the comeback kings of the NRL after they erased another halftime deficit and survived one of the greatest tries of all time from Mark Nawaqanitawase to defeat the Roosters 24-20 in a Friday night epic. After overcoming a 20-0 halftime deficit to beat the Raiders last week, 14-0 was a walk in the park for Cameron Ciraldo's men who scored four of the final five tries to make it nine wins from 10 matches to head into the hectic Origin period on top of the table. FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer > The Bulldogs were down on troops and down on the scoreboard but showed incredible fight to storm back with three tries in 13 minutes to take the lead. Barnstorming back-rower Viliame Kikau got the ball rolling before Toby Sexton pounced on an Egan Butcher error to score, with Bronson Xerri putting them ahead for the first time when he sliced through some tired defenders to crash over. The Roosters retook the lead thanks to Nawaqanitawase's moment of magic, but Matt Burton had the last laugh as he danced through the defence with seven minutes to go, with a towering 'Burto' bomb also leading to an earlier error which ended up with Kikau scoring. TRY OF THE YEAR Nawaqanitawase has done some amazing things in his short time in the NRL, but the former Wallabies star may never produce something as special as the try he scored in the second half. With his team behind on the scoreboard, the Roosters winger got the ball on the right edge and looked set to go into touch before he hopped on his left foot, kicked the ball and prayed it stayed in. The ball bounced precariously close to the sideline but stayed in, with Nawaqanitawase leaving the field of play before he regathered and had the presence of mind to pull the ball back in to score before he went out. It was one of the greatest pieces of individual skill you'll ever see, with Nawaqanitawase almost pulling off something similar against the Warriors earlier this year. He finished with two tries but made five costly handling errors as the Roosters missed the chance to move into the top eight for the first time this year. STATE YOUR CASE Friday night's blockbuster was the final audition for State of Origin hopefuls, with all eyes on former Blues skipper James Tedesco who is battling it out with Dylan Edwards and Ryan Papenhuyzen for the No. 1 jersey. Edwards is the incumbent but Tedesco is in sizzling form and has done a magnificent job for his state throughout his 23-game career. The Roosters captain has put up huge numbers all season but was kept relatively quiet in this one, with Tedesco setting up the first try but unable to impose himself as he often does. Veteran prop Lindsay Collins returned from injury and scored a try, but he only had nine runs as he fights to keep his Maroons jersey, while Jacob Kiraz was typically busy on the right wing. BACK FENCE SPENCE Nathan Brown has wowed crowds with his kamikaze kick returns, but he has competition from Spencer Leniu after the Roosters prop caused all sorts of carnage from three first-half carries. Leniu skittled Max King with the first run of the night but lost the ball as he got up to play it, with the NSW enforcer also spilling the Steeden from the third kick-off. His second charge from a kick-off was the most spectacular and forced Daniel Suluka-Fifita out of the contest after the Bulldogs prop's head collided with Leniu's shoulder.
News.com.au
16-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
IS THIS THE GREATEST TRY EVER?
RLG: Mark Nawaqanitawase has scored potentially the greatest try you will ever see tip toeing down the sideline before chip kicking into the in-goal to score.
