Latest news with #MountDruitt
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NRL news: Major blow for Panthers as Dragons confirm signing of highly-rated brothers from Penrith
Ivan Cleary has previously called for NRL clubs to be compensated when their junior ranks are raided. The Dragons have confirmed the signings of twin 16-year-olds Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii in a major retention blow for the Penrith Panthers. The Pupualii twins are Panthers juniors, and highly-rated prospects. Cornelius is a 193cm-tall centre weighing in at 100kg, who the Dragons view as a long-term member of their back-line. Alexander is a 119kg second-rower, who has unfortunately missed all junior footy this season due to an ACL injury. Cornelius has been carving up in the Panthers' Harold Matthews Cup team (Under-17s). The twins are set to turn 17 later this year, and the Dragons believe they will be part of their first-grade squad for years to come. Ivan Cleary (L) and the Panthers have lost a talented duo to Shane Flanagan (R) and the Dragons. Image: Getty "The Dragons are pleased to confirm that talented teenagers Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii have agreed to deals with the club," St George Illawarra said in a statement on Tuesday. "The two will be contracted to the club until at least the end of the 2027 season." ADVERTISEMENT The Pupualii brothers grew up in Mount Druitt and played their junior rugby league with the St Marys Saints - in the heartland of Panthers territory. But Penrith had a fight on their hands to retain them, with the Raiders, Rabbitohs, Tigers, Sharks and Cowboys all expressing interest. But the Dragons ultimately won out after the twins and their parents met with coach Shane Flanagan. 'I'm grateful. I just want to give back to my family. I'm ready to work hard and I'm ready to pull on this jersey,' Alexander said via the Dragons website. Cornelius added: 'I have faith in this club's coaching staff and players. There is so much history here. We're both for the fans and can't wait to represent them.' Alexander and Cornelius Pupualii at Dragons headquarters. Hope for Dragons fans amid finals drought The Dragons are set to play the Pupualii twins at SG Ball Cup level (Under-19s) in 2026. Their signing is a massive boost for a struggling club, with the Dragons currently sitting 11th and little chance to play finals footy. ADVERTISEMENT The Red V haven't played finals footy since 2018, with Flanagan likely to miss the playoffs in his second year at the helm. However the Dragons have a good crop of youngsters coming through in the likes of Dylan Egan, Hamish Stewart, Lyhkan King-Togia, Loko Pasifiki Tonga and Jacob Halangahu. The Pupualii brothers will only strengthen their young core and give Red V fans plenty of hope. RELATED: Ivan Cleary wants compensation for Penrith juniors leaving As for the Panthers, it remains to be seen how highly they rated the twins. The Panthers have one of the best junior pathways systems in the NRL, which inevitably results in rival clubs poaching some of their best young talent. ADVERTISEMENT Speaking last year, coach Ivan Cleary called for the NRL to introduce a compensation system for when clubs have their junior ranks raided. "I think we should get dispensation, probably more in a development sense," Cleary said. "We develop a lot of players here that end up elsewhere, so I feel like we should get looked after more by the NRL in that space, apart from the salary cap and how it all works, it's hard to argue with. But I do think we should be compensated in some way for the amount of players we've developed and the status they've become throughout the league."
ABC News
13-07-2025
- ABC News
Police say fatal shopping centre shooting of 29-year-old man not gang related
NSW Police have defended the actions of the officer who shot and killed a machete-wielding man at a western Sydney shopping centre yesterday. Police were called to Westfield in Mount Druitt, to respond to reports of a brawl between two groups when the shooting occurred.
The Guardian
13-07-2025
- The Guardian
Sydney police fatally shot man wielding 50cm machete during wife's alleged brawl in Westfield car park
A man shot dead by police while wielding a large machete was approaching a group of women involved in a shopping centre car park brawl that included his wife, police have alleged. The 29-year-old died at the Mount Druitt Westfield in Sydney's west on Saturday afternoon with the officers involved in the incident hailed for their actions. On Sunday, Assistant Police Commissioner Gavin Wood said six women aged in their mid 20s had crossed paths in the car park at 3.15pm and a brawl had erupted. The women were not known to each other and it was 'sheer fluke that they have met', he said. Sign up for Guardian Australia's breaking news email The husband of one of the women retrieved a large machete from his car and was walking towards the women when police intervened. 'Police asked the male to drop the machete,' Wood said. The man refused and continued to walk towards the women. 'The police officers got in the middle between the deceased person who was carrying a large machete and some of those females subject to the melee,' he said. 'At that stage, the police officer fired his service revolver'. Wood had checked CCTV footage and the officers' body-worn video and was 'content with the actions of the police'. The shooting would be subject to scrutiny but he said 'their actions were commendable … they were brave'. 'We will put our arms around those police as we do, and they deserve that,' he said. 'They are good people, they are good police officers. They didn't come to work yesterday knowing they had to shoot somebody.' Sign up to Breaking News Australia Get the most important news as it breaks after newsletter promotion Wood said he had spoken to both officers and they were upset, and the enormity of what happened had started to set in. The shooting was declared a critical incident. The investigation will be overseen by the police law enforcement commission and professional standards and led by the homicide squad. The man, a father of two young children, did not have an extensive criminal history and no gang affiliations. Wood said the machete he was carrying was at least 50cm long. 'If anyone had seen it, you'd be alarmed simply by the vision of it,' he said. The man's wife was arrested but later released, subject to further police inquiries. The actions of the six woman involved in the incident will also form part of the police investigation.
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
'Brave' police hailed after shooting machete-armed man
A man shot dead by police while wielding a large machete was approaching a group of women involved in a shopping centre car park brawl that included his wife. The 29-year-old died at the Mount Druitt Westfield in Sydney's west on Saturday afternoon with the officers involved in the incident hailed for their actions. On Sunday, Assistant Police Commissioner Gavin Wood said six women aged in their mid 20s had crossed paths in the car park at 3.15pm and a brawl had erupted. The women were not known to each other and it was "sheer fluke that they have met", he said. The husband of one of the women retrieved a large machete from his car and was walking towards the women when police intervened. "Police asked the male to drop the machete," Mr Wood said. The man refused, and continued to walk towards the women. "The police officers got in the middle between the deceased person who was carrying a large machete and some of those females subject to the melee," he said. "At that stage, the police officer fired his service revolver". Mr Wood had checked CCTV footage and the officers' body-worn video and was "content with the actions of the police". The shooting would be subject to scrutiny but he said "their actions were commendable … they were brave". "We will put our arms around those police as we do, and they deserve that," he said. "They are good people, they are good police officers. They didn't come to work yesterday knowing they had to shoot somebody." Mr Wood said he had spoken to both officers and they were upset, and the enormity of what happened had started to set in. The shooting was declared a critical incident. The investigation will be overseen by the police law enforcement commission and professional standards and led by the homicide squad. The man, a father of two young children, did not have an extensive criminal history and no gang affiliations. Mr Wood said the machete he was carrying was at least 50 cm long. "If anyone had seen it, you'd be alarmed simply by the vision of it," he said. The man's wife was arrested but later released, subject to further police inquiries. The actions of the six woman involved in the incident will also form part of the police investigation.
ABC News
13-07-2025
- ABC News
Police defend fatal shooting at Sydney shopping centre
NSW Police have defended the actions of the officer who shot and killed a machete-wielding man at a western Sydney shopping centre yesterday. Police were called to Westfield in Mount Druitt, to respond to reports of a brawl between two groups when the shooting occurred.
