Latest news with #NRL
Mercury
an hour ago
- Entertainment
- Mercury
‘Wouldn't put my kids in it': SBW apologises for promoting Run it Straight after New Zealand tragedy
Don't miss out on the headlines from Sport. Followed categories will be added to My News. Sonny Bill Williams has apologised for sharing a video promoting 'Run it Straight' just days after a teenager in New Zealand died while playing a similar game with friends. One of the modern game's hardest hitters, Williams played in the pre and post shoulder charge NRL era, and there are plenty of videos on social media of his most brutal tackles. One user found a clip from 2004 of Williams putting a big hit on Penrith's Joel Clinton. Williams shared the footage, to his 1.5 million followers with the caption: 'Playing run it straight before it was called run it straight…' The 39-year-old later apologised after being made aware of the tragedy that took place in New Zealand earlier in the week. Nineteen year old Ryan Satterthwaite died on Monday night after suffering a head injury while playing a private game of 'run it straight' with friends in Palmerston North. Satterthwaite's uncle said he was inspired to give the viral online craze a try after seeing clips of it on social media. 'I put a video up last night, and I just want to ask for forgiveness of the young fulla that passed away,' Williams said in a follow up Instagram story on Saturday. 'Please excuse me for my insensitivity. Kiwi teenager Ryan Satterthwaite passed away while playing a game of run it straight with friends. Picture: Supplied 'I did not know that had happened. 'I want to talk about it for a second right now. 'I've been asked to collab with the Run it Straight people, or a couple of people, and I haven't. 'Simply because I wouldn't put my kids in it. 'I have safety concerns, and that's just my thoughts on it.' 'Run it straight' has exploded in popularity over the last five months, with videos of big collisions going viral on social media. The new 'sport' has proved controversial though, with dozens of concussion experts, former players, mental health professionals and even Prime Minister of New Zealand condemning the controversial game. Williams was a bruising defender in his day. Picture:Although he has his reservations, Williams believes the trend will continue. 'I'd like weight classes and rules around head contact, but also age and experience classes as well,' he said. 'It's gonna carry on, because people love it. It's entertainment. 'But I'd like to see some heavily controlled safety restrictions come in. 'Once again to the family, my love and regards go out to you guys.' Run it Straight touts itself as the world's newest combat sport. It sees two competitors - one attacker with a rugby ball, and one defender - run directly at each other from opposite ends of a 20m 'battlefield.' The huge collisions have seen scary knockouts, concussions and, in one instance, left a man convulsing on the ground. Run it Straight has been widely criticised for the obvious concussion dangers, and several planned events in New Zealand have been cancelled. Originally published as 'Wouldn't put my kids in it': SBW apologises for promoting Run it Straight after New Zealand tragedy
News.com.au
5 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
Reynolds reflects on huge loss
NRL: Adam Reynolds speaks to the Fox League panel after the Broncos round 13 loss to the Sea Eagles.
Herald Sun
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Herald Sun
NRL 2025: Titans coach Des Hasler erupts over costly Bunker call
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Titans coach Des Hasler has slammed a controversial Bunker ruling against his side that sparked a 12-point turnaround for the Storm, declaring 'it was the wrong decision' based on what he'd been told by the NRL. The Storm left the Gold Coast with a sloppy 28-16 win in awful conditions, but it could've been a very different result had the Bunker not denied the home side a try that proved very telling as the visitors scored a minute later. Down 22-10 with 16 minutes remaining, Titans hooker Sam Verrills waited an eternity at the ruck to pick up the ball before he burrowed through some flimsy defence to score under the posts. The original decision was a six again to the Titans and a try on the field, but Kasey Badger in the bunker intervened and ruled that Verrills had burrowed through Tino Fa'asuamaleaui who had blocked Ryan Papenhuyzen from making a tackle. The Titans received the penalty but it didn't help as Grant Anderson picked off a pass a few plays later to put the Storm further in front. The Storm scored moments after the Titans were denied a try by the Bunker. Picture:'I thought it was the wrong decision,' a frustrated Hasler said. 'I think there was an email that came from the NRL about players laying in the ruck, and that's fine, that's good, let them lay in the ruck. 'But you shouldn't lose the advantage. 'On that particular field position, I spoke to (officiating coach) David Fairleigh and sent an email because there's a similar play that Melbourne use with big NAS (Nelson Asofa-Solomona) who is very good at that. 'I just thought we took that space. I don't think we contacted anybody. Tino played the ball so he's allowed to hold his ground, I was told. 'Verrills picks up the ball and doesn't touch anyone. Papenhuyzen wasn't obstructed, and that was word for word what the NRL set out so I'll be interested to know what their explanation was. 'Kasey got it wrong. Again.' A fuming Hasler ended the press conference abruptly and received some support from Storm coach Craig Bellamy who didn't see much wrong with the contact. Coaches have been told not to criticise officials, with North Queensland's Todd Payten recently receiving a warning from head office. 'I didn't think there was a whole heap wrong with it when I watched it live, but I didn't look at any slow motion (replays),' he said. 'All of a sudden when we were trying to rearrange things, it got disallowed so I wouldn't comment on it.' Originally published as 'Kasey got it wrong. Again': Des Hasler takes aim at the Bunker after crucial call costs the Titans dearly
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cowboys forced to repel stunning Tigers fightback
North Queensland have rebuffed an incredible West Tigers comeback to collect their first win in more than a month with a 32-28 victory in Townsville. Down 32-6 at one stage, the Tigers scored three tries within five minutes in the second half and got to within four points when fullback Jahream Bula crossed with five minutes left on the clock. Adam Doueihi missed a tough conversion, which would have allowed them to level with a two-point field goal. Tom Dearden is having a game! 🔥#NRLCowboysTigers Telstra Moment of the Match — NRL (@NRL) May 31, 2025 It left the visitors unable to complete one of the NRL's greatest fightbacks, just falling short at Queensland Country Bank Stadium in their Saturday night clash. The Tigers were left to rue ill-discipline in the first half. Turning out for their first match since the departure of polarising playmaker Lachlan Galvin to Canterbury, they did themselves no favours with both Jarome Luai and Adam Doueihi sin-binned. Luai had a stint on the sidelines from the 11th minute for slowing down the ruck after repeated team infringements as the Cowboys attacked the line. While the star halfback was off the field, John Bateman, who had an acrimonious split with Wests Tigers, scored the opening try for North Queensland. Centre Jaxon Purdue also crossed in the 16th minute while the visitors were down a man. The Cowboys then took advantage of centre Doueihi making a temporary exit for a professional foul, with Scott Drinkwater crossing for an 18-6 halftime lead. That margin proved a mountain for the visitors, made larger just two minutes into the second stanza with Doueihi still off. Skilful second-rower Jeremiah Nanai, backing up from State of Origin duty, leapt high to take a kick and than raced to the line to score his team's fourth try. While the Tigers looked out on their feet in the second half, the Cowboys' other Queensland Origin stars Tom Dearden and Reuben Cotter also stood up. Dearden added a 57th-minute try to his two try assists for a 32-6 scoreline. The tide then turned for the Tigers in the 62nd minute when centre Starford To'a crossed for his second, after a first-half try. That was quickly backed up by five-eighth Heath Mason, and then Charlie Staines three minutes later, for a 32-24 scoreline to put the Cowboys crowd on edge. Bula had them on their feet with his late four-pointer but the home side managed to hang on for the win. North Queensland will move to sixth place on the competition ladder on the back of their first win since round eight. It's a third straight loss for the Tigers, who sit 13th.
News.com.au
9 hours ago
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
‘Just dumb': NRL world turns on star Tiger Jarome Luai
Life without Lachlan Galvin has not started well for Jarome Luai and the Wests Tigers. Teenage five-eighth Galvin finally got his wish and joined the Bulldogs on Friday, ending a drawn out saga as coach Benji Marshall injected youngster Heath Mason into his starting line-up to face North Queensland in Townsville. Marshall would have expected a strong showing from Luai, but his captain let himself and the side down with a series of infringements that led to 10 minutes in the bin in just the 12th minute of the match. In a horrendous display of ill discipline, it began with big Royce Hunt holding on for too long just outside his own try line and gifting the Cowboys another set. Enter Jarome Luai. In what could only be a brain explosion, or a misguided attempt to give his teammates a chance to reset their line, Luai twice held on for far too long in consecutive tackles, testing the patience of referee Gerard Sutton. The first may have had a little extra feeling when he clung onto former Tiger John Bateman, giving North Queensland yet another set. Sutton could be heard barking at Luai, but he didn't listen as he did it again on the next tackle on Cowboy Sam McIntyre. 'Luai again, oh, trouble. Gone. Luai is out of here for 10 minutes,' Dan Ginnane said on Fox League. Sutton said to Luai: 'That's three rucks, back to back to back, in the same set of possession. 'It's a mandatory sin bin. You had two six mores, then that, it doesn't matter.' Adding to the Tigers' woes, Api Koroisau was also placed on report for an infringement during the same Cowboys set. With the one-man advantage, North Queensland quickly scored tries through Bateman and Jaxon Purdue to break the game open. Tigers fans were absolutely livid with their skipper. 'Luai is supposed to be our captain but is letting us down with pathetic leadership. Really tough to watch,' was one comment on X. 'Luai showing his leadership qualities yet again,' said another sarcastically. 'Wests fans try tell us Luai is better than Galvin? The guy that crabs sideways all game, the guy with 1 try assist all season, the guy that gets binned for stupid continued ruck infringements letting his team down,' tweeted another. 'Well that's just idiotic from Luai there … could see that sin bin coming from a mile away,' wrote a fourth. A fifth claimed: 'Jarome Luai deserved to go there. It's so unnecessary for giving away a penalty as stupid as that and he then doubled down on it.' Other comments labelled Luai 'brain dead', 'just dumb' and he was accused of 'losing the plot'. One fan even had a cheeky dig at the club's contract drama, tweeting: 'Galvin wouldn't have done that.' The home side took a comfortable 18-6 lead into halftime, with Adam Doueihi also spending 10 minutes in the bin late in the first half as the Tigers fell apart. Starford To'a had given the visitors a little hope with a try in the 25th minute, but the Cowboys finished the half well on top. 'That will be all she wrote for the first half,' Ginnane said. 'Boy the Tigers make it hard for themselves.' Speaking during the break, Fox League's Yvonne Sampson said: 'Benji Marshall will be steaming on the discipline. 'It has spoiled any of the Wests Tigers' sense of adventure in Townsville so far. 'Jarome Luai, the sin bin, started off a chain reaction that really went in the Cowboys' favour.'
