Latest news with #NRLMagicRound
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Ghost field goal triggers Raiders' Magic Round win to leave Storm rueing ill discipline
Melbourne Storm's Stefano Utoikamanu was sent to the sin bin in the golden point period. Melbourne Storm's Stefano Utoikamanu was sent to the sin bin in the golden point period. Photograph:Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has cursed his team's ill-discipline after they gave away three late penalties to lose the final match of NRL Magic Round in golden point to Canberra 20-18, in a game that saw a crucial field goal kicked and then called back. The Victorians were cruising towards victory after Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen slotted a one-pointer that appeared to put his side up by seven with five minutes to go. Advertisement Related: Panthers rediscover their old magic as Nathan Cleary wizardry baffles Broncos | Jack Snape However, referee Gerard Sutton called play back due to a penalty for an elbow on the Raiders' Joe Tapine by Melbourne lock Trent Loiero – the ball-carrier in the preceding tackle – spotted by the bunker. Bellamy said he was disappointed. 'For the last couple of minutes, [there were] a couple of lapses in our discipline there [that] probably cost us,' he said. 'It's a pretty hard one to take.' After the field goal, the Storm players had run back into their half in preparation for a Raiders kick-off but had to reassemble when the bunker informed Sutton of Loiero's foul play. Advertisement Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said the referees got it right, although he agreed going back in time to uncover penalties was contentious. 'I don't think we can go back too many passages of play and want to have the bunker scrutinise something, but look, it was missed and picked up, so now we were fortunate,' he said. Following the incident, Canberra fullback Kaeo Weekes scored a sensational chip and chase try that allowed Jamal Fogarty's conversion to lock the scores up 18-18, then the Raiders claimed victory in golden point thanks to a penalty goal. Loiero was again the guilty party – this time for a high tackle – and the Raiders taunted the Queensland Origin player after Sutton blew his whistle. Advertisement Storm captain Cameron Munster said he told Loiero afterwards to learn from it. 'I've had the highs of highs and lows of lows, in those games you don't want to be that guy that clips the guy on the chin, and they go for two in the penalty,' he said. 'It's a crucial game, crucial point, I've been there, been in grand finals where I've done some silly stuff, so I've just gone up to him and said 'mate, learn from it'.' Loiero was forlorn at full-time, wandering off by himself after shaking hands with the euphoric Raiders. But he was not alone in his ill-discipline. Earlier in the golden point period, the Storm had another chance to take the lead with possession deep in the Raiders territory, but prop Stefano Utoikamanu appeared to step on Canberra hooker Tom Starling while he got up to play the ball. Advertisement Utoikamanu was sent to the sin bin along with Raiders' prop Josh Papali'i who rushed into the ensuing melee. 'To turn the ball over when you've got the ball 15 metres from their line, if he was in the wrong, well, [Utoikamanu] needs to pick his discipline up,' Bellamy said. 'At the end of the day, you can't be giving the ball away in those positions.' The victory takes Canberra to second place, ahead of a top-of-the-table clash against Canterbury at GIO Stadium on Saturday.
The Guardian
04-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Ghost field goal triggers Raiders' Magic Round win to leave Storm rueing ill discipline
Melbourne Storm coach Craig Bellamy has cursed his team's ill-discipline after they gave away three late penalties to lose the final match of NRL Magic Round in golden point to Canberra 20-18, in a game that saw a crucial field goal kicked and then called back. The Victorians were cruising towards victory after Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen slotted a one-pointer that appeared to put his side up by seven with five minutes to go. However, referee Gerard Sutton called play back due to a penalty for an elbow on the Raiders' Joe Tapine by Melbourne lock Trent Loiero – the ball-carrier in the preceding tackle – spotted by the bunker. Bellamy said he was disappointed. 'For the last couple of minutes, [there were] a couple of lapses in our discipline there [that] probably cost us,' he said. 'It's a pretty hard one to take.' After the field goal, the Storm players had run back into their half in preparation for a Raiders kick-off but had to reassemble when the bunker informed Sutton of Loiero's foul play. Raiders coach Ricky Stuart said the referees got it right, although he agreed going back in time to uncover penalties was contentious. 'I don't think we can go back too many passages of play and want to have the bunker scrutinise something, but look, it was missed and picked up, so now we were fortunate,' he said. Following the incident, Canberra fullback Kaeo Weekes scored a sensational chip and chase try that allowed Jamal Fogarty's conversion to lock the scores up 18-18, then the Raiders claimed victory in golden point thanks to a penalty goal. Loiero was again the guilty party – this time for a high tackle – and the Raiders taunted the Queensland Origin player after Sutton blew his whistle. Storm captain Cameron Munster said he told Loiero afterwards to learn from it. 'I've had the highs of highs and lows of lows, in those games you don't want to be that guy that clips the guy on the chin, and they go for two in the penalty,' he said. 'It's a crucial game, crucial point, I've been there, been in grand finals where I've done some silly stuff, so I've just gone up to him and said 'mate, learn from it'.' Sign up to Australia Sport Get a daily roundup of the latest sports news, features and comment from our Australian sports desk after newsletter promotion Loiero was forlorn at full-time, wandering off by himself after shaking hands with the euphoric Raiders. But he was not alone in his ill-discipline. Earlier in the golden point period, the Storm had another chance to take the lead with possession deep in the Raiders territory, but prop Stefano Utoikamanu appeared to step on Canberra hooker Tom Starling while he got up to play the ball. Utoikamanu was sent to the sin bin along with Raiders' prop Josh Papali'i who rushed into the ensuing melee. 'To turn the ball over when you've got the ball 15 metres from their line, if he was in the wrong, well, [Utoikamanu] needs to pick his discipline up,' Bellamy said. 'At the end of the day, you can't be giving the ball away in those positions.' The victory takes Canberra to second place, ahead of a top-of-the-table clash against Canterbury at GIO Stadium on Saturday.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Panthers rediscover their old magic as Nathan Cleary wizardry baffles Broncos
Nathan Cleary was back to his best in the Panthers' defeat of the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. Nathan Cleary was back to his best in the Panthers' defeat of the Brisbane Broncos at Suncorp Stadium. Photograph:Nathan Cleary was booed savagely when he was introduced to the Suncorp Stadium crowd on Sunday. He had been beaten to the ball by Ben Hunt for a sparkling early Broncos try. He had mis-kicked a first-half drop-out to ridicule from the stands. Then at 8-8 he was pulverised in a tackle by Brisbane's Kotoni Staggs. The great icon of the Penrith four-peat – like many of his team-mates – has not been himself in 2025, and Sunday was looking like another tough day. The Staggs hit was met with glee by the 50-odd thousand present, a rugby league community impatient for the end of the Panthers dynasty. Advertisement Related: Harmony of NRL Magic Round delivers antidote for election weekend But in this Magic Round rumble played between sun showers, the Penrith prince leapt off the turf and seized the spotlight. On the fourth tackle of a Panthers set, five minutes before half-time, there was no urgency from the Brisbane line. When Cleary shaped to kick, the 40m line – centimetres from Cleary's left toe – was suddenly flashing red. Penrith's interchange forward Luron Patea beat four defenders to plant the ball on the line soon afterwards, but everyone knew the try was thanks to Cleary's 40/20. 'He's got that in him hasn't he,' Broncos coach Michael Maguire rued. 'It's this time of year too where they start to rise.' Cleary wasn't finished. Three minutes later, with sleight of hand appropriate for Magic Round, the No 7 shaped to the blind and five defenders fell under the spell. His left foot step – reminiscent of the one that took the Panthers past the Broncos in the 2023 grand final – carried him through untouched. Advertisement The echo of that painful night wasn't lost on Broncos half Adam Reynolds. 'He comes up with some great plays out there, he's an integral part that team and the reason why they've had so much success,' he said. 'He's obviously among the elite in the game at the moment.' Panthers coach and Nathan's father Ivan Cleary admitted with a smile that the 2023 flashback was 'a good omen' in a victory that finished 32-8. Isaah Yeo said his co-captain had made a difference in the big moments. 'He's been playing well, but obviously off the back of losses, that's probably where question marks happen,' he said. The premiers are decided in October, so rugby league in May is usually more concerned about Origin speculation, or the performance of referees. This was the bottom-placed team versus one hoping to consolidate their place in the top four. In an ordinary NRL season, these are ingredients for a forgettable fixture. But between the lines there were novels to read. Magic Round marks the end of the first third of the competition, before the six weeks when Origin wrenches players from club duty and muddies the form guide. It is also the one weekend where the world of rugby league is watching, and there is nowhere to hide. Advertisement Related: Su'A's spellbinding blunder costs Dragons dear in NRL Magic Round The Panthers had been in the top three by the end of round 10 every season since 2020. This year, the four-time defending premiers woke up on the Sunday of Magic Round on the bottom of the ladder. They had lost games early with porous defence, they had given up close contests with lack of discipline and ruthlessness, they had collected injuries like eggs in a bird flu scare. So numerous, so diverse were their issues, it was hard to decipher how they had fallen so far. And so while the rhetoric of the players and coach Cleary might be about working day-by-day, week-to-week, game-on-game, the ladder – together with an impending six weeks of Origin absences – showed things were getting urgent. Their opponents had just walloped the table-topping Bulldogs, and veteran halves Adam Reynolds and Ben Hunt – a septuagenarian pairing when the No 7 celebrates his birthday in July – showed early on that rugby league is not necessarily a young man's game. A teasing Reynolds kick dropped beneath the crossbar as Hunt soared over Cleary and used the right goalpost to evade fullback Dylan Edwards. Advertisement But after Cleary's composed chip put Izack Tago over, the Broncos lost their way. In an unusual admission, Maguire said he was at fault for the Panthers' surge late in the second half with his decisions in play and interchanges. 'You can write however you want on that one, but that period of the game there, I'm going to wear that in what was played out there,' he said. The Panthers recorded this crucial win following an earlier victory by the competition's early pacesetters Canterbury, who defeated the Titans 38-18 thanks to a hat-trick from winger Jacob Kiraz. As the premiership contenders for 2025 emerge, Ivan Cleary said the Panthers – whom he described as a 'new team' this year – were still overcoming the challenges of new combinations and a lack of training. 'There's reasons for why we are where we are,' he said. 'But I don't really think we're that far off.'
NZ Herald
03-05-2025
- Sport
- NZ Herald
Warriors v Cowboys: Live updates from NRL Magic Round in Brisbane
All the action as the Warriors clash with the North Queensland Cowboys at NRL Magic Round in Brisbane. As the Warriors hunt a third straight victory in Saturday's Magic Round NRL clash against the North Queensland Cowboys in Brisbane, coach Andrew Webster has named an unchanged starting side. Following last week's victory over the Newcastle Knights in Christchurch, the Warriors have not changed the 13 who ran out as starters. Marata Niukore remains at prop, despite his early sin-binning against the Knights, and partners captain Mitch Barnett in the front row. That move has Leka Halasima continuing in the second row, while Jackson Ford starts on the bench, where he will also cover prop. Jacob Laban moves out of the first 17 names, as he goes through the NRL's concussion protocols as the only change from the match-day side that defeated Newcastle. In his place, Te Maire Martin comes on to the bench in the No 14 jersey, while youngster Eddie Ieremia-Toeava moves into the extended side. The Warriors will draw on the inspiration of 2024, when they travelled to Magic Round and defeated reigning premiers the Penrith Panthers, despite missing a host of their best players to unavailability. Their opponents, the Cowboys, head to Brisbane sixth on the ladder with four wins and three defeats. All four of those victories have come in the last five rounds, with a bye in between after the Cowboys lost their three opening matches of 2025. However, the Warriors are currently on a three-game winning streak against North Queensland, with two of those victories coming away from home. Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Taine Tuaupiki, 3. Rocco Berry, 4. Ali Leiataua, 5. Adam Pompey, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Luke Metcalf, 8. Marata Niukore, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Mitch Barnett (c), 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Leka Halasima, 13. Erin Clark Interchange (from): 14. Te Maire Martin, 15. Jackson Ford, 16. Demetric Vaimauga, 17. Bunty Afoa, 18. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 20. Samuel Healey, 21. Tanah Boyd, 22. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava, 23. Edward Kosi
Daily Mail
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Forget NRL in Vegas. Hollywood has come to Brisbane for starstruck footy fans at Magic Round
Footy fans that have swarmed on Brisbane for the NRL Magic Round had an unexpected brush with Hollywood on Saturday morning, as actor Owen Wilson was spotted strolling down the iconic Caxton Street. Footy fans enjoying some early morning drinks were stunned to see the Wedding Crashers star casually walking by in a beige suit and white shoes. 'Owen, Owen come for a beer,' one excited fan shouted, capturing the moment on camera. Wilson, seemingly in good spirits, pumped his fist in acknowledgement but kept moving down the street. Cheers of 'Yeah!' and 'WOW' echoed from the nearby pub crowd as the actor disappeared down the street. 'It's surreal,' said one fan. 'You come for the footy and end up spotting Owen Wilson.' Owen Wilson has made it to Magic Round 🏉 — Eden Richards (@Eden_Richards) May 3, 2025 Footy fans from around Australia have descended on Brisbane for Magic Round which features every match of the round at one venue The sighting marks Wilson's latest public appearance in Brisbane while filming his upcoming action-thriller Runner. Earlier in the week, he was seen at New Farm Park, where scenes for the movie were being filmed near the Hopetoun Way end of the grounds. Locals observed cameras, production equipment and film crews setting up as Wilson relaxed on a park bench in a pink button-up shirt. Rumours initially swirled online questioning whether the star had actually arrived, with some users speculating it was a clever fake. But those doubts were laid to rest after multiple public sightings and verified social media footage confirmed his presence in Queensland. Production of Runner, directed by Expendables 4 filmmaker Scott Waugh, began in Brisbane and the Gold Coast on March 31. Wilson stars alongside Reacher actor Alan Ritchson in the big-budget action film. The story follows courier Hank Malone [Ritchson], who must deliver a lifesaving organ to a critically ill seven-year-old girl. Reacher actor Alan Ritchson is spotted jogging on the Gold Coast during his time in Australia to film Runner What begins as a high-stakes medical delivery quickly descends into chaos as dangerous forces intervene. Wilson plays Ben, a fellow medical courier who is reluctantly swept into the deadly mission. Unlike many international productions shot in Queensland, Runner will showcase Brisbane and the Gold Coast as themselves. Footage posted online Saturday also showed large film crews and blackout screens in the streets of the CBD. Some roads appeared shut to the public as filming got underway. The production is expected to inject $20 million into the Queensland economy, with support from Screen Queensland's Production Attraction Strategy. Nearly 90 local jobs are set to be created through the project, benefiting both cast and crew. Wilson's unexpected appearances have added an extra layer of excitement to Brisbane's already buzzing Magic Round. Caxton Street is the iconic entertainment district beside Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane with plenty of watering holes for thirsty footy fans The NRL Magic Round is a three-day rugby league festival held annually at Suncorp Stadium. Since its inception in 2019, Brisbane has become a hub for fans nationwide during the event. All eight matches of the round are played at the one venue, with supporters travelling from across Australia to soak up the action. The 2025 edition of Magic Round included a double-header on Friday and triple-headers on Saturday and Sunday. Thursday night also hosted the opening game of the Women's State of Origin series. Beyond the games, the city transforms into a carnival of rugby league with fan zones, community events, and live entertainment. Nowhere is this atmosphere more electric than along Caxton Street. Located near Suncorp Stadium, Caxton Street is the heart of pre- and post-game celebrations in Brisbane. During Magic Round, the street is lined with fans clad in jerseys, packing into pubs and restaurants.
