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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Missing detail about Toby Sexton called out after Bulldogs axing for Lachie Galvin
Former NRL premiership winner Matty Johns has leapt to the defence of axed Bulldogs halfback Toby Sexton after flipping the narrative around teammate Lachie Galvin on its head. Canterbury coach Cameron Ciraldo made the brutal decision to dump Sexton in favour of Galvin for last week's nail-biting two-point win over the Dragons. The move ultimately paid dividends with Galvin setting up the match-winning try in the dying stages after throwing a superb cut-out pass to Jethro Rinakama. But it was hardly a dominant performance from the star recruit, who showed flashes of brilliance but still struggled to help take the Bulldogs attack to the next level. Ciraldo has spoken about the need to evolve his side's attack and come up with ways to try and break down the best teams and defensive structures in the competition. It's why many believe Ciraldo made the right choice by replacing Sexton with Galvin, after pointing out some of the unflattering attacking stats of the axed No.7. It was widely publicised before Sexton was dropped that he had not registered a single try assist in his past seven games. And critics also pointed out that he had the fewest try assists and line breaks of any of the halfbacks in the top four teams this season. Matty Johns takes aim at 'stats' after defending Toby Sexton But Johns said it was 'disrespectful' to discredit a player that had helped turn the previously struggling Bulldogs into a genuine premiership contender and said the stats don't tell the whole story. "One thing that does irk me a bit is the stat sheet that has been released to all the journalists on Toby Sexton," Johns began saying on SEN radio. "Saying 'oh look at this he's only got two this and that'. I just think that's so disrespectful given where Toby has taken that team. I just think he deserves a lot better than that. So it's pretty crook. "Stats tell a lie a lot of the time. And for Toby, yes he's not doing the same amount of try assists as Nathan (Cleary), those guys. But sometimes when you're in the halves it's the things you don't do that are really important. Like pushing your passes, overstepping your bounds and things like that. "Regardless of what he's done and try assists and what appears on the stats sheet, he has taken the Dogs - look where they were when he walked into that team - and look where they are now. And a lot of that is (down to) Toby." Ironically, some of the stats actually back up Johns' argument. One glance at the Bulldogs' win-loss record with and without Sexton, illustrates his influence on the team. Across the last two seasons, the Dogs have won just three of nine games (33%) when Sexton has not been playing, compared to 23 of 32 games (71.9%) when he has been in the team. RELATED: Major blow for Panthers as two players sign with Dragons Cameron Smith flags new role after missing gig to Kevin Walters But while former Bulldogs premiership winner Braith Anasta admitted that Sexton has done a sensational job at No.7 for the Dogs, he feels Galvin can ultimately take them to that next level to potentially win a premiership. 'It's not about winning right now, games, it's about winning the comp,' he said on NRL 360. 'That's the big shift here. They can win, they know they can win club games, and when it gets to the finals, we all know, the level goes up, it's elite, it's the best of the best, you've got to find another level. And they haven't found that for a while now, and they're looking for it.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scary Panthers detail that backs up huge NRL premiership call from club legend
Penrith's six-game winning streak has put their NRL rivals on notice and left Panthers legend Scott Sattler convinced they can win a fifth-straight premiership this season. And one scary detail from their resurgent form backs up Sattler's assertion, and should serve as a warning to Penrith's fellow premiership contenders. During their six-game winning run from round 13, the Panthers have only conceded a competition-best 11 points per game in a stunning return to their defensive best. One moment from Penrith's most recent win against South Sydney in round 20 highlighted their steely resolve when Tyrone Munro looked destined to score out wide in the second half, only to be held up over the tryline after some desperate, scrambling defence from the Panthers. Led by fullback Dylan Edwards, it was the type of play that has become synonymous with the Panthers in recent seasons and was a far cry from their displays earlier this season. Penrith were dead-last two months ago when they were averaging more than 24 points against, across the opening 12 rounds. And it's no coincidence that their surge into sixth spot on the ladder has coincided with a transformation into the NRL's best defensive side across that period. Penrith's NRL dynasty has been built around their work without the ball and Ivan Cleary's side only averaged more than 16 points against per game in one season since 2020, when they played in the first of five consecutive grand finals. The one outlier was their 2022 premiership season when Penrith conceded 23.3 points per game. Penrith rediscover their NRL premiership-winning defence However, Penrith's 11 points against per game across their last six victories is better than their premiership seasons, with the club conceding an average of 13.2 points between 2020 and 2024. "You can just feel like we're more resilient, we're stopping tries, we're making it hard for the opposition," captain Isaah Yeo said. "Whereas that wasn't really the case for the first half of the season. "They'd go down on our end in the first set, they'd put on a play, it wasn't under pressure, and all of a sudden they're scoring. "But we're trusting the system a bit more, we're being a bit more proactive, particularly at the start of the games. We've relied on that for such a long period of time now, and we didn't have that for the first half of the season." During their current winning streak, Penrith have only let in seven first-half tries, compared to 27 in their opening 11 matches and it's a major factor behind their return to form. "Off the back of that, you get in the game style you want. You get more ball in play. It all flows so much into each other," Yeo added. "When we're defending well, it keeps the ball in play more. The flip side of that, when you're having to score points and get frantic ... it doesn't suit the way we've played over the last five or six years. We were having to tackle way too much because of the pressure we were putting on ourselves." RELATED: Tigers star linked with switch to rival clubs as medical detail emerges Broncos' cap squeeze could claim another star as 'formal' offers touted Tigers player escapes charge over tackle that left superstar injured Penrith's resurgence is even more impressive when you consider they've been missing some or all of their Origin stars for games during their six-match winning streak. And it's little wonder that Penrith legend Sattler is convinced they can go on and claim an unprecedented fifth straight NRL premiership this year. 'They can, based on the aura... and it doesn't matter if they finish 5th or 6th, cause a home elimination/semi-final to them is irrelevant," Sattler said on SEN radio this week. 'And they've got players that know how to win and how to prepare.' with AAP
News.com.au
a day ago
- Sport
- News.com.au
Ben Thompson has been a keen observer in the fascinating duel for the Brisbane jockeys' premiership
Like many others in Queensland racing, Ben Thompson has been a keen observer in the fascinating duel for the Brisbane jockeys' premiership between Angela Jones and Emily Lang. But the women may want to enjoy their time in the spotlight because Thompson plans to take the crown from the eventual champion next season. The 27-year-old Thompson returned home to Brisbane on Thursday night from his 18-month stint in Hong Kong after steering Storming Dragon to a narrow runner-up finish in his farewell ride in a Class 3 Handicap (1200m) last Wednesday at Happy Valley. 'It was nearly the fairytale finish to this chapter but the next-best result,' he said. Thompson is enjoying a short break with his family – wife Stephanie and young son Harry – before returning to trackwork at the end of this week in preparation for his racing comeback at Eagle Farm on Saturday week. And he's been watching with interest as Lang and Jones, who have both served suspensions for careless riding this month, are locked in a thrilling battle to become the first female to win a Brisbane jockeys' title. Jones leads the metro standings with 64 wins, two ahead of apprentice Lang, who returns from an eight-day suspension on Wednesday at Eagle Farm. • Brisbane trainers hatch plans for ex-Godolphin gallopers 'It seems to be what happens in these duels late in the season when there's a premiership up for grabs,' Thompson said of the dramatic circumstances surrounding the shootout. 'Both ladies have obviously had fantastic seasons and made every post a winner since they started riding. 'They're both brilliant riders. If someone had a crystal ball and said that Ang and Emily would be fighting it out for the premiership, it would come as no surprise to anyone. 'It speaks volumes too, albeit Emily is an apprentice to Tony Gollan, that both riders have the full support of the state's leader trainer and one of the country's top trainers.' In another boost for the rapid rise of women jockeys in Australia, Thompson noted that Rochelle Milnes (44 wins) was four ahead of Lachlan Neindorf in the South Australian metro premiership jockeys' race. In Victoria, it's an all-male metro jockeys' battle but a thrilling one nonetheless between champion hoops Blake Shinn (71 wins) and Craig Williams (66). Group 1 -winning jockey Thompson has never won a Brisbane jockeys' premiership but it is a goal he's determined to tick off once the new season starts on August 1. 'It's funny with racing because it feels like it never ends in a sense but the premiership does count for a lot,' he said. 'It's something I'd love to achieve. Hopefully it can be a good season for myself.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Storm hit with NRL premiership truth bomb as legend makes huge call on Panthers
League great Greg Alexander has cast doubts over suggestions the Melbourne Storm are NRL premiership favourites this year and has tipped the Raiders to beat them to the minor premiership. While fellow Penrith legend Scott Sattler says the stunning form of the resurgent Panthers has convinced him they can win a fifth straight grand final in 2025. The Storm's hopes of ending the regular season on top of the ladder took a hit on Saturday night when they went down by two points to Manly in a 16-18 nail-biter at AAMI stadium. Melbourne were seven wins from seven at home before that defeat to the Sea Eagles and saw their six-game NRL winning streak snapped after a gutsy display from Manly. It sparked fresh questions about whether the third-placed Storm deserved to be considered favourites to win the grand final this season. Craig Bellamy's side were still without superstar fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, who missed his third game in a row with a calf strain. His return will be a massive boost for Melbourne's premiership hopes but Alexander says he's still not completely convinced they're the team to beat. "It's hard to go past Papenhuyzen, Munster, Hughes and Grant. That's the best spine in the game," Alexander said on SEN radio. "The size of the pack, the middles, (Trent) Loiero's an Origin player. Nelson (Asofa-Solomona), Stefano (Utoikamanu), Josh King, it's a big middle and they've got some quality players coming off the bench. "So I guess they are (premiership favourites) but they haven't set the world on fire and if you have a look at the six wins and who they've been against, they got beaten by the Sharks and then went on a six-game run. They beat the Titans, the Cowboys twice, the Bunnies, the Sharks - who were in a hell of a hole when they beat them - and Newcastle." Alexander says while the Storm have been short-priced favourites to win the premiership all season, he sees the same sort of inconsistencies in their displays as other rivals, save from perhaps the ladder-leading Raiders. "They will be the minor premiers, he said about Ricky Stuart's Canberra side. "The run they have home certainly favours the Raiders, who showed again just how dangerous they can be with the ball. They were down against the Eels but they destroyed them in the second half with five tries." The injury-hit Warriors are the only team currently in the top six who Alexander has written off as premiership contenders. But he believes any of the Raiders, Bulldogs, Broncos or Panthers are capable of preventing the Storm from winning the grand final. RELATED: Tigers player escapes charge over tackle that left superstar injured Craig Bellamy flags further absence for Storm star Cameron Munster Latrell moment says it all as Souths cop another season-ending blow Penrith legend backs club to win a fifth straight premiership And fellow Panthers legend Sattler is convinced his former club can win an unprecedented fifth straight NRL premiership after extending their winning streak to six games with Friday night's 30-10 win against South Sydney. 'They can, based on the aura... and it doesn't matter if they finish 5th or 6th, cause a home elimination/semi-final to them is irrelevant," Sattler said on SEN radio. 'And they've got players that know how to win and how to prepare.' The Panthers sat dead-last after 12 rounds and many had written off their chances in 2025 but Ivan Cleary's side are now up into sixth after their stunning resurgence. And veteran league reporter Andrew Webster backed Sattler's call about the Panthers and believes their Origin stars will have extra motivation to win another comp after their heartbreaking series loss with NSW. 'When Queensland lose (in Origin), those Melbourne Storm Queenslanders usually rise to the occasion and they go pretty close (to winning),' he said on SEN. 'I reckon that could be the case for Penrith. That will be the motivation for the likes of (Liam) Martin, (Dylan) Edwards, Cleary, Yeo and (Brian) To'o. They go to a new level, and they are a different team in September, and that's how they approach it.'
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Japan PM faces reckoning in upper house election
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba faces a reckoning from voters on Sunday with upper house elections that could end his premiership and see a right-wing populist party make inroads. With many Japanese hurt by rising prices, especially for rice, opinion polls suggest that Ishiba's governing coalition could lose its majority in the upper house. This could be the final nail for Ishiba, having already been humiliatingly forced into a minority government after lower house elections in October. "Ishiba may need to step down," Toru Yoshida, a politics professor at Doshisha University, told AFP. Japan could "step into an unknown dimension of the ruling government being a minority in both the lower house and the upper house, which Japan has never experienced since World War II," Yoshida said. At one of Tokyo's polling stations on Sunday, 54-year-old voter Atsushi Matsuura told AFP "Commodity prices are going up, but I am more worried that salaries aren't increasing." Another voter Hisayo Kojima, 65, expressed frustration that the amount of her pension "is being cut shorter and shorter". "We have paid a lot to support the pension system. This is the most pressing issue for me," she said. Ishiba's centre-right Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has governed Japan almost continuously since 1955, albeit with frequent changes of leader. Ishiba, 68, a self-avowed defence "geek" and train enthusiast, reached the top of the greasy pole last September on his fifth attempt and immediately called elections. But this backfired and the vote left the LDP and its small coalition partner Komeito needing support from opposition parties, stymying its legislative agenda. "Energy prices have swung sharply in recent months, as the government has flip-flopped between removing aid for household energy bills and adding new supports," said Stefan Angrick at Moody's Analytics. - Trumped - Out of 248 seats in the upper house, 125 are up for grabs on Sunday. The coalition needs 50 of these to keep a majority. Not helping is lingering resentment about an LDP funding scandal, and US tariffs of 25 percent due to bite from August 1 if there is no trade deal with the United States. Japan's massive auto industry, which accounts for eight percent of the country's jobs, is reeling from painful levies already in place. Weak export data last week stoked fears that the world's fourth-largest economy could tip into a technical recession. Despite Ishiba securing an early meeting with US President Donald Trump in February, and sending his trade envoy to Washington seven times, there has been no accord. Trump poured cold water on the prospects of an agreement last week, saying Japan won't "open up their country". "We will not easily compromise," Ishiba said this month. Ishiba's apparently maximalist strategy of insisting all tariffs are cut to zero -- although this could change post-election -- has also drawn criticism. "How well his government is able to handle negotiations over US tariffs is extremely important, as it's important for the LDP to increase trust among the public," Masahisa Endo, politics professor at Waseda University, told AFP. - 'Japanese first' - The last time the LDP and Komeito failed to win a majority in the upper house was in 2010, having already fallen below the threshold in 2007. That was followed by a rare change of government in 2009, when the now-defunct Democratic Party of Japan governed for a rocky three years. Today the opposition is fragmented, and chances are slim that the parties can form an alternative government. One making inroads is the "Japanese-first" Sanseito, which opinion poll suggest could win more than 10 upper house seats, up from two now. The party wants "stricter rules and limits" on immigration, opposes "globalism" and "radical" gender policies, and wants a re-think on decarbonisation and vaccines. Last week it was forced to deny any links to Moscow -- which has backed populist parties elsewhere -- after a candidate was interviewed by Russian state media. "They put into words what I had been thinking about but couldn't put into words for many years," one voter told AFP at a Sanseito rally. bur-stu/oh/dhw Solve the daily Crossword
