Tag: live blog

Reece Walsh scores try of the year contender as Broncos beat the Tigers, Panthers hold on over impressive Cowboys

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Brisbane’s superstar fullback Reece Walsh had an eventful Saturday evening, scoring two tries, vomiting on the field and limping off with cramp in the Broncos’ win over Wests Tigers.

Last year’s grand finalists were too good for the Tigers, running in six tries to two in the 34-10 win at Campbelltown Stadium.

Walsh was in the thick of the action from the kick-off, playing a pivotal role in Brisbane’s opening try in the sixth minute, before scoring two of his own.

The fullback finished off one of the best tries of the season for the Broncos, who crossed the line on the stroke of half-time following a cross-field kick 60 metres out which was collected by winger Deine Mariner.

There was concern for Walsh late in the game when he was grabbing at his left calf following a 60-metre line break.

But the fullback was suffering from bad cramp, also throwing up on the field with 10 minutes left in the game.

Walsh told ABC Sport he may need to make a few adjustments to his preparation.

“I was cramping and spewing up a little bit there but I’ll probably have a chat to the dietician and see what we can work on so I can get that s*** stuff out,” he said.

Brisbane captain Adam Reynolds also suffered from cramping towards the end of his return.

The Broncos finished the game with 12 men, with Reynolds limping off the field despite the team not having any interchanges left.

Penrith survives late scare against Cowboys

The Penrith Panthers have held off a fast-finishing North Queensland Cowboys to record a 26-20 win in Townsville.

The premiers led 24-4 after 45 minutes on Saturday evening before the Cowboys made a resurgence.

The home side scored the final three tries of the match, and came close to sending the game to golden point in the final minutes.

But Penrith held firm in Nathan Clearly’s return.

The Panthers were their own worst enemy at times especially in the second half, turning the ball over and giving away penalties which put them under pressure.

Captain Isaah Yeo told ABC Sport his side had “things to fix” moving forward.

“I thought we did alright to hold on, but we’re just making it hard on ourselves at the minute,” he said.

“Got out of jail on that one, I think.”

Despite conceding three second half tries, Penrith will be pleased by their defensive effort, particularly in the first 40 minutes.

They kept North Queensland to just four points in the opening half, despite the Cowboys enjoying the better of possession and territory. 

Meanwhile, North Queensland will rue their mistakes.

An interception by Paul Almaoti off a Scott Drink Water pass in the final seconds of the first half extended the Panthers’ lead to 18-4.

Penrith secured the 24-4 lead early in the second half when Liam Martin collected a Semi Valemei drop ball to score.

For all tonight’s NRL action, follow the live blog below, keep up to date with all the latest stats in our ScoreCentre, and tune in to our live radio coverage.

Key events

NRL Saturday Live Scores

That is all for the Saturday rugby league blog

We were treated to a pair of really good games.

Brisbane and Penrith were the winners, but Wests and North Queensland were in the fight.

Thank-you for reading the ABC live blog through out the evening.

We will be back again tomorrow for the final two games of round eight.

Goodnight.

Chad Townsend reflects on 250 NRL games

18 tackle breaks from Brian To’o tonight

I had to take a second look at that statistic.

Brian To’o broke 18 tackles.

He scored a try and was solid in defence. A great 100th NRL match.

Isaah Yeo says Panthers ‘got out of jail’ against Cowboys

Penrith captain has spoken to ABC Sport following his side’s 26-20 win over the North Queensland Cowboys.

Yeo said errors were making life hard for the Panthers.

“I thought we did alright to hold on, but we’re just making it hard on ourselves at the minute,” he said.

“Two points is nice, but things to fix.

“Got out of jail on that one, I think.”

FT: Pentrith hold on to defeat North Queensland 26-20

What a fight back from the Cowboys.

They will rue the intercept try on half time, and the drop ball which led to the try in the 44th minute.

But full credit to the Panthers.

Three starters were late withdrawals. But it didn’t matter.

It is next man up for the premiers.

Great game.

79′: Holmes knocks on and the Panthers will win

North Queensland were so close.

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki carried five Panthers over the try line, but was held up.

Valentine Holmes takes a crash ball, but he bobbles it.

Penrith will win.

78′: Chad Townsend is clutching his leg, Cowboys get a penalty 40 metres out

It looked like a turnover of possession, but the Cowboys said a player was held back following a chip and chase.

The Bunker agrees.

They have a penalty 40 metres out, with two minutes to play.

Townsend was down, but he is back up.

77′: Cowboys hold on with great goal line defence

The Cowboys survive.

They have three minutes to get one more try.

Dylan Edwards looked like he was going to score, but the home side held him out.

Can they march down the field?

73′: Semi Valemei spills another high ball. Penrith on the attack

Poor Semi Valemei.

He has dropped another high ball from Nathan Cleary.

Second one of the half.

Not the best catching technique.

But his teammates bail him out. Cowboys concede a goal line dropout and they regather it.

71′: Panthers get a penalty in front as Cowboys suffer head clash

Penrith marched downfield with the help of a penalty for a crusher tackle.

The Panthers are looking to end the game right here.

High tackle. Penalty Penrith.

Oh, there is a head clash between two Cowboy players involved in the offending tackle.

Reuber Cotter and Reece Robson hit each other.

Robson is bleeding under his cheekbone.

Nathan Cleary kicks the goal and Penrith lead 26-20.

68′: Cowboys full of running but Penrith hold firm

North Queensland are really asking questions of the premiers.

Jeremiah Nanai nearly crossed the line again, but 
Jarome Luai made a brilliant leg tackle.

Panthers hold on.

61′ TRY: Cowboys are back with another try after helping penalties

It’s three tries in a row for Jeremiah Nanai.

The Cowboys are marching here.

North Queensland received back-to-back penalties. Both were high tackles from Taylan May.

The Cowboys convert their great field position. They have found a method to success — and it is running hard.

They tried going around the Panthers’ defence in the first half.

In the second half, they have run right though the middle.

This time Jeremiah Nanai gets the short ball near the line and crashes over.

54′ TRY: Cowboys score again

Kulikefu Finefeuiaki scores for the Cowboys.

North Queensland get rewarded for weight of possession.

Penrith worked so hard in defence, but eventually, the Cowboys figured out the puzzle.

The key was patience. They kept the pressure on.

Then Scott Drinkwater went from dummy half to the short-side, passed to Holmes, who then gave it to Kulikefu Finefeuiaki who crashed over.

Holmes is one from three with the boot.

Panthers lead 24-14.

52′: Cowboys go close to scoring. They have another set at the Panthers’ line

The Cowboys marched up the field off the kick-off.

Kyle Feldt made a big run.

North Queensland get a few set restarts for infringements and forces a goal line drop out.

Can the Cowboys score again?

49′ TRY: Holmes goes over for the Cowboys

And it takes them one play to score.

Valentine Holmes gets the ball off the scrum (second scrum after an offside penalty was awarded) and he steps off his left foot and crashes over.

Liam Martin was unable to bring him down.

Penrith lead 24-10.

48′: Cowboys get a chance after Dylan Edwards knock-on

The Cowboys get a full set from 10 metres out.

Dylan Edwards drops the ball.

It was probably knocked out by a Cowboy, but the Panthers have wasted their challenge.

44′ TRY: Panthers score a soft try. Cleary kicks his 600th goal for Penrith

Liam Martin has been given a gift.

Cowboys’ winger Semi Valemei dropped a fairly innocuous high-kick, and Martin collected the ball in stride and crashed over.

Nathan Cleary kicks the conversion. That is his 600th goal for the Panthers.

Reaction from Brisbane’s win over Wests: Adam Reynolds

Adam Reynolds joined ABC Sport after Brisbane’s win over the Tigers.

After being told Payne Haas called him a fossil following cramps, Adam Reynolds said that is one of the nicer things he gets called at Red Hill.

“Cramps … not the best. I cop all sorts of nicknames at the club, that’s (fossil) probably one of the nicer ones.”

Reaction from Brisbane’s win over Wests: Reece Walsh

Reece Walsh has spoken to ABC Sport after his eventful evening in Campbelltown.

“I was cramping and spewing up a little bit there but I’ll probably have a chat to the dietician and see what we can work on so I can get that s*** stuff out,”

Sports content to make you think… or allow you not to. A newsletter delivered each Saturday.

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Robinson says he won’t blame bunker for Roosters loss despite crucial call

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Trent Robinson has refused to blame a pivotal obstruction call from the bunker for his team’s 22-16 loss to Penrith.

But the coach questioned whether the bunker had been consistent in applying its rules after a similar play went unpunished in the lead-up to a Penrith try on Thursday night.

Joey Manu appeared to have scored the Roosters’ first four-pointer after he charged through opposite centre Taylan May to plant the ball on the Sydney Football Stadium turf.

But the bunker spotted Roosters prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves collecting Penrith’s Dylan Edwards as he followed through on a decoy run and rescinded the try.

The Roosters dropped back to 12-0, their momentum stifled.

The call eventually proved significant in the outcome of the game as the Panthers held their fast-finishing hosts off for a six-point win.

It was also brought into sharper focus when Penrith’s Liam Martin collided with two Roosters in the lead-up to a Sunia Turuva four-pointer in the second half, only for that try to stand.

Martin bounced between Sitili Tupouniua and Luke Keary, with the first Rooster falling to the turf and the second having his run impacted in attempting to reach the play.

“(The Manu no try) is a bit like how Sitili got knocked over in our one,” Robinson said.

“Was he going to save the try? No, he wasn’t.

“I don’t think (Edwards) would’ve got there either on Joey Manu. But anyway.”

The issue as Robinson saw it was that the first call had applied the obstruction rule to the letter, while the second had used discretion to determine the Roosters’ defenders were unlikely to have made it to Turuva and save a try.

“What was the judgement on, I guess is what we’re asking,” Robnson said.

“Is it, was Luke or Sitili going to get there, or was Edwards going to get there? Or is it the rule on the obstruction?

“I feel like there was two different rulings in that case. One was given, ‘Yeah, it’s an obstruction but we think it would’ve got one’ and the other one didn’t get the benefit of the doubt.”

Roosters captain James Tedesco was frustrated by the call, claiming a player who appealed for a penalty would be likelier to secure one.

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Matildas qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics with 10-nil thrashing of Uzbekistan

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The ruthless Matildas have thrashed Uzbekistan 10-0 to qualify for the Paris Olympic Games in style, with Michelle Heyman scoring four goals to put her hand up for a ticket to Paris.

Australia led the tie 3-0 after Saturday’s first leg in Tashkent but blew Uzbekistan out of the water to win 13-0 on aggregate, with Caitlin Foord, Kaitlyn Torpey, Mary Fowler, Hayley Raso and Amy Sayer also scoring.

Temperatures hit 36C in Melbourne earlier on Wednesday, but it didn’t deter a crowd of 54,120, which included Olympic greats Cathy Freeman and Anna Meares.

The Matildas took the lead inside 34 seconds at Marvel Stadium and never looked back, with Fowler at her spellbinding best in an eight-goal first-half rout.

Heyman, 35, who also scored in Tashkent, replaced Emily van Egmond for her first international start since March 2018.

The striker’s movement and guile proved far too hot for Uzbekistan to handle as she snared a hat-trick inside the first 16 minutes.

Second-gamer Torpey, 23, had a hand in three goals and scored her first international goal in her own compelling audition for the 18-player Olympics squad.

Australia took the lead when Torpey’s squaring ball deflected off Uzbek defender Dilrabo Asadova for an own goal.

Three minutes later, Fowler launched a diagonal ball from the left and Torpey brilliantly stuck out her right leg to cut the ball across goal.

Clare Hunt fluffed her shot but Heyman was on hand to tuck it away.

For the third, in the eighth minute, Steph Catley lofted a ball in from the left that dipped for Heyman to nod home.

Heyman sealed her hat-trick when Fowler threaded a great ball behind the Uzbek defence for the striker to put away.

Torpey scored the fifth in the 22nd minute when Uzbekistan failed to clear a corner and she rifled a close-range strike into the roof of the net.

Rarely troubled, Mackenzie Arnold made a strong save to deny Uzbekistan captain Lyudmila Karachik in the 28th minute.

Six minutes later, Katrina Gorry picked out Fowler with a wonderful inside pass and the playmaker rifled home.

In the 38th minute, Uzbekistan failed to deal with a Kyra Cooney-Cross free kick and Foord pounced for Australia’s seventh.

On the stroke of half-time, Uzbekistan cleared a corner off the line but Torpey squared it for Heyman to stoop and head home her fourth.

Heyman, Foord, Gorry and Ellie Carpenter came off at half-time, for Sayer, Tameka Yallop, van Egmond and Raso, while Charli Grant replaced Catley in the 65th minute.

Raso rifled home in the 68th while Sayer’s first international goal in the fourth minute of injury time put an exclamation mark on the victory.

Check out how the game unfolded in our live blog below.

Key events

Final thoughts

Well, what a way to qualify for your third Olympic Games in a row!

An absolute masterclass from the Matildas saw them sweep aside the underdog Uzbeks, taking out the two-legged tie 13-0 on aggregate.

The first half was particularly brutal, with the tone set within the first 45 seconds by Kaitlyn Torpey’s torpedo cross that was spun into the net by an Uzbekistan defender.

The goals came thick and fast after that, with Michelle Heyman scoring four in the first 45 minutes alone.

Torpey, Mary Fowler, Caitlin Foord, Hayley Raso, and Amy Sayer all added to the scoreboard, and while a host of rotations made the second half a little less thrilling, there is very little to complain about from this completely dominant display by Australia’s fave sports team.

The players are about to be congratulated with a special presentation on the field: a giant “QUALIFIED” sign has been set up on half-way, with a giant novelty plane ticket being presented to them by Olympic legend Anna Meares.

It’s been a long road through qualifying, but finally the Matildas can prepare properly for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

And you bet your butts I’ll be back here on the blog when they do, as well as for a friendly they’ve got set up against Mexico on April 10.

Until then, take it easy!

Your reactions!

What a game! I’d hoped we’d win, but I never expected this!

– Mickey from Canberra

Love it

– Julian

Thanks for another great live blog, Sam! ⚽️💚💛

– Leo

Uzbekistan have been much better this half both defensively and in terms of capitalising on chances they get but ultimately you do have to feel for them having lost their keeper to injury and losing by a large margin for the first time since their Asian Games semi and third-place matches against North Korea and China.

– Adam

All this time we’ve been looking for another striker and she has been hiding in plain sight at Canberra…

– Mike

Ms Sayer! Relief written large on a young face. I suspect this second half, like the first half a few days ago, has made Tony’s squad selection decision making a little easier. All solid, a well oiled machine he’s built, complete with sub parts, and a couple of high profile busted elements. Finally he has the depth and breadth they’ve all worked for. It’s a joy to experience. Thanks Sam!

– Big Ben

THE MATILDAS ARE GOING TO THE PARIS OLYMPICS!!!!

To: the blog. From: the Matildas.

Will I ever get my ten goals 😂

– Julian

C’mon ladies, let’s make it a nice round 10!

– C

Full-time: Australia 10 – 0 Uzbekistan

93′ GOAL AUSTRALIA

Aaaaaand that’s 10!

It’s Amy Sayer’s turn to get on the scoreboard after a nice series of one-two passes between Tameka Yallop and Mary Fowler slice right through Uzbekistan’s midfield, before the ball is fed down the left wing for the onrushing Charlie Grant.

The left-back then clips a dangerous ball back across the six-yard area, spinning chaotically through a bunch of legs, before falling to Sayer at the back post, who swings her left foot through it and finally finds the back of the net.

10-0.

90′ Five minutes of added time

Uzbekistan, to their full credit, haven’t stopped trying.

They’ve had a handful of moves that have ended in the Matildas’ penalty box, including one just now as a handful of players try to build some triangles through the middle before Karachik Lyudmila chips the ball over the top to nobody except Mackenzie Arnold.

They’ve kept Australia to just one goal in this whole half, which is something.

Get ’em out, I say

What’s with the rolled up sleeves? Kennedy, Raso and now Grant.

– Ronan

What, you’re saying you wouldn’t roll up your sleeves if you had the incredible athletic arms of these players?

I don’t think I’d ever wear sleeves again, personally.

Anyone else keen for a Matildas sleeveless guernsey?

Maybe “Mystical Mary” is a more apt alliteration

It’s interesting you mention Fowler appearing to operate in a different dimension – I think she might be a shape-shifter. There are times she takes the ball into congested traffic and somehow effortlessly appears on the other side still with the ball, or approach in-possession opposition players from behind, pass through them and continue on with the ball…

– Mike

Meanwhile…

Loving the meme posted about Japan v N. Korea. I literally only eat popcorn in for dinner in Matilda’s nights!

– Lulu

Japan lead North Korea 1-0 just after the hour-mark.

It’s been a pretty even affair once again, though: Japan have had 8 shots to 9 (including 2 on target v 4), 58% possession to 42%, and zero corners to 1.

The DPRK could very well claw a goal back and push this second Olympic qualifier all the way to the edge.

You love to see it

I’m in the crowd and there is definitely a growing minority cheering on Uzbekistan… only to be drowned by the manic roar when the Tillies scored that ninth goal!

– Tess

There’s definitely a small Uzbek community here in Australia, and what a joy it must be for them to see their women’s national team playing here in a stadium like this. Love that they’re still cheering for their team, even though they’re 9-0 down.

Wow!

54,120 !!! Wow, a stark contrast to the 2,000 locals at Milliy stadium 5 days ago. It was still amazing to there. 29 other Aussies and myself.

– I Was in Tashkent

I was there in Tashkent 5 days ago. There was 30 Australians in attendance and about 2,000 locals. It was free entry to the match. It was amazing to see them inperson and up close.

– Travelling with Russell

Shout-out to the small group of die-hard Matildas fans who travelled all the way to Tashkent for the first leg, then flew back here to Melbourne for the second.

What an awesome experience!

79′ Uzbekistan substitution

The substitute goalkeeper seems to have had her foot trodden on by her own player during a challenge that involved Amy Sayer, but has stayed in the grass, so the Matildas take the opportunity to grab a quick drink on the sidelines.

There doesn’t seem to be much tactical chat happening. They’re just chilling out until the game ends, really. Mackenzie Arnold, Alanna Kennedy, and Clare Hunt are still on the field, talking amongst themselves. Raso and Torpey are on the far side doing the same.

76′ Shot after shot after shot

It’s honestly been hard to blog this match because the number of chances the Matildas have had is… stratospheric.

Just as I finish describing the build-up to one shot, they’ve found a way to create and let off another. So you just have to imagine the way things have gone based on the below:

Australia have registered 37 shots in total so far, including 17 on target.

70% possession, 85% pass accuracy, and 1 corners.

They’ve been completely, utterly, dominant. That’s the story of the game.

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