The 5000-day curse broken by netball's Thunderbirds
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have bounced back into the Super Netball top four, kept their three-peat dream alive and ended one of the longest droughts in Australian sport with a gritty 56-53 victory over the Melbourne Vixens.
Remarkably given all their recent successes, it was the Thunderbirds' first away win over the Vixens since June 6, 2010 - 5511 days ago - snapping a 12-game losing streak against Melbourne in their own backyard at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
Adelaide (6-6) set up their drought-breaking triumph with a barnstorming start and miserly finish after being challenged by the third-ranked Vixens (7-5) in the middle.
Georgie Horjus was shifted from wing attack to goal attack midway through the second quarter and finished with seven goals without a miss - including two super shots - as well as nine assists to help end Melbourne's five-game winning stretch.
"We probably didn't play our best netball but we grinded it out," Horjus said.
"We knew we had to win, so now we're still in the hunt for finals, which is exciting for the next couple of weeks."
"We've had some really close games but this gives us confidence we can do it ugly."
With Romelda Aiken-George presenting a strong target and Tayla Williams impressing through the centre, Adelaide burst out to an 18-10 lead.
Kiera Austin's quickfire two-pointer on the quarter-time siren dragged the margin back to 19-14 and gave the Vixens the momentum entering the second term.
Melbourne's defensive trio Jo Weston, Kate Eddy and Rudi Ellis upped the physical pressure and the T'birds dropped off their hot early level as the Vixens trimmed the deficit to 30-29 at half-time.
Adelaide superstar Latanya Wilson was creating havoc at goal defence but she lacked support as the home side continued to impose themselves.
Sophie Garbin hit 11 without a miss, including the goal which gave Melbourne their first lead, 46-44 at the final change, which they held onto.
The Vixens' frontcourt coughed up repeated turnovers in the fourth term while misfiring from long range.
Horjus's two-pointer over Weston and Ellis gave Adelaide the lead for good as the visitors swamped Melbourne 12-7 i
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have bounced back into the Super Netball top four, kept their three-peat dream alive and ended one of the longest droughts in Australian sport with a gritty 56-53 victory over the Melbourne Vixens.
Remarkably given all their recent successes, it was the Thunderbirds' first away win over the Vixens since June 6, 2010 - 5511 days ago - snapping a 12-game losing streak against Melbourne in their own backyard at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
Adelaide (6-6) set up their drought-breaking triumph with a barnstorming start and miserly finish after being challenged by the third-ranked Vixens (7-5) in the middle.
Georgie Horjus was shifted from wing attack to goal attack midway through the second quarter and finished with seven goals without a miss - including two super shots - as well as nine assists to help end Melbourne's five-game winning stretch.
"We probably didn't play our best netball but we grinded it out," Horjus said.
"We knew we had to win, so now we're still in the hunt for finals, which is exciting for the next couple of weeks."
"We've had some really close games but this gives us confidence we can do it ugly."
With Romelda Aiken-George presenting a strong target and Tayla Williams impressing through the centre, Adelaide burst out to an 18-10 lead.
Kiera Austin's quickfire two-pointer on the quarter-time siren dragged the margin back to 19-14 and gave the Vixens the momentum entering the second term.
Melbourne's defensive trio Jo Weston, Kate Eddy and Rudi Ellis upped the physical pressure and the T'birds dropped off their hot early level as the Vixens trimmed the deficit to 30-29 at half-time.
Adelaide superstar Latanya Wilson was creating havoc at goal defence but she lacked support as the home side continued to impose themselves.
Sophie Garbin hit 11 without a miss, including the goal which gave Melbourne their first lead, 46-44 at the final change, which they held onto.
The Vixens' frontcourt coughed up repeated turnovers in the fourth term while misfiring from long range.
Horjus's two-pointer over Weston and Ellis gave Adelaide the lead for good as the visitors swamped Melbourne 12-7 i
The Adelaide Thunderbirds have bounced back into the Super Netball top four, kept their three-peat dream alive and ended one of the longest droughts in Australian sport with a gritty 56-53 victory over the Melbourne Vixens.
Remarkably given all their recent successes, it was the Thunderbirds' first away win over the Vixens since June 6, 2010 - 5511 days ago - snapping a 12-game losing streak against Melbourne in their own backyard at John Cain Arena on Sunday.
Adelaide (6-6) set up their drought-breaking triumph with a barnstorming start and miserly finish after being challenged by the third-ranked Vixens (7-5) in the middle.
Georgie Horjus was shifted from wing attack to goal attack midway through the second quarter and finished with seven goals without a miss - including two super shots - as well as nine assists to help end Melbourne's five-game winning stretch.
"We probably didn't play our best netball but we grinded it out," Horjus said.
"We knew we had to win, so now we're still in the hunt for finals, which is exciting for the next couple of weeks."
"We've had some really close games but this gives us confidence we can do it ugly."
With Romelda Aiken-George presenting a strong target and Tayla Williams impressing through the centre, Adelaide burst out to an 18-10 lead.
Kiera Austin's quickfire two-pointer on the quarter-time siren dragged the margin back to 19-14 and gave the Vixens the momentum entering the second term.
Melbourne's defensive trio Jo Weston, Kate Eddy and Rudi Ellis upped the physical pressure and the T'birds dropped off their hot early level as the Vixens trimmed the deficit to 30-29 at half-time.
Adelaide superstar Latanya Wilson was creating havoc at goal defence but she lacked support as the home side continued to impose themselves.
Sophie Garbin hit 11 without a miss, including the goal which gave Melbourne their first lead, 46-44 at the final change, which they held onto.
The Vixens' frontcourt coughed up repeated turnovers in the fourth term while misfiring from long range.
Horjus's two-pointer over Weston and Ellis gave Adelaide the lead for good as the visitors swamped Melbourne 12-7 i
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Sky's the limit: Joint inspires Aussie Wimbledon launch
Ajla Tomljanovic has declared the sky's the limit for Australia's new tennis shooting star Maya Joint. The 19-year-old US-born prodigy Joint, popular among her new-found Australian mates, gave them all a boost on the weekend before Wimbledon by winning her first grass-court title at the prestigious curtain-raiser at Eastbourne. The vastly experienced Tomljanovic, twice a Wimbledon quarter-finalist, and Talia Gibson, who has a high-profile shot at four-time grand slam champ Naomi Osaka, lead the opening-day Aussie challenge on a baking hot Monday at the All England Club. Joint won't make her Wimbledon bow until Tuesday against 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, and Tomljanovic thinks the break will be key for her. After her first title win in Morocco on clay five weeks ago, Joint then had to jet straight from Rabat to Paris for the French Open and didn't look anywhere near her best as Tomljanovic defeated her. "I think it'll help her this time, because she'll have learned a bit from that quick turnaround in Paris. And you'd take a final or a title before a slam any day of the week, even if it's a quick turnaround," Tomljanovic said. "I think the sky's the limit for her. Tennis is in a place where you can't really put numbers on people, especially how well she's been doing at such a young age. "She seems not to be fazed by anything, she's such a cool person. She's different, which I like. When you spend time with her, she's quiet, then she'll come out with, like, a really funny joke out of nowhere. "On court she's quick, and there's not really many holes in her game." Tomljanovic faces former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who Joint defeated on the way to her Eastbourne crown, and reckoned she'd be picking the youngster's brains about how to play her on grass. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Gibson still can't quite believe she'll be making her own Wimbledon debut after saving a match point in her final round of qualifying as she gets ready to face Osaka, who's returning after a maternity break. It's potentially a golden opportunity for the Perth player because 27-year-old Osaka has had inconsistent results since coming back following the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. "It was very exciting to see that I'm coming up against her,'' Gibson said. "It would be very easy to get a bit nervous and get too caught up in the name of who's down the other end, but I think it's going to be an amazing experience. "It's been really great to watch Naomi play when I was growing up. She's definitely an inspiration." Leading the men's charge will be 20th seed Alexei Popyrin, looking forward to his first "tennis Ashes'' battle at Wimbledon against British wildcard Arthur Fery. "He's a good player, like all the Brits, they grow up on grass, know how to play on the surface, and I've heard his dad may be a member of this club, so he knows the place inside out," Popyrin said. "He'll have the home crowd on his side, so that will also be a little bit of a challenge, but I'm feeling good and I'm ready to go." AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY ONE OF WIMBLEDON (Prefix number denotes seeding) (WC = wildcard) (Q = qualifier) MEN (20) Alexei Popyrin v (WC) Arthur Fery (GBR) Jordan Thompson v Vit Kopriva (CZE) Chris O'Connell v (Q) Adrian Mannarino (FRA) James Duckworth v (25) Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) WOMEN Olivia Gadecki v Greet Minnen (BEL) Kim Birrell v (22) Donna Vekic (CRO) Ajla Tomljanovic v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) Talia Gibson (Q) v Naomi Osaka (JPN) Ajla Tomljanovic has declared the sky's the limit for Australia's new tennis shooting star Maya Joint. The 19-year-old US-born prodigy Joint, popular among her new-found Australian mates, gave them all a boost on the weekend before Wimbledon by winning her first grass-court title at the prestigious curtain-raiser at Eastbourne. The vastly experienced Tomljanovic, twice a Wimbledon quarter-finalist, and Talia Gibson, who has a high-profile shot at four-time grand slam champ Naomi Osaka, lead the opening-day Aussie challenge on a baking hot Monday at the All England Club. Joint won't make her Wimbledon bow until Tuesday against 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, and Tomljanovic thinks the break will be key for her. After her first title win in Morocco on clay five weeks ago, Joint then had to jet straight from Rabat to Paris for the French Open and didn't look anywhere near her best as Tomljanovic defeated her. "I think it'll help her this time, because she'll have learned a bit from that quick turnaround in Paris. And you'd take a final or a title before a slam any day of the week, even if it's a quick turnaround," Tomljanovic said. "I think the sky's the limit for her. Tennis is in a place where you can't really put numbers on people, especially how well she's been doing at such a young age. "She seems not to be fazed by anything, she's such a cool person. She's different, which I like. When you spend time with her, she's quiet, then she'll come out with, like, a really funny joke out of nowhere. "On court she's quick, and there's not really many holes in her game." Tomljanovic faces former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who Joint defeated on the way to her Eastbourne crown, and reckoned she'd be picking the youngster's brains about how to play her on grass. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Gibson still can't quite believe she'll be making her own Wimbledon debut after saving a match point in her final round of qualifying as she gets ready to face Osaka, who's returning after a maternity break. It's potentially a golden opportunity for the Perth player because 27-year-old Osaka has had inconsistent results since coming back following the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. "It was very exciting to see that I'm coming up against her,'' Gibson said. "It would be very easy to get a bit nervous and get too caught up in the name of who's down the other end, but I think it's going to be an amazing experience. "It's been really great to watch Naomi play when I was growing up. She's definitely an inspiration." Leading the men's charge will be 20th seed Alexei Popyrin, looking forward to his first "tennis Ashes'' battle at Wimbledon against British wildcard Arthur Fery. "He's a good player, like all the Brits, they grow up on grass, know how to play on the surface, and I've heard his dad may be a member of this club, so he knows the place inside out," Popyrin said. "He'll have the home crowd on his side, so that will also be a little bit of a challenge, but I'm feeling good and I'm ready to go." AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY ONE OF WIMBLEDON (Prefix number denotes seeding) (WC = wildcard) (Q = qualifier) MEN (20) Alexei Popyrin v (WC) Arthur Fery (GBR) Jordan Thompson v Vit Kopriva (CZE) Chris O'Connell v (Q) Adrian Mannarino (FRA) James Duckworth v (25) Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) WOMEN Olivia Gadecki v Greet Minnen (BEL) Kim Birrell v (22) Donna Vekic (CRO) Ajla Tomljanovic v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) Talia Gibson (Q) v Naomi Osaka (JPN) Ajla Tomljanovic has declared the sky's the limit for Australia's new tennis shooting star Maya Joint. The 19-year-old US-born prodigy Joint, popular among her new-found Australian mates, gave them all a boost on the weekend before Wimbledon by winning her first grass-court title at the prestigious curtain-raiser at Eastbourne. The vastly experienced Tomljanovic, twice a Wimbledon quarter-finalist, and Talia Gibson, who has a high-profile shot at four-time grand slam champ Naomi Osaka, lead the opening-day Aussie challenge on a baking hot Monday at the All England Club. Joint won't make her Wimbledon bow until Tuesday against 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, and Tomljanovic thinks the break will be key for her. After her first title win in Morocco on clay five weeks ago, Joint then had to jet straight from Rabat to Paris for the French Open and didn't look anywhere near her best as Tomljanovic defeated her. "I think it'll help her this time, because she'll have learned a bit from that quick turnaround in Paris. And you'd take a final or a title before a slam any day of the week, even if it's a quick turnaround," Tomljanovic said. "I think the sky's the limit for her. Tennis is in a place where you can't really put numbers on people, especially how well she's been doing at such a young age. "She seems not to be fazed by anything, she's such a cool person. She's different, which I like. When you spend time with her, she's quiet, then she'll come out with, like, a really funny joke out of nowhere. "On court she's quick, and there's not really many holes in her game." Tomljanovic faces former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who Joint defeated on the way to her Eastbourne crown, and reckoned she'd be picking the youngster's brains about how to play her on grass. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Gibson still can't quite believe she'll be making her own Wimbledon debut after saving a match point in her final round of qualifying as she gets ready to face Osaka, who's returning after a maternity break. It's potentially a golden opportunity for the Perth player because 27-year-old Osaka has had inconsistent results since coming back following the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. "It was very exciting to see that I'm coming up against her,'' Gibson said. "It would be very easy to get a bit nervous and get too caught up in the name of who's down the other end, but I think it's going to be an amazing experience. "It's been really great to watch Naomi play when I was growing up. She's definitely an inspiration." Leading the men's charge will be 20th seed Alexei Popyrin, looking forward to his first "tennis Ashes'' battle at Wimbledon against British wildcard Arthur Fery. "He's a good player, like all the Brits, they grow up on grass, know how to play on the surface, and I've heard his dad may be a member of this club, so he knows the place inside out," Popyrin said. "He'll have the home crowd on his side, so that will also be a little bit of a challenge, but I'm feeling good and I'm ready to go." AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY ONE OF WIMBLEDON (Prefix number denotes seeding) (WC = wildcard) (Q = qualifier) MEN (20) Alexei Popyrin v (WC) Arthur Fery (GBR) Jordan Thompson v Vit Kopriva (CZE) Chris O'Connell v (Q) Adrian Mannarino (FRA) James Duckworth v (25) Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) WOMEN Olivia Gadecki v Greet Minnen (BEL) Kim Birrell v (22) Donna Vekic (CRO) Ajla Tomljanovic v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) Talia Gibson (Q) v Naomi Osaka (JPN) Ajla Tomljanovic has declared the sky's the limit for Australia's new tennis shooting star Maya Joint. The 19-year-old US-born prodigy Joint, popular among her new-found Australian mates, gave them all a boost on the weekend before Wimbledon by winning her first grass-court title at the prestigious curtain-raiser at Eastbourne. The vastly experienced Tomljanovic, twice a Wimbledon quarter-finalist, and Talia Gibson, who has a high-profile shot at four-time grand slam champ Naomi Osaka, lead the opening-day Aussie challenge on a baking hot Monday at the All England Club. Joint won't make her Wimbledon bow until Tuesday against 19th seed Liudmila Samsonova, and Tomljanovic thinks the break will be key for her. After her first title win in Morocco on clay five weeks ago, Joint then had to jet straight from Rabat to Paris for the French Open and didn't look anywhere near her best as Tomljanovic defeated her. "I think it'll help her this time, because she'll have learned a bit from that quick turnaround in Paris. And you'd take a final or a title before a slam any day of the week, even if it's a quick turnaround," Tomljanovic said. "I think the sky's the limit for her. Tennis is in a place where you can't really put numbers on people, especially how well she's been doing at such a young age. "She seems not to be fazed by anything, she's such a cool person. She's different, which I like. When you spend time with her, she's quiet, then she'll come out with, like, a really funny joke out of nowhere. "On court she's quick, and there's not really many holes in her game." Tomljanovic faces former French Open finalist Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, who Joint defeated on the way to her Eastbourne crown, and reckoned she'd be picking the youngster's brains about how to play her on grass. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Gibson still can't quite believe she'll be making her own Wimbledon debut after saving a match point in her final round of qualifying as she gets ready to face Osaka, who's returning after a maternity break. It's potentially a golden opportunity for the Perth player because 27-year-old Osaka has had inconsistent results since coming back following the birth of her daughter Shai in July 2023. "It was very exciting to see that I'm coming up against her,'' Gibson said. "It would be very easy to get a bit nervous and get too caught up in the name of who's down the other end, but I think it's going to be an amazing experience. "It's been really great to watch Naomi play when I was growing up. She's definitely an inspiration." Leading the men's charge will be 20th seed Alexei Popyrin, looking forward to his first "tennis Ashes'' battle at Wimbledon against British wildcard Arthur Fery. "He's a good player, like all the Brits, they grow up on grass, know how to play on the surface, and I've heard his dad may be a member of this club, so he knows the place inside out," Popyrin said. "He'll have the home crowd on his side, so that will also be a little bit of a challenge, but I'm feeling good and I'm ready to go." AUSTRALIANS IN ACTION ON DAY ONE OF WIMBLEDON (Prefix number denotes seeding) (WC = wildcard) (Q = qualifier) MEN (20) Alexei Popyrin v (WC) Arthur Fery (GBR) Jordan Thompson v Vit Kopriva (CZE) Chris O'Connell v (Q) Adrian Mannarino (FRA) James Duckworth v (25) Felix Auger-Aliassime (CAN) WOMEN Olivia Gadecki v Greet Minnen (BEL) Kim Birrell v (22) Donna Vekic (CRO) Ajla Tomljanovic v Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova (RUS) Talia Gibson (Q) v Naomi Osaka (JPN)
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Same Blue-print as NSW unchanged for Origin decider
NSW have named an unchanged team for the State of Origin decider as Laurie Daley backs Brian To'o to recover from a knee injury in time to play. Jacob Kiraz replaces Canterbury teammate Matt Burton as 18th man in the only change to the game-day squad that lost narrowly to Queensland in Origin II. But as it stands, Kiraz will only play in Sydney on July 9 in the event of multiple game-ending head knocks or one caused by an act of foul play that results in a sin bin. Daley has retained Stefano Utoikamanu despite speculation he could replace the Melbourne prop with versatile South Sydney forward Keaon Koloamatangi for Origin III. Koloamatangi had been 19th man for Origin II before a facial injury, and Utoikamanu was mostly quiet after being called up to replace the injured Mitch Barnett. Jarome Luai is also named at five-eighth despite missing Wests Tigers' loss to Manly on Friday night with an illness that required hospitalisation. It marks the first time NSW have named an unchanged line-up for a game-three decider since their infamous 2020 series loss. To'o's selection comes after the Penrith ace hurt his knee and required ice after the tight win over Canterbury on Thursday night. It threw the winger's selection hopes into doubt, but scan results on Sunday morning showed no major injury, leaving the Panthers to contact NSW and confirm To'o could be selected. To'o's training loads are nevertheless likely to be managed in the lead-up to kick-off in Sydney on July 9, with his fitness now in the hands of Blues medical staff. NSW have already successfully navigated two injury niggles this series, though, as Payne Haas and To'o recovered from leg problems in time for Origin I and II respectively. The chance of To'o playing will be music to the ears of coach Daley after the winger was the Blues' best in a tight game-two loss. The four-time premiership winner crossed for three tries and ran for a game-high 229 metres as the Blues' comeback fell short in Perth. Should To'o fail to pull up in time for the decider, uncapped Kiraz would likely be called into the game-day 17. Aside from To'o and Luai's fitness concerns, NSW's only major selection question appeared to be around the make-up of the forward pack. But Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, on staff with NSW as an adviser to Daley, intimated on Sunday that Utoikamanu would hold his spot in the 17. "I wouldn't imagine he'd be left out, to be quite honest, but we'll see what happens," Bellamy said after the Storm's win over Cronulla. Daley has made one addition to his wider 20-man squad, with Newcastle centre Bradman Best called in to camp. Best excelled in two Origin appearances to date and has been in form for the Knights since returning from a hamstring issue. He would only be called into the 17 in the unlikely event of a mid-week injury. Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa, Gold Coast centre Brian Kelly, Parramatta forward Jack Williams and Cronulla edge Teig Wilton will join camp as training players, but are not eligible for selection without NRL exemption. NSW: Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton, Latrell Mitchell, Zac Lomax, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary, Max King, Reece Robson, Payne Haas, Liam Martin, Angus Crichton, Isaah Yeo, Connor Watson, Spencer Leniu, Hudson Young, Stefano Utoikamanu, Jacob Kiraz (18th man), Lindsay Smith (19th man), Bradman Best (20th man) NSW have named an unchanged team for the State of Origin decider as Laurie Daley backs Brian To'o to recover from a knee injury in time to play. Jacob Kiraz replaces Canterbury teammate Matt Burton as 18th man in the only change to the game-day squad that lost narrowly to Queensland in Origin II. But as it stands, Kiraz will only play in Sydney on July 9 in the event of multiple game-ending head knocks or one caused by an act of foul play that results in a sin bin. Daley has retained Stefano Utoikamanu despite speculation he could replace the Melbourne prop with versatile South Sydney forward Keaon Koloamatangi for Origin III. Koloamatangi had been 19th man for Origin II before a facial injury, and Utoikamanu was mostly quiet after being called up to replace the injured Mitch Barnett. Jarome Luai is also named at five-eighth despite missing Wests Tigers' loss to Manly on Friday night with an illness that required hospitalisation. It marks the first time NSW have named an unchanged line-up for a game-three decider since their infamous 2020 series loss. To'o's selection comes after the Penrith ace hurt his knee and required ice after the tight win over Canterbury on Thursday night. It threw the winger's selection hopes into doubt, but scan results on Sunday morning showed no major injury, leaving the Panthers to contact NSW and confirm To'o could be selected. To'o's training loads are nevertheless likely to be managed in the lead-up to kick-off in Sydney on July 9, with his fitness now in the hands of Blues medical staff. NSW have already successfully navigated two injury niggles this series, though, as Payne Haas and To'o recovered from leg problems in time for Origin I and II respectively. The chance of To'o playing will be music to the ears of coach Daley after the winger was the Blues' best in a tight game-two loss. The four-time premiership winner crossed for three tries and ran for a game-high 229 metres as the Blues' comeback fell short in Perth. Should To'o fail to pull up in time for the decider, uncapped Kiraz would likely be called into the game-day 17. Aside from To'o and Luai's fitness concerns, NSW's only major selection question appeared to be around the make-up of the forward pack. But Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, on staff with NSW as an adviser to Daley, intimated on Sunday that Utoikamanu would hold his spot in the 17. "I wouldn't imagine he'd be left out, to be quite honest, but we'll see what happens," Bellamy said after the Storm's win over Cronulla. Daley has made one addition to his wider 20-man squad, with Newcastle centre Bradman Best called in to camp. Best excelled in two Origin appearances to date and has been in form for the Knights since returning from a hamstring issue. He would only be called into the 17 in the unlikely event of a mid-week injury. Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa, Gold Coast centre Brian Kelly, Parramatta forward Jack Williams and Cronulla edge Teig Wilton will join camp as training players, but are not eligible for selection without NRL exemption. NSW: Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton, Latrell Mitchell, Zac Lomax, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary, Max King, Reece Robson, Payne Haas, Liam Martin, Angus Crichton, Isaah Yeo, Connor Watson, Spencer Leniu, Hudson Young, Stefano Utoikamanu, Jacob Kiraz (18th man), Lindsay Smith (19th man), Bradman Best (20th man) NSW have named an unchanged team for the State of Origin decider as Laurie Daley backs Brian To'o to recover from a knee injury in time to play. Jacob Kiraz replaces Canterbury teammate Matt Burton as 18th man in the only change to the game-day squad that lost narrowly to Queensland in Origin II. But as it stands, Kiraz will only play in Sydney on July 9 in the event of multiple game-ending head knocks or one caused by an act of foul play that results in a sin bin. Daley has retained Stefano Utoikamanu despite speculation he could replace the Melbourne prop with versatile South Sydney forward Keaon Koloamatangi for Origin III. Koloamatangi had been 19th man for Origin II before a facial injury, and Utoikamanu was mostly quiet after being called up to replace the injured Mitch Barnett. Jarome Luai is also named at five-eighth despite missing Wests Tigers' loss to Manly on Friday night with an illness that required hospitalisation. It marks the first time NSW have named an unchanged line-up for a game-three decider since their infamous 2020 series loss. To'o's selection comes after the Penrith ace hurt his knee and required ice after the tight win over Canterbury on Thursday night. It threw the winger's selection hopes into doubt, but scan results on Sunday morning showed no major injury, leaving the Panthers to contact NSW and confirm To'o could be selected. To'o's training loads are nevertheless likely to be managed in the lead-up to kick-off in Sydney on July 9, with his fitness now in the hands of Blues medical staff. NSW have already successfully navigated two injury niggles this series, though, as Payne Haas and To'o recovered from leg problems in time for Origin I and II respectively. The chance of To'o playing will be music to the ears of coach Daley after the winger was the Blues' best in a tight game-two loss. The four-time premiership winner crossed for three tries and ran for a game-high 229 metres as the Blues' comeback fell short in Perth. Should To'o fail to pull up in time for the decider, uncapped Kiraz would likely be called into the game-day 17. Aside from To'o and Luai's fitness concerns, NSW's only major selection question appeared to be around the make-up of the forward pack. But Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy, on staff with NSW as an adviser to Daley, intimated on Sunday that Utoikamanu would hold his spot in the 17. "I wouldn't imagine he'd be left out, to be quite honest, but we'll see what happens," Bellamy said after the Storm's win over Cronulla. Daley has made one addition to his wider 20-man squad, with Newcastle centre Bradman Best called in to camp. Best excelled in two Origin appearances to date and has been in form for the Knights since returning from a hamstring issue. He would only be called into the 17 in the unlikely event of a mid-week injury. Dolphins halfback Isaiya Katoa, Gold Coast centre Brian Kelly, Parramatta forward Jack Williams and Cronulla edge Teig Wilton will join camp as training players, but are not eligible for selection without NRL exemption. NSW: Dylan Edwards, Brian To'o, Stephen Crichton, Latrell Mitchell, Zac Lomax, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary, Max King, Reece Robson, Payne Haas, Liam Martin, Angus Crichton, Isaah Yeo, Connor Watson, Spencer Leniu, Hudson Young, Stefano Utoikamanu, Jacob Kiraz (18th man), Lindsay Smith (19th man), Bradman Best (20th man)
The Advertiser
6 hours ago
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Fiorini in the clear for collision with Demons defender
Gold Coast's Brayden Fiorini has been cleared of any wrongdoing for the incident that concussed Melbourne's Harrison Petty, but the AFL will be splashing in the cash after 22 fines were handed out across two games. Fiorini clashed with Petty as the pair contested a loose ball, with both players putting their head over the ball. "It was the view of the MRO that Fiorini genuinely contests the ball and it was reasonable for him to contest in that way. No further action was taken," the MRO said in a statement. Melbourne defender Steven May escaped sanction for his high hit on Suns forward Ben Ainsworth, but 12 players were fined for the ensuing melee. Demons star Kysaiah Pickett was fined for striking Noah Anderson. Seven players were also fined from the North Melbourne-Hawthorn clash for a range of offences, Gold Coast's Brayden Fiorini has been cleared of any wrongdoing for the incident that concussed Melbourne's Harrison Petty, but the AFL will be splashing in the cash after 22 fines were handed out across two games. Fiorini clashed with Petty as the pair contested a loose ball, with both players putting their head over the ball. "It was the view of the MRO that Fiorini genuinely contests the ball and it was reasonable for him to contest in that way. No further action was taken," the MRO said in a statement. Melbourne defender Steven May escaped sanction for his high hit on Suns forward Ben Ainsworth, but 12 players were fined for the ensuing melee. Demons star Kysaiah Pickett was fined for striking Noah Anderson. Seven players were also fined from the North Melbourne-Hawthorn clash for a range of offences, Gold Coast's Brayden Fiorini has been cleared of any wrongdoing for the incident that concussed Melbourne's Harrison Petty, but the AFL will be splashing in the cash after 22 fines were handed out across two games. Fiorini clashed with Petty as the pair contested a loose ball, with both players putting their head over the ball. "It was the view of the MRO that Fiorini genuinely contests the ball and it was reasonable for him to contest in that way. No further action was taken," the MRO said in a statement. Melbourne defender Steven May escaped sanction for his high hit on Suns forward Ben Ainsworth, but 12 players were fined for the ensuing melee. Demons star Kysaiah Pickett was fined for striking Noah Anderson. Seven players were also fined from the North Melbourne-Hawthorn clash for a range of offences,
