Crazy scenes as players rushed off field as bizarre 29-min lightning delay halts NRL clash
Playing without Origin-bound quartet Stephen Crichton, Matt Burton, Max King and Kurt Mann, Canterbury were too good for Souths, claiming their 11th win of the season, 24-18.
While the action on field was largely unremarkable, it was the severe weather event that was the headline act.
FOX LEAGUE, available on Kayo Sports, is the only place to watch every game of every round in the 2025 NRL Telstra Premiership, LIVE with no ad-breaks during play. New to Kayo? Get your first month for just $1. Limited-time offer >
Play was sensationally stopped in the 32nd minute when the NRL ground manager entered the field of play and ordered referee Adam Gee to bring the players off the field due to lightning in proximity of the Sydney Olympic Park precinct.
'We've got to go in, the ground manager has said, because of the lightning,' Gee could be heard telling players.
Off the field security guards rushed to usher fans to areas under cover, while team and match officials, as well as camera operators and photographers were all forced to find safety.
Visible lightning and thunder followed before the storm front passed without further issue, play recommencing after a 28-minute hiatus.
The last time a NRL match was stopped in similar circumstances was on ANZAC Day in 2015 when the Roosters and Dragons left the field when a massive thunderstorm hammered Allianz Stadium. On that occasion play was suspended for half an hour.
Earlier, Toby Sexton got things going for the Bulldogs in the seventh minute, feigning to kick on the last tackle before turning the ball inside to Jacob Kiraz, who in turn drew Jye Gray and shovelled it back to Sexton in support to cross over.
Tries soon followed to Marcelo Montoya and Connor Tracey and inside 16 minutes the Dogs were outscoring the clock before rain began teeming down and play slowed ahead of the delay.
Once the action restarted, Viliame Kikau crossed the line three times in five minutes for no points – twice held up and once called back for an obstruction, before Alex Johnston scored at the other end, grabbing a fortuitous bounce after Dogs winger Blake Wilson spilt a bomb.
Both teams scored tries in the third quarter of the game and when Souths took advantage of the sin binning of Bulldogs' interchange forward Jake Turpin to score via Jack Wighton, they were within eight points with as many minutes remaining and the game was still there to be snatched.
Tyrone Munro then touched down in the 78th minute after Isaiah Tass kicked from a scrum 40 metres out to get even closer, but in the end they ran out of time.
The victory, following a 32-0 demolition in their annual Good Friday clash, ensured the Bulldogs won both regular season games against the Rabbitohs for the first time since 2011.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
ABC News
3 hours ago
- ABC News
Finau Shed the Weight to Lift Her Family's Future
This Week on Radio Australia: On Nesia Daily, ABC's Fiji correspondent Lice Movono reflects on the incredible legacy of music legend George "Fiji" Veikoso. On Pacific Pulse, host Melissa Maykin welcomes a dietician who shares her personal journey of breaking the cycle of poor health in her family. And on Nesian Footy, hosts Sam Wykes and Will Hopoate catch up with the CEO of Pacific Rugby Players, diving into the latest developments in the sport. Relax into your Sunday morning with two hours of the best stories from across the Pacific. Host, Kuntamari Crofts will take you on a Pacific Sundays journey, bringing you stories that will inspire, entertain and inform you.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Bennett not keen on spoon talk as Bunnies fall to last
Wayne Bennett has swatted away wooden-spoon talk after South Sydney slumped to last on the ladder following a gutsy 14-12 loss to Cronulla. Hours after Gold Coast upset the Warriors to move off the foot the NRL ladder, the Rabbitohs were gallant but ultimately beaten by the Sharks on Saturday night. Cronulla spent most of the game camped on the Rabbitohs' line, with more than 70 per cent of the game played inside the Sharks' attacking half. But Souths still did enough to take a 6-2 lead at the break, holding firm as the Sharks bombed opportunities with dropped balls and forward passes. Ultimately Will Kennedy's bat-on for Ronaldo Mulitalo and a Blayke Brailey try proved enough for the Sharks' third straight win. The result ensured Cronulla will finish the round in the top eight, where Craig Fitzgibbon's men look likely to stay with a favourable run home. "It was the very definition of (an ugly win)," Fitzgibbon said. "Our execution was miles off, but at least we did the very thing we needed to do to keep them out of the game with field position. "That was the pleasing part, not much else." Souths, meanwhile, have more pain in a year when they have regularly had large portions of their salary cap on the sidelines. Prop Tevita Tatola dislocated his shoulder scoring a last-minute try to narrow the margin, and Jack Wighton was sin-binned after a head clash that concussed Toby Rudolf was deemed a shoulder charge. The Rabbitohs have not claimed a wooden spoon since 2006, and Bennett has never taken one home in 38 years of coaching in the premiership. But Souths' eighth straight loss on Saturday night marked the worst losing streak of Bennett's career, with the Bunnies behind the Titans on for-and-against. Bennett's men have two guaranteed points with a bye in round 26, while matches against Gold Coast and Parramatta could determine the fate of the spoon. Not that the veteran coach is interested in the topic. "I knew someone would ask that question," Bennett responded when asked if he was concerned about the spoon. "I am not answering it." Souths didn't lack spirit on Saturday, scoring with their only good set of the first half when Jye Gray stepped across field and put Tyrone Munro over on the siren. But otherwise the lack of good ball meant halfback Lewis Dodd had little chance to create anything in attack, before he was taken off with 12 minutes to go. The centre of attention when he arrived in Gosford as Souths' first-choice half five months ago for a pre-season trial, Dodd had only started one NRL match since. The big-money Englishman did produce one of the key moments of the opening 40 minutes in defence, holding up Nicho Hynes after the Sharks halfback split Souths open. "We only had two sets ... the rest of the time we were in the back of the field and finding it pretty hard to come out," Bennett said. "He (Dodd) didn't let anybody down." Souths will have regular No.7 Jamie Humphreys back from a concussion next week, after Bennett blooded playmaker Ashton Ward on Saturday night. Wayne Bennett has swatted away wooden-spoon talk after South Sydney slumped to last on the ladder following a gutsy 14-12 loss to Cronulla. Hours after Gold Coast upset the Warriors to move off the foot the NRL ladder, the Rabbitohs were gallant but ultimately beaten by the Sharks on Saturday night. Cronulla spent most of the game camped on the Rabbitohs' line, with more than 70 per cent of the game played inside the Sharks' attacking half. But Souths still did enough to take a 6-2 lead at the break, holding firm as the Sharks bombed opportunities with dropped balls and forward passes. Ultimately Will Kennedy's bat-on for Ronaldo Mulitalo and a Blayke Brailey try proved enough for the Sharks' third straight win. The result ensured Cronulla will finish the round in the top eight, where Craig Fitzgibbon's men look likely to stay with a favourable run home. "It was the very definition of (an ugly win)," Fitzgibbon said. "Our execution was miles off, but at least we did the very thing we needed to do to keep them out of the game with field position. "That was the pleasing part, not much else." Souths, meanwhile, have more pain in a year when they have regularly had large portions of their salary cap on the sidelines. Prop Tevita Tatola dislocated his shoulder scoring a last-minute try to narrow the margin, and Jack Wighton was sin-binned after a head clash that concussed Toby Rudolf was deemed a shoulder charge. The Rabbitohs have not claimed a wooden spoon since 2006, and Bennett has never taken one home in 38 years of coaching in the premiership. But Souths' eighth straight loss on Saturday night marked the worst losing streak of Bennett's career, with the Bunnies behind the Titans on for-and-against. Bennett's men have two guaranteed points with a bye in round 26, while matches against Gold Coast and Parramatta could determine the fate of the spoon. Not that the veteran coach is interested in the topic. "I knew someone would ask that question," Bennett responded when asked if he was concerned about the spoon. "I am not answering it." Souths didn't lack spirit on Saturday, scoring with their only good set of the first half when Jye Gray stepped across field and put Tyrone Munro over on the siren. But otherwise the lack of good ball meant halfback Lewis Dodd had little chance to create anything in attack, before he was taken off with 12 minutes to go. The centre of attention when he arrived in Gosford as Souths' first-choice half five months ago for a pre-season trial, Dodd had only started one NRL match since. The big-money Englishman did produce one of the key moments of the opening 40 minutes in defence, holding up Nicho Hynes after the Sharks halfback split Souths open. "We only had two sets ... the rest of the time we were in the back of the field and finding it pretty hard to come out," Bennett said. "He (Dodd) didn't let anybody down." Souths will have regular No.7 Jamie Humphreys back from a concussion next week, after Bennett blooded playmaker Ashton Ward on Saturday night. Wayne Bennett has swatted away wooden-spoon talk after South Sydney slumped to last on the ladder following a gutsy 14-12 loss to Cronulla. Hours after Gold Coast upset the Warriors to move off the foot the NRL ladder, the Rabbitohs were gallant but ultimately beaten by the Sharks on Saturday night. Cronulla spent most of the game camped on the Rabbitohs' line, with more than 70 per cent of the game played inside the Sharks' attacking half. But Souths still did enough to take a 6-2 lead at the break, holding firm as the Sharks bombed opportunities with dropped balls and forward passes. Ultimately Will Kennedy's bat-on for Ronaldo Mulitalo and a Blayke Brailey try proved enough for the Sharks' third straight win. The result ensured Cronulla will finish the round in the top eight, where Craig Fitzgibbon's men look likely to stay with a favourable run home. "It was the very definition of (an ugly win)," Fitzgibbon said. "Our execution was miles off, but at least we did the very thing we needed to do to keep them out of the game with field position. "That was the pleasing part, not much else." Souths, meanwhile, have more pain in a year when they have regularly had large portions of their salary cap on the sidelines. Prop Tevita Tatola dislocated his shoulder scoring a last-minute try to narrow the margin, and Jack Wighton was sin-binned after a head clash that concussed Toby Rudolf was deemed a shoulder charge. The Rabbitohs have not claimed a wooden spoon since 2006, and Bennett has never taken one home in 38 years of coaching in the premiership. But Souths' eighth straight loss on Saturday night marked the worst losing streak of Bennett's career, with the Bunnies behind the Titans on for-and-against. Bennett's men have two guaranteed points with a bye in round 26, while matches against Gold Coast and Parramatta could determine the fate of the spoon. Not that the veteran coach is interested in the topic. "I knew someone would ask that question," Bennett responded when asked if he was concerned about the spoon. "I am not answering it." Souths didn't lack spirit on Saturday, scoring with their only good set of the first half when Jye Gray stepped across field and put Tyrone Munro over on the siren. But otherwise the lack of good ball meant halfback Lewis Dodd had little chance to create anything in attack, before he was taken off with 12 minutes to go. The centre of attention when he arrived in Gosford as Souths' first-choice half five months ago for a pre-season trial, Dodd had only started one NRL match since. The big-money Englishman did produce one of the key moments of the opening 40 minutes in defence, holding up Nicho Hynes after the Sharks halfback split Souths open. "We only had two sets ... the rest of the time we were in the back of the field and finding it pretty hard to come out," Bennett said. "He (Dodd) didn't let anybody down." Souths will have regular No.7 Jamie Humphreys back from a concussion next week, after Bennett blooded playmaker Ashton Ward on Saturday night.
West Australian
6 hours ago
- West Australian
WA to be thunderstruck as AC/DC, Ed Sheeran, Ashes and WWE head to town from September
Bryan Adams might well claim the summer of '69 as the greatest, the summer of 2025 in WA is shaping as one to remember for sporting and musical diehards. AC/DC, Metallica, Ed Sheeran, the Ashes, and WWE are just some of the events scheduled for Optus Stadium and RAC Arena from September through to the end of January. Tourism representatives and the State Government this week salivated at the potential economic and social spinoffs to WA because the events. 'We want WA to remain the strongest economy in the nation. That's why we're diversifying our economy for the future by bringing big-name events to Perth that will attract thousands of visitors and pump millions into the local economy,' Acting Premier Rita Saffioti said. 'For every dollar spent on these events, we have a return of $3.50 — that's money going straight into the pockets of WA businesses. 'Importantly, these events put us on the global stage, positioning WA as an event destination. 'WA's summer of entertainment is going to be huge — and with a great line up to look forward to, there's something for everyone.' Optus Stadium chief executive Mike McKenna said the venue was preparing for its biggest ever summer, which followed its biggest ever month in June. 'From October to March, Optus Stadium will host concerts featuring three huge acts, the return of the blockbuster Bledisloe Cup, the hotly anticipated first Test of the NRMA Insurance Men's Ashes series, a One Day International between Australia and India and another big BBL season,' he said. 'Before the 2026 winter AFL season commences, the AFC Asian Women's Cup kicks off with the opening game at the Stadium, along with a semi final match.' Mr McKenna said Optus would stage some massive concerts in coming months. 'The stadium will transition to concert mode when heavy metal band Metallica brings their signature sound on November 1 as part of the M72 World Tour, with special guests Evanescence and Suicidal Tendencies,' Mr McKenna said. 'This will be Metallica's first visit to Australia in a decade and tickets have already sold out. 'AC/DC will then bring their global Power Up tour to the stadium . . . delivering a career spanning setlist packed with iconic anthems like Stadium favourite Thunderstruck. 'As soon as the BBL season ends, we will welcome global singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran back to Optus Stadium for the third time on January 31, 2026, as part of the Loop Tour.' Tourism WA managing director Anneke Brown said .enticing big events to Perth was part of 'a plan to grow the WA tourism sector'. 'Events are a key part of our plan to grow the WA tourism sector, as they drive bookings to our Dream State, add vibrancy to a destination and drive awareness of Western Australia as an incredible holiday and events destination through media coverage,' she said. Tourism Council WA boss Evan Hall said not all events were money spinners, but some were big economic boons for the State. 'For every 1000 interstate fans we entice to WA for major tourism events we create an additional $2.5M in the economy creating more than 15 jobs,' he said.
