Latest news with #Crichton
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cooper Cronk's genius laid bare after Origin call about Latrell and NSW proven right
Queensland legend Cooper Cronk has shown why he is considered one of the great minds of rugby league having predicted the Maroons' key to victory in the State of Origin decider will be to shut down Latrell Mitchell and Stephen Crichton. Up until the decider in Sydney on Wednesday, the NSW edge of Crichton, Mitchell Zac Lomax and Brian To'o had benefited from early ball throughout the series. NSW had scored more tries than Queensland in both games, but were let down by their goal-kicking in Perth having lost 26-24. While Mitchell hasn't scored a try in Brisbane and Perth, his presence has been a distraction for the Queensland side down the left. Crichton is considered by many as the best centre in the game and crossed over for a try in Perth. And fans were expecting Nathan Cleary to hand early ball to his destructive backline on a dry track in Sydney. Although Lomax, Crichton and Mitchell were completely nullified in the decider in Sydney with Slater instructing his men to follow Cronk's game plan to aplomb. Ahead of the game, Cronk suggested Queensland needed to up their tempo if they were going to nullify the Blues' destructive edge. Robert Toia and debutant Gehmat Shibasaki would need to have their best defensive games to answer this call. "In Game 2, when they were coming, every time they touched the ball it looked like something was happening," he said on Fox Sports ahead of the game. "So I think for Queensland to win this, they need to defend like their life depends on it, but those two centres cannot get early effective ball. Their first tackle on their centres needs to be the best tackle ever. "If Latrell or Stephen fend off their centre, it's going to give them a lot of confidence. It's going to give Nathan and Jarome more reason to go there, so they need to stop them." And that is exactly what Toia and and debutant Shibasaki achieved. Both centres jammed in on defence with Xavier Coates and Valentine Holmes also piling the pressure on the Blues backline. Cleary and Jarome Luai were unable to give any early ball to their attacking weapons for nearly 60 minutes of the game in a drastic change from the final 40 minutes of Game 2. While To'o managed to cross over in the final minute of the clash, Lomax, Crichton and Mitchell were completely nullified in the decider in Sydney with Slater getting his men to follow Cronk's game plan to aplomb. RELATED: Massive news about Jett Cleary after splitting with Nathan and Ivan NSW ditch pre-match tradition in stunning move for State of Origin 3 Slater was in tears after the game with captain Cameron Munster after a tough week leading up to the game. The coach himself made plenty of tough calls throughout the series, which included dropping former captain Daly Cherry-Evans after Game 1. He also blooded Toia and Gehmat Shibasaki in the series. And the coach admitted this was one of the sweetest victories in his short, but successful, coaching career in Origin. "They're right up there," Slater said of Queensland's 2-1 series victory. "It is a true Queensland team. It's been a true Queensland performance. That's no disrespect to anyone else, but you look over the history of this footy team. "I'm so proud of this group. I've been proud of this group a number of times over the last four years, and I don't know if I've been any more proud than tonight. There's been a lot of hurdles to overcome. It's an incredible feeling and I'm sure five and a half million people are feeling the same thing."
The 42
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The 42
The sequel that few asked for, but the one that Taylor and Serrano deserved the last time
WHEN I WAS FIVE, my father set a VHS cassette to record the 'Big Big Movie' for me as I got ready for bed on a Saturday night. My obsession with dinosaurs had begun about a year earlier with a Christmas present of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie on video. But the day I first sat through Jurassic Park, RTÉ ad breaks and all, was the day the Rangers began to gather dust in the corner unit. Spielberg — and soon afterwards, the original author, Michael Crichton — had me spellbound. I spent years telling aunts, uncles and teachers that I wanted to become a palaeontologist. My dad, bless him, always encouraged me, but I can't imagine how many times he must have hidden his dismay as he passed me a football only to witness his little nerd of a son compare its dimensions to that of a Diplodocus egg. My interests would later mutate towards sport but Jurassic Park remains my favourite film. Its greatness perseveres less in the spectacle and more in the questions it poses and the ideas it proposes. 'Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.' Dr Ian Malcolm's warning to John Hammond, perhaps even more prescient these days than it was when Crichton first committed a longer version of it to paper 36 years ago, now sadly also applies to the franchise that Crichton never intended to create. Released in cinemas last week, Jurassic World: Rebirth — the sixth sequel to Spielberg's original — struck this JP lifer as a pointless, brainless, soulless affair. And yet it has enjoyed the biggest global movie opening of 2025 so far, raking in over $320 million worldwide. The Jurassic movies have averaged out at about a billion quid per instalment, so you can expect Universal Studios to continue to flog the bones off this extinct reptile in the years to come. If you've flicked on Netflix, recently, then, you'll have seen they're flogging a sequel of their own. At a casual glance, it would be easy to perceive Katie Taylor's latest meeting with Amanda Serrano as being, in its own right, another preposterous summer blockbuster for summer blockbusters' sake. Advertisement Why would Katie go back to the island for a third time when she has already survived it twice?! She and Serrano can probably think of five to seven million reasons each, for starters. The Netflix trailer for their trilogy bout at Madison Square Garden, New York, this Friday, contained a curious twist: interspliced into Charlize Theron's narration was the comically Serrano-biased commentary from Taylor-Serrano 2 in Dallas last November, including the line from Serrano's fellow Puerto Rican Brooklynite Rosie Perez that Taylor's razor-thin victory in that rematch would see an 'asterisk' applied to her legacy. That Perez retracted that comment and apologised the same night apparently mattered not to Netflix, who used it as a hook in their highly produced promo. But they won't be using Perez on Friday night, nor will Mauro Ranallo return on lead commentary in this latest instalment. Taylor's team likely saw to that during contract negotiations. Hey, Hollywood's a tough business. When I asked Taylor about this casting development a couple of weeks ago, what do you think she said? Spoiler alert: you're probably going to be correct. 'Yeah, I didn't even see the trailer, to be honest,' Taylor laughed. 'I don't really care what happens, really, beforehand, or what's been said or anything like that. 'And nobody's ever going to remember the trailer… but they will remember the result on fight night and that's all I focus on.' It's true enough, which is clearly why Netflix embellished the trailer with Perez's infamous quote: most people know full well that Taylor is up 2-0 on her career-long rival and so without controversy, however contrived, this third entry in the series is a tougher sell than the first two. It all comes to down to this. KATIE TAYLOR vs. AMANDA SERRANO 3 is coming LIVE on Netflix, Friday July 11 at 8 pm ET | 5 pm PT — Netflix (@netflix) June 11, 2025 Taylor, who will again defend her undisputed light-welterweight title on Friday night, turned 39 last week. Serrano will be 37 in October. In athletic years, they're fossils, but in the ring, they were still physical marvels as recently as November. This trilogy bout may well prove the final act for both of them and nobody would argue the fact that Taylor and Serrano deserve the millions they'll pocket when the dust settles beneath them once more. And while an unwarranted sequel will always be treated with cynicism, it's only fair to point out that Taylor-Serrano 3 is exactly the follow-up that critics wished Taylor-Serrano 2 could have been. Unlike Dallas, there will be no predetermined male main event between a YouTuber and a 58-year-old former heavyweight champion entering the ring by way of eight blood transfusions. Taylor and Serrano have returned from the circus for a stripped-down, back-to-basics boxing event at the scene of their original classic in 2022. They will headline at Madison Square Garden an all-female card, brimming from top to bottom with world-level talent, live on a streaming platform with over 300 million global subscribers. This will not be car-crash TV but an elevation of women's boxing and a celebration of the cherished characters who have taken it to unprecedented heights in under a decade. The viewing figures will be organic, no caveats. The paychecks will again be huge. So, while one more will absolutely hurt, you can understand why it would feel worthwhile, all told. It would certainly make for a more fitting night to bow out than as the co-main event to Jake Paul and Mike Tyson. With nothing left to prove against Serrano, with her sporting legacy sealed, and with her financial future long since secured, I asked Katie Taylor recently how she could possibly summon the determination to do it all again. She said: 'I love the fact that I get to do something I love every single day. 'And even though sometimes I wake up and I'm not in the mood for training', Taylor added, 'I'm still so grateful to be in this position and I think that's definitely one of the reasons why I've been able to stay at the top for so long — because of this passion that I have for my sport.' In which case, who am I to tell this master of the sweet science whether or not she should? I'll be in New York this week to pick the bones of it for The 42 either way.
The Advertiser
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Rival's ultimate praise for fairytale Origin debutant
Stephen Crichton has paid shock Queensland debutant Gehamat Shibasaki the ultimate compliment, claiming his opposite man for the State of Origin decider has been the NRL's best centre this year. It's why Crichton insists Shibasaki will not be underestimated by NSW, who are set to make the call on Brian To'o's troublesome knee after a crucial training session on Monday night. With Kalyn Ponga injured and the series on the line, Queensland coach Billy Slater raised eyebrows picking journeyman Shibasaki at left centre and pushing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback for Origin III on to a breakout season at Brisbane, Shibasaki had floated across four clubs and played 30 games since his 2018 debut, and even left the NRL for a Japanese rugby stint in 2022. But the 26-year-old's Origin selection did not shock Canterbury captain Crichton, who lined up against him when Brisbane handed the Bulldogs a 42-18 hiding in April. Shibasaki crossed for one of the Broncos' seven four-pointers that night and is the NRL's equal-third most-prolific tryscorer heading into round 19. "He's been the top form centre right now in the year so he deserves his opportunity," Crichton said. "Although probably some people don't know him, he's there for a reason." Even so, Crichton concedes it will be a lofty task for Shibasaki to help the Maroons snatch the Origin shield come Wednesday night. Shibasaki lines up against a star-studded Blues backline that features South Sydney champion Latrell Mitchell in the other centre spot. Himself a surprise selection for game one, rookie Robert Toia joins Shibasaki in a much less seasoned centre pairing for Queensland. But Crichton insists there'll be no complacency from NSW. "I don't take any game lightly. You never know when it's going to be your last time in the jersey," Crichton said. "It's probably a big ask (for Shibasaki), but he's in the team for a reason. "He's done a lot of things right, especially in the position of centre, (there's) a lot of decision making out there." Uncapped winger Jacob Kiraz is on standby to come in for Blues gun To'o, who has been managing a knee injury since Penrith's defeat of Canterbury in round 17. The Blues have been confident all week that To'o and Payne Haas (back) would overcome their fitness issues to play in the decider. The pair completed light training on Saturday as planned but Monday night's full contact session will be telling. "I assume they'll do a bit more today and be good to go Wednesday," said Blues forward Hudson Young. Stephen Crichton has paid shock Queensland debutant Gehamat Shibasaki the ultimate compliment, claiming his opposite man for the State of Origin decider has been the NRL's best centre this year. It's why Crichton insists Shibasaki will not be underestimated by NSW, who are set to make the call on Brian To'o's troublesome knee after a crucial training session on Monday night. With Kalyn Ponga injured and the series on the line, Queensland coach Billy Slater raised eyebrows picking journeyman Shibasaki at left centre and pushing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback for Origin III on to a breakout season at Brisbane, Shibasaki had floated across four clubs and played 30 games since his 2018 debut, and even left the NRL for a Japanese rugby stint in 2022. But the 26-year-old's Origin selection did not shock Canterbury captain Crichton, who lined up against him when Brisbane handed the Bulldogs a 42-18 hiding in April. Shibasaki crossed for one of the Broncos' seven four-pointers that night and is the NRL's equal-third most-prolific tryscorer heading into round 19. "He's been the top form centre right now in the year so he deserves his opportunity," Crichton said. "Although probably some people don't know him, he's there for a reason." Even so, Crichton concedes it will be a lofty task for Shibasaki to help the Maroons snatch the Origin shield come Wednesday night. Shibasaki lines up against a star-studded Blues backline that features South Sydney champion Latrell Mitchell in the other centre spot. Himself a surprise selection for game one, rookie Robert Toia joins Shibasaki in a much less seasoned centre pairing for Queensland. But Crichton insists there'll be no complacency from NSW. "I don't take any game lightly. You never know when it's going to be your last time in the jersey," Crichton said. "It's probably a big ask (for Shibasaki), but he's in the team for a reason. "He's done a lot of things right, especially in the position of centre, (there's) a lot of decision making out there." Uncapped winger Jacob Kiraz is on standby to come in for Blues gun To'o, who has been managing a knee injury since Penrith's defeat of Canterbury in round 17. The Blues have been confident all week that To'o and Payne Haas (back) would overcome their fitness issues to play in the decider. The pair completed light training on Saturday as planned but Monday night's full contact session will be telling. "I assume they'll do a bit more today and be good to go Wednesday," said Blues forward Hudson Young. Stephen Crichton has paid shock Queensland debutant Gehamat Shibasaki the ultimate compliment, claiming his opposite man for the State of Origin decider has been the NRL's best centre this year. It's why Crichton insists Shibasaki will not be underestimated by NSW, who are set to make the call on Brian To'o's troublesome knee after a crucial training session on Monday night. With Kalyn Ponga injured and the series on the line, Queensland coach Billy Slater raised eyebrows picking journeyman Shibasaki at left centre and pushing Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow to fullback for Origin III on to a breakout season at Brisbane, Shibasaki had floated across four clubs and played 30 games since his 2018 debut, and even left the NRL for a Japanese rugby stint in 2022. But the 26-year-old's Origin selection did not shock Canterbury captain Crichton, who lined up against him when Brisbane handed the Bulldogs a 42-18 hiding in April. Shibasaki crossed for one of the Broncos' seven four-pointers that night and is the NRL's equal-third most-prolific tryscorer heading into round 19. "He's been the top form centre right now in the year so he deserves his opportunity," Crichton said. "Although probably some people don't know him, he's there for a reason." Even so, Crichton concedes it will be a lofty task for Shibasaki to help the Maroons snatch the Origin shield come Wednesday night. Shibasaki lines up against a star-studded Blues backline that features South Sydney champion Latrell Mitchell in the other centre spot. Himself a surprise selection for game one, rookie Robert Toia joins Shibasaki in a much less seasoned centre pairing for Queensland. But Crichton insists there'll be no complacency from NSW. "I don't take any game lightly. You never know when it's going to be your last time in the jersey," Crichton said. "It's probably a big ask (for Shibasaki), but he's in the team for a reason. "He's done a lot of things right, especially in the position of centre, (there's) a lot of decision making out there." Uncapped winger Jacob Kiraz is on standby to come in for Blues gun To'o, who has been managing a knee injury since Penrith's defeat of Canterbury in round 17. The Blues have been confident all week that To'o and Payne Haas (back) would overcome their fitness issues to play in the decider. The pair completed light training on Saturday as planned but Monday night's full contact session will be telling. "I assume they'll do a bit more today and be good to go Wednesday," said Blues forward Hudson Young.
Perth Now
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Blues stars drive despite injury cloud
Powerhouse NSW winger Brian To'o remains under an injury cloud for Wednesday night's State of Origin decider. But it would have to take something serious to keep him from pulling on the Blues jersey with three of his best mates who may have gone their separate ways in the NRL but retain a strong drive to represent their community every chance they get. To'o injured his knee playing for Penrith in their win over the Bulldogs last month but is expected to play given he scored a hat-trick in game two while battling a hamstring complaint. 'I'm not the trainer so I don't know,' teammate Stephen Crichton said, with the rest of the injured brigade set to play on Wednesday. 'But I'm pretty sure they're in today.' The decider will be the last chance for To'o, Crichton, Spencer Leniu and Jarome Luai to share the field as teammates this season until the Pacific Championships where they're all expected to be selected for Samoa if fit. The quartet all share a special bond having grown up in Mount Druitt before going on to win premierships together with Penrith, while they all played for Samoa in the 2022 World Cup final against Australia. To'o is the only one left at the Panthers with Crichton at the Bulldogs, Luai at the Tigers and Leniu at the Roosters, which is why they've been inseparable during the Origin camps. 'Since we don't play at each other's clubs right now, this is the opportunity that we do get to share blood and share conversations when we come back into camp,' Crichton said. 'We don't take these camps lightly. 'This is one of the camps that we get to come in and see each other's kids and their partners as well because we don't get to do it during the year. 'We don't take it lightly, and we take these opportunities with both hands.' Luai and To'o are both St Marys juniors, while Leniu (Minchinbury Jets) and Crichton (St Clair Comets) grew up playing footy for other clubs in the area. They remain passionate about inspiring the next generation of kids in western Sydney, with Crichton embracing the responsibility. 'We hold our home town to our heart every time we go out there. We aren't here without the community of Mount Druitt that gets behind us,' he said. 'Every time we run out, it's for those people out there, and they know that we represent 'Mounty' hard when we come out and represent on the biggest stage. 'We're not just playing for us and our family; we're also playing for where we came from as young kids as well. 'There was always a bad name for Mt Druitt when we were younger so now to see a lot of the boys playing NRL gives that light to the young kids that they can make it out of Mt Druitt and follow their dreams and make it with whatever job they have. 'Us boys are paving the way for those young kids to not get in trouble and to become footy players like us because it's the best job in the world.' Spencer Leniu will be cheered on in Sydney after giving it to Queensland fans in the Origin opener. Adam Head Credit: News Corp Australia That bond will be a secret weapon in the decider when Crichton goes up against Maroons rookie Gehamat Shibasaki, while Leniu gets to battle returning legend Josh Papalii in the middle. Leniu's energy off the bench has been a point of difference for every team he's ever played for, and fellow reserve Hudson Young says his fiery approach on the sidelines has helped him rip in when he's been injected into the contest. 'I love it, I think it's good for the game,' the Raiders star said. 'Any time the fans get involved (is good). For a player to do that and back his ability, I'm all for it. 'As a player running down there, it gives me the confidence to go out there and play with him.'
Mint
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
‘Jurassic World Rebirth' review: Torn between homage and reinvention
More than 30 years ago, Steven Spielberg directed the action adventure Jurassic Park, based on Michael Crichton's novel about genetic modification, paleontology and the dangers of man meddling with nature. Jurassic Park, the movie, in which velociraptors first darted across our screens and into our nightmares, premiered in 1993, and was a blockbuster. Crichton wrote another novel and Spielberg directed its adaptation. The Lost World: Jurassic Park released in 1997. Neither did Crichton write any more Jurassic Park novels, nor did Spielberg direct further sequels though though he remained on as executive producer for the franchise's subsequent films—five of them, including the latest instalment: Jurassic World Rebirth. Jurassic World: Rebirth, directed by Gareth Edwards, Jurassic arrives with the weight of an extinct franchise on its back and, despite moments of technical brilliance, struggles to escape the shadow of its better predecessors. It sheds the weight of legacy characters. No Alan Grant. No chaos theorizing by Ian Malcolm. A set of new characters, new dinosaurs, but an old story with familiar storytelling devices—a glossy repackage of the same exhausted DNA, trying to convince us it's evolved. Set five years after Jurassic World: Dominion, the film opens with a flashback to 17 years earlier, when a security breach disrupted experiments taking place at a facility on an island in the Atlantic Ocean. Cut to present day America, a time when dinosaurs have lost their appeal and fear factor has waned. When harmless dinos causing traffic jams is a regular event. A once-celebrated dinosaur museum faces closure due to public disinterest. At this time, the few existing species are relegated to remote island areas near the Equator. In this context, a biotech company plans an ambitious mission to locate and extract genetic material from the last known specimens of three dinosaur giants: the land-based Titanosaurus, the aquatic Mosasaurus, and the airborne Quetzalcoatlus. But this isn't about theme parks anymore—the goal is to develop a breakthrough treatment for heart disease using dinosaur DNA. Launching a high-stakes mission is pharma company head Martin Krebs (Rupert Friend) who recruits Zora Bennett (Scarlett Johansson), a covert ops expert looking for a big pay day. She's joined by earnest paleontologist Dr. Henry Loomis (Jonathan Bailey), who somehow remains idealistic even when things start eating the support crew, and Duncan Kincaid (Mahershala Ali), who brings the water transport, a skilled crew and some gravitas that the film otherwise lacks. They're a capable trio that reacts to plot mechanics rather than driving them. There's a 'humanising' sub-plot about a stranded family navigating the same dangerous terrain. The father's (Manuel Garcia Rulfo) plan to sail from Barbados to Cape Town with a small child, his older daughter and her boyfriend is highly questionable, and you can be sure things will go wrong. Fortunately, this subplot doesn't drag the film down, and it even adds some humour, courtesy of David Iacono as lazy boyfriend Xavier. Once again, humans have misjudged the wild, and evolution has taken some deeply unexpected turns. The genetic manipulation has resulted in newer and more unpredictable species, such as the Distortus Rex (D-Rex). This new creature gives the movie a slightly darker, more suspenseful edge but lacks the iconic presence of a T-Rex or the cunning of raptors. Gareth Edwards (Rogue One and Godzilla) brings scale and tension to well-staged action scenes. While the story tries to distance itself from the worn-out park setting, it can't seem to break free from the same narrative ruts: humans meddle, nature retaliates, and everyone runs from a new apex predator. A scene of a siege in a research facility recalls the original film's raptor kitchen scene but the dinosaurs no longer invoke that level of fear or awe. Alexandre Desplat composes the score, remixing John Williams' iconic themes that make the film feel both familiar and new. Like the rest of the film, the music too seems torn between homage and reinvention. Spielberg's original, for example, grappled with ethical questions about cloning, commercialization, and control. The ethical debates in Rebirth—while well-intentioned—come across as afterthoughts in a movie more concerned with showcasing its digital dinosaurs than exploring any meaningful theme. Jurassic World Rebirth doesn't reinvent the franchise, but delivers thrilling action with a smartly chosen contemporary cast. The plot, the motivations, the situations are silly and sometimes unthinking—such as feeding packaged candy to a tiny dinosaur. This latest instalment feels more like a repackaged fossil than a genuine resurrection.
