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Perth Now
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Cleary's tall poppy syndrome exposed
Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes has leapt to the defence of Nathan Cleary, who he says is a victim of tall poppy syndrome following last week's shock State of Origin defeat. The former Dally M Medal winner has warned the rest of the NRL that the Panthers star could take his game to scary heights after his Blues heartbreak. 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. A shattered Cleary spoke with humility after NSW lost game three at home and conceded he was yet to own the Origin arena after falling to an 0-3 record in series deciders after the Maroons rallied around skipper Cameron Munster and played a faultless opening 67 minutes. The discourse around Cleary has ranged from him being the GOAT (greatest of all time) to someone who can't win the big one, which doesn't quite stack up given he's won four titles in a row and is doing things we've never seen on a footy field. Nicho Hynes (right) is no stranger to criticism. Richard Dobson Credit: News Corp Australia Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon was stunned by the criticism Cleary copped after the decider, and Hynes took it a step further in the sheds after his side's win over the Dolphins. 'It can be challenging at times,' said Hynes, who now has a private Instagram account and blocks out all the outside noise having copped similar criticism after losing games for NSW. 'In the past I've let it get to me a fair bit, but I've put things in place at the moment so I don't see any of the stuff that's being spoken about me as long as the coaching staff, my teammates and my family value what I'm doing for the club and the effort I'm putting in. 'I felt for Nathan the other night. Although I haven't seen any of what's going on, I have heard whispers around and people talking about what he's going through and the things he's been copping. 'He's a four-time premiership winner in a row, he's tactically probably the best player in our game. I think Munster's the best football player we've had for a long time in the game, but Nathan's tactically so good and Queensland just lifted the other night. NRL: Penrith Panthers' Ivan Cleary and Nathan Cleary spoke to the media after their side's victory against the Parramatta Eels. 'They lifted, the whole state lifted and the whole team did for Munster and it just goes like that sometimes. As a halfback, you do wear a lot of it and that just comes with being the No.7 on a rugby league team, it's like the quarterback in the NFL. 'I know he strives for perfection and there are days sometimes it just doesn't turn out. He's going to come back better for it. 'It's like me, I always strive for perfection and I'll never reach it, but I'm going to keep trying and I'm going to keep working hard for this club and put my best foot forward and not worry about what people have to say. 'I know what I'm doing and if anyone could do a better job they would be. They just sit on the couch and watch the footy and have their opinion when their opinion doesn't really matter. 'You guys in the media have your opinion because you have to, it's your job. You write about it and I don't listen to it. I just keep working hard, doing my best for this team and sometimes you don't get the win. 'There's always a winner and a loser and we've been losing at the moment and that's fair enough, some criticism will come our way and I've just got to deal with it, keep moving on and keep fighting.' Baseball legend Reggie Jackson had a famous quote back in the day that 'Fans don't boo nobodies', and that was on show on Sunday when Eels supporters booed Cleary when he was shown on the bench before the Penrith playmaker came on and led his side to victory. 'It's the Australian way sometimes. They want to bring people down all the time, whether you're at the top of your game or you're not or you're a high-profile person,' Hynes said. 'This is tall poppy syndrome and in Australia it's real. They just want to bring everyone down. 'In our game there is only one winner at the end of the day in October and only one halfback wins it every year. Nathan Cleary's been that one. 'People coming at me, are they saying every other halfback is a failure in this competition? There's only one person who gets to win it, one No.7 wins it every year, so all of us other halfbacks are chasing that. 'Are they calling Mitchell Moses a failure? I don't think so because he's a great player, won an Origin series last year and he hasn't won a comp yet.' State of Origin: Nathan Cleary's performance of the 2025 State of Origin has come under criticism as he remains yet to win a decider. Hynes said he didn't need external validation and was only focused on the opinions of his teammates, coaches and those close to him, but he'd happily offer his praise to Cleary if he thought it would help. 'I thought about messaging him over the last couple of days and saying 'you're the GOAT, don't worry about it',' he said. 'But I know what it's like when people message you telling you not to worry about the things that are being said about you. You straight away think about what's being said. 'He's a professional, he's been through it all before. I have been thinking about him a lot, I just didn't want to be another person to message saying 'don't worry about it' because I don't even know what's going on and what's been said. 'The boys come in and say 'what happened about this person?' I don't know because I just don't care anymore about what's going on in this world, about rugby league. 'If he does see this, I honestly am thinking about him and I do love him as a person. He's a genuine, really good person. 'I'm scared for the competition now, how he's going to bounce back.'
Perth Now
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Perth Now
Hynes tears into Cleary critics with passionate plea
Sharks halfback Nicho Hynes has leapt to the defence of Nathan Cleary, who he says is a victim of tall poppy syndrome following last week's shock State of Origin defeat. The former Dally M Medal winner has warned the rest of the NRL that the Panthers star could take his game to scary heights after his Blues heartbreak. A shattered Cleary spoke with humility after NSW lost game three at home and conceded he was yet to own the Origin arena after falling to an 0-3 record in series deciders after the Maroons rallied around skipper Cameron Munster and played a faultless opening 67 minutes. The discourse around Cleary has ranged from him being the GOAT (greatest of all time) to someone who can't win the big one, which doesn't quite stack up given he's won four titles in a row and is doing things we've never seen on a footy field. Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon was stunned by the criticism Cleary copped after the decider, and Hynes took it a step further in the sheds after his side's win over the Dolphins. Nicho Hynes has thrown his support behind Nathan Cleary and can't understand the criticism of one of the game's biggest stars. Richard Dobson Credit: News Corp Australia 'It can be challenging at times,' said Hynes, who now has a private Instagram account and blocks out all the outside noise having copped similar criticism after losing games for NSW. 'In the past I've let it get to me a fair bit, but I've put things in place at the moment so I don't see any of the stuff that's being spoken about me as long as the coaching staff, my teammates and my family value what I'm doing for the club and the effort I'm putting in. 'I felt for Nathan the other night. Although I haven't seen any of what's going on, I have heard whispers around and people talking about what he's going through and the things he's been copping. 'He's a four-time premiership winner in a row, he's tactically probably the best player in our game. I think Munster's the best football player we've had for a long time in the game, but Nathan's tactically so good and Queensland just lifted the other night. 'They lifted, the whole state lifted and the whole team did for Munster and it just goes like that sometimes. As a halfback, you do wear a lot of it and that just comes with being the No.7 on a rugby league team, it's like the quarterback in the NFL. 'I know he strives for perfection and there are days sometimes it just doesn't turn out. He's going to come back better for it. 'It's like me, I always strive for perfection and I'll never reach it, but I'm going to keep trying and I'm going to keep working hard for this club and put my best foot forward and not worry about what people have to say. 'I know what I'm doing and if anyone could do a better job they would be. They just sit on the couch and watch the footy and have their opinion when their opinion doesn't really matter. 'You guys in the media have your opinion because you have to, it's your job. You write about it and I don't listen to it. I just keep working hard, doing my best for this team and sometimes you don't get the win. 'There's always a winner and a loser and we've been losing at the moment and that's fair enough, some criticism will come our way and I've just got to deal with it, keep moving on and keep fighting.' Baseball legend Reggie Jackson had a famous quote back in the day that 'Fans don't boo nobodies', and that was on show on Sunday when Eels supporters booed Cleary when he was shown on the bench before the Penrith playmaker came on and led his side to victory. 'It's the Australian way sometimes. They want to bring people down all the time, whether you're at the top of your game or you're not or you're a high-profile person,' Hynes said. 'This is tall poppy syndrome and in Australia it's real. They just want to bring everyone down. 'In our game there is only one winner at the end of the day in October and only one halfback wins it every year. Nathan Cleary's been that one. 'People coming at me, are they saying every other halfback is a failure in this competition? There's only one person who gets to win it, one No.7 wins it every year, so all of us other halfbacks are chasing that. 'Are they calling Mitchell Moses a failure? I don't think so because he's a great player, won an Origin series last year and he hasn't won a comp yet.' Hynes said he didn't need external validation and was only focused on the opinions of his teammates, coaches and those close to him, but he'd happily offer his praise to Cleary if he thought it would help. 'I thought about messaging him over the last couple of days and saying 'you're the GOAT, don't worry about it',' he said. 'But I know what it's like when people message you telling you not to worry about the things that are being said about you. You straight away think about what's being said. 'He's a professional, he's been through it all before. I have been thinking about him a lot, I just didn't want to be another person to message saying 'don't worry about it' because I don't even know what's going on and what's been said. 'The boys come in and say 'what happened about this person?' I don't know because I just don't care anymore about what's going on in this world, about rugby league. 'If he does see this, I honestly am thinking about him and I do love him as a person. He's a genuine, really good person. 'I'm scared for the competition now, how he's going to bounce back.'
The Advertiser
05-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
NRLW opening wins for Broncos, Dragons and Cowboys
Brisbane, St George Illawarra and North Queensland have opened their NRLW campaigns in the best possible style. Tamika Upton's return to the Broncos brought immediate benefits as she helped the three-time champions to a 28-4 win over Wests Tigers at Totally Workwear Stadium on Saturday. The 28-year-old was back in Brisbane colours after three years with Newcastle and reaffirmed why she won the 2023 Dally M Medal with three try assists, four line-break assists, and six tackle busts in her afternoon's work. "She's just an X-factor. Tamika always goes about her football so professionally," Broncos captain Ali Brigginshaw said. "Today she started to really find her groove." The visitors were in the fight at halftime trailing 8-4, but Brisbane went from a trot into a gallop piling on four unanswered tries. "A little bit nerve wrecking and frustrating in that first half. We had a lot of footy but just didn't do too much with it," Broncos coach Scott Prince said. "But in the second half the girls came out with real intent to turn the Tigers around and put them in their corner." Fittingly it was two NRLW debutants that scored their team's first points. Rugby recruit Kerri Johnson touched down in the 21st minute after a 35-metre break upfield by Upton. Wests Tigers Caitlin Turnbull, who scored 13 tries in 11 games for Wentworthville in NSWRL's Harvey Norman Premiership last year, grabbed her maiden NRLW try. Brisbane snapped their round-one blues after losing the opening match of the past three seasons. The league's top-two tryscorers added to their individual tallies, when St George Illawarra overran Canberra at GIO Stadium. Dragons fullback Teagan Berry registered her 30th four-pointer and Raiders winger Madison Bartlett scored her 27th in the Red V's 36-14 win. 18-year-old debutant Indie Bostock took just three minutes to score a runaway 80-metre try for the Dragons after being called up into the centres from the extended bench. The star of the NSW U19s State of Origin win last month, and the sister of Dolphins winger Jack, added a second by supporting Berry down the right after the break. That put the visitors up 18-4 but the Raiders' revival came through tries to Bartlett and Sophie Holyman. St George Illawarra responded with another three tries – Berry, halfback and captain Raecene McGregor and winger Margot Vella. The Dragons only won two of nine games last year but rookie coach Nathan Cross seems to have them on course for a few more in 2025. In Townsville, North Queensland enjoyed a 20-6 win over Gold Coast. Ricky Henry's Cowboys produced nine line breaks to two and 29 tackle-busts to 17 as they rattled off a four tries-to-one victory at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. They were three minutes from recording their first whitewash in their short three-year history, but a consolation try to Titans centre Georgia Gray put an end to that. England international Fran Goldthorp got the party started in the 19th minute, with winger Krystal Blackwell and fullback Jakiya Whitfield also scoring for a 14-0 lead at the break. Emma Manzelmann bagged the Cowboys' fourth and final try with a darting 20-metre run. Brisbane, St George Illawarra and North Queensland have opened their NRLW campaigns in the best possible style. Tamika Upton's return to the Broncos brought immediate benefits as she helped the three-time champions to a 28-4 win over Wests Tigers at Totally Workwear Stadium on Saturday. The 28-year-old was back in Brisbane colours after three years with Newcastle and reaffirmed why she won the 2023 Dally M Medal with three try assists, four line-break assists, and six tackle busts in her afternoon's work. "She's just an X-factor. Tamika always goes about her football so professionally," Broncos captain Ali Brigginshaw said. "Today she started to really find her groove." The visitors were in the fight at halftime trailing 8-4, but Brisbane went from a trot into a gallop piling on four unanswered tries. "A little bit nerve wrecking and frustrating in that first half. We had a lot of footy but just didn't do too much with it," Broncos coach Scott Prince said. "But in the second half the girls came out with real intent to turn the Tigers around and put them in their corner." Fittingly it was two NRLW debutants that scored their team's first points. Rugby recruit Kerri Johnson touched down in the 21st minute after a 35-metre break upfield by Upton. Wests Tigers Caitlin Turnbull, who scored 13 tries in 11 games for Wentworthville in NSWRL's Harvey Norman Premiership last year, grabbed her maiden NRLW try. Brisbane snapped their round-one blues after losing the opening match of the past three seasons. The league's top-two tryscorers added to their individual tallies, when St George Illawarra overran Canberra at GIO Stadium. Dragons fullback Teagan Berry registered her 30th four-pointer and Raiders winger Madison Bartlett scored her 27th in the Red V's 36-14 win. 18-year-old debutant Indie Bostock took just three minutes to score a runaway 80-metre try for the Dragons after being called up into the centres from the extended bench. The star of the NSW U19s State of Origin win last month, and the sister of Dolphins winger Jack, added a second by supporting Berry down the right after the break. That put the visitors up 18-4 but the Raiders' revival came through tries to Bartlett and Sophie Holyman. St George Illawarra responded with another three tries – Berry, halfback and captain Raecene McGregor and winger Margot Vella. The Dragons only won two of nine games last year but rookie coach Nathan Cross seems to have them on course for a few more in 2025. In Townsville, North Queensland enjoyed a 20-6 win over Gold Coast. Ricky Henry's Cowboys produced nine line breaks to two and 29 tackle-busts to 17 as they rattled off a four tries-to-one victory at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. They were three minutes from recording their first whitewash in their short three-year history, but a consolation try to Titans centre Georgia Gray put an end to that. England international Fran Goldthorp got the party started in the 19th minute, with winger Krystal Blackwell and fullback Jakiya Whitfield also scoring for a 14-0 lead at the break. Emma Manzelmann bagged the Cowboys' fourth and final try with a darting 20-metre run. Brisbane, St George Illawarra and North Queensland have opened their NRLW campaigns in the best possible style. Tamika Upton's return to the Broncos brought immediate benefits as she helped the three-time champions to a 28-4 win over Wests Tigers at Totally Workwear Stadium on Saturday. The 28-year-old was back in Brisbane colours after three years with Newcastle and reaffirmed why she won the 2023 Dally M Medal with three try assists, four line-break assists, and six tackle busts in her afternoon's work. "She's just an X-factor. Tamika always goes about her football so professionally," Broncos captain Ali Brigginshaw said. "Today she started to really find her groove." The visitors were in the fight at halftime trailing 8-4, but Brisbane went from a trot into a gallop piling on four unanswered tries. "A little bit nerve wrecking and frustrating in that first half. We had a lot of footy but just didn't do too much with it," Broncos coach Scott Prince said. "But in the second half the girls came out with real intent to turn the Tigers around and put them in their corner." Fittingly it was two NRLW debutants that scored their team's first points. Rugby recruit Kerri Johnson touched down in the 21st minute after a 35-metre break upfield by Upton. Wests Tigers Caitlin Turnbull, who scored 13 tries in 11 games for Wentworthville in NSWRL's Harvey Norman Premiership last year, grabbed her maiden NRLW try. Brisbane snapped their round-one blues after losing the opening match of the past three seasons. The league's top-two tryscorers added to their individual tallies, when St George Illawarra overran Canberra at GIO Stadium. Dragons fullback Teagan Berry registered her 30th four-pointer and Raiders winger Madison Bartlett scored her 27th in the Red V's 36-14 win. 18-year-old debutant Indie Bostock took just three minutes to score a runaway 80-metre try for the Dragons after being called up into the centres from the extended bench. The star of the NSW U19s State of Origin win last month, and the sister of Dolphins winger Jack, added a second by supporting Berry down the right after the break. That put the visitors up 18-4 but the Raiders' revival came through tries to Bartlett and Sophie Holyman. St George Illawarra responded with another three tries – Berry, halfback and captain Raecene McGregor and winger Margot Vella. The Dragons only won two of nine games last year but rookie coach Nathan Cross seems to have them on course for a few more in 2025. In Townsville, North Queensland enjoyed a 20-6 win over Gold Coast. Ricky Henry's Cowboys produced nine line breaks to two and 29 tackle-busts to 17 as they rattled off a four tries-to-one victory at Queensland Country Bank Stadium. They were three minutes from recording their first whitewash in their short three-year history, but a consolation try to Titans centre Georgia Gray put an end to that. England international Fran Goldthorp got the party started in the 19th minute, with winger Krystal Blackwell and fullback Jakiya Whitfield also scoring for a 14-0 lead at the break. Emma Manzelmann bagged the Cowboys' fourth and final try with a darting 20-metre run.
Sydney Morning Herald
04-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘That real hard edge': Dual-code prodigy leads Queensland's new era of NRLW stars
Broncos NRLW superstar Tamika Upton has declared Reegan Hicks is in line to produce a breakout campaign, as the club seek to bounce back from their preliminary final exit last year. Upton, largely regarded as the game's leading woman, will assume Brisbane's co-captaincy alongside Ali Brigginshaw in 2025, having cast aside the hip injury that cost her a place in Queensland's game three State of Origin side. While the former Dally M Medal winner described her time in rehab as a 'blessing' in a chaotic year which had included a trip to Las Vegas with the Jillaroos, she kept an eye on the Broncos' developing talent who loom as the future faces of the game. Hicks – who has been named as 19th woman for the Broncos' opening round clash with the Tigers – came to the front of Upton's mind when asked who was set to become an NRLW household name. The edge forward fresh off scoring the first try in the Maroons' 26-10 defeat to New South Wales in the under-19s State of Origin clash. Loading The 18-year-old managed five appearances in her maiden Queensland Cup campaign for North Devils last year – her sole loss coming in the grand final – but Upton hinted there could be various roles in her future. 'She's been absolutely incredible. Just from the first couple of months of meeting her and how far she's come with the training, she's been jumping into most positions,' Upton said. 'I think someone that's hungry like that and willing to learn and do whatever it takes, I think she has a big future ahead.'
1News
01-07-2025
- Sport
- 1News
Broncos forward escapes sanction for tackle that injured Metcalf
Brisbane Broncos forward Brendan Piakura has escaped sanction for the shot that injured Luke Metcalf's knee and threw the Warriors star's season into doubt. Piakura went on report in the second half of Brisbane's 26-12 win on Saturday for hitting Metcalf after he had passed the ball. The 26-year-old was unable to continue and will go for scans on Monday once the team is back in Auckland. Warriors coach Andrew Webster said medical staff could not rule out an anterior cruciate ligament tear for Metcalf, who has an extensive injury history. Webster said Metcalf would not play the Warriors' next game on July 13 and would be joined on the sidelines by fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who also went down with a knee issue against the Broncos. ADVERTISEMENT On Sunday morning, the match review committee opted against charging Piakura altogether for the late hit. Metcalf is in the midst of a breakout year and had been leading the Dally M Medal race when voting went behind closed doors after round 12. Any long-term injury for the halfback would be a big blow to their hopes of a top-four finish, and would blow the Dally M race wide open. The Warriors have lost their past two games but face only one more top-four side, Canterbury, on the run home. Te Maire Martin appears the likeliest candidate to join Chanel Harris-Tavita in the halves to face Wests Tigers in a fortnight, but Tanah Boyd is an option for a club debut. Elsewhere, Parramatta second-rower Kelma Tuilagi has been offered a three-game ban for a crusher tackle that enraged future Eels teammate Jack de Belin. A fracas erupted when Tuilagi bent St George Illawarra forward de Belin awkwardly in a tackle during the Dragons' 34-20 win in Wollongong on Saturday night. ADVERTISEMENT Tuilagi will miss upcoming games against Penrith, Canberra and Brisbane with an early guilty plea, in another blow to a Parramatta side already without Mitch Moses. He risks missing a fourth game, against Melbourne, by challenging the charge. Tuilagi is set to become the third Eels player sidelined through suspension, with hooker Ryley Smith and centre Will Penisini offered big bans after last week's win over Gold Coast. Parramatta prop Jack Williams can accept a $1000 fine for his high shot on Dragons forward Emre Guler.
