Latest news with #NSWOrigin
Sydney Morning Herald
12-07-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘I won't shake his hand': In a sport full of confected hate, SBW-Gallen feud is very real
The news comes as no surprise to Williams. 'He said he isn't going to shake my hand and I couldn't give two flying f's, to tell the truth,' Williams counters. 'I don't have hate for anyone, I'm a pretty cruisy guy. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. I'm one to stand up for myself and what I believe in, 150 per cent. That's my path. 'You don't want to shake my hand, I don't give two damns. But I'm going to win this fight.' After more than a decade of false starts, Williams and Gallen will finally enter the ring at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday night. The fight will be held over eight two-minute rounds – another point of contention – with each expected to walk away with an even split of about $1 million each. The one thing the former footballers agree on is that this will be their final fight; one last hurrah before retiring. Already they have registered low blows, delighting in digging up each other's drugs dramas: Gallen's involvement in Cronulla's peptides scandal, dubbed the 'blackest day in Australian sport'; Williams' admission that he dabbled in illicit substances early in his league career. Their first face-off will be at a press conference on Monday, although both have thrown barbs from afar. When Williams finally gets the chance to stare down his opponent, what does he expect to see? 'I see a fraud, that's what I see,' he says. 'I see a guy who would argue with a five-year-old kid to prove his point. We just don't mix; he's not my cup of tea. He never has been, never will be. 'The only difference is he has a track record of making it personal with every fight he's had. For me, it's the first time it's felt like a real fight, not a sports event. 'I've got to get through the next couple of days, listen to him talk trash, say things to try to rile me up. But the reality is the one who has been riled up the most is him. He doesn't like the facts that have been pointed out that the media cover up. This guy is a drug cheat. 'He's in the NSW hall of fame. What for? For the longest losing streak? [A reference to his stint as NSW Origin skipper]. 'This is not a good human being, and he's the one trying to come to me and give a moral lesson. No thank you. 'The next few days can't pass fast enough. I just want to get to fight night and show him how limited he is.' Both men have been able to parlay their feats and notoriety into a mammoth payday. Neither pretends to be world-class, but both can hold up their hands. Williams was once the New Zealand heavyweight champion and briefly a WBA titleholder, while Gallen's only losses, against the credentialled Justin Huni and Kris Terzievski, gained him the most respect from the purists. Their boxing legacy will be bringing new eyeballs to a sport, with promoters hoping that record numbers will tune in when their stoush is shown live and exclusively on Stan which, like this masthead, is owned by Nine Entertainment. To date, Gallen's most famous punch was delivered on the footy field, to the head of Nate Myles during the 2013 State of Origin series. It remains to be seen whether he can land a more memorable blow on Williams. 'That would be nice,' Gallen says. 'I'm not proud of that [Myles punch]. I'd much rather have won the series than throw a punch.' Some bookmakers haven't been able to split the pair. At 39, Williams is four years younger and has a decided reach advantage. Gallen's challenge will be finding enough time within the allotted 16 minutes to get close enough to land meaningful blows from close range. 'I win because I have the better skill set, and I've gone a long way in correcting what happened last fight,' Williams says of the only blemish on his professional record, a KO loss to Mark Hunt. 'What the bloke in the last fight had, this bloke doesn't have – true knockout power. Paul doesn't have that.' There will be no secret to Gallen's approach. Just like he did on the footy field, the former NSW and Cronulla skipper will keep marching forward. Loading 'Sonny Bill and his coaches would have gone into games hoping he would play well, hoping he would find a flick pass or make a break or score a try,' Gallen says. 'My coach never had to worry about that, they always knew what they were going to get. That's what is going to happen in this fight. He knows I'm going to be in front of him. There's no secret to this fight, what I'm going to do, how I'm going to fight. He knows I'm going to be there. 'Is he good enough to knock me out? I don't think he is. I'm going to be relentless and I'll wear him out.'
The Age
12-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
‘I won't shake his hand': In a sport full of confected hate, SBW-Gallen feud is very real
The news comes as no surprise to Williams. 'He said he isn't going to shake my hand and I couldn't give two flying f's, to tell the truth,' Williams counters. 'I don't have hate for anyone, I'm a pretty cruisy guy. But at the end of the day, it is what it is. I'm one to stand up for myself and what I believe in, 150 per cent. That's my path. 'You don't want to shake my hand, I don't give two damns. But I'm going to win this fight.' After more than a decade of false starts, Williams and Gallen will finally enter the ring at Sydney's Qudos Bank Arena on Wednesday night. The fight will be held over eight two-minute rounds – another point of contention – with each expected to walk away with an even split of about $1 million each. The one thing the former footballers agree on is that this will be their final fight; one last hurrah before retiring. Already they have registered low blows, delighting in digging up each other's drugs dramas: Gallen's involvement in Cronulla's peptides scandal, dubbed the 'blackest day in Australian sport'; Williams' admission that he dabbled in illicit substances early in his league career. Their first face-off will be at a press conference on Monday, although both have thrown barbs from afar. When Williams finally gets the chance to stare down his opponent, what does he expect to see? 'I see a fraud, that's what I see,' he says. 'I see a guy who would argue with a five-year-old kid to prove his point. We just don't mix; he's not my cup of tea. He never has been, never will be. 'The only difference is he has a track record of making it personal with every fight he's had. For me, it's the first time it's felt like a real fight, not a sports event. 'I've got to get through the next couple of days, listen to him talk trash, say things to try to rile me up. But the reality is the one who has been riled up the most is him. He doesn't like the facts that have been pointed out that the media cover up. This guy is a drug cheat. 'He's in the NSW hall of fame. What for? For the longest losing streak? [A reference to his stint as NSW Origin skipper]. 'This is not a good human being, and he's the one trying to come to me and give a moral lesson. No thank you. 'The next few days can't pass fast enough. I just want to get to fight night and show him how limited he is.' Both men have been able to parlay their feats and notoriety into a mammoth payday. Neither pretends to be world-class, but both can hold up their hands. Williams was once the New Zealand heavyweight champion and briefly a WBA titleholder, while Gallen's only losses, against the credentialled Justin Huni and Kris Terzievski, gained him the most respect from the purists. Their boxing legacy will be bringing new eyeballs to a sport, with promoters hoping that record numbers will tune in when their stoush is shown live and exclusively on Stan which, like this masthead, is owned by Nine Entertainment. To date, Gallen's most famous punch was delivered on the footy field, to the head of Nate Myles during the 2013 State of Origin series. It remains to be seen whether he can land a more memorable blow on Williams. 'That would be nice,' Gallen says. 'I'm not proud of that [Myles punch]. I'd much rather have won the series than throw a punch.' Some bookmakers haven't been able to split the pair. At 39, Williams is four years younger and has a decided reach advantage. Gallen's challenge will be finding enough time within the allotted 16 minutes to get close enough to land meaningful blows from close range. 'I win because I have the better skill set, and I've gone a long way in correcting what happened last fight,' Williams says of the only blemish on his professional record, a KO loss to Mark Hunt. 'What the bloke in the last fight had, this bloke doesn't have – true knockout power. Paul doesn't have that.' There will be no secret to Gallen's approach. Just like he did on the footy field, the former NSW and Cronulla skipper will keep marching forward. Loading 'Sonny Bill and his coaches would have gone into games hoping he would play well, hoping he would find a flick pass or make a break or score a try,' Gallen says. 'My coach never had to worry about that, they always knew what they were going to get. That's what is going to happen in this fight. He knows I'm going to be in front of him. There's no secret to this fight, what I'm going to do, how I'm going to fight. He knows I'm going to be there. 'Is he good enough to knock me out? I don't think he is. I'm going to be relentless and I'll wear him out.'
The Advertiser
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Advertiser
Injury mars Roosters' big start to NRLW title defence
A maiden hat-trick to winger Taina Naividi helped underpin the Sydney Roosters' victory as they began their NRLW premiership defence with a 30-6 win over revival team, the Warriors. The 24-year-old Fiji international scored all three of her tries in the first half off the back of cut-out passes from teammates Jasmin Strange (twice) and halfback Jocelyn Kelleher. Naividi also led her side in tackle breaks with 10. But the six tries-to-one win was soured with a serious right elbow injury to NSW Origin winger Jayme Fressard as she was attempting to plant the ball in the north-west corner of Allianz Stadium in the 51st minute of Sunday's match. "She has a dislocated elbow so it's not looking great for her at the moment. We'll just have to see what happens," coach John Strange said on how long Fressard would be on the sidelines. Highlights for the Warriors were few on the scoreboard but they showed plenty of spark in attack off the back of halves Emily Curtain and Patricia Maliepo. A 14-time Zealand Ferns rugby international, Maliepo was on debut and both scored and converted the first Warriors try since 2020, which was the last NRLW season the Auckland club competed. "I thought we were courageous, determined, full of resolve," Warriors coach Ron Griffith said. "Seventh-five per cent of our players haven't played NRLW before, we have five rugby union players, we didn't have a trial game, and they just kept turning up for each other." But it was the four tries in the opening 35 minutes – the other was by Fressard – that had the Warriors chasing hard as they headed to the sheds down 18-6 at halftime. That task became a little harder early in the second half, when prop and former Newcastle Knight Rima Butler was rewarded for her seven tackle-busts by scoring her first try in Roosters colours (24-6). A try to Dally M medallist Olivia Kernick in the 53rd minute and there was no coming back. The Roosters take on a Dragons outfit full of confidence at Jubilee Stadium next week after the Red V's 36-14 win over the Raiders yesterday. But the Tricolours will still be without their Golden Boot winner Tarryn Aiken (shoulder) who is still three to four weeks away. A maiden hat-trick to winger Taina Naividi helped underpin the Sydney Roosters' victory as they began their NRLW premiership defence with a 30-6 win over revival team, the Warriors. The 24-year-old Fiji international scored all three of her tries in the first half off the back of cut-out passes from teammates Jasmin Strange (twice) and halfback Jocelyn Kelleher. Naividi also led her side in tackle breaks with 10. But the six tries-to-one win was soured with a serious right elbow injury to NSW Origin winger Jayme Fressard as she was attempting to plant the ball in the north-west corner of Allianz Stadium in the 51st minute of Sunday's match. "She has a dislocated elbow so it's not looking great for her at the moment. We'll just have to see what happens," coach John Strange said on how long Fressard would be on the sidelines. Highlights for the Warriors were few on the scoreboard but they showed plenty of spark in attack off the back of halves Emily Curtain and Patricia Maliepo. A 14-time Zealand Ferns rugby international, Maliepo was on debut and both scored and converted the first Warriors try since 2020, which was the last NRLW season the Auckland club competed. "I thought we were courageous, determined, full of resolve," Warriors coach Ron Griffith said. "Seventh-five per cent of our players haven't played NRLW before, we have five rugby union players, we didn't have a trial game, and they just kept turning up for each other." But it was the four tries in the opening 35 minutes – the other was by Fressard – that had the Warriors chasing hard as they headed to the sheds down 18-6 at halftime. That task became a little harder early in the second half, when prop and former Newcastle Knight Rima Butler was rewarded for her seven tackle-busts by scoring her first try in Roosters colours (24-6). A try to Dally M medallist Olivia Kernick in the 53rd minute and there was no coming back. The Roosters take on a Dragons outfit full of confidence at Jubilee Stadium next week after the Red V's 36-14 win over the Raiders yesterday. But the Tricolours will still be without their Golden Boot winner Tarryn Aiken (shoulder) who is still three to four weeks away. A maiden hat-trick to winger Taina Naividi helped underpin the Sydney Roosters' victory as they began their NRLW premiership defence with a 30-6 win over revival team, the Warriors. The 24-year-old Fiji international scored all three of her tries in the first half off the back of cut-out passes from teammates Jasmin Strange (twice) and halfback Jocelyn Kelleher. Naividi also led her side in tackle breaks with 10. But the six tries-to-one win was soured with a serious right elbow injury to NSW Origin winger Jayme Fressard as she was attempting to plant the ball in the north-west corner of Allianz Stadium in the 51st minute of Sunday's match. "She has a dislocated elbow so it's not looking great for her at the moment. We'll just have to see what happens," coach John Strange said on how long Fressard would be on the sidelines. Highlights for the Warriors were few on the scoreboard but they showed plenty of spark in attack off the back of halves Emily Curtain and Patricia Maliepo. A 14-time Zealand Ferns rugby international, Maliepo was on debut and both scored and converted the first Warriors try since 2020, which was the last NRLW season the Auckland club competed. "I thought we were courageous, determined, full of resolve," Warriors coach Ron Griffith said. "Seventh-five per cent of our players haven't played NRLW before, we have five rugby union players, we didn't have a trial game, and they just kept turning up for each other." But it was the four tries in the opening 35 minutes – the other was by Fressard – that had the Warriors chasing hard as they headed to the sheds down 18-6 at halftime. That task became a little harder early in the second half, when prop and former Newcastle Knight Rima Butler was rewarded for her seven tackle-busts by scoring her first try in Roosters colours (24-6). A try to Dally M medallist Olivia Kernick in the 53rd minute and there was no coming back. The Roosters take on a Dragons outfit full of confidence at Jubilee Stadium next week after the Red V's 36-14 win over the Raiders yesterday. But the Tricolours will still be without their Golden Boot winner Tarryn Aiken (shoulder) who is still three to four weeks away.
ABC News
30-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
NSW star Jarome Luai details scary three-day hospital stay after chest wound resulted in staph infection
Jarome Luai believes his body has sent him a warning to slow down, after spending three nights in hospital because of fevers from a staph infection. Luai bounded into the NSW State of Origin camp on Monday, one day after leaving hospital with the infection that ruled him out of Wests Tigers' clash with Manly. The 28-year-old is confident the issue will not impact his preparation given NSW does not train until Wednesday, but said he had been given a reminder to look after himself. Luai said his infection came from a chest wound following a fortnight where he had been rushed into NSW camp, played in Origin II in Perth on Wednesday, and then in Sydney two days later for the Tigers. "I was probably a bit run down from backing up after Origin, you start to catch things a bit easier," Luai said. "At the time when I missed the Tigers game, in my head it was 'I need to get right'. "But I found out then and there that sometimes you neglect your health and your body, you play injured or sick. "Sometimes your body reminds you that your health is your wealth. That was the reminder for me." Luai said he had initially gone to hospital last Thursday aiming to recover in time to play the next day for the Tigers, before spending the next three nights there. "I had fevers, my whole chest was red and swollen. "I am feeling a lot better now. I am grateful for that. You take for granted sometimes when you're in good health, so good to be back now." Luai also wanted to make clear that the infection came from a cut, and not a boil as had been previously suggested. "When I saw the word boil I was like, 'Oh man, the boys are gonna roast me,'" Luai said. "They're all giving it to me. I'll just cop that on the chin." NSW coaches had been willing to give Luai until Thursday to train for next Wednesday's series decider, while keen to avoid more disruption this week. Brian To'o is already not expected to train on his injured knee until at least Saturday, with Jacob Kiraz on stand-by to run on in his spot. It comes after Mitch Moses was ruled out midway through camp before the game two defeat, 19th man Keaon Koloamatangi missed the trip to Perth with a fractured eye socket and Payne Haas, To'o and Nathan Cleary all battled injuries. ABC Sport will have live blog coverage of State of Origin III on July 9. "Whether it did or not affect our preparation, it wasn't as smooth as what you would have liked," coach Laurie Daley said. "That's one of the reasons why, you know, Jacob's here as 18th man. "We just thought we'd take all that stuff out of the equation and just go with what we think is the best 17 or 18." AAP
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
New South Wales star Jarome Luai lifts the lid on shock hospital trip that could have derailed his hopes of playing in State of Origin III
Jarome Luai believes his body has sent him a warning to slow down, after spending three nights in hospital with fevers from a staph infection. Luai bounded into NSW State of Origin camp on Monday, one day after leaving hospital with the infection that ruled him out of Wests Tigers' clash with Manly. The 28-year-old is confident the issue won't impact his preparation given NSW don't train until Wednesday, but said he had been given a reminder to look after himself. Luai said his infection came from a chest wound, following a fortnight where he'd been rushed into NSW camp, played in Origin II in Perth on Wednesday and then in Sydney two days later for the Tigers. 'I was probably a bit run down from backing up after Origin, you start to catch things a bit easier,' Luai said. 'At the time when I missed the Tigers game, in my head it was 'I need to get right'. 'But I found out then and there that sometimes you neglect your health and your body, you play injured or sick. 'Sometimes your body reminds you that your health is your wealth. That was the reminder for me.' Luai said he had initially gone to hospital last Thursday aiming to recover in time to play the next day for the Tigers, before spending the next three nights in there. 'I got there and the doctor said it was a lot worse than what we thought it was,' Luai said. 'I had fevers, my whole chest was red and swollen. 'I am feeling a lot better now. I am grateful for that. You take for granted sometimes when you're in good health, so good to be back now.' Luai also wanted to make clear that the infection came from a cut, and not a boil as had been previously suggested. 'When I saw the word boil I was like 'oh man, the boys are gonna roast me',' Luai said. 'Sometimes your body reminds you that your health is your wealth. That was the reminder for me,' Luai (second from right) said 'They're all giving it to me. I'll just cop that on the chin.' NSW coaches had been willing to give Luai until Thursday to train for next Wednesday's series decider, while keen to avoid more disruption this week. Brian To'o is already not expected to train on his injured knee until at least Saturday, with Jacob Kiraz on stand by to run on in his spot. It comes after Mitch Moses was ruled out midway through camp before the game two defeat, 19th man Keaon Koloamatangi missed the trip to Perth with a fractured eye socket and Payne Haas, To'o and Nathan Cleary all battled injuries. 'Whether it did or not affect our preparation, it wasn't as smooth as what you would have liked,' coach Laurie Daley said. 'That's one of the reasons why, you know, Jacob's here as 18th man. 'We just thought we'd take all that stuff out of the equation and just go with what we think is the best 17 or 18.'
