Latest news with #SouthSydneyRabbitohs
The Age
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Age
NRL Highlights: Rabbitohs v Sharks
South Sydney Rabbitohs host the Cronulla Sharks in Round 21 of the 2025 NRL Premiership at Polytec Stadium, Gosford.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
English footy star reveals how he almost LOST his leg after a spider bite: 'It was a real welcome to Australia'
John Bateman has faced some of the toughest assignments getting around on the footy field, but nothing could prepare him for Australia's deadly wildlife - that almost cost him his leg. The incident happened in Perth when the Cowboys were scheduled to play the South Sydney Rabbitohs on April 12 and Bateman was a late scratching. Now it can be revealed that his absence from the team was because of a spider bite that was so severe, the English international nearly lost his leg. 'I think it [the spider] was on the field, and it bit me on my leg. I wasn't too sure what it was, I've never had to worry about that before,' Bateman told 'I had a rough sleep on Wednesday night, and I literally got rushed to hospital on Thursday morning. 'It was pretty bad. I was just hot and cold, and my leg from above my knee to beneath my ankle went all red, so I was pretty worried. 'But when I got into the hospital, I just said to the doctor, 'just make sure I'm ready for the game on Saturday'. 'Then on the Friday morning he came back in, because they had taken bloods, and he said, 'mate, there is no chance of you playing, we're just looking to save your leg'.' News quickly got back to the UK where his family, including his daughter Millie, still resides. 'They were just as shocked as I was, but I was in the best place and it's a credit to Perth Hospital,' he said. 'I got away in one piece, but it was a real 'welcome to Australia,' put it that way.' Bateman began his NRL career in Australia with the Canberra Raiders in 2019, quickly becoming a fan favourite. Known for his aggressive defence and high work rate, he played a key role in Canberra's run to the 2019 NRL Grand Final. After two standout seasons, he returned to the UK in 2021 to rejoin Wigan, citing a desire to be closer to family. Bateman remained a dominant force in the Super League before seeking another opportunity in the NRL. In 2023, he signed with the Wests Tigers, but struggled to find consistency in a struggling side. Despite his strong individual efforts, the Tigers failed to climb the ladder, and Bateman's future became uncertain. By the end of the 2024 season, rumours swirled about a potential move back to Queensland. The North Queensland Cowboys secured his signature, aiming to bolster their forward pack with his experience. Bateman spoke about the dramatic change in conditions from Bradford to tropical north Queensland and how he had to adapt - including the deadly wildlife. 'I got there on January 2 and for a lad from the north of England it was a lot different to where I'm from,' he said. 'It's not really the sun, it's more the humidity and when you're running you just get fatigued quick. It's really tough, it zaps the energy out of you and I think it's so hard to actually get fit in the heat. 'When you get to a certain point, you can normally push through it anywhere else in the world, but because of the humidity it just literally takes it all out of you and you can't continue running. 'I'm sure every other player that's played up in Townsville will vouch for that. You've just got to get used to it.' Bateman also backed under-fire coach Todd Payten, who has come under scrutiny as the Cowboys crashed out of finals contention despite boasting a strong roster including a host of internationals and State of Origin representatives. 'Todd is pretty straight down the line like some of the other coaches I've had - Shaun Wane, Wayne Bennett, and Ricky Stuart. He tells you how it is so you know where you stand and I like that,' Bateman said.
Sydney Morning Herald
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Albanese's desk shows how he leads all other prime ministers in one way
Every prime minister's desk says something about them. Kevin Rudd's desk had haphazard rows of books and CDs. Scott Morrison's bragged about stopping the boats. Julia Gillard inverted two paintings hung by her predecessor. When Anthony Albanese returns to parliament this week, commanding a historic 94-seat majority, he will sit in front of a shelf surrounded by more sports memorabilia than any prime minister in living memory. The selection of adornments fulfils many of the stories Albanese has told about himself over the years and some of the things that the prime minister is less interested in displaying compared to his predecessors, chiefly books. His reverence for his 'three faiths' – the Catholic Church, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Australian Labor Party – manifests itself in an image of the Virgin Mary, a Rabbitohs ball and the man himself. Loading Where former prime ministers have opted for grand works from Parliament House's extensive art collection, Albanese hangs a drawing of beloved dog Toto sent to him by a fan. Beside it is a print from recently deceased Sydney Morning Herald cartoonist John Shakespeare imagining the PM proposing to fiancee Jodie Haydon. Haydon, who Albanese is expected to wed during this term of parliament, features in at least three framed photographs, second only to his son. Nathan appears in images from across the years: as a laughing baby with his grandmother, Maryanne; a spectator at the MCG; and in a Sydney Swans jersey. Then there's the sports paraphernalia, with at least six balls from major Australian sporting codes. A rugby league ball commemorating the prime minister's support for the code, a gift from the NRL, sits alongside a soccer ball from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the Rabbitohs ball, a cricket ball in a glass case, and a signed red Sherrin AFL ball. Next to bound volumes of parliamentary acts sits a haphazard pile of books, including domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty's memoir Hope, Nelson Mandela's Conversations with Myself and rising star of the Labor caucus Andrew Charlton's Australia's Pivot to India.
The Age
21-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Albanese's desk shows how he leads all other prime ministers in one way
Every prime minister's desk says something about them. Kevin Rudd's desk had haphazard rows of books and CDs. Scott Morrison's bragged about stopping the boats. Julia Gillard inverted two paintings hung by her predecessor. When Anthony Albanese returns to parliament this week, commanding a historic 94-seat majority, he will sit in front of a shelf surrounded by more sports memorabilia than any prime minister in living memory. The selection of adornments fulfils many of the stories Albanese has told about himself over the years and some of the things that the prime minister is less interested in displaying compared to his predecessors, chiefly books. His reverence for his 'three faiths' – the Catholic Church, the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Australian Labor Party – manifests itself in an image of the Virgin Mary, a Rabbitohs ball and the man himself. Loading Where former prime ministers have opted for grand works from Parliament House's extensive art collection, Albanese hangs a drawing of beloved dog Toto sent to him by a fan. Beside it is a print from recently deceased Sydney Morning Herald cartoonist John Shakespeare imagining the PM proposing to fiancee Jodie Haydon. Haydon, who Albanese is expected to wed during this term of parliament, features in at least three framed photographs, second only to his son. Nathan appears in images from across the years: as a laughing baby with his grandmother, Maryanne; a spectator at the MCG; and in a Sydney Swans jersey. Then there's the sports paraphernalia, with at least six balls from major Australian sporting codes. A rugby league ball commemorating the prime minister's support for the code, a gift from the NRL, sits alongside a soccer ball from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, the Rabbitohs ball, a cricket ball in a glass case, and a signed red Sherrin AFL ball. Next to bound volumes of parliamentary acts sits a haphazard pile of books, including domestic violence campaigner Rosie Batty's memoir Hope, Nelson Mandela's Conversations with Myself and rising star of the Labor caucus Andrew Charlton's Australia's Pivot to India.
The Age
18-07-2025
- Sport
- The Age
NRL Highlights: Panthers v Rabbitohs
Penrith Panthers host the South Sydney Rabbitohs in Round 20 of the 2025 NRL Premiership at Commbank Stadium, Sydney. Loading
