Latest news with #SuperLeague
The Star
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Star
Mintah stresses internal unity, not rivalry, is key to Cats' success
PETALING JAYA: As the new Super League season approaches, Kuching City striker Jordan Mintah has made it clear that his focus is not on outshining his attacking teammates - but on becoming the best version of himself. Mintah, who is entering his second season with the Sarawak-based club, expressed his excitement over the campaign ahead and praised the team's unity and hunger to succeed. 'I am so excited for the upcoming season. I can't wait to get started. All the players are working hard to give their best to the club,' said the 29-year-old. With fellow attackers Ahmad Hazwan Bakri, Ahmad Danial Asri, and Cameroonian Ronald Ngah Wanja also pushing for minutes upfront, competition in the striking department is fierce. But Mintah is not seeing it that way. 'I don't have any competition with my teammates. I just want to be myself and make myself the competition. I always want to be better than I was yesterday and to give the club the best position possible,' said the Ghanaian. Mintah stressed that internal unity, not rivalry, is the key to the Cats' success this season. 'We should only be competing with our opponents. If all the strikers are united, support each other, and lift one another up, it doesn't matter who starts. What matters is putting the team first and finding the best solution for the team. We are a family.' Mintah believed the team are in the right hands under coach Aidil Sharin to make progress. 'Coach Aidil knows how to get the best out of the players and the club. 'We're all working hard to prove ourselves and give our best.' With many teams bolstering their squads, Mintah knows the league will be more competitive than ever. 'This year, there are a lot of changes. Many teams are signing good players. It's not going to be easy. But our target is to do better than last season, to be in a strong position, and to win something for the club.' Mintah was the top striker for Kuching last season, scoring 15 goals in 28 matches.
Metro
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Metro
Former Barcelona midfielder in hospital after dog bite to his genitals
Former Barcelona midfielder Carles Perez has been hospitalised in Greece after being bitten on the genitals by a dog. The incident took place in Thermi, a suburb on the southern outskirts of Thessaloniki, while Perez was walking his dog on Tuesday morning. During the walk, Perez's dog was attacked by another dog and while trying to separate the two animals, the 27-year-old was bitten on the genitals. The Spanish midfielder was taken to a private hospital in Panorama, another suburb outside Thessaloniki, after suffering a 'deep gash' to his genitals, which required six stitches. Aris confirmed on Wednesday that Perez has suffered a 'soft tissue infection' from the dog bite. Perez has now been ruled out of Aris' UEFA Conference League qualifier at home to Azerbaijani side Araz-Nakhchivan on Thursday. Speaking on Wednesday, Aris manager Marinos Ouzounidis confirmed that Perez was due to start against Araz-Nakhchivan. 'Carles would have been in the starting line-up,' Ouzounidis said at a press conference. More Trending 'This incident happened but we can't dwell on it any longer. My mind is working on alternative solutions and we have worked on them. 'That's why I insist that it's important to have players with personality. So I'm interested in the group of players that I will have at my disposal, to give the most they can.' Perez, who made his first-team debut for Barcelona in 2019, has also played for Roma, Celta and Getafe. He joined Greek Super League side Aris on a season-long loan from Celta earlier this month. For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: Herd of wild donkeys aiming kicks and ransacking bins in New Forest village MORE: The unexpected UK train journey where you can see polar bears MORE: Boy, 2, killed cobra by biting its head after it coiled around his arm while he played
BBC News
9 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Hooker Leyland signs two-year Hull KR extension
Bill Leyland has signed a two-year contract extension with Hull KR to run until the end of the 2028 Maidstone-born hooker joined the Robins ahead of this season from London Broncos and he has so far played 10 games for them, as well as one on loan for Huddersfield 22, did have a deal in place until 2026 but he has been rewarded for making a good impression at the Super League told the club's website:, external "It's been a great experience so far at Hull KR, I've been pleased with how it's gone and I want to keep improving over the next three years."
BBC News
11 hours ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Prop Wilson to join Catalans from Salford
Salford Red Devils forward Harvey Wilson is to join Catalans Dragons on a two-year deal. The prop will head to the south of France for the 2026 and 2027 seasons as part of Joel Tomkins' 21, joined Salford from Wigan Warriors last year and he has made 22 Super League appearances for he becomes the third signing for Catalans for next season, after half-back Toby Sexton and centre Solomona Faataape, who are moving from the NRL."I know he will raise our standards in training and increase competition for places in every position in the forwards," Tomkins told the club's website, external."His versatility will be a big asset for us next season."
The Guardian
14 hours ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Super League expansion may put vital partnership with Sky Sports in jeopardy
Super League's long-term partnership with Sky Sports that bankrolls the sport could be jeopardised by plans to expand the competition to 14 teams next season. The existing 12 Super League clubs voted in favour of expansion earlier this week following the recommendations of a strategic review led by the Rugby Football League chair, Nigel Wood, but the Guardian has learned that the plan has yet to be endorsed by their broadcast partner. Under the terms of the current deal, Sky broadcasts every Super League game live, but it is understood that the cost of televising an extra game across 27 rounds next year would be around £500,000. The Guardian has been told Sky is reluctant to pick up the additional cost for matches it did not buy in a tender process that concluded almost two years ago, and has no intention of increasing its rights fees to support two extra clubs. Sky's three-year deal to provide exclusive live coverage of Super League enters its final 12 months next season, and while there is no suggestion of the broadcaster terminating that contract, senior sources have indicated that the expansion could affect negotiations over future deals. RL Commercial officials are understood to have been locked in discussions with Sky since the vote on Monday about what expansion means for the existing contract, and have yet to receive the reassurances they are looking for. Sky has been Super League's broadcast partner since the competition launched in 1996 and around 170 games will be shown live this season, but the value of the contract has dropped significantly in recent years. Officials who were present at the meeting at Headingley that approved expansion have privately admitted that one of their big concerns was how the broadcaster would react to the decision, as well as how the extra games will be financed. Super League clubs are receiving a total of £21.5m from Sky this year compared to £40m in 2021. The comparison with other sports is also alarming, with their £21.5m rights fee less than Sky pays to televise just three Premier League games, while the broadcaster is investing around £20m a year in the Women's Super League from next season in rights fees and production costs. Sky's declining financial backing for rugby league is a major concern for the sport as it prepares to enter the final year of its TV deal, particularly given the limited interest from elsewhere and how reliant rugby league is on its income from the Sky Sports contract. TNT Sports made a speculative offer for the current rights, but it has since spent £200m on a new five-year deal for Premiership Rugby so may not bid again. IMG, the sports marketing agency that manages the grading process which determines Super League membership, are currently leading a tender process for the next broadcast cycle beginning in 2027. Sky declined to comment, but one source at the broadcaster said that rugby league was fighting for its future. In another complication, Sky also broadcasts Australia's National Rugby League, which has held talks about buying a 33% stake in Super League but made clear it sees it as a 10-team competition. Sources in Australia have indicated expansion to 14 teams effectively kills any hope of direct investment into Super League in the near future. With no additional TV money forthcoming following expansion, the Super League clubs have also yet to decide how the extra two teams will be funded next season. A number of clubs are understood to have argued strongly that they will not accept a cut in their own central payments from the Sky deal. Some Championship clubs vying for promotion as part of expansion plans have indicated they would be willing to enter the competition with no central distribution for one season in 2026. Such a move would expose newly promoted clubs to potential financial risk, as well as raise further concerns about the Super League's competitiveness. Financially-troubled Salford were thrashed 82-0 by St Helens at the start of the season, and have conceded 50 points on two more occasions. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion As reported by The Guardian, Hull FC and Hull KR voted against expansion in a meeting at Headingley on Monday, while Wigan abstained amid confusion over the criteria to be used by the RFL panel who will select the two extra teams for next season's competition.
