Latest from Courier-Mail
Courier-Mail
42 minutes ago
- Sport
- Courier-Mail
NRL news: State of Origin alarm bells as Kalyn Ponga ruled out, Reece Walsh put on notice, latest Queensland Maroons, NSW Blues team news
Don't miss out on the headlines from NRL. Followed categories will be added to My News. Queensland star Kalyn Ponga is out of the State of Origin decider in a massive blow for Billy Slater's men. The Knights captain left the field in distress in the 60th minute of Newcastle's narrow 22-18 loss to the Raiders at McDonald Jones Stadium on Friday night. 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. He was seen after the game in a moon boot and will go for scans over the weekend for what is believed to be a Lisfranc injury. If it is confirmed as a Lisfranc his season will be over. But what is for certain is he won't be part of Slater's side for the series decider in just over a week. If a midfoot sprain is confirmed, the best-case scenario would see the Knights star sidelined for two to six weeks. Reece Walsh will likely replace Kalyn Ponga in the State of Origin decider. (Photo by) But if it is as feared and scans reveal it is a high-grade injury, the 27-year-old would require surgery and would miss the remainder of the NRL season – a massive blow to the Knights' slim chances of playing finals footy in 2025. It comes after the fullback suffered a Lisfranc injury last season on his opposite foot, which required surgery and saw him miss 11 weeks of football. Kalyn Ponga injury opens door for Reece Walsh Origin recall Ponga's injury has opened the door for Reece Walsh to earn an Origin call-up. Walsh will line up against the Warriors on Saturday afternoon and a strong display will all but certainly see him recalled by Slater. While Dolphins star Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow is another fullback option for Slater, but that move appears less likely. Walsh has played five Origin games and if not being out with a knee injury early in the season, many believe he would have been Slater's preferred No.1. Walsh's knee is still far from right with the fullback seen limping on several occasions during the Broncos' 34-28 comeback win over Cronulla last week. However, the 22-year-old says it is getting better each week. 'It's good, I was trying to hide it (laughs),' Walsh said of his knee. 'It's a work in progress. I am still trying to get used to the feel of it.' NSW will have a home-ground advantage for the series decider, which will take place at Sydney's Accor Stadium on Wednesday, July 9. Originally published as Kalyn Ponga ruled out of State of Origin decider as Reece Walsh set to be recalled
Courier-Mail
42 minutes ago
- Courier-Mail
I hiked the Bay of Fires with Tasmanian Walking Co, and found peace
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. Many guided walks will show you amazing scenery but less common is one that makes you feel different. We've not long started when the first sense of peace is seeded. Bare feet sink into sand so white it seems to glow, wild bays are bookended by striated fins of granite dusted in orange lichen, and the rush of waves is soothing. Then I spot some Tassie devil footprints. My body gives a little sigh. Northeast Tasmania's Bay of Fires spans 50km of coastline, the southern end of which was this year awarded Best Australian Beach by beach expert Brad Farmer for Tourism Australia (12,000 beaches were surveyed in the process). It's famous for the brilliance of its silica sand, clear blue water and granite coast, whose colours can be blinding when the sun is out. That isn't today – graphite clouds hang low and the wind has whipped the ocean into messy waves – but it's beautiful regardless, and having it all to ourselves feels a rare treat. Hikers at the Abbotsbury Beach stretch of the Bay of Fires. Picture: Laura Waters Obvious tracks and signage are minimal around these parts. However, we're being guided by 'B' (Bryony) and Zac from Tasmanian Walking Company. Rather than a point-to-point hiking mission, our three-day itinerary will be a relaxed affair of easy rambles with a dash of kayaking, based at their award-winning eco-lodge, tucked in casuarina woodland and overlooking the ocean. It's an invitation to abandon any goals and just 'be'. Our first afternoon has us wandering long beaches barefoot, crunching over dinky bays metres thick with washed-up seashells, and rock-hopping granite headlands colliding with an emerald interior. The pace is slow and it's hardly exhausting yet we're rewarded with a peppermint foot bath and a glass of bubbles on arrival at the lodge anyway, prepared by angelic and softly spoken spa attendant, Jess. I feel calm just looking at her. The Bay of Fires Lodge overlooking the renowned beach. Picture: Tourism Australia You often hear of architects wanting to build something that connects with the landscape and makes people feel something, and this lodge achieves both in spades. Two long timber and glass pavilions feature so many soaring louvred windows I almost feel outside when I'm in. You can see the stars from bed, the ocean from the shower. Wallabies drink from rock hollows in the garden. It's off grid, using composting toilets, rainwater and solar power, and the mild inconvenience of only being able to charge my phone in the library is a deterrent from mindless scrolling. It's a disconnection from everything that doesn't matter and a connection with everything that does: nature, conversation and the sharing of good food, of which there is plenty. Kayaking on Ansons River. Picture: Laura Waters Our second day is heralded by the sun's lemony glow rising from the ocean, in full glory by the time we slip into kayaks for a morning paddle on Ansons River. Dark tannin waters mirror the blue skies, trees and occasional dolerite wall. A white-bellied sea eagle accompanies us for some time, pausing to swoop on a black swan in a David Attenborough-level display of nature. The return to the lodge is on foot, across pink samphire saltmarsh and expansive rolling dunes – a white mini-Sahara – that Zac says look different every time he visits. 'First time I came through there was a big sand bowl here. Now it's held together by grasses,' he says. 'It's the kind of place that reminds you how connected everything is and what an impact other factors have, including us.' No one can resist running and rolling down the dunes in squeals of laughter – a tactile, simple pleasure. Another little surrender. Walking from Ansons Bay towards the dunes. Picture: Laura Waters We might have eschewed some aspects of modern life, but we're not short of creature comforts. Returns to the lodge are met with freshly baked cake leading into pre-dinner canapés (the garlic-butter scallops are a hit) and local wines served by a crackling fire. Dinner is kunzea braised lamb, but first there's time for a bath. I wasn't entirely sure about stripping off outdoors in a windy 14C, but the tub, resting on a small deck tucked in the trees and overlooking the ocean, is sheltered, and the water deep and hot. In the distance, Eddystone Point Lighthouse flashes its beacon at me. Or am I flashing it? Anyway, it's a blissful indulgence. The outdoor bathtub, surrounded by spectacular views. Picture: Laura Waters On the third morning, the ocean has calmed like my mind. I attempt some yoga in the library – windows open for the ocean soundtrack – but end up lazing face down on the mat like a lizard in the sun. The lodge team has seen it all before. 'I breathe the air and drink the water down here and I feel my body suck it in,' Zac says. Team leader Katie says, 'Some people break down during the end-of-tour reflection we invite guests to share in.' For three days, I've enjoyed a bubble of peace. I simply want to stay. The writer travelled as a guest of Tasmanian Walking Company and Tourism Tasmania. Stunning scenery near the Bay of Fires Lodge. How to join a Bay of Fires guided hike The three-day Bay of Fires Long Weekend with Tasmanian Walking Company starts at $1995 and includes lodge accommodation, guides, all meals (including beer and wine), and transfers to and from Launceston. An alternative five-day Signature Walk covers more ground and includes a night in eco tents. Trips run October through May, plus a sprinkling of winter departures. Originally published as I hiked the Bay of Fires with Tasmanian Walking Co, and found peace
Courier-Mail
42 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Waleed Aly reveals pressure as Muslim host of The Project
Don't miss out on the headlines from Breaking News. Followed categories will be added to My News. The Project host Waleed Aly has spoken publicly for the first time about the intense pressures and challenges he encountered as the first Muslim man to front a major Australian television program. Speaking to a roundtable of former co-hosts on Hit Network's Carrie and Tommy, Aly opened up about the backlash he received as the first Muslim man to hold a prime-time hosting role in commercial TV — revealing he received death threats and required 24-hour security while hosting the show. 'I've never spoken about this publicly but (it was tough) having to deal with death threats and security out the front of my house – sometimes for 24 hours – having to explain to the kids why suddenly there's this guy driving us around as we go the zoo and not telling them why,' he said. Former co-hosts Carrie Bickmore, Tommy Little, Waleed Aly, Pete Helliar and Dave Hughes reflected on their time on the show. Picture: Supplied 'That was very real. That was heavy stuff. So, I never thought about it that way (being the first Muslim on The Project) but I was forced to think about it … it was forced upon me.' The 16-year-old show came to an end after a period of declining ratings and to make room for a new current affairs and insight program 10 News+. Aly has been a co-host since the first episode aired and paid tribute to the 'audacious TV experiment' started by some 'outstandingly creative people'. 'I had been on the show every week (filing in, prior to being cast as a regular). I hadn't thought about it, it was just an extension of what I was doing. You go into commercial TV, and you realise everything becomes about personalities. 'I remember the moment when I was nominated for the Gold Logie, and it was me and Lee Lin Chin and there was a front-page story absolutely going (at) us, and only us … like, 'Why are these guys nominated?' 'I remember moments like that where I was like, 'Whoa, okay, this is a real thing. This is becoming real and it's all foisted upon you.' X SUBSCRIBER ONLY The Project launched in 2009, and Friday's finale was the 4504th episode. It was first confirmed last week that the current affairs and entertainment panel program was wrapping up at the end of June, with stars including Harris and Aly leaving not only their roles on the show but also with Network 10. According to insiders as many as 100 jobs overall will be impacted by Ten's decision to drop the show, which was broadcast six nights a week and has production offices in both Melbourne and Sydney. Alongside Aly, Bickmore co-hosted from 2009 until 2022 yet confessed she 'never felt enough' on the show. 'You talked about feeling like an impostor before. I never have felt enough; I never felt enough on that show,' she said. 'It's a strange thing to say when it was a huge part of my life, and I loved it! I loved it. I don't know if it was me, my own insecurities, or people's projections. The final episode of The Project aired on Friday. Picture: Supplied. 'I'll never forget the moment the words were said to me 'why can't you be more like Waleed?' 'I knew what they meant. You were extraordinary (Waleed) and you arrived on the show and changed the game for commentary everywhere. You were extraordinary. But that wasn't my strength, nor should it have been, nor did I want that, nor did the show need that. 'But the problem was that when something good happens, it's hard to not want everybody to do that good thing, so we can get more of that goodness, and make it even better because we've struck gold! It was like … 'No, Waleed is Waleed!' I should never have been you, we needed to be ourselves, and so often I felt like I needed to be someone else. Something clicked in my head and I realised, I just need to be me.' Originally published as 'Death threats, 24 hour security': Waleed Aly reveals dark Project toll as first Muslim TV host
Courier-Mail
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Katy Perry's dramatic move as Orlando Bloom parties in Italy following reported split
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hook Ups & Break Ups. Followed categories will be added to My News. Katy Perry has seemingly taken action to block out the noise as she enjoys some time off in Australia amid claims she and Orlando Bloom have broken up. It's been widely reported that the Roar singer, 40, has been telling her inner circle that their relationship of nearly 10 years is over. The pair share a daughter, Daisy Dove, four. Perry is currently performing her Lifetimes tour in Australia, and eagle-eyed fans have now noticed she's disabled comments on Instagram. Perry and Bloom have reportedly split. Picture:for Vanity Fair Perry has been posting pictures of her time Down Under. Picture: Instagram Bloom was also spotted in Australia recently, with a source telling People that it was in order to have some 'special dad and daughter time'. 'Daisy's very cute. Orlando was in a great mood and made every outing fun for her,' the insider told the publication. 'He looked like a very caring dad.' X SUBSCRIBER ONLY Despite being on the exclusive guest list for Lauren Sanchez's hen's party earlier this year, Perry will not be at her star-studded wedding to billionaire Jeff Bezos in Italy this weekend. Bloom, however, has been seen partying with A-listers, including Kim and Khloe Kardashian, Oprah Winfrey, and Leonardo DiCaprio, who are gathered in Venice for the multimillion-dollar nuptials. Bloom was spotted in Venice ahead of the glitzy wedding. Picture: AP Photo/Antonio Calanni The actor was seen chatting to Kardashian. Picture: Getty Images Speculation about Perry and Bloom's relationship has hit fever pitch in recent days, with The Sun reporting the singer had told friends it was over months ago. 'Katy confided in friends at the start of the year that their relationship was as good as done,' the source said. 'They decided to hold off on announcing anything in case things improved between them, because they are desperate to stay together for the sake of their daughter. 'But they have spent barely any time together this year, with Katy on tour and Orlando working on his upcoming film Bucking Fastard in Dublin. 'She knew that taking off her engagement ring would send a clear message. 'It's been a hard year so far. They wanted to wait until the tour is over before they made their split official, although Katy has grown tired of the situation.' The couple have dated on and off for nine years after first sparking up a romance in 2016. They got engaged in 2019, and welcomed their daughter the following year. Originally published as Katy Perry's dramatic move as Orlando Bloom parties in Italy following reported split
Courier-Mail
3 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Courier-Mail
Erica Packer and celebrity chef boyfriend Shannon Bennett have ended their romance
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hook Ups & Break Ups. Followed categories will be added to My News. Erica Packer and her celebrity chef boyfriend Shannon Bennett have ended their romance. The mother of three and the part-time MasterChef judge are said to have split earlier this year. Friends say distance played a key role in the breakdown of the couple's 18-month union. Packer, the ex-wife of billionaire James Packer and the mother of his three children, lives in London having relocated to the UK with her children in 2023 to be closer to her sister. Melbourne-born Bennett, whose business Culinary Wonderland is based in Sydney, lives at Belongil Beach near Byron Bay. 'The distance was always going to be a challenge for them,' said one friend. Erica Packer and celebrity chef Shannon Bennett have called it quits. Picture: Media Mode. A year ago Bennett admitted the then 46-year-old Erica was spending a fair bit of time travelling. 'She's really good. (Erica is) going back and forwards a lot. It's a fun and amazing adventure. It's amazing we haven't met earlier. We're loving life. I'm a very lucky man.' According to sources the travel became less 'fun and amazing' with the passage of time. Further complicating matters was the couple's combined brood of nine children.. Bennett has six children with former partner, ex Neighbours actor Madeleine West. The couple welcomed five daughters, Phoenix, Xascha, Xanthe, Xahlia and Margaux and a son, Hendrix, during their 13-year relationship, which ended in 2018 when their youngest children, twin daughters, were just two. Erica Packer settles in for a stay with new love interest Shannon Bennett at his Belongil Beach home. Picture: Media Mode. The chef and onetime owner of Melbourne's Vue du Monde restaurant later told the Herald Sun the couple's six children live with him. Packer's three children, Indigo, Jackson and Emmanuelle are heirs to their businessman-investor father's billion-dollar fortune. The chef and the onetime model reportedly met at the wedding of Sydney chef Guillaume Brahimi and chicken heiress Tamie Ingham in Paris in June 2023. They managed to keep their love affair under the radar until photographers captured the entire clan cavorting together on a Byron Bay beach at Christmas in 2023. Originally published as Erica Packer and celebrity chef boyfriend Shannon Bennett have ended their romance
