The Penrith Panthers have secured a major coup on the eve of the finals series, locking down fullback Dylan Edwards on the longest deal of any player at the club.
Edwards, who is already contracted until the end of next year, has signed a four-year extension to keep him at the club until the end of 2028. The contract is believed to be worth about $3.4 million over four years.
Cameron Ciraldo addresses reports about a punishment he dished out to a player at training.
The deal means Edwards, arguably the most improved player in the competition during the past two years, will have the longest contract on the roster at the back-to-back premiership winners and likely finish his career as a one-club player.
The extension goes beyond the deals for Panthers co-captains Nathan Cleary and Isaah Yeo, who both recently signed long-term extensions. The deal ends in the same year coach Ivan Cleary comes off contract.
The Panthers also have Brian To’o, Liam Martin and Moses Leota secured until the end of 2027.
There are only eight other players in the NRL contracted until at least 2028: Brisbane’s Patrick Carrigan (2028), the Dolphins’ Tom Gilbert (2028), Parramatta halves Mitchell Moses (2028) and Dylan Brown (2031), Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray (2028), Souths prop Tevita Tatola (2028), Sharks No.7 Nicho Hynes (2029) and Titans captain Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (2033).
Dylan Edwards has received a massive payday.CREDIT:GETTY
Edwards, who won last year’s Clive Churchill Medal after Penrith’s victory over Parramatta in the grand final, has been playing well above his pay grade for two years.
The fullback has been on a deal worth just over $500,000 and is widely regarded as one of the best-value players in the competition.
The Panthers moved quickly to lock down his signature, with Edwards indicating to his management he wasn’t interested in testing the market on November 1.
Attention will now turn to five-eighth Jarome Luai, who will become a free agent on November 1 if he doesn’t sign with the Panthers beforehand.
Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai and Dylan Edwards.CREDIT:GETTY
The injured five-eighth, who is hopeful of returning from a dislocated shoulder in time for the preliminary final in just over three weeks, is without an agent.
He has given his previous management company, SFX, 90 days’ notice. Luai hasn’t signed with a rival management group yet as it wouldn’t be able to act on his behalf until the three-month notice period ends in mid-October.
His former management company has since told Penrith it will waive the 90-day notice period if Luai strikes a deal with the Panthers directly, without the services of another manager.
The Panthers are expected to have a conversation with Luai in the coming weeks to gauge his appetite for staying at the club.
With Cleary, Yeo and now Edwards all signed on long-term deals, it’s unlikely the Panthers will be able to pay Luai what he could attract on the open market.
The club hopes his desire to remain with his junior club and play alongside close friends in a successful environment may convince him to sign without testing the market.
[theage]
Manny Pacquiao wants to fight at Paris 2024 Olympics and end legendary boxing career by winning gold medal at age 45
AdminManny Pacquiao wants to return to boxing for the Paris 2024 Olympics, Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino has announced.
The legendary Filipino eight-weight world champion retired from the sport following his defeat to Yordenis Ugas in 2021, but has since hinted at a possible return.
Pacquiao previously quit boxing to allow him to focus solely on his political career in the Philippines, where he is a senator.
However, he was unsuccessful in his run to become President of his home country in 2022.
As a result, the boxing icon has since returned to the ring for exhibition bouts.
But now, according to the Philippine Olympic Committee president, Pacquiao is eyeing a more serious return.
“Senator Pacquiao’s camp reached out saying our Filipino ring idol wants to fight in Paris,” Tolentino said in a statement.
Pacquiao is now 44 and would be 45 at the time of the games.
This rules him out of the main route of qualification – next month’s Asian Games – which has an age limit of 40.
However, Pacquiao could still qualify through one of the two Olympic qualifying tournaments that will take place early next year, or possibly through the Universality rule.
Previously, the competition was solely for amateur boxers, but this changed in 2016.
The rule change has led to mixed results, with Thailand’s former IBF flyweight world champion Amnat Ruenroeng being a notable name who suffered a humiliating defeat to an amateur at the Rio 2016 games as he struggled to adjust to the style needed to win the three-round fights at the tournament.
However, at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, rising pro heavyweight prospect Bakhodir Jalolov won super-heavyweight gold.
Time will tell if Pacquiao ends up participating, and whether he could end his career by bringing home Olympic gold for his country.
[talksport]
Venus Williams Suffers Her Worst Loss at the US Open; Easy Advances for Alcaraz, Pegula and Medvedev
AdminVenus Williams suffered her worst US Open defeat of her career on Tuesday night when Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen beat the two-time US Open champion 6-1, 6-1.
“I mean, I think first I have to give credit to my opponent,” said the American. “I mean, there wasn’t a shot she couldn’t make. Even when I hit really amazing shots, she just hit a winner or a dropshot, so…
“I don’t think I played badly. I think it was just one of those days where it’s just unlucky.
“My preparation was definitely minimal. But I don’t think that it necessarily affected the bulk of my performance. I think there are just shots where my footwork wasn’t really there. A lot of backhands I missed where my feet just weren’t there. That’s normal when you don’t spend a lot of time on the court.
“But I really have to give credit to her. It was just incredible, honestly. I mean, if she can play like that, you imagine that she can be in the top 10 or perhaps No. 1 or maybe win a Grand Slam, something like that, if she can play at this level.”
“I think that’s the best I ever saw Greet play. I don’t know. I mean, that’s great for her to reach that level.
“For me, I haven’t played a lot of matches this year, so the times I could play, I gave it my all. I got a handful of matches. It wasn’t the year I was expecting, but I gave it everything I had.””For me, I haven’t played a lot of matches this year, so the times I could play, I gave it my all. I got a handful of matches. It wasn’t the year I was expecting, but I gave it everything I had.”
No. 1 seed and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz followed Williams’ defeat by easily advancing to the second round when his opponent Dominik Koepfer was forced to retire with the Spaniard leading, 6-2, 3-2.
“Well, I felt great during the match,” said Alcaraz in his media conference. “I start pretty well. Really focus. Honestly, I didn’t expect to play such a great level the beginning, the first round, here in the US Open.”
“I am very, very happy with the level, even if Domi had to retire. Have to see myself and hopefully to keep that level into the next round.”
Earlier in the day session, both third seeds had easy wins in Ashe Stadium – Daniil Medvedev won 6-1, 6-1. 6-0 while Jessica Pegula won 6-2, 6-2.
Upsets on the day were: No. 21 Donna Vekic, No. 24 Talon Griekspor, No. 27 Anastasia Potapova, No. 12 Barbora Krejcikova, No. 11 Karen Khachanov, and No. 27 Borna Coric.
More to follow….
Promoter Frank Warren is adamant in his belief that Daniel Dubois was unfairly disadvantaged by referee Luis Pabon’s decision to deem a pivotal punch as a low blow during his controversial fight with Oleksandr Usyk.
At the same time, the veteran head of Queensberry Promotions suggested that his client could have shown greater resilience after getting knocked down for a second and final time.
Last Saturday night in Wroclaw, Poland, Ukraine’s Usyk successfully defend his WBO, WBA, IBF, and IBO titles, stopping London’s Dubois in the ninth round after landing a jab that forced Dubois to take a knee, which led to referee Pabon counting Dubois out.
But Usyk had to overcome a shaky fifth round in which Dubois landed a right hand to the body that caused Usyk to bowl over in obvious pain. Much to Warren and Team Dubois’ dismay, Pabon ruled the punch as low blow. The public’s reaction to the kerfuffle has been fierce, with opinion seemingly divided on the legitimacy of the punch.
Warren has vowed to appeal the decision by filing a protest with the WBA, which sanctioned the fight.
In a recent interview, Warren took issue with Pabon’s conduct not only in the fifth round but also his pre-fight instructions to both fighters, which Warren found wanting. Warren also insisted that Dubois’ punch did not strike Usyk below his navel.
“The referee got it wrong,” Warren told iFL TV. “That punch was legitimate. The referee didn’t even stop to even think about it. He just said low blow. And automatically gave him three minutes and forty-six seconds of recovery time, which is well over a round. …Usyk, to his credit, said he would’ve got up if the referee hadn’t done that. And he would’ve been able to get up and box on, so you got all this time, and it was wrong.
“He got it so wrong, Pabon. I mean, he was the referee of the second [Usyk vs.] Joshua fight as well, and it was a similar situation where Joshua caught him with a good body shot and the same thing happened there. He’s also, by the way, the WBA’s official committee chairman, so he’s got to excuse himself from this appeal that we’re putting through. He won’t be able to sit on it.”
Some fans and pundits have accused Dubois of commiting boxing sacrilege by "quitting" against Usyk and have pointed to Dubois' previous defeat to Joe Joyce in 2020, when Dubois reacted similarly, taking a knee and the full 10-count.
Warren suggested that Dubois could have taken a page from WBC titlist Tyson Fury’s book as far as “grit” is concerned. Fury famously got up from a right hand blow in the 12th round in his fight with Deontay Wilder in 2018.
“He went down from two shots that no one had expected and which I would have like to see him get up from,” Warren said of Dubois. “Well he did get up for one and the second one I would’ve liked to see him get up from. What happened in that round changed the whole dynamic of the fight. And the bottom line is, if you want to be the best, you've got to want to grit your teeth and you gotta look at videos of Tyson Fury on the floor and what he did to get up and get back in the fight, cuz that’s what you got to do.
“But that doesn’t take away the fact that it was 100% a wrong decision by the referee. He did not instruct the fighters or certainly didn’t instruct Daniel or the fighters correctly and he’s got it wrong.”
[boxingscene]
The Spanish Football Federation is exploring its options over whether it can sack Women’s World Cup-winning Head Coach, Jorge Vilda.
Vilda remains in post despite most of his coaching staff resigning in protest against Federation President Luis Rubiales’ refusal to quit for kissing squad member Jenni Hermoso after their World Cup win on August 20.
Eighty-one Spain players, including all 23 World Cup winners, have also said they would not play for the team again while Rubiales remained in position.
Vilda was spotted applauding Rubiales at the Spanish Federation’s (RFEF) extraordinary general assembly last Friday, when Rubiales repeatedly insisted he would not resign, though Vilda has since criticised his behaviour.
The RFEF believes all those incidents combined may give them enough of a case to sack Vilda.
Federation regional leaders held an extraordinary general meeting with interim president Pedro Rocha on Monday where they called for a restructuring of the federation to start a new era.
However, a third of the local football association bosses do not want to push Rubiales out of a job so they only went as far as releasing a statement calling on him to resign, which he has so far refused to do.
Rubiales stood by Vilda in September 2022 when 15 national-team players pulled out of the squad, saying that Vilda’s management was affecting their emotional state and health.
Of those 15, only three opted to return to the Spain squad which went on to beat England in the final in Sydney.
Rubiales, 46, has been widely criticised after the incident that followed that match. Hermoso, 33, said the kiss on her lips was not consensual.
Spanish prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into whether the incident amounts to a crime of sexual assault, while Rubiales was suspended on Saturday by world football’s governing body FIFA
[EagleOnline]
Former Chelsea striker, Chris Sutton, has named Liverpool as the team to challenge Manchester City for the Premier League title this season.
The former Premier League striker said, having watched the performances of the Reds.
Liverpool have been able to beat Bournemouth and Newcastle United in their most recent games.
The Reds went down to 10 men after Alexis Mac Allister and Virgil van Dijk picked up red cards in their respective fixtures.
Despite this, the Reds managed to secure all three points.
Sutton said that Jurgen Klopp’s team is showing the mentality of champions
“They are probably the ones who I think can push Manchester City the most,” he told BBC.
“I still think City will win the Premier League, but Liverpool needed that yesterday [against Newcastle] will go from strength to strength – if they can keep hold of Mohamed Salah.”
[DailyPost]
CONFEDERATION of African Football president Patrice Motsepe has expressed his condolences following the loss of lives at a stadium in Madagascar.
A stampede of spectators trying to enter Madagascar’s national stadium for the opening ceremony of the Indian Ocean Island Games left 12 dead and injured around 80 on Friday.
Videos shared on social media showed Red Cross workers giving medical attention to scores of injured people next to the athletics track as Prime Minister Christian Ntsay said 11 of the injured were in a critical condition.
“CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe conveyed his heartfelt condolences and the condolences of CAF to the families and the Fédération Malagasy de Football in respect of the 12 people who lost their lives and all the persons who were injured during the football match at the Mahamasina Municipal Stadium in Antananarivo, Madagascar,” a CAF statement today said.
“CAF also extends its condolences to the Government of Madagascar and the friends and the colleagues of the 12 people who lost their lives.
“CAF is also wishing the people who were injured a speedy and full recovery.”
According to Reuters, it was not immediately clear what caused the stampede, but at least 15 people were killed in a similar incident at the Mahamasina stadium in 2019.
“An unfortunate event happened. There was a stampede at the entrance. There were a lot of injuries. We will observe a few seconds of silence because compatriots have died when they wanted to enter,” President Andry Rajoelina told the crowd in the stadium after the incident.
[Ntn]
Inter Miami head coach, Tata Martino does not think the club’s captain, Lionel Messi, should be compared with Brazilian legend Pele.
Martino believes that Messi and Pele featured in different eras in the USA so the comparisons do not do justice to both.
With Messi now playing in Major League Soccer (MLS), many started comparing the Argentina captain with the Brazilian icon again, who played for the New York Cosmos in the past where he scored 64 goals in 107 matches.
Messi has scored 11 goals in eight games across competitions for Inter Miami so far.
The former Paris Saint-Germain star would easily break Pele’s record in America if he keeps the streak going.
Speaking after Messi’s MLS debut against New York Red Bulls on Saturday, Martino said, (via GOAL): “The league that received Pele is a way different league than the league that Lionel Messi has come to.”
[DailyPost]
Former Premier League star, Darren Bent has urged Mikel Arteta to drop Kai Havertz from his starting XI.
This is following their Saturday’s setback against Fulham.
Bukayo Saka equalised for Arsenal from the penalty spot in the 70th minute and Eddie Nketiah tapped in what was looking like a winning goal before 10 men Fulham rallied to get a draw.
The Gunners only showed some attacking cohesiveness when Mikel Arteta decided to sub off Havertz in the second half.
And Bent thinks that the Germany international should be removed from the Gunners XI ahead next weekend’s clash against Manchester United.
According to the former England star, he was surprised that Arsenal paid as much as £65 million to Kai Havertz from Chelsea.
According to Bent, Arteta is having the problem of which position to play Havertz.
“At the moment he[Havertz] is a passenger, he’s got no confidence and that’s unfortunate,” he told Sky Sports.
“…I think you need to get Odegaard, Partey and Declan Rice and then work from there.
“The next game, which is against Manchester United, they’re going to have to make changes.”
[DailyPost]
The Chairperson of the House of Representatives ad hoc committee on the financial dispute between the Falcons and the Nigeria Football Federation, Blessing Onu, has ordered the football body to produce payment slips for women’s national team players and officials attending the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France.
She stated this in Abuja on Thursday while questioning NFF president Ibrahim Gusau, who was present before the committee.
Onu requested that the NFF provide documents detailing how the Falcons were funded for the 2019 Women’s World Cup and a breakdown of match bonuses and payment slips for the team’s 23 players and coaching staff by August 30.
Gusau responded that no funding was available for participation but that the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand would provide $960,000 to all 32 qualifying countries.
According to him, these countries should use the FIFA preparation money to prepare their teams for the World Cup.
We can’t use this money to pay outstanding allowances for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, he said.
The NFF president stated that they typically received funding from the Confederation of African Football and FIFA, and that no payment was received from the Federal Government for its staff and officials.
He stated that FIFA covered the federation’s operational costs.
The Confederation of African Football provides $250,000 per annum as subvention funds, he said.
Onu accused Gusau of obstructing the investigation into the Falcons’ allegations of non-payment of allowances and entitlements.
Her statement came in response to the NFF president’s alleged refusal to accept the invitation of the ad hoc committee investigating the clash between the Falcons and NFF officials.
Onuh said;
It’s obvious that the NFF president is frustrating this ad hoc committee from investigating the allegations levelled against it.
More...
Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan has reacted to the loss of her world women’s 100m hurdles crown to Jamaica’s Danielle Williams on Thursday in Budapest.
Speaking after the race, Amusan said she will be back “stronger” next year.
It was quite “a journey getting into the final” despite all I had gone through in the last couple of weeks, the track and field sensation told journalists after the race.
“It has been God, my team and my family,” the 2022 gold winner told reporters.
She thanked all her fans for supporting her through the ups and downs, promising that she will be back stronger.
Amusan hopes to get her “medal” back next year.
“Yeah, it’s a tough one; nobody likes to lose but considering what I have gone through in the past couple of months, I’m so grateful that I came out,” she enthused.
Williams, the 30-year-old, who previously won in Beijing in 2015, timed 12.43 seconds to edge out Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico (12.44sec) with Kendra Harrison of the United States taking bronze (12.46).
Amusan and 2019 winner Nia Ali were never in the hunt, finishing sixth and last respectively.
Amusan was cleared of doping violations with the provisional suspension on her lifted ahead of the championship.
Last month, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) provisionally suspended the Nigerian track and field athlete for three missed whereabouts failures.
The suspension was announced after it was discovered that Amusan had missed three drug tests within a 12-month period. This charge carried a two-year suspension term, even if an athlete has never failed a drug test.
Ultimately, the Disciplinary Tribunal announced the verdict which stated, “Tobi Amusan has not committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) of three Whereabouts Failures within a 12-month period”.
Serena Williams solidifies position among World's richest as Andela investors’ networth approaches $300 million
AdminSerena Williams, widely hailed as the greatest female tennis player of all time, is solidifying her position as one of the world’s multimillionaires, with her net worth soaring to new heights.
The tennis icon, also recognized as one of the wealthiest Black women in America, has experienced a remarkable surge in her financial fortunes, with her net worth inching closer to the coveted $300-million mark.
According to a recent report by Forbes, a U.S. business magazine renowned for tracking the wealth of ultra-high net-worth individuals, Williams has witnessed a substantial $30 million increase in her net worth since the beginning of this year, rising from $260 million on Jan. 1 to $290 million on Aug. 24.
This surge in Williams’ fortune follows a significant boost of $20 million in 2022, when her net worth leaped from $240 million to $260 million.
Over the past three years, her net worth has witnessed a notable surge of $65 million, soaring from $225 million in 2020 to her present $290 million.
The accomplished tennis star, who gracefully retired from professional tennis in 2022, has left an indelible mark on the court and established herself as one of the world’s highest-paid athletes.
Her earnings in 2022, a staggering $45.3 million, were primarily the result of lucrative endorsement deals inked with prominent brands such as Nike, Lincoln, and Michelob Ultra. In a significant testament to her influence and success, Williams secured the 49th position on Forbes’ esteemed list of the highest-paid athletes globally.
Throughout her professional career since debuting in 1995, her earnings have accumulated to an astonishing $470 million, underscoring her status as a trailblazer both in the realm of sports achievements and financial triumphs.
Looking towards the future, Williams is expanding her horizons beyond the tennis court. Her focus has shifted toward private equity investments, a domain she has been exploring through her venture capital firm, Serena Ventures.
A testament to her acumen, the firm has raised an impressive $111 million from investors, facilitating the creation of a diverse portfolio featuring 60 firms.
What sets Williams’ investment approach apart is her commitment to promoting underrepresented communities.
A remarkable 78 percent of her investments are dedicated to companies founded by individuals from marginalized groups, whether people of color or women.
FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Luis Rubiales on Thursday after the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president kissed Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the Women’s World Cup final last weekend.
“The FIFA disciplinary committee informed Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Association, today that it is opening disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that occurred during the final,” world football’s governing body said in a statement.
FIFA said the incident “may constitute violations of article 13 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the FIFA disciplinary code”.
Spain star Hermoso released a joint statement with union Futpro on Wednesday, which called for action to be taken against the RFEF president.
“We are working to ensure that acts such as those we have seen never go unpunished, that they are sanctioned and that the exemplary measures are adopted to protect women footballers from actions that we believe are unacceptable,” the statement said.
Spain’s women’s football league, Liga F, also called for Rubiales to be sacked.
Rubiales, 46, initially attacked his critics before eventually apologising but the criticism of his behaviour has not abated.
Premier League side, Crystal Palace is set to splash the sum of €12 million for the services of Super Eagles and Leicester City striker, Kelechi Iheanacho, but a reliable journalist has revealed that Roy Hodgson will only make an official move on one condition.
Turkish journalist and Europe Transfer Football expert, Ekrem Konur revealed on Wednesday via social media platform-Twitter, that Iheanacho who doesn’t want to play in the English Championship, will be offloaded by the Foxes, owing to his huge weekly wage.
At the King Power Stadium, the Nigerian currently pockets £80k-per-week, which he has more than earned during his 210 senior appearances at the club since joining from the Premier League’s reigning champions Manchester City back in 2017.
According to Konur, “Crystal Palace is planning to open negotiations for Iheanacho with a bid of around €10million to €12million.”
However, the 26-year-old’s contract is set to expire in less than a year meaning that the ongoing window will be Enzo Maresca’s final opportunity to cash in should he not want to risk losing his prized asset for free, and especially having suffered relegation, that’s probably a sensible choice.
According to Football Insider, the Nigeria’s international could seal his departure in the final days of the transfer market, and whilst it’s stated that he has admirers over in Saudi Arabia, the centre-forward could end up staying in the top-flight and making his way to Selhurst Park.