Tom Decent
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Chief sports writer @smh
tom.decent@nine.com.au
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Articles by Tom Decent
PNG chiefs target All Blacks star in audacious rugby raid
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PNG chiefs target All Blacks star in audacious rugby raid
Tom Decent The PNG Chiefs approached All Blacks star Damian McKenzie about a shock code switch after the 2027 Rugby World Cup. This masthead can reveal the PNG Chiefs, who will enter the NRL in 2028 , spoke with McKenzie's management about the prospect of luring the star playmaker to rugby league for a one-year stint.
Konstas made a brilliant century, but Australian selectors should consider another NSW batsman
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Konstas made a brilliant century, but Australian selectors should consider another NSW batsman
Tom Decent Cricket, more often than not, is a game of timing. And a little luck when you need it. NSW batsmen Kurtis Patterson and Sam Konstas, at opposite ends of their careers, know that better than most. Both have worn the baggy green, only to discover how quickly a Test career can disappear. In 2019, Patterson belted two hundreds for a Cricket Australia XI to force his way into Australia's Test side against Sri Lanka.
One in 72 billion chance: Sydney golfer does unthinkable with back-to-back albatross and hole in one
Tom Decent A hole in one is the golfing equivalent of winning the lottery. Most weekend hackers spend a lifetime chasing one, only to finish their careers without ever experiencing that magical moment when a ball disappears into the cup. An albatross – three shots under par on a single hole – is even rarer. To achieve both in a lifetime is remarkable. To pull them off on consecutive holes is nothing short of absurd.
The Bledisloe Cup used to be a great rivalry. This year proved it no longer is
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The Bledisloe Cup used to be a great rivalry. This year proved it no longer is
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The Bledisloe Cup used to be a great rivalry. This year proved it no longer is
Tom Decent After a period of promise under new coach Les Kiss, whose first five matches in charge of the Wallabies produced an unbeaten run, the bubble has well and truly burst. The casual Australian fan will always judge the Wallabies by how they fare against the All Blacks, and this latest abject showing – a 43-21 defeat in Sydney – not only confirms that the Wallabies are struggling, but suggests the once-great rivalry between the two rugby nations is in peril, too.
Will the Wallabies win the Bledisloe Cup again?
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Will the Wallabies win the Bledisloe Cup again?
Tom Decent In 2012, Wallabies legend Mark Ella made a “stunning” prediction in the pages of The Sydney Morning Herald “We haven't won the Bledisloe Cup for 10 years – and I think it's going to be another 10 years before we get there,” Ella said. “It's almost like the depression … we need to get out of it.” It turns out the genius in a gold No.10 jersey was having his Nostradamus moment – and an optimistic one at that.
The pitchforks were out, but Bailey and Test selectors can now breathe easy
Tom Decent The pitchforks were out for Australia's chairman of selectors George Bailey when Nic Maddinson trudged off for an ugly 33-ball duck on day one of the first Test against South Africa in Durban.
The Wallabies have faced the music. Can they now change their Bledisloe tune?
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The Wallabies have faced the music. Can they now change their Bledisloe tune?
Tom Decent Monday press conferences after a Bledisloe Cup defeat would have to rank among the least appealing assignments for any Wallabies player. Particularly when Saturday's 50-19 capitulation against the All Blacks at Eden Park marked Australia's 12th consecutive defeat to their trans-Tasman rivals.
Perry calls out glaring hole in Australian cricket summer
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Feels really sad: Perry calls out glaring hole in Australian cricket summer
Tom Decent Cricket great Ellyse Perry has called for Australia's women to be given a permanent place in the heart of the home summer, lamenting the absence of international cricket around Christmas and the new year. Australia begin their international season on Friday at Allan Border Field in Brisbane with the first of three one-day internationals against Bangladesh, before three T20s against New Zealand.
Breakdancing and beer: Inside the Roosters' grand final celebrations
Tom Decent The clearest sign the Roosters partied deep into Sunday night after their grand final triumph over Newcastle came from playmaker Daly Cherry-Evans just after 10am on Monday, in front of a few thousand fans at the Sydney Cricket Ground. “Thank you very much for everyone supporting tonight,” Cherry-Evans said from behind dark sunglasses. “We'll see you in the Clovelly [hotel] soon.” In Cherry-Evans' mind, the magic of Sunday night hadn't quite ended.
False dawn of a Newy era as brave Knights run out of steam
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False dawn of a Newy era as brave Knights run out of steam
Tom Decent If you told any rugby league fan in March that the Knights, wooden-spooners last season, would be up by 12 points in this year's grand final , they would have laughed at you. Is it worse to not be in the contest at all, like Parramatta against Penrith in 2022, or lead by two converted tries and then lose the decider by a solitary point?
‘We're going to defend the kingdom': NRL fans prepare for grand final after tragedy
Tom Decent, Frances Howe For Newcastle Knights fan Bailey Goodacre, grand final day began 156km from Sydney's Accor Stadium in the Del Hotel and Pub on Newcastle's trendy Darby Street. Not long after the pub's doors opened at 10am, Goodacre and his mates were inside, beer in hand and ready to watch their team in a grand final for the first time in 25 years. “We'll steady ourselves and have some food and drinks,” he said. “Eventually, we'll have more people come. It's going to be unreal. I can't wait.
P-plater in horror Newcastle Knights car crash previously lost his licence
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Lucy Macken, Julie Power, Megan Gorrey, Tom Decent, Riley Walter The 18-year-old P-plate driver who ploughed into a crowd of Newcastle Knights supporters on Saturday and injured 10 people, some critically, previously had his driving licence suspended. Court records show Indika Bambrick Samarasinghe was suspended in February and appealed against the suspension in April, but was unsuccessful. Samarasinghe was arrested at the crash site and taken for mandatory drug and alcohol testing.
By Lucy Macken Verified, Julie Power Verified, Megan Gorrey, Tom Decent Verified, Riley Walter Verified
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MSN Australia
Verified
Ten people injured, P-plater charged after car crashes into Newcastle Knights fans
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Julie Power, Megan Gorrey, Tom Decent, Nick Newling, Bevan Shields, Riley Walter A five-year-old girl was left fighting for her life and nine others were injured when a teenage P-plate driver allegedly lost control of his car and careered into jubilant crowds lining a Newcastle street to wave the Knights off to the NRL grand final. One of the injured, Chris Clancy, said the car appeared to speed up as it went through a roundabout, and then lost control on the wet road.
By Julie Power Verified, Megan Gorrey, Tom Decent Verified, Nick Newling, Bevan Shields Verified, Riley Walter Verified
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MSN Australia
Verified
Newcastle's shouts of joy turn to tears and horror as city deals with crash aftermath
Tom Decent The excitement was building, and everyone seemed swept up in NRL grand final fever. For kilometre after kilometre, Knights fans were everywhere. Families stood on nature strips. Kids wore red, white and blue jerseys and waved hand-made signs. Car horns blared. Chairs were lined up along the road, waiting for a glimpse of the Knights' coach as it made its way to Sydney with the players and the hopes of an entire city on board.
Ten people injured, P-plater arrested after car crashes into Newcastle Knights fans
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Julie Power, Megan Gorrey, Tom Decent, Nick Newling, Bevan Shields, Riley Walter Ten people, including three children, have been hospitalised after a vehicle crashed into a crowd of Newcastle Knights fans, shocking locals who were lining the roads for kilometres to send off the home team ahead of Sunday's grand final against the Sydney Roosters. NSW Police said a five-year-old girl was in a critical condition along with a 67-year-old man.
By Julie Power Verified, Megan Gorrey, Tom Decent Verified, Nick Newling, Bevan Shields Verified, Riley Walter Verified
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MSN Australia
Verified
Absolute devastation for Watson, but Roosters don't want week off before grand finals
Adrian Proszenko, Tom Decent Roosters coach Trent Robinson maintains there is no need for the NRL to schedule a week off before the grand final despite the “absolute devastation” Connor Watson is experiencing after being the first player to miss a decider due to the 11-day concussion protocols.
Nawaqanitawase's mum didn't want him to play in the NRL. A touching gesture changed everything
Tom Decent It's the question that has been fizzing around rugby league circles for the past two years, and has only grown louder at the business end of the season: what can't Roosters superstar Mark Nawaqanitawase do Well, his mother has a few answers. Cook a steak, for starters. Putting clothes in the washing machine remains a work in progress. Making the bed can apparently present its challenges, too. There is nothing like the gentle ribbing of an adoring mother.
A year ago, Nic Maddinson was battling testicular cancer. Now he’s in line for a Test recall
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A year ago, Nic Maddinson was battling testicular cancer. Now he’s in line for a Test recall
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A year ago, Nic Maddinson was battling testicular cancer. Now he's in line for a Test recall
Tom Decent, Daniel Brettig This time last year, only a handful of people knew Nic Maddinson had been fighting a private battle with testicular cancer On Thursday evening, the NSW Sheffield Shield captain's phone rang. It was George Bailey. The blockbuster three-Test series against South Africa begins in Durban next Friday (October 9), and the chairman of selectors was looking for batting reinforcements after injuries to Cameron Green and Josh Inglis.
Inside the Knights-mania sweeping Newcastle
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‘Seriously bonkers': Inside the Knights-mania sweeping Newcastle
Tom Decent The Electric Pantera Tattoo Parlour in Newcastle is buzzing. It's been a big few weeks for body art of a certain motif in a town gearing up for Sunday's NRL grand final. On Thursday afternoon, when most Novocastrians are hard at work, three men are sprawled across tattoo beds getting Newcastle Knights ink. One is already wearing a Knights jersey. Some tattoos are large. Others are small. The passion for the Knights is extra large.
Why Papenhuyzen wants to set the record straight on the golf course
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‘People just don't believe it': Why Papenhuyzen wants to set the record straight on the golf course
Tom Decent It was Forrest Gump who said that life was like a box of chocolates. Ryan Papenhuyzen prefers a different analogy. “Golf's just like the game of life, I reckon,” he says. “You go through your journey of bad shots, but if you don't respond to it well, then it's going to be two bad shots, and it just compounds.
Tears flow on both sides as 12-man Knights hang on after Cleary's horror injury
Tom Decent An eerie silence descended over Accor Stadium on Sunday as Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary lay in agony on the turf, knowing his leg was busted. Fans from both teams knew the seriousness of what had just happened. If only they knew what was to come. This was undoubtedly Penrith's saddest finals match. It ended with Andrew Johns in tears, unable to contain his emotions in the Channel Nine commentary box, and his brother, Matthew, also wiping away tears on Fox Sports.
Tears flow on both sides as 12-man Knights hang on after Cleary’s horror injury
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Dropped, departing and dangerous: The Origin axing that lit a fire under Brian To'o
Tom Decent On the first day of spring last year, Brian To'o was smelling all the roses that rugby league had to offer. In an all-black suit with a silver chain looped from his lapel, To'o walked onto a stage in front of 500 guests at The Star in Sydney to collect his second Brad Fittler Medal as NSW's best player of the Origin series – the cherry on top of four straight premierships with Penrith from 2021 to 2024. Three games. Five tries. Seven tackle busts. Five line breaks.
Winnington makes shock move away from Boxall to train with sprint king McEvoy
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‘No bad blood': Winnington makes shock move away from Boxall to train with sprint king McEvoy
Tom Decent The remarkable rise of Cam McEvoy as the fastest man in history in the water has convinced a prominent Australian Olympian to do what few swimmers do – leave Dean Boxall's esteemed program at St Peters Western in Brisbane and embark on a radical new training program ahead of the 2028 Olympics.
Footy fans must pull their heads in after unruly crowd behaviour
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Footy fans must pull their heads in after unruly crowd behaviour
Tom Decent When the Victorian premier and the unofficial prime minister of New Zealand, Warriors great Shaun Johnson, are sticking the boot into sporting crowds over bad behaviour, it's clear things have gone too far. It was a grim weekend across the AFL and NRL as two thrilling games of football were marred by a handful ofangry spectators hurling projectiles at match officials.
It was another night of finals misery for Nicho Hynes. This time it was different
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It was another night of finals misery for Nicho Hynes. This time it was different
Tom Decent Of all the weeks to not cop a head knock in the first two minutes of a match, the penultimate weekend in September would be very high on Nicho Hynes' list. To then watch his opposing halfback, Daly Cherry-Evans, set up a try and kickstart a thumping 46-10 Roosters win at home, only made it harder to take. Hynes' night lasted just 90 seconds, cut short in cruel fashion after he failed a head injury assessment following a tackle gone wrong on Cronulla's fourth of the night.
What went through Curnow’s mind when Swans teammates were banned
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‘It was obviously a really bad situation': What went through Curnow's mind when Swans teammates were banned
Tom Decent Four words into a 15-minute interview, Charlie Curnow has already flipped the script. “Are you a Swans man?” He's probably wondering why this random reporter is sitting in front of him ahead of the Swans' preliminary final against Fremantle on Friday night at the SCG. It's a fair question from a Victorian living in Sydney. The kind you'd get over a beer at the pub.
Australian Olympians slam Sydney Sweeney’s provocative new sports ad
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‘Infuriated': Australian Olympians slam Sydney Sweeney's provocative new sports ad
Tom Decent A provocative advertisement featuring US actress Sydney Sweeney half-naked and strategically covered by sporting equipment has sparked a major backlash from Australian Olympians, with swimming great Ariarne Titmus declaring she was “infuriated” by the campaign.
Australian Olympians slam Sydney Sweeney’s provocative new sports ad
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Roosters go down but Nawaqanitawase magic breathes life into their season
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Roosters go down but Nawaqanitawase magic breathes life into their season
Tom Decent Three years ago, Mark Nawaqanitawase's finest moment at CommBank Stadium came for the Wallabies against Argentina. Out on the wing and sensing a Pumas overlap, Nawaqanitawase backed himself, bolted out of the line, took an intercept and ran 95 metres to score in front of a sea of gold late in the match. It should have been enough for victory. But the Wallabies, under Eddie Jones and just months out from their fateful 2023 World Cup campaign in France, went on to lose at the death.
Leniu snapped against Souths. He’s keeping a low profile this week
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