Received

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 98

The undermanned Sydney Roosters live to fight another day in 2021 with a heartstopping 25-24 win over Gold Coast booking them an unlikely spot in the NRL semi-finals.

For the second time this season Sam Walker nailed the field goal that sank the Titans in a bizarre repeat of their 35-34 win in round 14.

Except this time it ended the Titans' finals campaign in front of 15,237 fans in Townsville.

The gutsy Titans levelled the scores at 24-all when Jarrod Wallace pounced on a Matt Ikuvalu knock on, igniting a frenzy with 10 minutes to go.

It raged until the dying seconds when Beau Fermor raced 40 metres down field, ending in Patrick Herbert flicking the ball into touch in a desperate bid to offload on the third tackle.

The wild finish showed how far the Titans have come, but booked the Roosters a date with Manly on Friday night to continue their horribly disrupted season.

"We can play better and that's what we're searching for," said coach Trent Robinson.

"I love the fact that they keep working hard and keep trying to win, but that imperfect game that we're talking about, that continual search for perfect even though you may never get there, that's next week."

Not once have Robinson's men used a remarkable injury toll as an excuse, Saturday's win continuing an incredible show of perseverance in the face of adversity in 2021.

Despite losing co-captains Boyd Cordner, Jake Friend and Brett Morris to retirement this year the Roosters simply turned to another leader in James Tedesco, who was the difference on Saturday.

The third-choice skipper now a gold-standard NRL captain, Tedesco set up three tries and scored one of his own to carry the Roosters to victory.

"You can see there's a lot of our guys trying to emulate him on and off the field," Robinson said.

"He's built for these games and these moments."

The Roosters shot out to a 12-2 lead midway through the first half but in their first finals game in six seasons the Titans would not go away.

A grubber from Tyrone Peachey put Fermor over on halftime to keep them close but when the Roosters extended again the Titans followed.

Fighting for their first finals win since 2010, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui and Brian Kelly got through scrappy defence to level the scores 18-all with 24 minutes to play.

But it wasn't to be and the anguish was obvious.

"We just had a lot of near misses and it cost us," said coach Justin Holbrook.

"I'm really proud of the boys, we chased them all game. It's just heartbreaking.

"Our whole city got behind us this week and I'd love to be playing next week."

For the Roosters, the big concern will now turn to hooker Sam Verrills who was put on report in the first half for a high shot on Kelly that forced the Titans centre from the field with a bloody nose.

Verrills wasn't sin-binned and has no priors with the NRL judiciary, but the hit could cost him a semi-final game.

© AAP 2021

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 92

Thousands of NSW residents in a handful of COVID-free regional areas have woken to their first day of freedom in four weeks.

Stay-at-home restrictions have lifted for much of the state's northeast and southwest, including in the regional centres of Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga and Albury.

Masks will be mandatory at indoor public venues, but hospitality venues, shops, sporting facilities and beauty services have all been cleared to reopen with restrictions.

Up to to five people will be allowed in a home and up to 20 can gather outdoors.

Entertainment venues like cinemas and theatres can also open with conditions, and outdoor and stadium events can also resume, with limits on attendees.

Weddings and funerals will be limited to 50 people, with churches and places of worship to open subject to the four square metre rule and no singing.

But for the bulk of NSW residents, those freedoms remain weeks away, with lockdown to continue in Sydney, for the southern parts of the state, the southeast, the Illawarra, the Shoalhaven, Hunter, Central Coast, central west and parts of the far west.

There worse is yet to come in many of the locked-down areas, with cases expected to peak in the next week, putting significant strain on hospitals and ambulances.

NSW ambulances are already enduring a daily level of demand typical of New Year's Eve as they transport hundreds of suspected COVID-19 patients each day.

Some 3500 people diagnosed with or suspected of having the virus were transported by ambulances in NSW in the past two weeks, NSW Ambulance Commissioner Dominic Morgan told reporters on Friday.

The number of new locally-acquired cases reported remains high too, with 1542 testing positive to the virus in the 24 hours to 8pm on Thursday.

Nine people also died in the reporting period, including two who passed away at home.

There are 1156 patients in NSW in hospital, with 207 in intensive care and 89 ventilated.

© AAP 2021

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 126

NSW has reported 1599 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 and at least eight deaths.

The deaths included three men in their 30s, 40s, and 50s, two people in their 70s and two in their 80s. All were unvaccinated and had underlying health conditions.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard on Saturday praised regional areas for boosting vaccination numbers.

Some 114,546 vaccination jabs were administered on Thursday, including 26,254 in regional areas.

NSW has now exceeded eight million vaccine doses.

Most of the state is locked down as authorities battle to contain the spread of the virulent Delta strain of the virus.

Cases are expected to peak in the next week, putting significant strain on hospitals and ambulances.

Meanwhile, thousands of NSW residents in a handful of COVID-free regional areas are enjoying their first day of freedom in four weeks.

Stay-at-home restrictions have lifted for much of the state's northeast and southwest, including the regional centres of Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga and Albury.

Masks are mandatory at indoor public venues, but hospitality venues, shops, sporting facilities and beauty services have all been cleared to reopen with restrictions.

Up to to five people will be allowed in a home and up to 20 can gather outdoors.

Entertainment venues like cinemas and theatres can also open with conditions, and outdoor and stadium events can also resume, with limits on attendees.

Weddings and funerals will be limited to 50 people, with churches and places of worship to open subject to the four square metre rule and no singing.

© AAP 2021

Details
Category: Received
Hits: 122

At least 15 people have now died at home of COVID-19 during the NSW outbreak, after two Sydney men in their 30s and 40s died at home.

Health Minister Brad Hazzard said the deaths did not indicate any problems with home care provided to COVID-19 patients.

A number of the people who died at home had never come to the attention of NSW Health or even their GP, Mr Hazzard said.

Others don't wish to leave their families to enter hospital. Some deteriorate very quickly, he said.

"This is a ... virus that's highlighting some of the inequities in our community, and in some households it can be a very large household where only one or two people are working," he said.

"I think there is a reluctance, in many instances, for people to want to actually tell us that they are actually not well, because they want to go on earning income."

He reminded NSW residents that financial support was available and urged people to seek medical care if they become unwell, particularly if they have difficulty breathing.

Most of those who have died at home were residents of south west or western Sydney.

The two men were among eight deaths reported on Saturday.

The others were a man in his 50s, two people in their 70s and three people in their 80s. None were vaccinated.

There were 1599 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm on Friday.

Cases are expected to peak in the next week, putting significant strain on hospitals and ambulances.

Some 1164 COVID-19 patients are currently in hospital, including 221 in intensive care.

Around 90 critically ill COVID-19 patients have had to be transferred by aircraft between hospitals while ventilated over the last three weeks, NSW Ambulance air retrievals specialist Brian Burns said.

One was a woman who had just given birth and most are not vaccinated, he said.

Dr Burns assured NSW residents that wherever a critically ill person is based in the state, they can be transported to a hospital to give them care.

Mr Hazzard on Saturday defended the government's decision to end daily COVID-19 press conferences on Sunday.

The health team needs "clear air" to think through the COVID-19 response and reducing the frequency of the media conferences will save time, he said.

Most of the state is locked down as authorities battle to contain the spread of the virulent Delta strain of the virus.

Thousands of NSW residents in a handful of COVID-free regional areas are enjoying their first day of freedom in four weeks.

Stay-at-home restrictions have lifted for much of the state's northeast and southwest, including the regional centres of Coffs Harbour, Wagga Wagga and Albury.

But residents of Byron Bay and Bangalow in northern NSW are on high alert after traces of the virus was found in sewage.

There have also been sewage detection in Jindabyne, Harden, Moruya, Yass, Port Macquarie, Trangie and Young.

© AAP 2021