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NSW have reclaimed the Women's State of Origin shield, winning a pulsating encounter against Queensland 20-14 with dynamic centre Isabelle Kelly winning the Nellie Doherty Medal.
Minutes after Queensland captain Ali Brigginshaw hit the post with a conversion attempt that would have tied the scores with 12 minutes to play on Friday, Kelly capped a stunning 192m, 10-tackle bust display with the sealing try.
In front of a Women's Origin record 11,321 fans at Canberra's GIO Stadium, the Blues put two years of heartbreak behind them, grabbing an overall 3-2 lead in series victories since the Origin clashes officially began in 2018.
In a rollercoaster finish, Queensland looked to have scored to steal the win with four minutes to play, but NSW fans were sent into raptures as the try was denied by the bunker with winger Julia Robinson judged offside on the proceeding kick.
Fresh from a Gatorade drenching to celebrate the feat, NSW coach Kylie Hilder spoke of the pride she had for her victorious side.
"This team won't be the same moving forward, it never is, your Origin sides always change," she told reporters.
"So on occasions where we've just won, we're going to make sure that we really celebrate this win because come 2023 this same group of people won't be the same.
"We've been building towards this for two years, we've spent the year putting this team together and we're really close.
"The bond we have as a team, not just on the field but off it as well, and I think that showed out on the field."
They'd jumped to a 12-4 win courtesy of first-half tries for Emma Tonegato and Kirra Dib, while four goals from halfback Rachael Pearson meant they always kept their noses in front.
Origin games are often won in the middle and this clash was no different, with emphatic displays from NSW props Simaima Taufa (125m and 32 tackles) and Millie Boyle (118m and 28 tackles) to go with Kelly's brilliance.
"Samaima Taufa is a freak," Hilder told reporters.
"I've got the best outside backs in the game, but I've also got the best middles in the game at the moment and when you're blessed with that it's pretty easy to put things together."
Reigning Dally M winner Tonegato was also outstanding, the rugby sevens Olympic gold medallist continuing her summit of another code with some sizzling runs and her side's first try, planting a cheeky dummy-half grubber kick from Keeley Davis.
Queensland led early through lock Destiny Brill as she crashed over on eight minutes, but they struggled at times to contain the dynamic NSW attack hell-bent on reclaiming the shield.
Tarryn Aiken and Brigginshaw controlled things via the boot with 301 kicking metres, but discipline got the Maroons in the end with Pearson's penalty goals always keeping the Blues' nose in front.
The disallowed try that could have won the shield was a brutal blow for Queensland coach Tahnee Norris.
"It was a tough one, I'm still feeling at the moment obviously and will for a while," she told reporters.
"We just couldn't capitalise on a couple of opportunities there and the girls fought right to the end. ... it was a roller coaster and disappointing to come away with a loss.
"To see the girls put in so much effort (and lose) really, really hurt."
© AAP 2022
Image: State of Origin Facebook
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Swimmers gather before the annual nude winter solstice swim during Hobart's Dark Mofo festival at Long Beach in Sandy Bay, Tasmania, Wednesday, June 22, 2022. (AAP Image/Rob Blakers)
More than 2000 hardy souls have bared all for a midwinter dip in Hobart, marking the shortest day of the year.
Among the crowd was 59-year-old Pam, who took a maiden naked plunge a week out from her birthday alongside fellow first-timers Richard, Peter and Glenda.
"It was a really unique experience. You let go of all your fears, everything, and just go in," the southern Tasmania resident said
"A friend told me it's like a baptism. You'll go in the old you and you'll come out the new you. That's sort of how it feels."
The group enjoyed a nip of whisky and herbal tea on shore after earlier being part of the masses that entered the River Derwent at the 7.42am sunrise.
The swim, a symbolic act of purification marking the winter solstice and end of the Dark Mofo winter festival, first began with 230 participants in 2013.
The air temperature was below 5C and the water in the low teens.
"It took me back 60-plus years to when I was a kid in England. Just the same, freezing cold, but you feel so good afterwards," Peter, 73, said.
Glenda, 66, who travelled from the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, said the water wasn't as cold as she anticipated.
"The adrenaline is running. You feel so good about just being able to drop your gear and get in the water," she said.
"You'd think you'd be uncomfortable, but you're not."
Daniel Clifford and Melissa Stretch from Brisbane and Perth respectively were glad they overcame some early morning jitters.
"It was colder than I thought it would be. We were both on the fence this morning when we woke up," Melissa said.
Dark Mofo returned to a two-week festival this year after being called off in 2020 due to the pandemic and running over a condensed period in 2021.
© AAP 2022
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"I'm good," he told reporters on Saturday after US Secret Service agents quickly helped him up. "I got my foot caught" in the toe cages.
Biden, 79, and first lady Jill Biden were wrapping up a morning ride when the president decided to pedal over to a crowd of well-wishers standing by the bike trail.
Biden, who was wearing a helmet, took the spill when he tried to dismount, apparently falling on his right side and rolling on to his back before being helped up.
The president quickly collected himself and spent several minutes chatting with people who had gathered to watch him bike. Biden did not need medical attention and is "fine", according to a White House statement.
Biden attended mass at St Edmond Catholic Church in Rehoboth Beach in the late afternoon.
When he appeared after services, bystanders cheered and reporters shouted questions about how he felt. The president smiled and took three hops while making a motion with his hands like jumping rope.
The Bidens were spending a long weekend at their Rehoboth Beach home. They marked their 45th wedding anniversary on Friday.
© AP 2022
Image: Gage Skidmore/Flickr
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A fire at a electrical sub-station south of Sydney, could continue burning for the next three days.
A transformer caught alight at the facility at Yallah, near Albion Park, the flames are being fuelled by 100,000 litres of oil.
Fire and Rescue Superintendent Adam Dewberry said they have a plan, to tackle the massive blaze:
"The fire is contained and the oil from the fire is also contained in specifically constructed bunded areas,
"The system is also in place to contain the added firefighting water and oil into a second retention pit which will be pumped out as it fills,"Mr. Dewberry said.
Trans-grid has diverted power from the site - meaning nearby homes won't be hit with blackouts.
Image: Fire & Rescue NSW
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