Briefs

Green unhappy
BRISBANE: Queensland coach Paul Green denied the disruption from Ronaldo Mulitalo’s late scratching put his side off in their 26-0 Origin two loss but was unhappy with the breakdown in the process that led to it happening. Green said losing a winger on game day morning was “obviously very disruptive” but felt his team handled the situation well. “It’s obviously a massive breakdown in the process,” Green said. He said the selection was based on information available to them.
Fittler hails Tedesco
SYDNEY: He played a starring role in New South Wale’s historic win over Queensland in Brisbane to wrap up this year’s State of Origin series, and Brad Fittler believes there’s no one in the game like James Tedesco. The Blues skipper was again superb on the Origin stage on Sunday as he steered the Blues to a dominant 26-0 win at Suncorp Stadium — the first time in Origin history the Maroons have been held scoreless on their home ground.
Norman cuts price
SYDNEY: Corey Norman has indicated he’d be willing to take less money to stay in the NRL rather than head to England, conceding his “big pay days” are behind him. Norman’s future beyond the end of this year remains uncertain, after being told by St George Illawarra he would not be re-signed. The 30-year-old admitted yesterday that he thought that was the “right call” by the club, with Junior Amone and Jayden Sullivan waiting in the wings. But it hasn’t helped Norman’s own future.
Broncos keep duo
BRISBANE: Matt Lodge will see out the NRL season at Brisbane and Tevita Pangai is likely to follow suit after coach Kevin Walters revealed the second-rower’s management has been told he won’t be leaving. The fallout from Brisbane’s horror first half of the season continued yesterday, with Lodge back at training after publicly questioning the club last week. The prop had been linked to a mid-season move to the Warriors through uncertainty over his future.
Warriors get Shark
SYDNEY: Chad Towsnend admits he was “caught off guard” when dropped by Cronulla before ending his Sharks career early with a mid-season switch to the Warriors. Townsend will play his first NRL game in six weeks on Friday night against St George Illawarra, after signing a four-month contract with the Warriors last week. The veteran half has not been sighted in first grade since kicking a match-winning field goal against for Cronulla against the Dragons on May 21.
France knocked out
PARIS: Kylian Mbappe missed the crucial kick as Switzerland beat France 5-4 on penalties in the Euro 2020 last 16 after a classic European Championship game. The Swiss had been seconds away from elimination during 90 minutes but go through to face Spain after progressing from a major tournament knockout game for the first time since 1938. They will play Spain on Saturday (PNG time). Results: Mon, June 28 — Croatia 3 Spain 5, France 4 Switzerland 5. – Agencies