No ban for Nike shoes
With all the big-name signings during the closed season, Maloney and Sezer have slipped under the radar... but they could just be the best recruits of all
vBetfred Super League, 5pm
IN any other year, the Super League captures of an NRL Grand Final half-back and State of Origin playmaker would probably have headlined the close-season signings news.
But Aidan Sezer and James Maloney, who face each other in Perpignan tonight, have had to take a back seat amid a cluster of high-profile arrivals.
Led by Sonny Bill Williams’ switch to Toronto and closely followed by England internationals George Burgess and Gareth Widdop joining Wigan and Warrington respectively, it has been a golden year for marquee recruits.
That was before Catalans’ controversial swoop for crosscode international Israel Folau caused a stir on both sides of the world, though he is not available for tonight’s game. But Sezer and Maloney could yet be the most influential for their teams.
Huddersfield new boy Sezer helped steer Canberra Raiders to last year’s NRL Grand Final decider, while Catalans’ recruit Maloney has a CV to match almost anybody from over a decade Down Under.
And Sezer knows the Giants will need to keep a close rein on his opposite number in the opening clash.
Sezer said: “Jimmy’s been a very successful half in the NRL and will bring a lot of class and talent to the Catalans team.
“We need to nullify him in round one.
“I hope he brings his best game over here this season, just not when he plays the Giants. It is great for the competition so many top players coming over – especially somebody like Sonny Bill.
“He’s a global star – everybody knows him, no matter which code you follow.
“To be coming over at this time, it’s something you rub your hands together about and are glad to be a part of.”
Sezer has been handed the captain’s armband by Giants coach Simon Woolford and charged with bringing more direction to a team that only survived relegation on the final day of the 2019 season.
The 28-year-old added: “The boys are really hungry for success.
“Obviously last year’s campaign was disappointing, but we’ve spoken about that and wanting to get the club back up the ladder.
“All the new boys have come in and bought into what Huddersfield’s about.
“I’ve seen the potential here – age-wise we’ve got a lot of good young boys, and we’ve brought some experience to that in myself, Kenny Edwards and James Gavet.
“We’ve got all the ingredients to have a good team, now we just need to take that onto the field.
“We want to be as high up in the table as we can and we need to start well down at Catalans.”
ATHLETES can continue using the controversial Nike Alphafly running shoes, but World Athletics have banned any other new shoes hitting the market.
Eliud Kipchoge ran a marathon in 1:59.40 in Vienna in October wearing Alphafly prototypes. But the governing body has come under pressure to address issues with them, amid accusations it amounts to technological doping.
World Athletics have said from April 30 only shoes that have been available for at least four months will be permitted in competition.
NBA
Atlanta 127 Philadelphia 117, Boston 119 Golden State 104, Cleveland 109 Toronto 115, Denver 106 Utah 100, LA Clippers 103 Sacramento 124, Washington 121 Charlotte 107.
ONE-DAY TOUR MATCH, Paarl England 240 (44.1 overs, Roy 104, Woakes 38). SA Invitation XI 163 (38.4 overs, Snyman 65, Woakes 2-21). England won by 77 runs.
WOMEN 1ST T20I, Canberra England 147-7 (20 overs; H C Knight 67). India 150-5 (19.3 overs). India won by 5 wickets. 4TH T20I, Wellington India 165-8 (20 overs; M K Pandey 50no). New Zealand 165-6 (20 overs; C Munro 64, T L Seifert 57). India won super over. India lead 5-match series 4-0. 2ND TEST, Harare Zimbabwe 406 (115.3 overs, Williams 107, Raza 72, Taylor 62, Embuldeniya 4-182) & 241-7 (75.5 overs, Taylor 67); Sri Lanka 293 (119.5 overs; A D Mathews 64; Sikandar Raza 7-113) & 204-3 (87 overs, Kusal Mendis 116). Match drawn.
SAUDI INTERNATIONAL, King Abdullah Economic City, 2nd Round (Gbr & Irl unless stated): 130 V Perez (Fra) 65 65, 131 G Green (Mal) 64 67, 132 G McDowell 64 68, 133 R Paratore (Ita) 68 65.
WASTE MANAGEMENT PHOENIX OPEN, Scottsdale, Arizona, 1st Round (USA unless stated): 61 W Clark
63 B Horschel, 64 J.B. Holmes, 65 B Cauley, B-H An (Kor), H English, T Hoge.
GERMAN MASTERS, Berlin, 2nd Round: N Robertson (Aus) bt M Mann (Eng) 5-0; Z Xintong (Chn) bt G Wilson (Eng) 5-1; S Murphy (Eng) bt S Donaldson (Sco) 5-2; E Slessor (Eng) bt R Williams (Eng) 5-3.
AUSTRALIAN OPEN, Melbourne, Men’s Singles Semi-final: (5) D Thiem (Aut) bt (7) A Zverev (Ger) 3-6 6-4 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-4).
Mixed doubles Semi-final: B Mattek-Sands (USA) & J Murray (Gbr) bt A Sharma (Aus) & J Smith (Aus) 6-3 7-6 (7-4).
One-Day Tour Match: South Africa A v England (Paarl, 8am). One-Day Tour Match: Cricket Australia XI v England Lions (Carrara, 11.30pm).
Women’s First Twenty20 International: Australia v England (Canberra, 3am).
Betfred Super League: Catalans v Huddersfield (5pm). Betfred Championship: Toulouse v York (5pm).
Guinness Six Nations: Ireland v Scotland (4.45), Wales v Italy (2.15). U20 Six Nations: France v England (8pm).
Guinness PRO14: Cheetahs v Southern Kings (3pm.