This is one of those rare weeks when every streaming platform comes to play. It’s premiere-palooza out there. Honestly, there were almost too many shows to mention. You’ve heard of series that hit all four quadrants — this week’s lineup covers the entire spectrum of streaming television.
I’m talking chills, thrills, laughs and family feuds. From Hallowicked origins to another entry in Taylor Sheridan’s never-ending TV empire… from the first family of reality TV to a romantic comedy that’s both spicy and sincere — there’s something for every mood, every screen, and every couch position imaginable.
Let’s hit “Play.”
It: Welcome to Derry
Stephen King’s world of It continues to expand — and somehow, Pennywise just keeps getting creepier. The dancing clown has always had a chokehold on American horror pop culture. Sure, Jason stalked you. Freddy invaded your dreams. But Pennywise? He knows your fears — and smiles through razor-sharp teeth while exploiting them.
I mean, really — a killer clown who preys on kids, lures them with balloons, and lives in the gutter? That’s childhood trauma in cinematic form.
It: Welcome to Derry takes us back to where it all began. Set in 1962, the series serves as a prequel to the hit films and follows a Korean War vet named Leroy, his wife Charlotte, and their son as they relocate to Derry, Maine — a picturesque little town with a stomach-turning secret.
The show connects directly to the 2017 and 2019 It movies, keeping that eerie mix of nostalgia and nightmare. Expect flickering streetlights, echoing laughter in the sewers, and a slow, suffocating dread that builds until you’re checking the corners of your room at 2 a.m.
Bottom line: Welcome to Derry isn’t just another cash-in on King’s mythos. It’s a return to the origin of fear itself — and it’s streaming this week on Max.
Nobody Wants This– Season 2
Sometimes love stories are messy. Sometimes they’re magnetic. And sometimes — like in Nobody Wants This — they’re both.
Kristen Bell stars as Joanne, an outspoken woman who co-hosts a sex podcast with her sister. She’s brash, funny, and brutally honest — the kind of person who says out loud what everyone else just Googles. Enter Noah (Adam Brody, a.k.a. Seth Cohen from The O.C.), a charming but conflicted rabbi whose life is built around faith, boundaries and expectations.
They meet at a dinner party. Sparks fly. And suddenly, the podcaster and the rabbi are trying to make sense of a connection that feels both right and totally impossible.
Their chemistry? Off the charts. Their comedic timing? Surgical. Bell and Brody make every scene hum with wit, warmth and that rare kind of emotional tension that makes you grin one moment and wince the next.
What elevates Nobody Wants This beyond the usual rom-com fare is its depth — the cultural and spiritual tug-of-war, the vulnerability beneath the humor, and the way it asks: Can love really bridge belief?
If you loved Season 1, Season 2 only doubles down on everything that worked. And if you’re new to it — congrats, you just found your next binge.
Nobody Wants This Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
The Kardashians — Season 7
Let’s face it: you might not keep up with the Kardashians, but the Kardashians always keep up with you.
The most famous (and infamous) family in television history returns for Season 7, and the drama is as thick as ever. Kris is still the CEO of chaos, there’s Kylie, Kendall, Kourtney, Khloe and Kim — and well, Kim’s taking things to a whole new level.
This season, we see Rob Kardashian step back into the spotlight (finally!), and Kim trades SKIMS for scripts as she films All’s Fair, a Ryan Murphy legal drama where she stars opposite — wait for it — Glenn Close.That’s right, Kim Kardashian and Glenn Close, in a courtroom, on Hulu. The crossover we never knew we would get.
But there’s more to Kim than her headline-grabbing career moves. She’s also waiting on her California Bar results and continuing her push for criminal justice reform — a storyline that’s genuinely admirable.
Love them or love to hate them, the Kardashians have permanently tattooed themselves on pop culture’s forehead. They’ve turned self-awareness into a business model and luxury into a language. The Kardashians Season 7 hits Hulu this week — fur thongs, sibling spats, and all.
Carl Weber’s The Family Business — Season 6
Ernie Hudson might be the busiest man in Hollywood, and somehow, he just keeps getting cooler. He’s back as L.C. Duncan, patriarch of Carl Weber’s The Family Business, a show that blends slick mob drama with pure soap opera flair — and fans can’t get enough.
The Duncans are the definition of “dual life.” By day, they run a luxury car dealership in New York. By night? They’re deeply entrenched in the city’s underworld — handling secrets, betrayals, and business the old-fashioned way: with power and precision.
This season, things get even messier. A child stolen at birth resurfaces, a $100 million theft rocks the family, and loyalties are tested like never before.
Hudson commands every frame, giving L.C. that rare mix of gravitas and danger. The show has heart, heat, and just enough swagger to make you feel like you’re watching a modern-day Black Godfather story unfold.
The Family Business Season 6 is streaming now on BET+, and it’s a ride worth taking.
Mayor of Kingstown — Season 4
Taylor Sheridan might be a machine. Between Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and now Mayor of Kingstown, the man’s building his own cinematic universe — one dust storm and shootout at a time.
Jeremy Renner returns as Mike McLusky, the unofficial “mayor” of Kingstown, Michigan — a town where the only thriving industry is incarceration. He’s the broker, the fixer, the one man who can walk between worlds: gangs, guards, cops, and politicians, all of them equally corrupt and desperate.
Season 4 finds Kingstown boiling over. Violence spills from the prisons into the streets, alliances crumble, and Mike’s attempts to keep order feel more like holding back a hurricane with his bare hands.
The show isn’t just about power — it’s about what power does to people. Sheridan uses the prison system as both setting and metaphor, turning the entire town into a moral cage.
It’s grim. It’s gripping. It’s Sheridan doing what Sheridan does best: crafting stories about flawed men trying to hold their worlds together while everything burns around them.
Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 is streaming now on Paramount+.
This is one of those rare weeks when every streaming platform comes to play. It’s premiere-palooza out there. Honestly, there were almost too many shows to mention. You’ve heard of series that hit all four quadrants — this week’s lineup covers the entire spectrum of streaming television.
I’m talking chills, thrills, laughs and family feuds. From Hallowicked origins to another entry in Taylor Sheridan’s never-ending TV empire… from the first family of reality TV to a romantic comedy that’s both spicy and sincere — there’s something for every mood, every screen, and every couch position imaginable.
Let’s hit “Play.”
It: Welcome to Derry
Stephen King’s world of It continues to expand — and somehow, Pennywise just keeps getting creepier. The dancing clown has always had a chokehold on American horror pop culture. Sure, Jason stalked you. Freddy invaded your dreams. But Pennywise? He knows your fears — and smiles through razor-sharp teeth while exploiting them.
I mean, really — a killer clown who preys on kids, lures them with balloons, and lives in the gutter? That’s childhood trauma in cinematic form.
It: Welcome to Derry takes us back to where it all began. Set in 1962, the series serves as a prequel to the hit films and follows a Korean War vet named Leroy, his wife Charlotte, and their son as they relocate to Derry, Maine — a picturesque little town with a stomach-turning secret.
The show connects directly to the 2017 and 2019 It movies, keeping that eerie mix of nostalgia and nightmare. Expect flickering streetlights, echoing laughter in the sewers, and a slow, suffocating dread that builds until you’re checking the corners of your room at 2 a.m.
Bottom line: Welcome to Derry isn’t just another cash-in on King’s mythos. It’s a return to the origin of fear itself — and it’s streaming this week on Max.
Nobody Wants This– Season 2
Sometimes love stories are messy. Sometimes they’re magnetic. And sometimes — like in Nobody Wants This — they’re both.
Kristen Bell stars as Joanne, an outspoken woman who co-hosts a sex podcast with her sister. She’s brash, funny, and brutally honest — the kind of person who says out loud what everyone else just Googles. Enter Noah (Adam Brody, a.k.a. Seth Cohen from The O.C.), a charming but conflicted rabbi whose life is built around faith, boundaries and expectations.
They meet at a dinner party. Sparks fly. And suddenly, the podcaster and the rabbi are trying to make sense of a connection that feels both right and totally impossible.
Their chemistry? Off the charts. Their comedic timing? Surgical. Bell and Brody make every scene hum with wit, warmth and that rare kind of emotional tension that makes you grin one moment and wince the next.
What elevates Nobody Wants This beyond the usual rom-com fare is its depth — the cultural and spiritual tug-of-war, the vulnerability beneath the humor, and the way it asks: Can love really bridge belief?
If you loved Season 1, Season 2 only doubles down on everything that worked. And if you’re new to it — congrats, you just found your next binge.
Nobody Wants This Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.
The Kardashians — Season 7
Let’s face it: you might not keep up with the Kardashians, but the Kardashians always keep up with you.
The most famous (and infamous) family in television history returns for Season 7, and the drama is as thick as ever. Kris is still the CEO of chaos, there’s Kylie, Kendall, Kourtney, Khloe and Kim — and well, Kim’s taking things to a whole new level.
This season, we see Rob Kardashian step back into the spotlight (finally!), and Kim trades SKIMS for scripts as she films All’s Fair, a Ryan Murphy legal drama where she stars opposite — wait for it — Glenn Close.That’s right, Kim Kardashian and Glenn Close, in a courtroom, on Hulu. The crossover we never knew we would get.
But there’s more to Kim than her headline-grabbing career moves. She’s also waiting on her California Bar results and continuing her push for criminal justice reform — a storyline that’s genuinely admirable.
Love them or love to hate them, the Kardashians have permanently tattooed themselves on pop culture’s forehead. They’ve turned self-awareness into a business model and luxury into a language. The Kardashians Season 7 hits Hulu this week — fur thongs, sibling spats, and all.
Carl Weber’s The Family Business — Season 6
Ernie Hudson might be the busiest man in Hollywood, and somehow, he just keeps getting cooler. He’s back as L.C. Duncan, patriarch of Carl Weber’s The Family Business, a show that blends slick mob drama with pure soap opera flair — and fans can’t get enough.
The Duncans are the definition of “dual life.” By day, they run a luxury car dealership in New York. By night? They’re deeply entrenched in the city’s underworld — handling secrets, betrayals, and business the old-fashioned way: with power and precision.
This season, things get even messier. A child stolen at birth resurfaces, a $100 million theft rocks the family, and loyalties are tested like never before.
Hudson commands every frame, giving L.C. that rare mix of gravitas and danger. The show has heart, heat, and just enough swagger to make you feel like you’re watching a modern-day Black Godfather story unfold.
The Family Business Season 6 is streaming now on BET+, and it’s a ride worth taking.
Mayor of Kingstown — Season 4
Taylor Sheridan might be a machine. Between Yellowstone, Tulsa King, and now Mayor of Kingstown, the man’s building his own cinematic universe — one dust storm and shootout at a time.
Jeremy Renner returns as Mike McLusky, the unofficial “mayor” of Kingstown, Michigan — a town where the only thriving industry is incarceration. He’s the broker, the fixer, the one man who can walk between worlds: gangs, guards, cops, and politicians, all of them equally corrupt and desperate.
Season 4 finds Kingstown boiling over. Violence spills from the prisons into the streets, alliances crumble, and Mike’s attempts to keep order feel more like holding back a hurricane with his bare hands.
The show isn’t just about power — it’s about what power does to people. Sheridan uses the prison system as both setting and metaphor, turning the entire town into a moral cage.
It’s grim. It’s gripping. It’s Sheridan doing what Sheridan does best: crafting stories about flawed men trying to hold their worlds together while everything burns around them.
Mayor of Kingstown Season 4 is streaming now on Paramount+.
As the weather cools down, the streaming slate is heating up — and this week offers a perfect mix of political intrigue, sports storytelling, small-screen reinvention, and cinematic reflection. From Keri Russell’s return in Netflix’s The Diplomat to an inside look at NBA life in Starting Five, a new chapter of crime and conscience in Boston Blue, and an intimate documentary on the legendary Martin Scorsese, there’s no shortage of binge-worthy stories to dive into. Here’s what’s new on our streaming radar this week.
The Diplomat
For fans of high-stakes political dramas, Netflix is back with a third season of its incredibly bingeable series The Diplomat. Keri Russell returns as Kate Wyler, who has just accused the Vice President of the United States, Grace Penn (played by the wonderfully talented Allison Janney), of orchestrating a terrorist plot — setting the stage for a volatile new chapter.
As the dust settles, the President is dead, and Penn now occupies the Oval Office. To make matters worse, Kate’s husband Hal (Rufus Sewell) may have played a role in the President’s demise. With loyalties shifting and ambitions colliding, Season 3 explores a haunting question: does getting what you want also come with a nightmare attached?
The Diplomat Season 3 streams this week on Netflix.
Starting Five
Also streaming on Netflix, just in time for the upcoming NBA season, comes Starting Five — a new docu-series that delivers the kind of access sports fans crave. Think of it as Hard Knocks for the hardwood.
The series follows five elite players through the 2024–2025 NBA season: Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics, the newest Houston Rocket Kevin Durant (documented during his final Phoenix Suns campaign), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who just led his team to an NBA Championship, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, and the ever-enigmatic former Rocket, James Harden.
What makes Starting Five compelling isn’t just the highlight-reel action — it’s the human side of these athletes. We see their routines, struggles, and moments of doubt as they balance fame, fatigue, and personal sacrifice. Like actors or any working professional, they have to check their emotions at the door and perform at an elite level, even when life off the court tests them the most.
Starting Five streams this week on Netflix.
Boston Blue
Debuting this week is Boston Blue, the anticipated spinoff of CBS’s long-running hit Blue Bloods. Donnie Wahlberg reprises his role as Detective Danny Reagan — this time relocating from New York to Boston. There, he joins the Boston Police Department and partners with Detective Lena Silver (Sonequa Martin-Green), the eldest daughter of a storied law-enforcement family.
Lena’s grandfather is Reverend Peters, portrayed by the legendary Ernie Hudson, who brings both spiritual weight and moral complexity to the role. When I spoke with Hudson, he said that Boston Blue is “as much about family and faith as it is about forensics — a show where the badge isn’t the only thing that defines you.”
He says the show stands apart because it doesn’t shy away from the complicated relationship between police and community. “A lot of police shows focus on the difficulties of policing — trying to be fair, trying to get justice,” Hudson explains. “But the community often sees it from a different perspective. Sometimes the police come down hard without taking a lot of factors into consideration. Communities that feel disadvantaged need someone to champion them, to be heard. It’s the letter of the law, yes — but it’s also about balance and empathy.”
He continues, “My character sort of represents that humanity we all share. It’s easy to judge people and separate them — to say, ‘They’re not like us, they deserve this.’ But when we see ourselves in others, that changes everything. Television can remind us of that.”
Hudson adds that the show’s power lies in its depiction of family as a microcosm of America itself. “On Boston Blue, you’ve got this family with all these different backgrounds — my character’s a Baptist reverend, Donnie’s Catholic, my daughter married a Jewish man — and yet they still find common ground. That’s real life. That’s real America.”
Like its predecessor, the show balances crime-solving with deeper themes of legacy, loyalty, and personal conviction. Boston Blue premieres October 17 on CBS and streams on Paramount+.
Mr. Scorsese
Rounding out this week’s lineup is Mr. Scorsese, a five-part documentary on one of cinema’s true icons: Martin Scorsese. Directed by Rebecca Miller, the series charts the filmmaker’s life and work — from his student films to his modern masterpieces — exploring how his experiences, influences, and worldview shaped his distinctive cinematic voice.
Featuring reflections from Scorsese himself, never-before-seen archival footage, and commentary from some of his closest collaborators, the doc paints a vivid portrait of an artist in constant evolution. With classics like Goodfellas, Casino, The Irishman, and The Departed behind him, Mr. Scorsese offers a rare, introspective look at a director who has spent a lifetime redefining storytelling on screen.
Most of us never made our way out of the classroom let alone to the school stage during the annual winnowing of spelling bee competitors.
In The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee we get to see the top echelon of spellers at a local level, who, we quickly learn, can be as cutthroat as adults looking to move up to be the CEO of a Fortune 500 company.
But in this 90-minute, one-act musical, rather than unrelenting darkness, what follows is a hilarious and at times poignant treatment of how these young spelling wonders negotiate the world of competitive spelling bees. Theatre Under the Stars Artistic Director Dan Knechtges is at the helm, especially appropriate since he choreographed the workshop, summer productions and the original Broadway production for Putnam County, the first show he ever took to Broadway.
Gemini Quintos plays speller Marcy Park and describes her as “a classic stereotypical overachiever. That’s where all the comedy comes from; she’s very, very, very, very tightly wound. She must do everything perfectly and she must be the best at everything.” She also fears that her parents won’t love her if she doesn’t win all the time, Quintos says.
While Quintos never made it to the higher levels of a spelling bee in real life, she says she loves watching the competitors. “Just how smart those kids are and how much it means to them. It’s a reminder to us as to not diminish the experiences of children.” For them, this is the biggest thing.”
All the parts are played by adults. “It’s a fun challenge. We all have to play children which sounds easy , just act like a kid. But really, we have to tap into this part of ourselves that is really self-conscious and really vulnerable and really unsure of ourselves.
“And I think what’s really cool about these kids is that they’re some of the smartest in their environment among their peers. So they have an uber confidence because they know so much. On the flip side, they’re at the age when they’re so self-conscious.”
Quintos has already had a long career as a professional actor. “I started when I was a child grew up in New York , My sisters and I all did Broadway as children
She likes theater because “It’s fun. At the end of the day we get to sing and dance as our jobs. Which I don’t think anything beats that.”
We had to ask, is Gemini a stage name?
“I am a Gemini. My parents [from] the ultrasound. They were told I was going to be a boy . So they had another name for me. So I was born and they didn’t have a name for me. My mom is a Gemini and she was reading her horoscope at the hospital and she was like ‘Oh, she’s also a Gemini so name her Gemini. ‘Our birthdays are four days apart.
“It’s my real, real name.” she said, laughing.
Eight years ago she moved to Houston. Living here has worked out well for Quintos and her family, she said. She and her husband Chris Blodgett own the clothing store Sam & Davy. She says she’s always balancing their business with family life and acting. It helps, she said, that their business is located close to TUTS. Their daughters are going to be in Houston Ballet’s Nutcracker. “I feel fulfilled in all pursuits of my life.”
Why should people come to see The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee? “To laugh. People will be laughing the entire time .”
And in a special twist at every performance, four audience members will have the chance to compete alongside the six actors in the student roles. So, if you never made it to the spelling bee stage before, you might now.
Performances are scheduled for October 21 through November 2at 7:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays and Sundays, 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sunday at Theatre Under The Stars at the Hobby Center, 800 Bagby. For more information, call 713-558-8887 or visit tuts.org. $46 -$195.
I take you where you want to go I give you all you need to know
Don’t be afraid of growth, kids.
If you’re like the apparently thousands of people at last night’s Toyota Center show — who also just happened to see them at Numbers* — you probably first got to know Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails through their industrial assaults against greed and hypocrisy. Songs like “March of the Pigs,” and “Wish” were blistering jeremiads that established NIÐ at the forefront of ’90s alt rock.
Some of us are also old enough to remember when “Head Like A Hole” was mocked for being “fake industrial” music. I don’t remember if that was the Nitzer Ebb enthusiasts I used to hang out with or Spin magazine, honestly.
Whatever you think of Pretty Hate Machine, the band’s debut — or Broken, or The Downward Spiral — Reznor has always pushed boundaries. Transitioning from Godflesh-style industrial metal to the burgeoning electronica of Year Zero to the ambient atmospherics of Ghosts I-IV. Oh, and he and Atticus Ross (the only other permanent band member) have also carved out a nice career scoring motion pictures (The Social Network, Gone Girl, Soul), winning awards and pulling within sniffing distance of an EGOT.
Maybe a With Teeth-inspired Broadway musical is in the works…
Reznor, Ross and NIÐ (drummer Josh Freese, guitarist Robin Finck, bassist/keyboardist Alessandro Cortini) returned to Houston for the Peel It Back tour, the band’s first live excursion since 2022. And at this point, they could easily just “play the hits.” But instead they showed their ability to evolve.
Witness the beginning of last night’s show, which was just Reznor on a piano (on a secondary stage that would come into play later) playing a stripped down version of “Right Where It Belongs” (from With Teeth) and “Ruiner,” before being joined by Ross, Finck, and Cortini for “Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now).” It was a deceptively disarming way to intro the show.
Those tracks were almost torturous in the anticipation of what was to come, like waiting for a beat drop dangled tantalizingly out of range. And sure enough, the quote-unquote “quiet” part of the concert pretty much ended as the band returned to the main stage, where they tore through the likes of “Wish” (yours truly’s favorite off the Broken EP), “March of the Pigs,” and “Copy of A,” which used the stage drapery to produce a cool effect of multiple Reznors.
That song, from Hesitation Marks, was also probably the most inclusive song of the night. You’re not the only one playing a part, you see.
And don’t let the relative down tempos of “Reptile” and “Heresy” fool you. The former is still as scathing a rejection of intimacy as NIÐ has recorded, while the latter is a snarling response to evangelical fear mongering. And hearing 10,000+ people scream along to “God is dead/And no one cares” might be enough to get those Bible thumpers who used to show up outside metal shows out of retirement.
They returned to the “B-Stage” with opener Boys Noize. who offered chopped versions of “Closer” and “As Alive As You Need Me To Be,” the night’s sole new cut (from the upcoming Tron: Ares). The movie stars Jared Leto, and despite not having seen it yet, I’m still prepared to declare the soundtrack the best part based solely on who’s playing lead.
It was this section perhaps more than any other that showcased Reznor’s desire to shake up his own legacy. “Closer” is arguably NIÐ’s most recognizable song, but allowing it to be remixed live by a German DJ proves Reznor will likely never be one to trot out a greatest hits tour.
The setup wasn’t minimalist by any stretch, and the band stretched the production admirably with projection effects and an impressive light setup. This was even more apparent as they returned to the main stage for the final run of songs, including “Mr. Self Destruct,” “The Perfect Drug” (from the Lost Highway soundtrack), and a cover of David Bowie’s “I’m Afraid of Americans,” before closing out with the lethal combo of “The Hand That Feeds,” “Head Like A Hole” and bummer extraordinaire “Hurt.”
That final set was a blistering affirmation of what makes a NIÐ show a nigh transformative experience. And as gratifying as it is to see Reznor and Ross recognized for their film work, last night showed just how much Nine Inch Nails means to people, and how vital they still are.
*Reznor asked if anyone remembered seeing them at the legendary club and I swear half the audience cheered. Kind of like how everyone claims to be at those early Police shows where ten people were in attendance.
Personal Bias: You say I embarrassed myself screaming along to “Wish.” I say I did Gen X proud.
The Crowd: Aging rockers and goths who evidently had a hard time figuring out which concert T-shirt to wear (Primus?).
Overheard In The Crowd: “Did you know there’s another merch table in the back?”
Random Notebook Dump: “I wonder if Mr. Self Destruct is related to Mr. Bad Example.”
SETLIST B-Stage Right Where It Belongs Ruiner (partially acoustic version) Piggy (Nothing Can Stop Me Now)
Main Stage Wish March of the Pigs Reptile Find My Way Copy of A Gave Up
B-Stage (with Boys Noize) She’s Gone Away Closer As Alive as You Need Me to Be Sin
Main Stage Mr. Self Destruct Less Than The Perfect Drug I’m Afraid of Americans (David Bowie cover) The Hand That Feeds Head Like a Hole Hurt
Football and Texas go together like Sonny and Cher, like Beyoncé and Levi’s, and like 45 South and traffic. There’s a unique bond between Texans and the gridiron. For many, football is more than a game—it’s a sanctuary, a gathering place that brings together the most diverse communities in the state. From the Houston Texans (who fans hope will be faring better by the time you read this) to America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys, football culture runs deep here. College football has long been a powerhouse, and high school stadiums still pack in thousands on Friday nights.
The sport’s influence on cinema is just as strong. Films like Friday Night Lights, Any Given Sunday (with Texas native Jamie Foxx), Remember the Titans, Rudy, and The Longest Yard, both the Burt Reynolds original and the Adam Sandler remake (the latter is a guilty pleasure of mine), have carried the spirit of football to the big screen. That tradition continues with The Senior, the new drama starring Michael Chiklis, now in theaters.
The Senior tells the true story of Mike Flynt, who, at the age of 59, became the oldest man to ever play college football—lining up as a linebacker for Sul Ross State University in Alpine, Texas. Flynt, a former powerlifter and longtime strength and conditioning coach at Texas A&M, suited up decades after his playing days should have ended, proving that passion for the game doesn’t come with an expiration date.
Chiklis is a natural fit for Flynt, embodying his grit and determination. The actor, best known for his Emmy-winning run on The Shield and his turn as The Thing in Fantastic Four, captures the tenacity and humility of a man chasing one last shot. Beyond the X’s and O’s, the film captures how seriously Texans take their football and the almost spiritual significance it holds in the Lone Star State.
For me, the movie works on three levels. If you like football, you’ll enjoy it. If you like a classic, formula-driven sports biopic, you’ll find plenty here to connect with. But what makes The Senior stand out is its message about do-overs. It’s a story that will resonate with anyone who has thought about the chances they didn’t take—or the dreams they still want to chase.
Chiklis himself emphasized that point when we spoke. “Well, yeah, that’s the whole thing,” he said. “Football is the backdrop of this picture, but it’s really at its heart a redemption tale. This is about a guy making good on past mistakes. You can’t change the past, but you can change the meaning of it and its value.”
He continued: “And he became essentially a playing coach to these kids, a mentor. My relationship with the guys on this team was beautiful. I had such a great time with these young men. They were a little intimidated by me at first. They didn’t know how terrified I was inside because I was hitting them and they were hitting me, and I was like, oh my God.”
He laughed, adding, “I think they had seen The Shield a little bit, so they were a little concerned. But the second day of shooting, we did that scene with the rubber and they got to tool on me and make fun of me, and that’s when we became a team. They realized I was all right and I wasn’t going to bite, and we just had a blast together.”
That sentiment is what makes The Senior resonate. Whether you’re nearing retirement, in mid-life, or still in your prime, Flynt’s story reminds us that there’s always time to right the wrongs of the past and chase unfinished dreams.
The Senior may not reinvent the genre, but it delivers inspiration with heart—and earns its place alongside the great football films of the past. It’s in theaters now and will arrive on streaming soon.
Dr. Steven Hotze, a Republican megadonor who was briefly jailed for engaging in criminal activity only to have the charges dismissed, is suing former Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and asking that she — or the DA’s office — pay back hundreds of thousands of dollars he claimed he wasted on a legal defense.
First Assistant DA Vivian King and real estate broker Gerald Womack are also named as defendants in the 30-page complaint, filed September 23 by his attorney Jared Woodfill.
Right-wing African American blogger Aubrey Taylor is listed as a plaintiff alongside Hotze. Taylor claims he, too, was targeted for publishing content that was critical of Ogg and her political allies. The plaintiffs are demanding a jury trial and asking for compensation for legal fees, the amount to be determined at trial.
Woodfill alleges that Hotze and Taylor were deprived of their constitutional right to free speech, suffered economic damages, and were wrongfully jailed.
This isn’t the first time Ogg has been accused of charging her political adversaries with crimes, only to have the charges dismissed by her successor, District Attorney Sean Teare. Reports surfaced earlier this year that Ogg cost taxpayers more than $1.5 million in frivolous lawsuits that she filed before she lost the Democratic primary to Teare in 2024.
Teare commented in May that, “As we review more cases filed under the previous administration, a pattern has become quite clear: The former district attorney abused the authority of this office to overcharge and investigate those she disagreed with and outsourced high-profile criminal investigations to friends who shared her political views.”
Ogg, who now works as a lawyer at the boutique litigation firm Gregor, Wynne & Arney, did not respond to requests for comment.
Felony charges against Hotze were dropped in May. He was accused of being involved in an attack on an air conditioning repairman in 2020. The repairman was held at gunpoint during a search for fraudulent voter mail-in ballots that did not exist. Prosecutors alleged at the time that Hotze was not present during the attack but paid a former Houston police captain to do it.
Hotze was accused of unlawful restraint, two counts of aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, and engaging in organized crime. He was jailed for about 10 hours, according to the lawsuit filed last week.
“For the last four years, Kim Ogg has waged warfare against me because of my efforts to ensure voter integrity in Harris County, and I thank God that today I was vindicated,” Hotze said in May. “I have no regrets in my efforts to stop voter fraud in Harris County. I am committed to continue to do that and I am just getting fired up.”
The former Houston police captain, Mark Aguirre, is still under investigation for his involvement, with prosecutors saying in May that they would pursue two of five original charges brought against him.
Taylor is accusing Womack of attacking him with an iron statue while Taylor attempted to deliver a copy of his Houston Business Connections newspaper to Womack’s office in October 2023.
Taylor was charged in the incident and indicted in 2023 for felony injury to the elderly. Authorities said he initiated the assault on Womack, who served as former U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee’s campaign chair. Charges were dropped in February, with prosecutors saying that probable cause existed but they couldn’t prove it beyond a reasonable doubt. Woodfill claims video evidence of the altercation was destroyed.
“As the owner of a newspaper, Mr. Taylor was simply exercising his First Amendment rights to speech, when he opposed King in her election, criticized Gerald Womack and Sheila Jackson Lee, and printed articles and attached evidence which purports to show how Defendants Ogg, King and Womack benefitted from illegal ballot harvesting,” the lawsuit states. “Yet, instead of working through lawful channels, Defendants Ogg and King used their political positions to investigate and jail Mr. Taylor.”
Woodfill said he believes Ogg pursued vendettas against those who opposed her politically. The former district attorney was elected as a Democrat but later admonished by the party for her lack of action on bail reform. Since she lost her bid for re-election, Ogg has appeared at Republican fundraisers and was, earlier this year, rumored to be seeking a Trump appointment in the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“In the lawsuit, we laid out in great detail the political persecution via the district attorney’s office where our taxpayer funds were actually used or abused in an effort to take out an opponent,” Woodfill said. “When Sean Teare got in there, he reviewed the cases and ultimately dismissed them.”
Unbeknownst to the Teare administration, a notice of intent to seek hate crime enhancements in all cases pending against Aguirre and Hotze was filed by Warren Diepraam, an outside contract prosecutor hired by Ogg, officials said in May.
The enhancements were found to be meritless, and the notices were withdrawn, Teare said at the time.
Woodfill also raised in his legal filing that, as Ogg was leaving office in 2024, she “brought in her buddy,” Warren Diepraam, to take over the prosecution of Hotze and Taylor, even though hundreds of attorneys are employed by the DA’s office. This action cost taxpayers money and provided income for Diepraam, a former Democratic judge candidate and Ogg’s political ally, Woodfill alleges.
“The case has been pending for years, and when [Diepraam] gets the case, he reindicts Hotze for organized crime and conspiracy to commit a crime, years later, in order to continue to harass Dr. Hotze,” Woodfill said. “Dr. Hotze files suit against him and the very next day, Diepraam filed a motion seeking to have Dr. Hotze prosecuted for hate crimes. It’s just outrageous how the office has been abused in order to take out a political opponent.”
Woodfill said his goals are to “expose everything” and have his clients compensated.
“I mean, these gentlemen spent hundreds of thousands of dollars,” he said. “They were put in jail, incarcerated. Their names were paraded on the front page of every newspaper in the community. For years, they were fighting to defend their reputations.”
The attorney added that a jury will determine whether Ogg was operating outside her authority and whether she should be responsible for paying back Hotze and Taylor, or whether the DA’s office has to foot the bill.
Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette, 4224 San Felipe, 963 Bunker Hill, is celebrating fall with a special three-course wine dinner paired with pours from Reynolds Family Winery, available through Sunday, October 5. Seasonal highlights Hokkaido scallops, Alaskan halibut, and an Autumn Empress cocktail.
Monday, September 29
Borrowed Goods Pop-Up at Third Place
Third Place, 420 East 20th, will host Diane and Willet Feng of Burger Chan for a one-day pop-up of their Borrowed Goods concept, this time, featuring coconut curry beef rendang lasagna and and fresh spinach lasagna. Pop in to get a taste from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Tuesday, September 30
National Olive Oil Day at Craft Pita
Craft Pita, 1920 Fountain View, 5172 Buffalo Speedway, is honoring National Olive Oil Day with a buy-one-get-one-half-off special on its imported Lebanese extra virgin olive oil.
Wednesday, October 1
Chef Battle Royale at Lombardi Cucina Italiana
Lombardi Family Concepts will host its second annual Chef Battle Royale with head-to-head competitions at two Houston restaurants, with two nights each offering a five-course menu, side-by-side tastings paired with Noble Wine and voting to crown the evening’s winner. On Wednesday, October 1, diners can experience the culinary showdown at Lombardi Cucina Italiana, 1745 Post Oak, and on October 22 at Toulouse Café and Bar, 2180 West Gray, where executive chefs Mauro Gianinazzi and Emmanuel Hodencq will swap cuisines to tackle each other’s specialties. Tickets are $250++ per person.
Thursday, October 2
Two-Year Birthday Bash at Balboa Surf Club
Uptown’s coastal-inspired Balboa Surf Club, 1753 Post Oak Boulevard, celebrates two years with a one-day oyster special. Guests can score $2 oysters by the half-dozen, choosing from shucked-to-order North Atlantic oysters on the half shell or crispy oysters with Flower Street vinaigrette and lemon. The deal runs all day.
Saturday, October 4
PAWZtober Fest at The Original Ninfa’s Uptown
Folks are invited to PAWZtober Fest at The Original Ninfa’s Uptown, 1700 Post Oak, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The free Tex-Mex fundraiser benefits Lone Star Pawz, a local animal rescue for cats and dogs; and guests can enjoy live music from The Guzzlers, raffle prizes including Houston Texans and Astros tickets, and 20 percent off their meal with a raffle ticket purchase.
H-E-B Wine Walk at The Woodlands Resort
The 21st annual H-E-B Wine Walk hits The Woodlands Resort, 2301 North Millbend, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., featuring more than 50 wine tasting tents, 40 craft beers and dozens of culinary offerings from top local restaurants and chefs. Tickets start at $79 for general admission.
All month long (October)
Black Lagoon Pop-Up at Nickel City
Spooky season means that Nickel City, 2910 McKinney, will once again transform into acclaimed Halloween pop-up Black Lagoon, rocking a darkly immersive atmosphere and brand-new cocktail menu from October 1–31.
New and ongoing specials
Low-Calorie Menus at Best Regards
Best Regards, 222 West 11th, debuted its new low-calorie cocktail and food menus, created in partnership with former Houston Texans nutritionist Jacob Mertens and private chef Andre Nieves. Highlights include macro-friendly dishes like Empanadas, Shrimp Campechana and Carne Asada Fried Rice alongside low-cal cocktails including the Frozen Assets (116 calories) and Paloma Payoff (105 calories).
Weekday Lunch at Mayahuel
Mayahuel, 811 Buffalo Park Dr. Suite 130, will debut weekday lunch service beginning Wednesday, October 1, available Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Chef Luis Robledo Richards brings a modern Mexican approach to midday dining with dishes like tortilla soup in a tomato-ancho broth, cochinita torta, and chicken milanese, plus a rotating prix-fixe menu featuring a starter, dessert, and a taco trilogy based on fresh market finds.
Pan de Muerto at URBE
In honor of Día de los Muertos, URBE, 1101 Uptown Park, is offering handmade pan de muerto from Wednesday, October 1 through Sunday, November 2. Baked from scratch in URBE’s on-site bakery, the sweet bread is available at the restaurant on Saturdays or in large to-go orders. Regular pan de muerto is $4.50 each ($25 for half-dozen, $50 per dozen), and cream-filled is $7 each ($40 for half-dozen, $80 per dozen). Large orders can be placed via URBE’s catering page with two days’ notice.
Hull FC and Hull KR will kick off the 2024 Betfred Super League season at the MKM Stadium on Thursday, February 15; the full fixtures for next year will be revealed at 8.30am tomorrow; For the first time, watch every game of the 2024 Super League season live on Sky Sports
Last Updated: 22/11/23 7:01pm
Hull FC and Hull KR will get the 2024 Super League season under way with a derby clash next February
A Hull derby will kick off the 2024 Betfred Super League season, with every match to be shown live on Sky Sports.
Cross-city rivals Hull FC and Hull KR meet at the MKM Stadium in the season-opener on Thursday, February 15.
The match-up was announced on Thursday evening as all 12 clubs confirmed their first home games of next year.
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Hull FC claimed the bragging rights the last time they met Hull KR in the Betfred Super League, winning 16-6 at Sewell Group Craven Park
Hull FC claimed the bragging rights the last time they met Hull KR in the Betfred Super League, winning 16-6 at Sewell Group Craven Park
Friday, February 16 sees three matches taking place as Leeds Rhinos host Salford Red Devils, St Helens welcome promoted London Broncos, and Leigh Leopards face Huddersfield Giants.
Castleford Tigers’ new head coach Craig Lingard faces arguably the toughest opening game possible as they host reigning champions Wigan Warriors on Saturday, February 17.
The other game that day see Grand Final runners-up Catalans Dragons welcome Warrington Wolves to Stade Gilbert Brutus.
After travelling to their rivals on opening night, Hull KR face Leeds in their first home game on Thursday, February 22, at the start of Round 2.
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Highlights of the 2023 Betfred Super League Grand Final between Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons
Highlights of the 2023 Betfred Super League Grand Final between Wigan Warriors and Catalans Dragons
The Broncos’ first home game back in Super League sees them host Catalans at Wimbledon’s Cherry Red Records Stadium the following night, with Warrington welcoming Hull FC to the Halliwell Jones Stadium on the same day.
Huddersfield’s first home match is against St Helens on Saturday, February 24, while Wigan are pencilled in to face Leigh in the ‘Battle of the Borough’ at the DW Stadium.
The second round of the 2024 Super League season is rounded off by Salford hosting Castleford Tigers on Sunday, February 25.
The full fixture list for next year’s regular season will be announced at 8.30am on Thursday, November 23.
Betfred Super League 2024 opening fixtures
Round 1
Thursday, February 15: Hull FC vs Hull KR.
Friday, February 16: Leeds Rhinos vs Salford Red Devils, St Helens vs London Broncos, Leigh Leopards vs Huddersfield Giants.
Saturday, February 17: Castleford Tigers vs Wigan Warriors, Catalans Dragons vs Warrington Wolves.
Round 2
Thursday, February 22: Hull KR vs Leeds Rhinos.
Friday, February 23: London Broncos vs Catalans Dragons, Warrington Wolves vs Hull FC.
Saturday, February 24: Huddersfield Giants vs St Helens, Wigan Warriors vs Leigh Leopards.
Sunday, February 25: Salford Red Devils vs Castleford Tigers.
Watch every match of the 2024 Betfred Super League season, including Magic Weekend, the play-offs, and men’s, women’s and wheelchair Grand Finals, live on Sky Sports. Also stream with NOW.
Kevin Sinfield to run seven ultra-marathons in seven days to raise funds for motor neurone disease; 43-year-old will start in Leeds, then head to Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin and Brighton before finishing in London; Sinfield has raised millions for MND since Rob Burrow diagnosis
Last Updated: 08/11/23 10:30am
Kevin Sinfield will run seven ultra-marathons in seven days in December to raise funds for MND
Kevin Sinfield will undertake a new challenge to help those affected by motor neurone disease by running seven ultra-marathons in seven days in December.
Sinfield has raised millions of pounds for MND charities since his former Leeds Rhinos team-mate and great friend Rob Burrow was diagnosed in 2019.
The 43-year-old, currently defence coach of the England men’s rugby union team, will start in Leeds on December 1.
He will then head to Cardiff, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Dublin and Brighton before finishing in London on December 7, when he runs from Twickenham Stadium to The Mall.
Sinfield will run 27.2 miles a day – full marathon length plus an extra mile to show how people can always do even more to help friends needing support.
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Sinfield says carrying Rob Burrow over the finish line at the Leeds Marathon was ‘really, really special’
Sinfield says carrying Rob Burrow over the finish line at the Leeds Marathon was ‘really, really special’
This will be Sinfield’s fourth fundraiser, with the former Rhinos man telling the BBC: “I did say last year that the Ultra 7 in7 would complete the trilogy, but there was always that caveat that Rocky 4 was my favourite Rocky film.”
“For the MND community, every second counts and we will be making the most of every step on this challenge to raise awareness, funds and support for that community.
“The MND community have always given us incredible support and we wanted to find a way we could show that support for more people around the country.
The charities supported by this latest challenge include the Rob Burrow Centre for MND in Leeds.
Donations will also go to the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, the Irish MND Association, the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation, and the 4ED campaign, with the latter supporting former Leicester rugby union player Ed Slater.
Slater, who also represented Gloucester and Nottingham, was diagnosed with MND in 2022.
Bevan French is the first Wigan Warriors player to win the Betfred Super League Man of Steel award since Sam Tomkins in 2012; Jack Welsby and Tom Johnstone were also nominated; Sinead Peach and Lewis King win the Women’s and Wheelchair awards
Last Updated: 11/10/23 12:35am
Bevan French was been named as Super League’s Man of Steel for 2023
Bevan French has been named as this year’s winner of the prestigious Steve Prescott MBE Betfred Super League Man of Steel award.
The Wigan Warriors stand-off, who was previously nominated for Super League’s player-of-the-year award in 2020, was given the accolade after playing a pivotal role in his side winning the League Leaders’ Shield and reaching Saturday’s Grand Final after excelling following his move from the wing to the halves this year.
French, named in this year’s Super League Dream Team, beat off competition from Super League’s joint-leading try-scorer and star for Wigan’s opponents Catalans Dragons at Old Trafford, Tom Johnstone, and St Helens full-back Jack Welsby to claim the prize.
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The Australian is the first Wigan player to win the award since Sam Tomkins, now with Catalans, in 2012 and it marks the 12th time overall a player from the club has been honoured with the accolade since it was instituted in 1977.
Bevan French is the first Wigan player to win Super League’s Man of Steel since Sam Tomkins
French was named as winner at the Rugby League Awards Night in Manchester, with England international hooker Sinead Peach earning the Woman of Steel award for her role in helping York Valkyrie win the League Leaders’ Shield and claim a maiden Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final triumph.
England Wheelchair World Cup winner Lewis King, meanwhile, was named winner of the inaugural Wheels of Steel award for his impressive displays for London Roosters in the Betfred Wheelchair Super League.
In total, 17 awards were handed out at Emirates Old Trafford, with Adrian Lam taking the Super League Coach of the Year prize after overseeing Leigh Leopards lifting the Betfred Challenge Cup for the first time in over half a century and guiding them to a maiden play-off appearance.
Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel – Bevan French (Wigan Warriors); Woman of Steel – Sinead Peach (York Valkyrie); Wheels of Steel – Lewis King (London Roosters); Betfred Championship Player of the Year – Dean Parata (London Broncos) and Lachlan Walmsley (Halifax Panthers); Betfred League One Player of the Year – Reiss Butterworth (Dewsbury Rams).
Betfred Super League Young Player of the Year – Josh Thewlis (Warrington Wolves); Betfred Women’s Super League Young Player of the Year – Caitlin Casey (Leeds Rhinos); Betfred Wheelchair Super League Young Player of the Year – Josh Butler (Leeds Rhinos); Betfred Championship Young Player of the Year – Bill Leyland (London Broncos); Betfred League One Young Player of the Year – Ciaran Walker (Workington Town).
Betfred Super League Coach of the Year – Adrian Lam (Leigh Leopards); Betfred Women’s Super League Coach of the Year – Lindsay Anfield (York Valkyrie); Betfred Wheelchair Super League Coach of the Year – Tom Coyd MBE (London Roosters); Betfred Championship Coach of the Year – Mike Eccles (London Broncos); Betfred League One Coach of the Year – Liam Finn (Dewsbury Rams).
Foundation of the Year – Barrow Raiders.
Glen’s Spirit of Super League Award – The Burrow Family.
Lindsay Anfield won the Women’s Super League equivalent after guiding York to a successful season and England head coach Tom Coyd took the wheelchair prize for his work with London Roosters.
Warrington Wolves winger Josh Thewlis was named as Super League’s Young Player of the Year, while Leeds Rhinos half-back Caitlin Casey took the Women’s Super League young player award and another Rhinos in Josh Butler won the wheelchair equivalent.
As announced before the ceremony, the Glen’s Spirit of Super League Award was presented to the family of Rob Burrow MBE, for their inspirational support of the former Leeds Rhinos and England half-back since his diagnosis with Motor Neurone Disease four years ago.
Lebanon international Abbas Miski followed up a hat-trick against Leigh Leopards by scoring four tries as Wigan Warriors defeated Hull Kingston Rovers 64-6; the visitors fielded a much-rotated side ahead of their Betfred Challenge Cup final appearance on Saturday, August 12
Last Updated: 04/08/23 11:51pm
Abbas Miski ran in four tries as Wigan stormed to victory over Hull KR
Matt Peet praised ‘flawless’ Abbas Miski after the Lebanese winger scored four tries in Wigan Warriors’ 64-6 thrashing of a much-rotated Hull Kingston Rovers side at the DW Stadium.
Peet’s men were in no mood to go easy on a Rovers matchday squad featuring three academy debutants and a trio of short-term signings with more than one eye on next week’s Betfred Challenge Cup final against Leigh Leopards.
Miski’s quadruple followed hot on the heels of a hat-trick against Leigh Leopards last week and continued the remarkable transformation of a player who spent part of his early Wigan career on loan at Betfred Championship side Newcastle Thunder.
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“There isn’t a major flaw in his game, he’s worked so hard, he lets his rugby do the talking and he is just a great advert for perseverance and hard work,” Peet said.
“He showed the right attitude when he went to Newcastle, and he is benefiting from that. From a coach’s point of view, he is technically where you want him to be, and he is such a well-rounded player for us.”
Jai Field helped himself to a late hat-trick as Wigan ran in a total of 12 tries to make up for their agonising cup semi-final loss to the same team – albeit with different personnel – at Headingley less than two weeks ago.
“We did a professional job,” Peet said. “It was a different sort of challenge for us, and it was quite difficult to prepare the group.
Jai Field grabbed a hat-trick as Wigan thrashed Hull KR
“I want to pay tribute to Hull KR who brought a young and spirited team and while they lacked some cohesion and experience, I thought their performance was honourable and we had to earn our points.”
Robins boss Willie Peters had no complaints about the result or performance and paid tribute to the way a side featuring just two starters from that Headingley golden-point win kept the hosts at bay for much of the first period.
“The score didn’t reflect the effort and how hard the guys competed,” Peters said.
“It came down to a bit of technical stuff but with Wigan being the quality side that they are, there was a high level of skill there and some really quality tries and it is all about learning for the young guys.”
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters is now focused on next week’s Challenge Cup final
Peters’ attention will now turn to Wembley and fashioning only Rovers’ second Challenge Cup win in their history after their Hull derby triumph in 1980.
And Peters paid tribute to the big names he rested, who made the long journey to the DW Stadium en masse to support their new-look side from the sidelines.
“They came into the dressing room before the game and that highlights the connection we’ve got within the group,” Peters said.
“They met for dinner beforehand and turned up together, and that’s really pleasing to see as a coach. We’re heading into a massive game next week and it’s the teams who are most connected that win the big games.”
Alex Walmsley, Agnatius Paasi, Morgan Knowles and Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook were all injured in tackles by Leigh Leopards’ John Asiata; St Helens head coach Paul Wellens hit out at the RFL for lack of punishment for the tackles
Last Updated: 25/07/23 6:56pm
Paul Wellens read out a statement at the beginning of his press conference accusing the RFL of failing to protect players
St Helens head coach Paul Wellens has accused the RFL of “failing to protect players” in an explosive statement after four of his players were injured during their Challenge Cup semi-final defeat to the Leigh Leopards.
Agnatius Paasi and Alex Walmsley have been ruled out for the remainder of the season with ACL and MCL injuries respectively, Paasi missing at least nine months.
Morgan Knowles is 50/50 to play in St Helens’ Super League clash with Leeds on Friday, while Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook looks set to miss two weeks.
John Asiata, who tackled all four players, was not charged by the match review panel after being cited and Wellens believes the lack of punishment sets a dangerous precedent.
“As a game, we bang the player welfare drum a fair bit and make a lot of effort and make a lot of strides as a game to protect players because ultimately we have a duty of care to protect our players at all times,” Wellens said.
“But, in my opinion, and very few would disagree with me, this weekend, the governing body has failed in its duty to protect its players. On the weekend, we had four players injured by one player.
“One of those has a 50/50 chance of playing this weekend, that is Morgan Knowles. Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook will not play for two weeks. Alex Walmsley is today having MCL surgery and will be out for 12 weeks and the fourth, Agnatius Paasi, has torn ankle ligaments and a torn MCL and also will undergo surgery to repair his ACL. He will not play for nine months.
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“The RFL, before the match review panel met to adjudicate on those decisions, were provided with detailed medical reports from our medical staff.
“But when I spoke to the MRP who viewed that game they, by 6.30pm on Monday evening after the decision not to charge John Asiata was made, by that point, had still not seen those scan reports.
“What I want to ask is why? Because that is a very different procedure to which Morgan Knowles was subjected to when he was part of a similar scenario after a game on Good Friday in which, unfortunately, Mike Cooper suffered an ACL injury.
“I think it’s important to consider, this isn’t an emotional response after losing a cup game. I congratulate Leigh wholeheartedly for the way they played and wish them all the luck in the final.
“But what we have got to consider when we are making decisions not to charge players who are tackling in that manner is that we give the green light to coaches, players at all levels to be able to tackle like that.”
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Highlights of the Super League match between St Helens and Catalans Dragons
Highlights of the Super League match between St Helens and Catalans Dragons
Wellens took his comments further, revealing that if such tackling techniques continue, he would consider taking his son away from playing the community game.
“As I sit here now as someone that loves the game, that doesn’t sit with me well and it doesn’t make me feel comfortable,” he added.
“I have an eight-year-old son who plays at Pilkington Recs with a smile on his face but if that’s the type of tackle we are allowing in games then maybe rugby league is a game I don’t want my son playing anymore. I feel that strongly about it.
“I feel that strongly that Agnatius Paasi, Alex Walmsley, LMS and Morgan Knowles have been severely let down by the governing body.”
Sky Sports News has reached out to the RFL for comment.
Hull KR full-back Coote won three consecutive Super League titles with St Helens between 2019 and 2021 before joining the Robins ahead of the 2022 campaign; the former Scotland and Great Britain international suffered his fifth concussion in two years at Magic Weekend
Last Updated: 22/06/23 1:38pm
Lachlan Coote has been forced to retire with immediate effect
Lachlan Coote has retired with immediate effect on medical advice following a series of concussions over the past two seasons.
Hull Kingston Rovers full-back Coote won three consecutive Betfred Super League titles with St Helens between 2019 and 2021 before joining the Robins ahead of the 2022 campaign.
The 33-year-old’s professional career also included international recognition with Scotland and Great Britain, in addition to spells with Penrith Panthers and North Queensland Cowboys.
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“After suffering another concussion at Magic round, my fifth concussion in less than two years, I knew I was going to be faced with some tough conversations,” Coote told Hull KR’s website.
“With all the support from my coach Willie Peters, [Hull KR CEO] Paul Lakin, [Hull KR owner] Neil Hudgell and the medical team at Hull KR, I have made a very difficult decision to retire immediately.
“Rugby league has always come first before anything, now I think it’s time to put my health, my future, my family first.
“I’m still finding it hard to come to terms with this decision and it has been a very emotional few days, knowing that I will not get to play alongside my team-mates again and finish off what we started.”
Hull KR head coach Willie Peters paid tribute to Lachlan Coote
Australia-born Coote made 27 appearances for Rovers, who sit seventh in the Super League after 15 games.
He scored 161 points for the club, surpassing 1,000 career points during that time.
“On behalf of everyone at Hull KR, we’d like to congratulate Lachlan on a wonderful 15-year career,” Hull KR head coach Peters said. “Lachlan is a proven winner and will no doubt continue that into his retirement.
“It’s a sad situation for Lachlan having to retire halfway through the season. However, his health and family come first and the decision is the right one for him and his family.”
Tommy Makinson played a starring role in St Helens’ win over Wakefield
We round up all the key quotes from the Betfred Super League head coaches on Day 2 of Magic Weekend, which saw wins for Leigh Leopards, St Helens and Hull FC…
Contrasting emotions for Applegarth and Lam
Mark Applegarth is still confident he is the right man to lead Wakefield Trinity whichever division they are in next year after they fell to another defeat, this time going down 30-4 at the hands of Leigh Leopards.
The loss was Wakefield’s 14th defeat of the Super League season, and they are now six points behind 11th-placed Castleford Tigers after their neighbours defeated Leeds Rhinos in the last game of Day 1 in Newcastle on Saturday.
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Highlights from the Magic Weekend Super League clash between Wakefield Trinity and Leigh Leopards.
Highlights from the Magic Weekend Super League clash between Wakefield Trinity and Leigh Leopards.
Trinity were beaten despite Leigh having to play a significant part of the match with 12 men following Ben Reynolds’ first-half red card and while Applegarth admitted his frustration at his side’s failure to get off the mark so far in 2023, he still thinks he is the one to oversee their rebuild whether they survive in Super League or end up being relegated to the Betfred Championship.
“I do,” Applegarth said. “It’s a horrible experience to go through, but you’ve got to front it up head on and make sure you’re doing everything you can.
“I feel like I’m doing everything I can, whether that’s making sure we’re as best prepared, looking at our opposition and where we feel there are going to be some weaknesses.
“This week, for example, I think we’ve had really good prep, we’ve just not served up the quality on the Sunday and that’s the part I’m looking at now.
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Ben Reynolds was sent off for Leigh Leopards after punching Wakefield’s David Fifita.
Ben Reynolds was sent off for Leigh Leopards after punching Wakefield’s David Fifita.
“Is it a tactical error? Is it some messages I’m giving or the quality of what we’re trying to do? That’s the frustrating part about it.”
Leigh, in contrast, have now won seven games in a row in all competitions and even found themselves with 11 players on the pitch at one point after Tom Nisbet was sin-binned. Head coach Adrian Lam was therefore naturally delighted with the character shown by the team.
“Down to 11 men with the last 10 minutes before half-time where we defended our line, I thought that was a really special moment for us as a club,” Lam, who was named Super League coach of the month for May, said.
“In hindsight, looking back now, you can’t train those moments and it’s about having trust in each other, I thought the way we scrambled in that period was unbelievable, so I’m really proud of them for that.”
Wellens heaps praise on record-breaker Makinson
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Highlights from the Magic Weekend Super League clash between St Helens and Huddersfield Giants.
Highlights from the Magic Weekend Super League clash between St Helens and Huddersfield Giants.
Four tries and seven goals from Tommy Makinson saw the St Helens winger rack up a Magic Weekend record of 28 individual points as his side trounced Huddersfield Giants 48-6 in Newcastle.
The England international’s haul helped make it back-to-back wins for the reigning Super League champions and lifted them into the play-off places on points difference from Hull Kingston Rovers.
Saints head coach Paul Wellens was quick to sing the praises of Makinson for his efforts, although typically as a coach he focused on his defensive contributions as well as his attacking ones.
“I’m delighted with Tommy,” Wellens said. “Whilst he has not been playing poorly, what I really liked today was it will be about him scoring four tries, but I loved his strong defensive work and making strong decisions.
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St Helens’ Tommy Makinson believes that their comprehensive victory against Huddersfield Giants can help them turn the season round after they moved into the top six.
St Helens’ Tommy Makinson believes that their comprehensive victory against Huddersfield Giants can help them turn the season round after they moved into the top six.
“When Tommy gets that side of his game right, as well as the finishing which undoubtedly he’s wonderful at, you’ve got the complete winger and that’s why he’s up there as one of the best wingers in the world.”
It was a frustrating afternoon for Wellens’ opposite number Ian Watson though as the defeat left Huddersfield six points off the play-offs and the Giants boss had a stark warning for the players he believes are under-performing.
“It was nowhere near the level of performance we need to be,” Watson said. “Some individuals are way of the mark at the moment and it’s up to them to get better or for us to make a choice on whether to replace them going forward.
“You don’t want to have to drop players or take them out, you want them to do their job, but sometimes players go through a bit of a dip and it’s a cut-throat business. You have to be that way and make those calls on people.”
How Hull FC turned defence into attack
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Highlights from the Magic Weekend Super League clash between Hull FC and Warrington Wolves.
Highlights from the Magic Weekend Super League clash between Hull FC and Warrington Wolves.
Things are looking up for Hull FC, who have now won four of their last five Super League matches after defeating Warrington Wolves 30-18 in the final game of this year’s Magic Weekend.
A hat-trick from second row Josh Griffin after the break helped them fight back from being 12-0 down early on and having to defend their own line for large parts of the first half.
Black and Whites head coach Tony Smith felt it was those defensive efforts which helped set them up for the second-half fightback which moved them to within four points of the play-off places.
“Sometimes defending your own line can take the petrol out of you for the rest of the game but it did quite the opposite,” Smith said.
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Josh Griffin completed his hat-trick for Hull FC against Warrington after a wonderful team move from within their own half.
Josh Griffin completed his hat-trick for Hull FC against Warrington after a wonderful team move from within their own half.
“It energised us actually and we were all ready to go in the second half. I thought Josh turned back the clock with having to use his speed to score tries. It was terrific and I was pleased for him.”
Warrington had led through tries from Connor Wrench and George Williams, with Wrench’s second temporarily putting them back in front during the second half.
They were unable to close the game out though and Wolves head coach Daryl Powell lamented not taking the opportunity to return to the top of the Super League table.
“The way we started the first half was class, but the start of the second half was non-existent really,” Powell said.
“We’ve lost a bit of confidence at the moment and we’re working hard to get it back. We feel like when we fix up one part of our game another part is not quite there, and there’s a bit to do defensively.”
Lachlan Coote will hang up his boots at the end of the Super League season
Hull KR full-back Lachlan Coote will retire at the end of the Super League season after a 15-year career that also saw him play in the NRL.
Coote won three Super League Grand Finals during his time with St Helens from 2019 to 2021 as well as an NRL Grand Final while with the North Queensland Cowboys.
“I’m happy to announce that I will be retiring at the end of the 2023 season, it has been a very tough decision to make but I know it’s the right one for me and my family,” said Coote.
“Over the past 15 years, I have met so many great people and I’ve learnt so many valuable lessons within the sport. I’ll always be grateful for what rugby league has given me, thank you to everyone that has been a part of my career.”
Hull Kingston Rovers kept the Huddersfield Giants scoreless as Salford Red Devils, Leigh Leopards and Warrington Wolves also secured wins in Round 11 of the Super League season on Friday evening as they saw off Leeds Rhinos, Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Trinity respectively
Last Updated: 05/05/23 10:26pm
Hull KR kept the Huddersfield Giants scoreless as they continued their brilliant run
A round-up of the rest of Friday night’s Super League Round 11 action after Catalans Dragons defeated St Helens in the Sky Live game.
Hull Kingston Rovers 28-0 Huddersfield Giants
Hull KR put in a polished performance to beat Huddersfield 28-0 and show why they are viewed by many as genuine contenders for the Super League title.
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Two first-half tries from Ryan Hall, added to by two in the second half from James Batchelor and a single score by Tom Opacic, saw Rovers home.
Rowan Milnes deputised ably at scrum-half for the injured Jordan Abdull as Willie Peters’ side ground out a win which owed a lot to some fine tackling at both ends of the pitch.
The only down side for the Robins was an upper-leg injury to full-back Lachlan Coote early in the game.
Huddersfield never really got into the contest as they tried to over complicate things on a wet night in east Hull.
Leeds Rhinos 12-22 Salford Red Devils
Salford surged to their fourth straight win in the Betfred Super League League with a thoroughly-deserved 22-12 victory over Leeds at Headingley.
Marc Sneyd kicked 10 of the visitors’ points, including two penalties, as indiscipline once again cost the Rhinos dear in what proved another frustrating evening for the hosts.
From the moment Rhys Williams pounced to put his side ahead in the right corner halfway through the first period, Paul Rowley’s Salford held the upper hand and only a late effort from James Bentley roused the Rhinos for what would prove a fruitless assault in the last 10 minutes.
Leeds coach Rohan Smith had handed teenager Jack Sinfield a rare slot at scrum-half in place of the injured Aidan Sezer in a bid to rid his side of their frustrating inconsistency so far in this campaign.
Leigh Leopards 30-6 Castleford Tigers
Leigh produced a dominant second-half performance to stun Castleford 30-6 and record three successive Super League wins for the first time.
The Leigh Leopards secured another big win as they found their attacking prowess in the second 40
Kai O’Donnell, Ava Seumanufagai, Ricky Leutele and Matty Davis all scored tries, which were converted by Ben Reynolds, as the Leopards powered home after the sides were tied at 6-6 at half-time.
Leigh had trailed to an early Joe Westerman try, converted by Gareth Widdop, but responded with a converted Reynolds try in the 19th minute and never looked back as they beat Castleford for the first time since 1987.
During four spells in Super League, Leigh have never managed to achieve better than back-to-back wins but they continued their impressive start to 2023 with a sixth victory of the campaign.
The win also ensured Leigh equalled their best points total as a Super League team with only 11 rounds of the season played.
But for Castleford and their coach Andy Last, it means they remain second from bottom after a desperately disappointing start to the campaign.
Warrington Wolves 32-18 Wakefield Trinity
Bottom-club Wakefield were left to rue the second-half dismissal of prop Kevin Proctor as Warrington returned to the top of Betfred Super League with a 32-18 victory over Trinity at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Warrington Wolves fought back in the second half to keep Wakefield Trinity searching for their first win of the season
The scores were locked at 12-12 in an even contest when Proctor was shown the red card by referee Marcus Griffiths 13 minutes into the second half for a high tackle on Warrington full-back Josh Thewlis.
The Wolves made their extra man tell as Matty Ashton claimed two tries and George Williams also touched down as Warrington returned to winning ways after successive defeats to Wigan and St Helens.
Thewlis had claimed two first-half tries for Daryl Powell’s side, while Stefan Ratchford kicked six goals.
It was a brave effort from Wakefield who claimed tries through Morgan Smith, Kelepi Tanginoa and Matty Ashurst and three goals from Will Dagger, but they remain rooted to the foot of the table still searching for their first points of the campaign.
Salford to become first wholly community-owned rugby league club in northern hemisphere; move designed to “give every member a voice” and help club achieve Category A status ahead of proposed restructure; any club with Category A status set to be guaranteed Super League place
Last Updated: 24/04/23 5:05pm
Salford Red Devils will become the first wholly community-owned rugby league club in the northern hemisphere
Salford Red Devils will become the first wholly community-owned rugby league club in the northern hemisphere in a move they hope will help them secure Category A status amid the sport’s proposed restructure.
The ‘Reimagining Rugby League Consultation Project’ will see clubs graded on both on and off-field performance, including finances, fanbase size, ticket sales and social-media following.
Any club that achieves Category A is set to be guaranteed a Super League place from 2025 and be exempt from relegation for as long as they hold that status.
The proposals, brought forward by media company IMG, were voted in by the Rugby League Council last week, with the majority of Super League and Championship clubs supporting the overhaul.
Fandom (5 points) – clubs’ fanbases would be assessed in areas such as match attendance, TV viewership, social-media following and website visits
On-field performance (5 points) – clubs would be ranked on league position in the last three seasons with bonus points for winning the league and cup competitions
Finance (4.5 points) – clubs would be rewarded for profitability, financial stability and a diversification of revenue streams
Stadium (3 points) – each club’s stadium and facilities would need to reach minimum standards and
Community (2.5 points) – combines each club’s fanbase potential with a rating for their Foundation – the charitable bodies linked to clubs which drive much of their community and participation activity
The ‘Community’ pillar will now account for 2.5 points instead of the initially proposed two following a tweak of the proposals, with clubs awarded points for the positive impact they have in communities.
The pillar will combine each club’s fanbase potential with a rating for their Foundation – the charitable bodies linked to clubs which drive much of their community and participation activity.
Salford managing director Paul King said: “This year we’re celebrating 150 years of a club at the heart of its community. Now we’re growing that community, as well as placing it at the heart of the club.
“The game has changed. IMG are in the business and with that comes a forward-thinking approach to how we move forward.
“For years, whenever we’ve been close to something, we have had to sell our best players. This year we opted to change that.
Salford are offering individuals the chance purchase a share in the club’s holding company
“Now by doing this, it allows to maintain a competitive playing squad and gives us a real chance to win the biggest prizes in the game.
“We have a fundamental belief that sport belongs to the people – not a sole person – and by doing this we’re creating the opportunity for likeminded individuals to join us and do something really special.”
‘Reds Rise Together’ will allow individuals to purchase a share in Salford’s holding company entitling them to vote and stand for election to the board.
Salford say they want to “give every member a voice” while maintaining a competitive playing squad and growing commercially in order to fulfil IMG criteria.
George Williams takes over from Sam Tomkins as the new England captain ahead of their clash against France later this month; watch England’s men and women against France live on Sky Sports on April 29
Last Updated: 18/04/23 6:31pm
George Williams has been named the new England captain
Warrington half-back George Williams has been appointed England captain.
The 28-year-old succeeds former Wigan team-mate Sam Tomkins, who will retire at the end of the season.
Williams, who has 15 international caps, made a try-scoring debut in an 84-4 victory over France in 2015 and appeared at the 2017 and 2021 Rugby League World Cups.
He will lead his country against France at his home ground of Halliwell Jones Stadium on Saturday, April 29.
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Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Barrie McDermott discuss Shaun Wane’s contract extension to lead England into the 2025 World Cup
Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Barrie McDermott discuss Shaun Wane’s contract extension to lead England into the 2025 World Cup
“It is a huge honour to be named as England captain,” Williams said in a statement.
“Playing for England has always been the pinnacle for me but being named as captain is the cherry on top.
“I got the opportunity to lead the team out in the World Cup against Greece and it was one of the proudest moments of my life. I had to hold back tears as we walked out on to the field.
“The World Cup ended in disappointment for us but it’s all about bouncing back from that now and building towards 2025 with what is a really exciting and vibrant squad.”
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Sky Sports’ Jon Wilkin has his say on the news that Shaun Wane will remain as England head coach and believes the team played well at the World Cup apart from their semi-final defeat to Samoa
Sky Sports’ Jon Wilkin has his say on the news that Shaun Wane will remain as England head coach and believes the team played well at the World Cup apart from their semi-final defeat to Samoa
Williams currently leads the way in the 2023 Steve Prescott Man of Steel rankings, with his Warrington side two points clear at the top of the Betfred Super League.
England head coach Shaun Wane said: “I’ve seen George develop from being a youngster to the player he is today, and I believe he is the right man to lead the England team.
“With a lot of new faces in the squad, George’s role will be crucial within the camp as he has been that youngster bursting on to the international scene and is now an experienced and consistent performer at the top level.”
George Williams is staying with Warrington Wolves until 2026 after extending his contract for a further two years; former Australia international prop Paul Vaughan has until 2025 as well; watch the Wolves take on Wigan Warriors live on Sky Sports on Friday from 7.30pm
Last Updated: 12/04/23 3:41pm
George Williams is staying with Warrington until 2026 after signing a contract extension
George Williams has ended talk of an imminent return to the NRL by signing a long-term contract with Warrington Wolves.
Stand-off Williams has been one of the stars of the Betfred Super League so far in 2023, building on some impressive displays for England at last year’s Rugby League World Cup and helping the Wolves open the campaign with eight wins from eight games.
The 28-year-old, who spent a season-and-a-half in Australia with Canberra Raiders before moving to Warrington in 2021, had been linked with a switch back to the NRL, with Wests Tigers reported to be among the clubs chasing him. However, Williams has now agreed an extension to stay with the Wolves until 2026.
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Jon Wilkin could not resist the temptation to question George Williams about his haircut while praising the Warrington player about his impressive form.
Jon Wilkin could not resist the temptation to question George Williams about his haircut while praising the Warrington player about his impressive form.
Meanwhile, former Australia international prop Paul Vaughan has extended his stay at the Halliwell Jones Stadium until 2025 following a string of strong showings since moving to the Wolves from Canterbury Bulldogs in the off-season.
More to follow…
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Watch Warrington Wolves take on Wigan Warriors in the first-versus-second clash in the Betfred Super League, live on Sky Sports Arena on Friday from 7.30pm (kick-off 8pm). Stream the 2023 Betfred Super League season on NOW TV.