(EDGY MUSIC)
LEILA: The Ninja phenomenon was reborn...
Yes! He did it!
JIM: That's some ninja magic on display right there.
..when three intense heats...
Yes!
Piece of cake. He is burning this course up.
..saw a new generation...
Oh! Look at his foot!
That is unbelievable!
The Stingray is on the precipice of a major upset.
..make their mark.
How cool. Unbelievable! The Send It kid!
But as the teen ninjas went on the attack...
Do you have a message for the veterans?
Just watch out, we're coming for you.
..the old guard fought back.
Here he comes.
It's Mike Snow, heading to the top.
Olivia Vivian. So good.
Matty Bowles is going so fast he's leaving a vapour trail out here.
It's now or never.
The heats come to a dramatic climax...
My whole life has been preparing me for this moment.
..with the Battle of the Titans.
I'm going to stop at nothing to be crowned Australian Ninja Warrior.
Three former winners return to the course.
I'm here for Season Six.
No more broken back, I'm going all the way.
Can any of them reclaim the title?
After winning last year, I'm going
to try and hold onto that crown as hard as I can.
Or have they met their match...
I'm feeling pretty confident that
I've got what it takes to go all the way.
..with the youngest ninja in Australian history?
The older guys definitely have had their time.
It's just time for them to leave.
Like, see ya. (LAUGHS)
(CHEERING)
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Welcome to another huge night of Australian Ninja Warrior action.
I'm Leila McKinnon.
And I'm Jim Courier.
And we're here at Sydney Olympic Park.
And tonight it's the crucial final heat of Australian Ninja Warrior.
Last chance for ninjas to secure a place in the semi-finals.
That's right, Jim, they'll really have to step it up
because this is it.
And I can tell you the ninjas are set
for another incredible assault on our fastest
and most furious obstacle course yet.
Now, every one of our ninjas
has a dream to make it to the top of Mount Midoriyama.
This season our overall furthest fastest ninja
wins a life-changing $100,000.
Summit Mount Midoriyama, however,
and that prize money doubles to a mind-blowing $200,000.
And just as importantly, our triumphant ninja
will claim the coveted title of Australian Ninja Warrior 2022.
And this year,
the competition has been opened up to 16 and 17-year-olds
and so far 13 teens have booked their spots in the semi-finals.
We have our youngest ever competitor
in Australian Ninja Warrior history.
And tonight you'll see three past winners P
last year's champ, Zak Stoltz,
Season Two's furthest fastest, Rob Patterson,
and returning tonight after recovering from a broken back,
Season One champ, Fred Dorrington.
Yeah, the ninjas' mission tonight
is to survive a super exciting lightning fast obstacle course.
Here's what they're facing.
First up are the Shrinking Steps.
A tricky series of steps
with each a little smaller and higher than the one before it.
Then it's the Eagles Claw
with its two pendulums offset by a metre
which makes the transfer between the two difficult.
The Domino Effect appears simple
but if ninjas show even the slightest hesitation
on any of the five spinning dominoes, their number will be up.
Next is the ninja killer, the Anaconda.
A world first this season
where ninjas face a tricky choice.
Either cross the obstacle via 27 doorknobs
or take the high risk but super quick three-metre lache option.
Then comes the Ring Chaser.
Ninjas chase a ring as they race along six monkey bars.
If they can't get to the ring in time, they must navigate
the next four Sky Hooks with a much smaller and far more difficult ring.
What makes this obstacle especially hard is that too big a swing
will dislodge the ring from the Sky Hook.
So precision is key.
And finally, when they have nothing left in the tank,
they must confront the 4.35m Warped Wall.
They'll have three attempts to make it up the Wall and to the buzzer.
(BUZZER BLARES)
And remember, only our top 18 will move on to the semi-finals.
And the top for furthest fastest of the night,
they'll go toe to toe in the Power Pool,
fighting for a unique advantage to use in those semis.
It's the ultimate prize in the final battle of the night.
OK. It's time for the ninjas to bring it on.
The crowd is going berserk,
the obstacles are waiting,
and Will and Woody are ready on the sidelines.
Let's introduce our first ninja of the night.
He makes up one half of a gymnastics duo
who call themselves the Bowl Cut Ninjas.
He's got the hairdo but can he cut it on the ninja course?
Here is Jordan Wysman.
(FUNKY MUSIC)
I'm Jordan. I'm 19.
I'm Minato. I'm 17 years of age.
We're the Bowl Cut Ninjas.
I think why not's the question.
(RAZOR BUZZES) Are you doing a good job?
Yeah, it looks great.
We decided to chuck a bowl on our heads and, yeah, mix it up a bit.
We've been training gymnastics together for six or seven years.
Eugh!
Gymnastics has really brought Jordan and I together.
My mission for tonight is to beat that course
and hit that buzzer as a Bowl Cut Ninja.
Losing with this hair?
Not an option tonight.
So, I'm going to be trying my hardest out there to smash it
and to beat Minato.
I reckon Jordan is a very big bragger.
I wouldn't say I'm a very big bragger. I'd say...
Average. Yeah.
I put in the work, put in the hours.
Me and my bowl cut are ready to take on Mount Midoriyama
and the course tonight.
Is it good? Yeah.
No, it's good. It looks good.
(CHEERING)
Oh, look at these hairdos! (LAUGHS)
I tell you one thing about bowl cuts, they're cheap.
They're easy to do.
My mum used to give me one of those when I was a kid.
Oh, you're kidding me. Oh, no.
Not necessarily the most aerodynamic look.
WOODY: Look at him sorting out his bowl cut.
Just making sure it looks good for TV.
Just sorting his hair, eh? Oh, the days.
(LAUGHS)
(CHEERING)
And Jordan's 14-year-old brother Levi on the sideline.
And there's Minato on the right,
the other Bowl Cut Ninja who'll be running later tonight.
OK. What will this gymnast and first-time ninja
bring to the course?
Let's do this.
(STARTER BELL SOUNDS)
So, what's he got? Does he just have a haircut or is he gonna back it up?
Here he goes on the Shrinking Steps.
Straight across.
With ease. Easy.
Alright. The Eagles Claw. And that's a 2.8m leap.
Oh, does he have the grab?
Ooh, not a smooth landing.
It's an undoing for a lot of people.
You've got to get the momentum happening here. This is the key.
Jordan's losing momentum here.
He needs to bring his knees up on that backswing.
And here he goes.
Oh. Oh, no.
That lache is tough. And it's an angled lache.
Let's go to the replay.
Jordan flew across the Shrinking Steps with ease.
And after a rough landing on the first Eagles Claw,
he struggled to build enough momentum.
If he'd taken his time,
he could have used an extra swing
to launch himself high enough to the second shelf.
Instead he flew at it.
He didn't have the grip strength in his fingers to hold on
so this Bowl Cut Ninja missed it by a hair.
Bowl Cut Ninja Jordan, mate, how are you feeling?
What happened out there? Oh, pretty bummed.
Just missed the grip. Yeah, it's alright.
Is that a technical term for it? Just missed the grip?
Yeah, just missed it, mate. It was close but yep, not there.
Mate, you look good.
Great effort out there. Nice one.
Make some noise for the Bowl Cut Ninja!
And I'm excited to see how his bowl cut mate Minato
is gonna go later.
If I was Minato I might be feeling quietly confident.
OK. From bowl cuts to book smarts.
Our first 17-year-old ninja of the night
is a high school prefect from the Central Coast.
But will he be top of the class tonight?
Here's 17-year-old Eden Hallett.
My day-to-day routine is pretty packed.
I'm a Year 12 student.
I'm studying PDH, advanced English,
engineering, physics, extension maths.
After school I usually take a trip down to my local ninja gym
either to start ninja classes or for a competition.
And then I fit in a few hours of study.
I'd like to pursue aeronautical engineering and one day help
develop technology that might be on satellites or rovers or rockets.
But I've only just started Year 12 so still a bit to go.
(CHEERING)
17-year-old Eden Hallett. Doesn't have a nickname yet.
Will, nickname for him?
Well, he's a self proclaimed maths nerd, Wood...
So? Math Attack.
Oh!
Working title. Math Attack it is.
Working title.
Let's see how the Math Attack attacks the course.
The teens smashed it in the previous heats.
Can Eden keep it going?
(STARTER BELL SOUNDS) Here we go.
Eden Hallett on the Shrinking Steps.
A little bit of a wobble.
Well done. Well done, Math Attack.
Take your time on this one. Focus.
This guy is fit. Just 17.
He is ready to fly.
Go, go! Yes!
Just a little bit of wobble there.
He's held on.
He's still adjusting his hands on the shelf
and the longer he stays on there,
the harder it's gonna become to generate momentum.
Yeah, and he only weighs 60kg, Jim. Each pendulum is over 100kg.
Ooh, it's starting to wobble.
It's much harder than you realise.
They're not aligned. You need to control them.
He's got to swing his legs a little bit more to get over there.
Oh, no. Just missed.
In the drink.
Well done.
Ooh, real face plant there.
Boy, I feel for him.
He looks like he has the goods and that's a tough break.
I'll give him an A for effort though.
He'll be back.
There's a lot of promise in this youngster.
You can see in the replay Eden got off to a good start
but faulted slightly on that second last Shrinking Step.
He made the grab on the first shelf at the Eagles Claw
but couldn't build enough momentum to make the transfer.
And so, school is out for the teen ninja.
Well, that's not the run Eden wanted
but now it's time for a veteran to show us how it's done.
If it's a veteran you want then I've got a good one for you.
He missed last season because of injury but now he's back.
It's Season One's furthest fastest, the champ, Fred Dorrington.
It was three weeks prior to the day of filming
and going on the heats for Season Five.
A routine, classic training scenario and I was on an obstacle.
As I dismounted, my hands just cut loose and I just slipped.
Before I knew it, I was falling from about 3m
straight onto my upper back, base of neck.
And I knew I'd done something pretty serious.
And I just lay there. Absolutely excruciating pain.
Couldn't move my legs or anything. That was really scary.
Broke my back and dislocated vertebrae.
In the next round I've got these wonderful people.
Hey, Everybody.
Here to support the man.
We first saw him as a big injury.
Obviously there's the possibility that he will never compete again
'cause he's now got a part of his spine that can't move.
He's got pain to deal with,
he's gotta redevelop strength and coordination and control.
There's always the possibility that someone doesn't come back from that.
I've put in a lot of work.
Everything from mindset to training to diet to recovery.
Friends, family support,
everyone who's been encouraging me through this,
I've been doing it for them,
doing it for past Fred, future Fred.
Look at that scar.
His dedication to training, his fitness, his strength,
his determination to get fit and strong again,
all those things have meant that he's certainly recovered
a lot quicker than many other people would.
All that culminating to this point,
I'm just super pumped to be here for this season.
And prove that diligence and motivation go a long way.
I'm here for Season Six.
No more broken back. I'm going all the way.
Let's go, champ.
Wow, so here he is, Fred Dorrington.
Season One winner.
This guy's a legend of Ninja.
It's kind of nice to just be in his presence, to be honest.
You've got this.
Fred's got a great support crew on the side.
He's got Eddie Burrill and Lisa Campbell.
Lisa actually helped him with his rehab,
helped him get back to this point.
And they'll be hitting the course later tonight.
Stay composed, brother. Let's go.
(STARTER BELL SOUNDS)
Here we go. Fred Dorrington on the Shrinking Steps.
Great foot placement, straight up and onto the ramp.
He's not messing around. He's going for speed.
He is cranking it.
Look at him fly.
Fred Dorrington is back on the Australian Ninja Warrior course
and looking really good.
Oh, wow, he's moving quick. He's on fire.
We've gotta keep going.
Sorry, I'm sorry.
Obstacle three, the Domino Effect.
It's a ninja killer but not for this chap.
He's on fire.
This is craziness.
This guy had a broken back a little over a year ago.
How is this even possible?
Alright, stay composed.
Stay composed, brother.
Surely he'll lache.
We saw how strong he is with the momentum there.
He'll lache across the Anaconda, no doubt.
Come on, Fred!
He's a rock climber so the doorknobs shouldn't trouble him.
But tonight he looks like he's all about speed.
Yes, it's gonna be the laches.
Three metres to the bar, the longest lache we've had in the heats.
And, yes, he's nailed it. Got it!
Fred has his eyes on the Power Pool.
He is fit, fast, and ready to fight.
This could be a serious time.
Knocking this down. Look at the strength in those arms.
Oh! Oh, no, he's grabbed the back.
(CHEERING)
Is your back alright?
Oh, it was a gag. Oh, he was joking.
Don't do that to us, Fred. Don't do that.
I can't deal with that.
(INDISTINCT SPEECH)
Alright, back.
We've gotta focus in, alright? Playtime's over.
It's Ring Chaser.
Yes. He's on it. There it goes. Down the ring.
Where's the ring? Yes! He got it!
And he's put it over his shoulder. He's wearing it like a handbag.
And look at this technique.
Drops the ring on his shoulder, frees up the movement.
And here comes more of it. Look at the swing and go.
Bang! Oh, Freddie.
Bang! He seems faster than ever.
A new and improved Fred crushing the course tonight.
This is an absolute clinic.
Can he stick this one?
This is the small hook.
Ooh, he's lost momentum.
So good. Come on, Fred.
Yes. And Fred is coming for the Wall.
He's coming. Come on. Here he goes.
He's up. Yes, baby!!
(BUZZER BLARES)
(CHEERING)
Freddy's done it. He's back.
Fred Dorrington.
Oh, wow.
Show us your back.
This is so inspirational.
Ahh, soak it up, big fella. All that rehab grinding.
All of that coming to fruition.
Two minutes 12 seconds. That's gonna be hard to beat.
Fred's laid down the gauntlet tonight.
He's back, baby.
What a run.
At the Eagles Claw a powerful launch off the platform
gave him the momentum needed to quickly lache his way across.
And after a last second catch on the Ring Chaser,
Fred flew across the Sky Hooks and up the Warped Wall.
Fred's made a statement tonight.
He is a contender.
(CHEERING)
Fred Dorrington, unbelievable.
You gave me a little heart attack there with the back grab.
Oh, I like to chuck in a few jokes now and then.
I thought the guys on the sideline would appreciate it
but they were worried for me.
We were all worried for you.
Titanium. It sorts out all the problems.
How is it? How did it hold up?
Oh, the back's held up amazingly.
I'm the fittest and strongest
and best I've ever felt prepared for any season.
What's it like to be back?
I'm friggin' pumped.
That was probably the most satisfying buzzer I've ever hit.
Mind and body just came together.
And the crowd got behind you.
Oh, the crowd all the way. How important was that.
Huge shout out to everyone
who supported me throughout this whole journey
and especially the last year.
So inspiring, Fred. That was awesome. Congratulations.
Thank you very much. We'll hopefully see you again.
Fred Dorrington. What a return to form.
Amazing time. It's going to be hard to beat.
I think it's safe to say Fred is back.
Coming up next,
the second of the Bowl Cut Ninjas, teen Minato, is hitting the course.
I'm going to beat Mount Midoriyama
for all the bowl cuts around Australia.
And later...
I think I'm the strongest and fittest I've ever been.
I've hit a buzzer in every heat run.
The goal is to keep that going.
A few ninja legends are returning
including last year's champ, Zak Stolz.
We're back. Gotta show these new guys how it's done.
Can the Zak Attack defend his title
or will the attack of the teens reign supreme?
Yeah, they're strong contenders but they're getting old.
It's time for the new people.
(CHEERING)
LEILA: Welcome back to the fourth and final heat
of Australian Ninja Warrior
where our ninjas are taking on the world's toughest obstacle course.
JIM: The top four ninjas will battle it out later tonight
in the ultimate endgame, the Power Pool,
where the winner of the knockout races
will earn themselves a critical advantage for the semi-finals.
Before the break we saw Bowl Cut Ninja Jordan Wysman
get slashed by the Eagles Claw.
Let's see if his Bowl Cut bestie can do one better.
It's Minato Thomas.
Oh, here we go.
Minato Thomas. He's another Bowl Cut Ninja.
He's another attack of the teens. 17 years old.
And Will, I mean, he is pumping himself up.
Putting down the head there.
And I don't want this to offend you, Will,
but his favourite feature is his luscious hair.
Great. Let's get into it shall we.
Don't let the hair fool you. This teen means business.
He's a serious gymnast.
Get this, finished second in the Australian Nationals.
That is no joke.
(STARTER BELL SOUNDS)
Here we go.
He's off. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. Easy.
That was a confident start.
The intensity as he approaches the Eagles Claw.
That wasn't a perfect catch but he's recovered well.
His friend Jordan came off here earlier.
Can Minato make it further than...
No. Not even close.
Not quite the momentum. Not quite the angle.
What a shame for Minato.
Both Bowl Cut Ninjas went down at exactly the same spot.
Let's check out the replay.
After a hair-raising catch on the first pendulum
he just lost momentum at the end of the first swing.
And if you can't generate more of it on the backswing, you're in trouble.
So, Bowl Cut Ninja number two also had his run cut short.
Jim, will any of our 16 or 17-year-old ninjas
defeat the Eagles Claw
and prove that they've got what it takes to keep up with our legends?
And Leila, they aren't just trying to match any old legend.
Tonight is a night of champions
and we have one getting ready to take on the course.
Let's check in with Will and Woody in the warmup gym.
We are here with Season Five winner Zak Stolz,
also known as the Zak Attack.
Zaki, how are we feeling about tonight?
It's a pretty tough course out there.
We just had a look at it.
I've gotta work pretty hard to hang onto that crown.
So, tough night. We'll see how we travel.
Go. We're looking forward to it, mate.
I don't want to embarrass you here, Woods,
but I think everybody at home should know as well
that you have moulded your entire look off the Zak Attack.
Particularly, pull the pony out.
It's the goatee and long hair. Pull the bun out.
It's a good look.
Can we get a bit of a close-up on these boys.
Have a look at that!
Separated at birth and one of us got all the physicality.
Good luck out there, mate.
Thank you very much. We'll see you round.
JIM: Thanks, boys.
Next a former pole vaulting champion
who represented Australia in the Commonwealth Games
and last year tied the knot with fellow ninja Eddie Burrill.
Let's give it up for Lisa Campbell.
(CHEERING)
Lisa Campbell, she's an amazing athlete, this woman.
Debuted last year. She's a pole vaulter.
Gymnast. And recently got married.
And it looks like you will next, as well, Woods.
Oh, look who's caught it. That is exciting.
(WEDDING BELLS CHIME)
Mine's prettier.
EDDIE: Our wedding was kind of a Ninja fest
that wasn't Ninja Warrior.
We had a Ninja themed cake.
We had ninjas hanging out of trees that were at the venue.
(LAUGHTER) Come on, Lise, let's go.
We're competitive as a couple.
We can have competitions on literally anything.
On the way here Eddie was like, last one up the stairs is the loser.
This bloke's a real shot to go all the way to Mount Mid...
Oh!
Can I just say I won last year.
Just saying. You did win last year.
Can she do it? Oh!
No... Yes. She's still on.
Came off in the middle of the obstacle.
That's OK. She can still do it.
Tonight I kind of wish I was going first but that's alright.
You know, ladies first this time.
Oh!
Don't want you to put your loser kisses on me.
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERING)
Focus. She outstripped Eddie last season.
She's ready to do the same tonight.
As a rehab consultant,
Lisa played a huge role in Fred Dorrington's back recovery.
He wouldn't have made it up the Warped Wall tonight
if it wasn't for Lisa.
So, Fred's supporting her on the sideline,
hoping she can get herself to the buzzer.
(STARTER BELL SOUNDS)
Here comes the bride heading for the Shrinking Steps.
Look at that focus.
Look at that control.
Look at that foot placement. She's over.
That's all you need to do.
Love that technique where they just keep their hands in the air
and wave 'em like they just don't care
all the way across the Shrinking Steps.
But this one requires a big leap of faith.
It's the Eagles Claw and it has not been kind to the ninjas tonight.
Lisa's not your average ninja though.
This woman is a Commonwealth Games pole vaulter
so propelling her body through the air should not be a problem.
Let's see her fly.
Yes.
Most ninjas can't land this lache with straight arms but
Lisa's upper body strength is more than a match for the Eagles Claw.
Let's go, Lise!
Unbelievable. What about that!
How is she with the height though?
Obviously she's used to being up there with pole vault.
Yep.
Everything, just execute the plan.
What a coaching team to have.
Obstacle three, the Domino Effect.
Oh! She did it. She got there.
Ooh.
That might have hurt a little bit on the dismount.
That was very close.
Are you still holding the flowers? Yeah, absolutely.
Yeah, right. Smell them.
This is where our seasoned ninjas play it strategically.
She's not a heavy ninja, only 66kg.
And she has great upper body strength
so she could potentially take either route on the Anaconda.
That's right. You have a choice here
and she's trying to figure out which way she wants to go with her hands.
But there's another way to go as well.
You get the doorknobs all the way up or you can lache.
And of course, Lisa is a confident woman.
She is going to lache. She's starting to get some swing on.
Oh! She didn't get there.
I did not see that coming. She couldn't make the distance.
That was a real belly whacker.
It just shows how far those are apart.
Well done, Lise. It's OK, it's so good.
Eddie telling her it's OK. And it might be.
That was a ninja run full of grit and determination.
Amazing grip strength on the Eagles Claw.
And Lisa charged over the Dominoes.
She didn't shy away from the lache on the Anaconda either.
But on her final swing she just needed
to thrust her hips a little harder and she would have got there.
Lisa, congratulations, mate.
I could just hear you
having a conversation with Eddie over there, your husband.
Were you about to say,
"I should have gone the doorknobs the whole way"?
Yeah.
They felt pretty good
but I just really wanted to send it on lache.
I was like, I can get this lache.
But I like, hit myself on the way through
as I was coming over and it killed my swing.
But hey look, it's kind of like that in Ninja.
You either have a crack and you fall
or you have a crack and you don't fall.
I know. You summed it up beautifully. Thanks, Lisa.
Bye, mate.
Husband Eddie there looking very proud of his bride.
Lisa beat him last year so will he get his own back this season?
We'll find out later tonight.
Come back after the break for more Ninja action.
Up next...
It would mean so much to me to
represent all those girls aspiring to be ninjas.
Will teen gymnast Teana Banana be the pick of the bunch?
Or will she be dragging behind Dungeon Master...
Wag your ears.
..and rat dad Jake Baker?
I am feeling pretty keen.
This two-time grand finalist believes the third time's the crown.
What was that?
I'm as ready as I can be. It's now or never.
LEILA: Thanks to Energizer, who will battle it out in the Power Pool?
The top four ninjas will advance to tonight's endgame
and race for a huge advantage.
Who will win?
Get ready to vote
later in the show at:
(CHEERING)
Welcome back to the thrilling new season of Australian Ninja Warrior
here at Olympic Park in Sydney.
JIM: What an exciting night it's been so far.
While Fred Dorrington made it to the buzzer in an amazingly fast time...
other ninjas have been struggling on the fastest
and toughest obstacle course yet.
ICU doctor Andrew Luo was dressed for success.
He's in the scrubs.
Are scrubs always green? Ahh, I don't know.
I don't want no scrubs, personally.
His hopes were kept alive on the early obstacles.
Oh, he's getting some serious momentum here.
Yes. He's made it across.
But his lack of patience/patients on the Ring Chaser...
Here he goes. Oh, no!
..had his family in stitches.
Nude bathing enthusiast Steve Manassah
went full monty on the early laches.
Yes. Caught it.
Ooh, is he going to go down the doorknobs now? Wow.
But a change of grip on the Anaconda
saw an early splash out for the West Australian.
Oh, he's going backwards.
This is confounding. And he's in the drink.
Oh, no.
Eddie Burrill was determined to make it further than his wife Lisa.
Yes, baby. Oh, fantastic.
It's time to get serious. The shirt is off.
It's like a ripped Ace Ventura.
Eddie took the same risk as his wife and lached on the Anaconda.
Oh, no! Oh, no!
They fell off at the same spot.
And the honeymoon was over...
Oh, wow, I didn't expect that.
..with Eddie taking the honours over Lisa thanks to his speed.
OK. Time for our next teen to take on the course.
She's a 16-year-old gymnast
who counts Olivia Vivian as an inspiration.
Affectionately known as Teana Banana,
let's hope she doesn't slip up on the course tonight.
It's Teana Bourke.
Hi, my name's Teana.
Sorry. I forgot the last name.
Do I do that again?
Hi, my name's Teana Bourke. I'm 16 years old.
My Ninja name is Teana Banana hence the shirt.
My nickname since I was young was Nani the Banani
'cause I love bananas, and just stuck with it.
So that's how Teana Banana came around.
I've been watching Ninja Warrior since Season One.
So, when I found out that teens were able to join this competition
I was really excited.
I really look up to Olivia Vivian because I'm a gymnast as well.
I've been watching her for so long through gymnastics.
And then when she entered Ninja, showed that girls can do it
and that we can have a go and that we can do anything.
We can do anything just as much as the boys can do.
Banana power.
(CHEERING)
So, here she is. Attack of the Teens continues with Teana Bourke.
Another 16-year-old on our course, Woods.
You know, Will, interesting fact.
She eats three bowls of cereal a day.
That feels largely relevant.
That's totally fair enough.
Let's get around her. This girl looks amazing.
I'm really pumped to see what she can put together.
She's got great agility. Oh, yeah.
And she's super light which will really help her out.
Did I mention she eats three bowls of cereal...
Shut up, mate. OK. Fair enough.
(STARTER BELL SOUNDS)
Here's the buzzer and she is off. Tread lightly.
Keep going.
Yes! Oh, my god!
Teana Banana trains up to 16 hours a week for gymnastics.
Hopefully that will help her here.
2.8m, that gap.
She's gonna have to have a really big leap at this.
She's only 161cm.
She needs some big speed here, Leila.
She's got to really crush this.
Come on. Fly, Teana. Oh!
No. She's in the drink.
Teana Banana, another victim of the Eagles Claw.
It is smashing the ninjas tonight.
Teana was determined but keep an eye on her hands.
She didn't grab the ledge straight away
and she came at the Claw, not down onto it,
and then with straight arms it was too hard to hold onto.
Teana Banana's fingers peeled off and she was into the water.
That's our fourth teen to hit the water tonight.
It's time to bring out another legend to show them how it's done.
A two-time grand finalist, this guy wants the crown in 2022
and he's got the skills, throwing a 360 up the Warped Wall last year.
Here comes fan favourite Jake Baker.
Yes, I do play Dungeons & Dragons and I do have pet rats.
But what you wouldn't know about me is that I'm also a police officer.
One of the biggest factors that
prompted me to become a police officer was my mother.
(APPLAUSE)
Mum has been with Victoria Police for a lot longer then me.
She was a big role model and hero for me growing up.
I think that's been a big part
of what's made me become who I am today.
I think the biggest thing Mum taught me from being a police officer
is you have to think critically,
do the right thing the first time round,
and making emotional decisions is just not an option.
And it's the same for the ninja course.
Tonight this policeman's gonna show Australia what he's got,
on the course.
(CHEERING)
Fred laid down the gauntlet earlier tonight
with an amazing run in just two minutes 12 seconds.
But Jake has what it takes to beat that.
And remember, the four fastest ninjas tonight
head to the Power Pool.
A crowd favourite. Look, he's enjoying it.
The crowd is right behind him.
We've got his mum Mandy and his dad John up on the screen.
Hi there.
Go, Jake! Come on, Jake!
Come on, Jake. Rip that course.
And the crowd, they are ready. (STARTER BELL SOUNDS)
Here he goes.
Three extra steps this year, Jake.
Oh, breezed through those.
Here comes the Eagles Claw.
This has been a ninja killer tonight.
Good momentum for that transfer.
He has to travel sideways and forwards.
Yes. He wants the Power Pool.
He's just two seconds behind Fred
as he makes his way towards obstacle three.
Here we go, onto the Domino Effect.
So, his speed will help him here.
Let's see what he's got.
You've gotta commit, use that momentum.
And yes, Jake makes it look easy.
That was smooth.
And he's smooth up to the top.
Is he gonna lache?
Mate, this guy's a two-time grand finalist, he can do anything.
Can he make the distance?
Oh, the hips are driving.
Look at that power. My goodness.
Yes! He brought that from nowhere.
He just generated that momentum as heads for the next grip.
Has it.
Just need the dismount now and yes, the Anaconda is done and dusted.
He's three seconds ahead of Fred.
Wow. Onto the Ring Chaser. Yeah.
Hit the first monkey bar and then scamper down.
He's gonna get it.
Oh, wow. That is class.
This is a very fast run.
But he has to take a bit of time here to get set.
It's so easy to fall off the hooks.
He's using both arms to get some control.
He's generating his swing
and now we're gonna see him move to that next Sky Hook.
Yes.
Go, Jake. Come on, Jake.
And there are skills you just don't learn
unless you're doing Dungeons & Dragons.
Look at the focus on his face.
He's showing this course who's boss, isn't he?
He is. And he could be under two minutes to the buzzer.
Jake Baker is about to lay down the fastest run of the night.
Here he goes.
Straight up the Wall! Nails it!
(BUZZER BLARES) Jake Baker. On the buzzer.
Experience counts and Jake's brought it tonight.
Jake Baker is a real threat. This guy is fast, he is focused.
Mum and Dad, you've got to be ecstatic.
That was dominant.
What did you think of that run?
Hi, Jake. Awesome run. So proud of you.
Thank you. We love you.
He asserted himself on this course
and if I was any of the other ninjas
I would be keeping a very close eye on this guy.
He has a legitimate chance at the title this season.
Jakey. How are you, mate?
I'm a bit tired but that was fantastic.
I'm ecstatic. Lots of fun.
So, you're a two-time grand finalist
and obviously the last time we saw you do the Warped Wall in a heat
you did a 360.
You let us all down a little bit tonight. I'm going to be honest.
Were we all a bit disappointed
with the lack of 360 on the Warped Wall?
CROWD: Yes!
Would we like to see him do it again?
Yes! Get up there!
Get a 360 going. Are we allowed to do this?
Alright. Alright, here we go.
Who wants to see the 360? (CHEERING)
Come on, Jakey.
Oh! (CHEERING)
They got him to do it again.
(LAUGHTER)
That was so close. I know.
Oh, wow. He nearly hurt himself. We'll never do that again.
What a moment. Jake Baker getting it done and showing us how it's done.
Let's see how he's sitting on the leaderboard.
Jake is in the number one spot,
15 seconds faster than Fred Dorrington.
Andrew Luo is in third followed by newlywed Eddie Burrill.
The four fastest ninjas of the night
will take each other on
in the Power Pool later tonight.
Stay with us.
There's still plenty more ninjas to come
including past winner Rob Patterson.
A five-time grand finalist.
He's grabbed it.
Go, Rob. Go!
Can he make it six?
And later we've got more teens hitting the course
including the youngest ninja to ever compete.
I'm feeling pretty confident that I can complete any obstacle.
He can talk the talk. Can he walk the walk?
I'm the youngest
and I'm also the face of this new generation of ninjas.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
(CHEERING)
JIM: Welcome back to Australian Ninja Warrior
where our fastest ninjas
will meet at tonight's endgame, the Power Pool,
and race head-to-head to earn a semi-final advantage.
And on the course right now is
former Olympic gymnast Georgia Bonora.
She's competed in every season, made it up the Warped Wall in Season Two.
And now she's on the dreaded Eagles Claw.
She might overcook it. She had so much room to spare.
Yes, she's nailed it.
That was really strong. And now for the dismount.
And as a gymnast we should see some style.
Whoa! Ooh!
It's unconventional style but it's working.
Double flex for the crowd, that's nice.
Went the double python. Double cobra. I like that.
Georgia Bonora busting down the Ninja course tonight.
Alright, she's got to get quick over the Domino Effect.
Come on.
No problem. The last one was tricky.
Wow, that was close.
Georgia is literally tackling this course head on.
But it's working.
She's at the Anaconda now.
Lisa Campbell, the only other female to make it here.
Georgia's five seconds faster.
What's she gonna do?
Looks like she's matching Lisa's choice to lache.
Can she do it?
She's going for it.
Oh, you've gotta love the moxie though.
She was not afraid of the Anaconda. She was gonna give it a rip.
Yep. She committed. She gave it a good go.
Yeah, and I think she's probably done enough
to advance to the semi-finals.
That was a pretty nice run from the six-time ninja.
Georgia isn't the only one who's been fronting up year-on-year.
Tonight is a night of champions
where three previous winners are taking on the course.
Fred Dorrington set the bar high hitting the buzzer earlier.
Current champion Zak Stolz will run soon.
Now it's time for Season Two's furthest fastest,
a five time grand finalist.
It's Rob Patterson.
Go, Rob.
Furthest and fastest for 2018.
The robot warrior Rob Patterson.
Super sharp.
Oh! That was flawless.
Refined and fine tuned.
So calm and he's so focused.
Doesn't miss.
Will not put a foot wrong tonight.
This bloke is a machine.
(CHEERING)
Here he is, Rob Patterson.
This guy's a bloody legend.
Unassuming, Rob Patterson.
He doesn't have the rippling abs.
And he's wearing a T-shirt.
Maybe that's why he's good though, you know.
He's humble, he's relaxed. Yeah.
Come on, Patto.
Let's go, Rob.
He's one of the greats
and one of the fastest ninjas in the competition.
(STARTER BELL SOUNDS) Here we are, the Shrinking Steps.
Oh, bounds over them like a gazelle.
Yep, just a walk in the park and he's off to Eagles Claw no worries.
Teens, take note. This will be a textbook lesson.
Yes. Watch the way he uses his legs on the backswing.
That generates extra momentum. He knows what he's doing.
Yeah, just patiently waiting,
getting the right rhythm and then he's off that one.
So now it's time to go really fast. It's the Domino Effect.
Bang, bang, pow, pow. He's over it.
He is the cleanest we've seen
and he's five seconds ahead of Jake Baker.
Alright, knobs or lache? What's your call?
He's lacheing. You reckon?
I reckon he'll knob it to the first lache, no doubt.
Well, I don't think you have a choice.
Oh, looks like he's gonna take the speed lane.
Going the lache route.
Building momentum.
Is he launching? Yes he is.
Ooh. Rob Patterson is making a tough obstacle look easy.
He has so much control.
It's child's play. It is.
It's child's play for a legend. (CHEERING)
How about that? What style.
Why not go with a little tumble before you get to the Ring Chaser.
This is a fast and classy run.
And now he's three seconds ahead of Jake Baker.
Wow. He got some height off that mini tramp.
Go.
Oh, too slow.
Yep. Put your Sky Hook in.
He's gotta go to the second chance ring.
Now this gets more complicated.
Eugh!
Rob's gone from being the fastest
to now facing the very real danger of falling.
He could miss out on the Power Pool.
But the Rob Patterson we know will not go down without a fight.
This is a make or break lache.
Yes!
That's some ninja magic on display right there.
Oh!
He made it with the second chance ring.
I'll tell you what, he used some force to land it as well
and this time he's got the big ring.
This is good technique.
Yes. Yes. Now the race is on.
Can he beat Jake's time of 1.57?
This is gonna be close. Can he do it?
He does! Yes, Rob.
Whoo-hoo! Yes!
Oh! Yes, man.
He had us guessing for a few moments there but he's made it up
and he's beaten Jake by a second.
This guy's knows how to get the job down
and he should be one of the fastest four heading for the Power Pool.
What a recovery. What a ninja.
Rob Patterson was all class tonight
until an uncharacteristic mistake from the legend on the Ring Chaser.
But this is what makes the great ones great.
He didn't panic, he smashed that second chance ring onto the hook.
Look how close that was.
But he still made it up the Warped Wall
in the fastest time of the night.
Congratulations, mate. I've gotta ask you.
It felt to me on Ring Chaser like
you weren't trying that hard to get the big ring.
Was it a flex to prove that you
could use the second chance ring to get through it?
I wish I could say yes
but I hit that mini tramp harder than I thought
and I ended up almost eating that first bar
so I had to stop for a second and ooh, OK, hang on.
Go and give your girlfriend a hug, mate. Run into her arms.
Great stuff, Rob.
(CHEERING)
That was a great run from Rob Patterson.
The legends are putting on a show tonight.
Let's have a look at the leaderboard.
I get the feeling these past champs
aren't ready to hand over the reins just yet.
They're making their presence felt
and showing the next generation how to get it done.
Georgia Bonora and Lisa Campbell giving solid performances pushing
the Bowl Cut Ninjas Jordan and Minato down the leaderboard.
Coming up, which young gun will make their mark?
The new generation of Ninjas are here.
And ninja legend Zak Stolz is back to storm the course.
There's some seriously tricky stuff on there
so I'm going to have to bring it tonight.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
JIM: Welcome back to the spectacular new season
of Australian Ninja Warrior, direct from Sydney Olympic Park.
What a night it's been,
Rob Patterson, currently sitting in the top spot on the leaderboard
after an amazing run.
JIM: That's some ninja magic on display right there.
Whoo! Yes!
Remember the four fastest ninjas will race head to head
in the Power Pool later tonight.
JIM: But it hasn't been all smooth sailing.
The Eagle's Claw has been giving our ninjas
some huge headaches.
The Kilted Ninja, Hayden Dark made quite the entrance.
I'm glad he is wearing shorts. I was a bit worried for us.
He got off to a good start on the Shrinking Steps...
JIM: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, he's done it!
..but when he got to the Eagle's Claw,
he was no flying Scotsman...
What a shame, he's down! Oh, no!
..and it was lights out for Hayden Dark...
JIM: And check this entrance out.
..Desiree Barnes, also known as Desi Racer,
a five-time BMX World Champion
put the pedal to the metal across the Shrinking Steps.
Giddy up.
That's a nice start and she celebrates, why not?
Alright, up to the Eagle's Claw.
This is my favourite obstacle.
..but her run hit the brakes when she met the Eagle's Claw...
Oh, no, Desi Racer.
..and Desi Racer became Desi Pointed.
Team Pole Vaulter, Andre Di Medio
got off to a rocky start on the Shrinking Steps...
Oh, oh, oh, oh, wobbly.
..and he was hoping he wouldn't fall prey to the Eagle's Claw,
but he couldn't get into the swing of things.
He's not getting the rhythm just yet on the Pendulum.
That's the trick here, he just didn't get the rhythm.
Oh, a bit far back.
Oh, wow and the hair flick,
if you don't mind.
Wow, gorgeous man.
JIM: 16 year old Jacob Rodda, also known as Hot Rod...
LEILA: Oh...
..nearly stalled on the Shrinking Steps.
But he was happy to rev up the crowd on his way to the Eagle's Claw,
practising the jump
and made the first grab.
But when it came to changing lanes...
LEILA: Swing it over.
Oh, no.
..his engine flooded.
The curse of the Eagle's Claw continues to hover over our teams
and with only two teams left,
we have high hopes our next ninja will finally break the curse.
He's a 16 year old from Adelaide,
who counts his grandma as his biggest inspiration.
It's Matt Bigham!
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
MAN: Do it again, Matty.
Up you go.
Yes!
I've kind of been training for my whole life.
I did gymnastics and parkour
and then rock climbing about a year ago,
so I had full on ninja training.
I kind of look up to my grandma.
She used to be a gymnast judge and coach.
The amount of passion she has for what she does, just incredible.
She's extremely excited for me.
She come down to watch me run the course.
Yeah, I reckon she'll be shouting her head off,
telling me you know, do this, do that.
She's is very supportive.
I'm going to give 110 percent effort today,
I'm going to make it up the Warped Wall,
hit that buzzer and be on top.
All right here he is, Matty Bigham.
Attack of the teams continues.
Go, Matt.
LEILA: Will this 16-year-old break the curse of the Eagle's Claw?
Maybe his grandma, Anne, is a good luck charm.
Yeah, look, he's psyching himself up.
Looks very nervous.
Do you reckon his T-shirt is too big?
it's cool though, that's the thing. Oh...
Unlike you.
(BUZZER)
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Here we go, Matt's on the Shrinking Steps.
Is he going to make it across,
yes he does, but it's the Eagle's Claw
that's been a problem for our teams tonight.
Yeah, it's been more of a dunk-take than an obstacle.
Oh, he makes the first grab,
but it's this transition that's been the problem.
Yes! Here comes the dismount.
Come on, come on, come on, yes!
Yes, baby. Oh, fantastic.
That's what I'm talking about.
Go, Matt! Incredible!
He's the first team tonight to do it, yes!
The curse has been broken!
Pumps the fist, you betchya.
Grandma is the charm we all needed.
What you think his grandma is thinking right now?
Well I think she'd be judging all tens at this point.
Obstacle three now, the Domino Effect.
Go, go, go, go, go.
Yes, yes, yes! LEILA: Incredible!
What a performance from this new star.
Let's see how he goes on the Anaconda.
Yeah, you've got to get up and get after this one,
the Doorknobs, there are so many of them, the three Lache Bars,
which way do you go?
Oh, he's just hanging there, shaking a hand off.
(AUDIENCE CHEER)
This 16 year old is only 60 kg and fearless,
but he's got to be careful here,
'cause taking the Doorknobs means fatigue will set in a bit earlier
than if he'd taken the Lache route.
He's making it look easy.
He's taking a tea break on the Anaconda.
Come on, Matty.
It feels like there's a burn coming here.
He's got to go up and down one more time.
Oh, no, he's still quick though, isn't he?
Look at that.
He opted not to use the Lache Bar to get off,
he's just going to swing off sideways.
But he's through, he's done it. He's doing it his way. Go, Matt.
I just can't believe it.
These 16 just come here
and they do it like they're going through a recess, Woods.
It's crazy.
Great job, come on.
JIM: All right that's four down, two to go.
Here comes the Ring Chaser.
OK, Australia, let's get behind this 16 year old.
Let's get behind Matt Bigham.
We want to see him get through
and he's up, beating the rungs down to catch the ring.
He caught it with his fingertips!
This will be the biggest test,
'cause every ninja who has failed on Ring Chaser
has taken the Doorknobs all the way on the Anaconda
and the longer he spins up here,
the harder it becomes.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Oh, he's struggling a bit to get this first Sky Hook.
And he'll be fatiguing now. He'll really be fatiguing.
He needs to get his momentum going.
That's it! Now swing.
Come on, use your grandma's advice.
JIM: He got it!
Oh, yes. Come on. Yes, yes!
The crowd gets behind him.
This team has shown serious grit and determination to get here.
He just won't give up, but his arms have to be burning.
He's got to let it rip.
Come on, big fella. Let's hit that Sky Hook, Matt.
He's now using the monkey bar for momentum.
That makes this more challenging. This is going to be tough, Leila.
Oh, yes.
Oh... Oh, no.
We thought he had it.
Oh... He did so well.
Wow, great effort. Huge effort.
Unbelievable effort.
That was strong.
That must be a semi-final performance.
That was impressive.
He must be so, so fatigued and so proud at the same time
and look at the joy on his face.
Fantastic effort. Just amazing.
Yeah, let's have a look at his effort again.
Matt didn't just break the curse of the Eagle's Claw,
he smashed it, becoming the first teen to conquer it.
He choose the Doorknobs on the Anaconda and made it look easy.
He even stopped to enjoy the view.
When he got to the Ring Chaser, however, fatigue set in.
He made the Lache, but didn't have the strength to hold on.
What a mighty effort from the teen.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
I'm here with Matty Bigham.
Matty, congratulations, mate. Unbelievable effort.
First time on the Ninja Course, how are you feeling?
Oh, I'll be honest, I thought I was going to fall on the first obstacle.
Really? Yeah, just like you know,
I'm not really good at balance and running, so I kind of just like,
making it this far is pretty impressive, I must say.
Mate, there was a point there on the Anaconda
where you were just hanging on with one arm.
I think we're going to see a quick replay of that.
If you have a look up here, look at him.
That's incredible!
I'm just kind of, you know, having fun, seeing the crowd,
you know, just enjoying my life.
Mate I bloody love that, just living your best life.
What are you giving him, grandma, what's the score?
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Great stuff, Matty!
Huge, great work, mate.
Round of applause for Matty Bigham!
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
JIM: Well done, big fella.
Well this Ninja Course has been on the teens,
but Matty Bigham gets all the way out to Ring Chaser.
That's a big performance.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Still to come...
To be able to come back after winning last year
is an awesome experience.
..the Zak Attack is back to defend his title.
I think being the reigning champ,
there's always going to be a little bit of extra pressure.
..and he's our youngest ninja ever...
(LAUGHS) Whoa. (LAUGHS)
Is been my ultimate dream to hit the buzzer.
Yeah.
Can our last teen ninja hit the buzzer
and earn a spot in the Power Pool for tonight's final showdown.
Feeling a little bit of pressure, but honestly, I'm pretty pumped.
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
LEILA: Now get ready, Australia.
A huge star is moments away from stepping onto the course.
Who is it, Jim?
Two words...
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
Ninja...
Three, two, one... He's doing it!
..legend.
He's done it!
He is the current champion,
making it further and faster than all before him.
And now he has his sights on making it back-to-back wins.
Here comes the champ!
You know him, you love him, it's Zak Stolz!
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Oh, look at that.
He holds on. He's done it!
Yes!
Zak Stolz is the season finalist!
Being the reigning champ for Season Five is pretty cool.
A lot of people come up like,
"Oh, hey, champ, what's going on," like, "Oh, you won."
It couldn't happen to a nicer bloke.
We get a bit of notoriety in that ninja community,
but it's sort of a weird feeling,
'cause now I've got a bit of a target on my back,
and so I'm pretty nervous.
This time around, I've been doing a lot more rock climbing,
so normally I have a very strong gymnastics background.
We do a lot of ninja techniques.
But I've just been trying to layer on the forearm muscles
as much as I can,
'cause I know that some of these courses
can be brutal on your grip strength
and I know of a couple of these young fellas
and they are coming in red hot.
So I've got to be on my A-game.
Season six, I'm going to try and hold onto that crown as I can.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Come on, Zak! Here we go.
This is the reigning champion, it is Zak Stolz,
AKA, Zak Attack.
I mean, this guy is one of the best
and the only way to support Zak Stolz,
is going to freak everyone out, is to become Zak Stolz.
It's actually uncanny.
I am Zak Stolz.
LEILA: Listen to the crowd.
He is a ninja hero.
You've just got to make sure the hair is right before you start.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
It's you!
It's you. Unreal, Zakky.
(LAUGHTER)
He loves it. He's like, "Stop distracting me."
JIM: Can he be the first Australian to get back-to-back wins?
(BUZZER)
All right, Leila, are you ready? I'm ready. Here we go.
Zak Stolz on the Shrinking Steps.
He's not going to stop.
The thing with these champs
is they take no time between obstacles, they just go at them.
Zak flies onto the second Claw.
Now these pendulums weigh more than 100 kg,
so they take some power to get going and Zak has plenty of that
and there he goes.
Sprinting, he is just taking no time.
Oh my goodness. Hits it hard.
Oh my God, he's moving, he's really going.
Shakes that one off and is up onto the Anaconda.
What are you thinking here, Lache?
I'm thinking Lache.
Pick Lache, pick Lache!
His mum and girlfriend are thinking Lache.
Look at that arc.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
He almost jumped over it!
He almost went over it. Oh...
He could have landed on it.
Zak winding up for his next Lache, he nails that one,
he is three seconds ahead of Rob Patterson.
So much power.
What an athlete.
Up the trip quickly.
Not pausing, straight onto the Rungs.
Catching the ring. Oh, yes.
This is a breeze for the Stolzman.
How do these guys make it look like it's a walk in the park?
This is Ninja, this is tough.
This is a tough ninja.
He's already 17 seconds in front of Rob,
and this is where his power is so useful.
He doesn't need a big backswing.
Yes, he just powers his hips and legs and he's onto the next one.
Yeah, how are you feeling up there right now?
I'm feeling like, very good, yeah.
He's got to control the power here.
He's got to be careful not to go too hard onto the next Sky Hook,
or he risks bouncing off of it.
Nice. He's made it.
Mum, Joanne knows he has to be careful too,
but he's got it under control.
Zak Stolz on an absolute flyer
and now the Warped Wall, can he do it?
Yes, he sticks it! LEILA: Straight up the wall!
It is over!
On the buzzer. Unbelievable.
He's time of 138 is 18 seconds faster than Rob Patterson.
This was a clinic, wasn't it?
The whole way through. He was unbelievable.
Back where he belongs, on top, next to the buzzer.
And the crowd just cannot get enough.
This guy is a Ninja superstar.
Take a look at the way this guy executes his Laches.
The height he gets is unbelievable.
He's strong and fearless and he's destroyed this course tonight.
He might have also destroyed the hopes and dreams
of some other ninjas.
if you want the title, this is the ninja you have to beat.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Zak, how are you, mate?
Congratulations. Great stuff.
My twin. My twin, get in here. Oh, Jesus, all right.
I feel like you two need to stand together.
I am in the middle of two Zaks right now.
I'm going to ask you guys questions
and you can just respond as a group, OK?
At the same time? Yeah, OK.
Or word for word. How did it feel tonight?
It... Felt...
Really... Great.
OK, this is going to get annoying.
(LAUGHTER)
How do you think you'll go in the Grand Final?
Hopefully... I...
Will... Kill...
..it.
(LAUGHTER)
Great stuff, guys. Zak Stolz, the returning champ is back,
a round of applause for the big guy.
Thanks again, mate. Congratulations, Brother.
Cruise through, man. Great stuff.
LEILA: Will the real Zak Stolz please stand up?
What an incredible run.
Let's take a look at the leaderboard.
Zak has shot straight to the top of the ladder
and with only two ninjas left to run,
he is a sure to place in the Power Pool
and a grab at the that end-game advantage.
Who will go head to head with him in the Power Pool?
And 16-year-old surprise packet,
Matt Bigham has booked his place in the semifinals,
grandma will be so proud.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
OK, time for our next ninja.
A super fan of the sport,.
this much loved Brissy chippie would love to be a winner this season.
He's made the last two grand finals.
Will this be the year he conquers the Ninja Course?
It's fan favourite, Ninja Toddles, Todd Smith.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Whoo! (LAUGHTER)
JIM: I've got to tell you, I've got a soft spot for Ninja Toddles.
The rebel yell. He just brings it.
Since I was last on Ninja Warrior, I've had a baby!
Well, not me specifically, my wife.
We've now got a little girl, called Holly.
She is... Oh, adorable, the apple of my eye
and I can't wait to crush this course
and show her who her daddy is.
There he goes, yes.
Yes!
This is my fourth year on Australian Ninja Warrior.
I'm excited to get back on the stage.
It's my favourite place to be.
I'm ready to go the whole way
and I don't see anything that could stop me.
This year, Ninja Toddles is going all the way
and he's going to be crowned the first Australian Ninja Warrior dad.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Todd Smith, we know this guy. Ninja Toddles.
Here's a fun fact for you. Yeah, hit me, mate.
He was voted happiest man at school. Wow, That's literally a fun fact.
Thank you very much.
You've clocked it. Let's go, Toddles.
JIM: Oh and good news,
we've got some visitors on the big screen.
Yep, there's Mikaela and baby Holly, who is sleep at the moment.
Have you got a quiet message for Toddles?
You've got this, baby.
All right, when this crowd gets going, they might wake her up,
so let's strap in, here we go.
Can he show us a bit of speed? He's got the crowd behind him.
Here we go.
Over the Shrinking Steps, he's so light.
That was fast!
Yeah, no problem there and last year the Snake Run took him...
oh, no! What happened!
Oh, no. What happened just now?
Oh, no. Leila...
I don't know what happened.
Oh, he's upset as well. Oh, he's shattered.
(APPLAUSE)
Oh, that is heartbreaking.
Let's have a look at what happened.
I think he was going too fast and just didn't nail the take-off.
Keep an eye on his feet.
Right there.
Yep, you can see his foot goes over the edge
and that simple mistake cost him.
That's a tough break.
(APPLAUSE)
Hey, Todd.
How are you going, man?
Oh, mate, oh, I'm not going to lie, mate, I am devastated.
My last foot, which I was going to jump off,
went over the ramp, so mate, I'm...
..I'm devastated, you know, I've got my little girl...
..at home and yeah, I really wanted to do this for her.
Your daughter is going to be bloody proud of you, regardless, mate.
Thanks for joining us again.
All good, mate, thank you. Thank you.
Let's give it up for Toddles again, everybody.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
OK, this can be an unforgiving sport at times,
as plenty of ninjas have found out tonight.
Stay with us, Australia,
there is one Ninja left to run and he is our youngest ever.
Plus, we'll find out which four ninjas will meet at the Power Pool.
See you soon.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Welcome back to the fourth and final heat of Australian Ninja Warrior
and it's the last chance to grab a place in the Power Pool.
JIM: It's been a real struggle for the teens tonight,
with Matt Bigham, the only one of them
to make it past the Eagle's Claw.
The course has been brutal on these youngsters tonight
and now all their hopes and dreams lie on this final Ninja.
Well he can't drive, cant drink, can't vote, but he can ninja.
Yeah, he's just turned 16,
but he's been training for this moment since he was 10 years old.
He is our youngest ninja ever.
Let him hear you, Australia.
BOTH: Haydyn Reed!
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
All right, we've got Haydyn Reed here, also known as Haydo Potato.
My nickname, Ninja Haydo potato came from an old primary school teacher.
A shout out to Mrs Clark. (LAUGHS)
Yeah, I don't know if you can see it fully,
but mum made this design. (LAUGHS)
Come on, mate, let's go.
I have been watching Ninja Warrior for pretty much majority of my life.
It's so surreal to actually be here.
I know I have the ability to smash that buzzer.
I've got confidence, so... (LAUGHS)
That's pretty cool knowing I'm the youngest to ever attempt the course.
The older guys definitely have had their time.
They've wasted it. (LAUGHS)
New blood, young ninjas just to come in
and show them that we've got what it takes to go all the way.
It's just time for them to leave. Like, see you. (LAUGHS)
LEILA: The final Ninja of this heat
and the teen's last shot at making it to the buzzer.
Let's see if he can bring it here tonight.
His family are on the sidelines...
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Here we go. And there's the buzzer.
The Shrinking Steps, eight of them.
Right, not a problem for Haydo Potato.
Will we say the same for the Eagle's Claw?
It doesn't seem to like teenagers.
Oh, I was worried then he wasn't going to make that,
but there he goes.
He's got some good control, look at this kid go.
Yeah, he's got a little side lache move
and he sticks the dismount and he is on.
How good is this?
Only the second team to complete the Eagle's Claw tonight
and so far no teen has managed to hit the buzzer.
Now it's the Domino Effect.
This is a big test here, he's got to get across it quickly.
Go, go, go. He's nice and light.
Go, yes! He's over!
The Potato. He's like, 16.
Let's just keep remembering that.
I'll tell you what, I'm going to need a towel up here,
I'm sweating for this youngster.
He is bringing it though.
He looks so light and fearless and he's bypassed the Lache Bar.
Nailing it.
He's skipping Knobs.
He's got great grip, doesn't he?
He is going to go through the Doorknobs.
He doesn't look tired.
Look at that move, the crossover move, that is the right move to go.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
He just cheered the crowd!
(LAUGHTER)
Oh my god, Leila, this kid is an entertainer.
He is cruising across the Anaconda so effortlessly.
What a performance.
This is an amazing debut.
Look at him go.
Starting to get a little bit tired it looks like,
but he's about to slide off of the Anaconda.
Here we go.
Come on, the landing. Yes.
Haydyn Reed, showing the rest of the teens how it's done.
Come on, Haydo.
Now the Ring Chaser
and after taking the Doorknobs, this is a big ask.
Does he have the stamina?
Focus! Focus, take a breath.
He's one obstacle away from the Warped Wall.
Can Haydyn do it?
The crowd is on his side, he is on the tramp,
he is racing the ring,
he's coming down...
..he's caught it with flair, Jim!
This kid... Did you see that catch?
Look at him just hanging around on one arm too.
Now he's got to try and figure it out,
but that was so smooth and calm.
You just love the way this kid is handling the pressure.
Oh my goodness. This is outrageous, Leila.
Our youngest ever ninja is smashing it
like he's been here before, this is a quality run by any standard.
He's nailing it!6
Are we about to see history being made?
He's at the wall. Wow!
Unbelievable!
Youngest, 16!
We could be about to rewrite the record books and here he goes.
Straight up the wall!
He's going to do it! Straight up the wall!
He's going to do it!
Yes!
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
The youngest Ninja ever just dominated this course.
Someone take his ID, he's not 16.
What were you doing at 16 again? Don't worry.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
He's pointing to the mountain, that's what he's pointing at.
Mount Midoriyama, he's got eyes on you.
An amazing run.
He missed out on the Power Pool,
but it was still enough to secure the spot in the semis.
Haydo flew across the Ninja Course like a hot potato,
only faltering slightly on the Domino Effect.
But he smashed the Anaconda and had the stamina to ace the Ring Chaser,
then became our only teen tonight to scale the Warped Wall.
What a run.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Haydo... The Potato.
How are you, mate? I'm good.
Congratulations.
Mate, you are the youngest ever ninja
and on your first run, you just completed the course.
Yeah, oh, that's amazing. Oh...
Come round here, mate. Come round here.
Can I ask you an honest question? Did you find that easy?
Yeah, a little bit. Are you...
On the Anaconda, you single duped to the crowd.
Yeah, I know.
I had to entertain. That's what I do.
(LAUGHTER)
Was he entertaining? Are you not entertained?
Congratulations, we'll see you in the semis, big fella.
I'm in the semis.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Whoo! Thanks, mate.
All the best.
LEILA: The last heat for 2022
and what a raging finish with Haydyn Reed,
our only teen up the Warped Wall tonight.
He didn't make the Power Pool, but he's through to the semifinals.
Let's take a look at the final leaderboard
to see who else will be joining him.
It's a close shave for the Bowl Cut Ninjas, Jordan and Minato,
they just scrape into the top 18.
Husband-and-wife, Lisa Campbell and Eddie Burrill also move through.
Teenagers, Matt Bigham and Warped Wall conquering Haydo Potato
are rewarded for their superb debut outings.
And have a look at the quality of the top four,
which includes three former winners
heading to the Power Pool for a right royal rumble,
as they try to get their hands on that all-important
semi-final advantage.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
This season, for the first time ever,
the semifinals are a ninja versus ninja sudden-death showdown.
The winner of the head to head race
books a ticket straight to the Grand Final,
while the loser is eliminated from the competition.
And this is where the Power Pool advantage comes into play.
The winner of the Power Pool
earns the right to choose their semi-final opponent.
Use this advantage wisely
and they are one step closer to the Grand Final
and Mount Midoriyama.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
These are the four ninja legends battling it out
in the Power Pool tonight.
We have three previous winners
in Zak Stolz, Rob Patterson and Fred Dorrington,
as well as major contender, Jake Baker.
Who do you think will win?
You can let us know by heading to:
and vote for the Ninja you think will take out the Power Pool.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
JIM: Welcome back to Australia Ninja Warrior
and it is Power Pool time and it's going to be awesome.
This is tonight's main event and it's a fight.
5 m above the Power Pool
for the semi-final advantage,
starring four heavyweights of Australia Ninja Warrior.
We have three former ninja champions.
Last season's winner, Zak Stolz,
Rob Patterson and Fred Dorrington,
plus Jake Baker, a two-time grand finalist.
Over the last few nights,
the Power Pool has proven to be problematic
for some big name ninjas.
Ben Polson got tangled in the transition and his race was over.
Ashlin Herbert felt the full force of the 5 m drop...
..as did David Lack.
One error can be costly, each run has to be perfect.
(BUZZER SOUNDS)
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Tonight sees the return of the Flying Shelf Grab.
These head to head races are all about applying pressure.
There are two giant laches to nail,
a frightening 5 m above the pool.
Then it's all about being the first to the buzzer.
It's a thrilling ninja versus ninja knockout race.
Fred Dorrington takes on Jake Baker,
then Zak Stolz faces off against Rob Patterson.
The winner of each will then battle it out for the advantage.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
JIM: This is going to be incredible.
So let's go ahead and get this party started.
It's Fred versus Jake.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
Fred is a four-time Grand Finalist
and our first ever Ninja champ, Jake,
is a two-time Grand Finalist from the last two seasons
and is a serious contender for the crown.
This will be good.
Fred, you're looking good.
How do you feel about the speed of the course here?
Yeah, look, I've got to put the foot down
to make it faster than these guys, so yeah, see what happens.
Watch out, Power Pool.
That's it, Jake, you're in as the challenger against the three champs.
How do you rate your chances here against Fred?
Oh, I have two take down a legend,
so that will be difficult.
But not impossible, not impossible.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
(BUZZER SOUNDS)
Here they go, off and racing.
Oh, this is tight, they're even.
Who's going to be first to the Static Bar?
It's Jake.
The early advantage to Jake Baker,
who will be the first to lache
and he's putting all the pressure on Fred Dorrington.
Fred makes his first lache.
Jake is slightly ahead
and Fred needs to do something quick to pull this back.
Jake just needs to keep the hammer down.
Oh my goodness! He tumbles.
Fred is in with a chance! He's got a chance, Fred!
Look, he's going to catch him! He's got it!
Oh, so close! Whoa!
The Power Pool is bringing the drama.
Jake takes out the champ,
but nearly took himself out trying to get to the rope.
What a race.
Jake won with his powerful rope climb
and then a smooth transfer off the rope.
That was enough to give him the lead across the shelves
with just enough of a buffer,
so when he slipped heading for the final rope,
he still made it to the buzzer first.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
What a round that was.
The thrills and the spills, let's bring on our next contenders.
Let's get Zak and Rob out on the deck and ready to roll.
Well this is a real Clash of the Titans.
Rob was our Season Two winner and Zak is our most recent champion.
These guys have gone head to head once before
on last year's Power Tower.
Zak earned bragging rights
when Rob got caught up in the cargo net.
He'll be hoping the Power Pool rope treats him a little more kindly.
All right, Zak.
First time at the Power Pool.
What do you make of this contraption?
This looks crazy.
This is going to be so much fun, I'm excited.
Rob, what do you make about going up against the Zak Attack
here in the race?
Look, he is one of the fastest in the business.
He had me at the Power Tower last year,
so hopefully, hopefully I can pip you out the post this year, mate.
Let's see.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
OK, it's game on.
Champ versus champ.
(BUZZER SOUNDS)
Here we go across the steps and it's going to be all about
the transfer from the rope to the static bar.
You can lose seconds if you get it wrong.
Zak is on the shelves first and here comes the first lache.
Look at that control. He is confident. Rob, catching up.
Zak's going for a second lache, nails it.
The pressure is on Rob now.
Zak is safe.
Oh no, Rob went for it.
What a risk from Rob, took such a gamble with the lache.
And Zak hits the buzzer!
That was gutsy.
Determination, but he's OK, he's OK.
But it's Zak who moves on to the finals.
Zak was fast up the rope
and extended his lead by taking fewer swings to lache.
Rob could feel the race getting away from him,
so he gambled everything on his final leap,
trying to get off in a single movement.
It was a courageous attempt,
but Zak is into the final face-off.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
What a showdown it's going to be.
Two epic ninjas.
It's Jake versus Zak for that crucial advantage.
These guys have made it to the Grand Finals before
and they know how tough it is to get there.
Wouldn't they love that road to be just a little bit easier?
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
(BUZZER SOUNDS)
Here we go, the flying ninjas,
straight across the Power Pool and up the rope, like lightning.
Jake just nailed that transfer, but look at Zak.
He's climbing the rope.
Zak is struggling.
It's Jake to the shelf first.
Jake just needs to deliver, oh no.
He didn't deliver.
Oh, Zak still needs to finish the course to win,
but he is looking good. Oh, yes!
It just goes to show doesn't it,
the pressure of head to head racing, Jake had it in the bag.
Zak was breathing down his neck, he could see him on the charge.
And yes, Zak Stolz takes out the Power Pool.
He's got the advantage. Well done, Zak.
Hey, Zak Attack. And Jake is OK. Jake is OK.
That was a big fall.
How about this Power Pool, it just gives and gives.
These consistent performances are why he is the current champ.
He's won the Power Pool advantage
and posted the fastest time in his heat.
Zak Stolz is on track to take back-to-back titles.
All right, so I'm down here with the Zak Attack,
who's just won the Power Pool.
Jakey, he had you on toes.
He did. And what happened at the end,
do you think you could hear the defending champion in the back,
you know, was that the hair whooshing behind him
that rattled him, he could hear you coming?
Oh, you never know, it could have been,
but Jake and I know that you could be ahead,
but you can always see that person out the corner of your eye
and it gets in your mind.
I think you sort of go "Oh my God, I need to move, I need to move,
"They're going to catch up," so I think it's just that mental game.
Now you have won a huge advantage by the way,
by winning the Power Pool,
you've got a huge advantage going into the semi-finals.
How does that make you feel?
Look, it's pretty nice to have these advantages.
I had one the season prior, that helped me win Season Five.
I had one in Season Four,
that was a massive thing to have in the back pocket,
so these do carry a lot of weight with them,
and I'll try and use it to the best of my ability.
Congratulations. Thank you very much.
Huge effort, the Zak Attack back with the advantage
in the semi-finals.
Great stuff, a round of applause one more time for him.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
And just like that, the heats are over
with Zak picking up where he left off as a winner,
taking that critical advantage into the semis, just phenomenal.
Yeah, he was incredible.
And that's it for tonight here at Sydney Olympic Park.
Join us tomorrow night for loads more Ninja action.
It's going to get hot, it's semi-final time.
We'll see you then.
Goodnight, Australia. Good night.
(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)
VOICEOVER: Every single semi-finals race
is a knockout.
WOMAN: Here we go!
Woo hoo!
MAN: Aww.
No ninja has ever felt pressure...
Oh my goodness!
..and panic (CREAKS)
like this. WOMAN: Ohhh.
Oh no!
From Love Island to Olympic gold.
The celebrity shine.
Oh wow graceful that was like a catwoman type of thing.
And one battle...
It's a husband and wife showdown.
..will divide the nation.
Could be the first time we see a divorce.
If you win I'll be suprised.
The sudden death...
..start tomorrow 7:30 on Nine.
Captioned by Ai-Media ai-media.tv