Original subtitles

(BUZZER DINGS)

Sudden death semi-finals...

They are neck and neck.

Oh, my goodness! Oh, my goodness! Oh, but hello!

..saw the most intense races to the buzzer...

He's gonna get it.

Oh! Oh, my god!

They're coming up the wall together!

Oh, it's a photo finish!

..with shocking eliminations...

Oh, no! Oh!

Oh! He's into the water!

..and the rising of new heroes.

The Chicken!

Look at this 16-year-old!

Legends! A Ninja marvel.

Welcome to the Grand Final.

As 12 more ninjas...

He's over! He's over! He's got it!

..moved one step closer to Mount Midoriyama.

A new cranked-up course...

The course has really been supercharged,

but I think I'm faster than every ninja here.

..punishes the remaining semi-finalists.

Just taking one extra second could be the difference

between making it to the Grand Finals or not.

The fight is on between six Power Pool ninjas...

I've been training hard so I can go all guns blazing

and make it to the Grand Final.

..as they attempt to knock out their rivals...

Being the reigning champ, there's a bit of extra pressure

but speed is one of my strengths, so bring it on.

..in a race for a spot in the Grand Final.

I'm gonna hit that buzzer and make it to Grand Finals.

(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)

Welcome back to Sydney Olympic Park for the Australian Ninja Warrior

Semi-Finals of 2022, and what a night we are in for.

I'm Jim Courier and I am super pumped.

Me, too, Jim. I'm Leila McKinnon.

24 ninjas have made it through to tonight's Semi-Final.

Strap yourself in because these semis are more high stake,

more adrenaline charged than ever before

because, for the first time ever, ninjas are competing head to head.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

The knockout races start with two ninjas

and tonight's course sees the return

of the Sprinting Steps, the Log Dash and the Salmon Ladder to Ring Toss.

But, this semi-final, we're ramping up the pressure

with two brand-new obstacles.

Obstacle two is now the Launchpad to Bag

where ninjas ride a suspended bag down a zipline.

They need to be hypervigilant

because just one toe in the water and it's game over.

And the new obstacle five is the Dropping Shelves.

Ninjas leap 1.7 metres

across four small shelves,

catching each with their fingertips, and, just to increase

the level of difficulty, the shelves drop sharply as the ninjas land.

The race decider is the 4.35-metre dual Warped Wall.

First to the buzzer knocks out their opponent

and wins a place in the Grand Final.

(BUZZER BLARES)

But there's no time to celebrate

because there are still three excruciating obstacles to conquer,

the Double Dipper,

the Beehive

and the Dragon's Back.

Whoever completes the entire course the fastest

earns themselves a Grand Final advantage thanks to Energizer.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Alright, Leila, I can tell you the atmosphere here is electric.

Absolutely, Jim, and let's not forget our teens.

We have five young guns competing tonight,

all hungry for a Grand Final spot

and ready to take on the Ninja legends who've inspired them.

24 ninjas fighting for just 12 Grand Final spots.

This will be epic,

and we're gonna kick things off with two crowd favourites.

These guys look like the ultimate odd couple,

but they're actually very evenly matched,

finishing within 12 seconds of each other in the heats,

both failing to get to grips with the slippery Anaconda.

Yeah, stand by for speed and plenty of flamboyance

from two of Ninja's biggest entertainers,

Eloni Vunakece and Paul Culloty,

and, speaking of big entertainers,

let's head poolside with Will and Woody.

Alright, so, these two are about to go head to head.

We're at the starting blocks.

I'm here with the most tanned, ripped ninja on the course,

Eloni Vunakece, and Paul Culloty, as well.

Robbed, I am.

What about the pale, beautiful Irish skin?

Oh! Flash us a bit more, Paul.

Flash us a bit more!

My six-pack is beer, so bit different looking.

Now, Eloni, you've never made it up the Warped Wall before, mate,

so tonight that's obviously the big goal for you.

That's the goal and get some retribution

against my man Pauly over here.

Oh, he's gunning for me tonight but, like that, I say, Eloni,

if you get up the Warped Wall, I'll be at the top giving you a help up.

I'm nice that way, I'm a nice guy, you know?

I have absolutely no idea what you said to me then, mate.

Here he is, Paul Culloty!

Oh, we love him, the Irish Ninja.

My ninja name didn't take too many beers

to come up with the idea, anyway, that's for sure.

Yeah, the Irish Ninja.

You're an absolute legend.

Last year, I was just a dad of one

but, this year, we have a new addition to the family.

It's Ned, Ned need a bottle, as I call him.

Hey, guys.

The semis this year are ninja versus ninja.

My nerves have gone up because have you seen him?

He's an ex-professional footy player,

you know, need I say any more?

The structure of the Semi-Finals that are set up tonight,

I get to use my skill set in the speed that I have.

I think I'm faster than every ninja here.

Got a good mateship going between the two of us,

and I can't wait to go head to head against him.

You're going down. Good luck, mate.

Yeah, good luck to you but you're going down.

You'll never beat the Irish.

We'll see, mate, we'll see.

Yeah, these guys couldn't look more different

but they are both great family men.

Eloni being cheered on here tonight

by his wife, Melissa, along with Loli, Gigi, Meli and Jagger.

Whoo! Come on, Dad!

And in the green corner is Paul's wife Aleisha

with their little ones Cora and Ned.

Go, Pauly!

Whoo! Go, Daddy!

Leila, this is awesome.

Who do you think is gonna get through this?

Who's gonna make it into their first Grand Final?

I reckon this could go either way.

Eloni is fast but, at 102kg, he's also our heaviest ninja,

which can be a disadvantage.

Both Paul and Eloni have semi-final experience.

I don't think you can split them.

Well, we're about to find out.

(BUZZER DINGS)

Wow, look how fast Eloni is!

Paul taking his time and Eloni on a sprint, already through two.

Just went like the wind and look at Eloni.

He's a big unit but, wow, he can move.

Now onto the Salmon Ladders to the Ring Toss.

Wow.

Hard to keep up with these two. This is flying.

Ooh, he's really struggling, Paul, to get off that salmon ladder.

Looks like Eloni might get out to the ring first.

Yeah, slight misjudgement there but Paul recovers nicely.

He's got his rhythm going again.

Come on, Paul, get up there.

And Eloni is just cruising so far across the rings.

Now, this will take out a lot of energy the longer you stay on it,

but Eloni in the lead decisively.

And is he on his way to his first buzzer?

Alright, so it's Eloni first to the Dropping Shelves.

He's taking his time now.

This obstacle is really tough on the heavier ninjas,

and Eloni is a man mountain.

There he goes.

Size could play against him

as those dropping shelves drive him down towards the pool.

Gets the first one.

Someone needs to remind Paul this is a race.

We shouldn't forget, Jim,

that, at 84kg, Paul is also quite big, at least in Ninja terms.

Nice hang-on there from Eloni.

Paul took some extra time

to get his wind before we started this, and he's in the water!

And he's in!

Eloni was first onto the obstacle,

so he's into the Grand Final no matter what.

Now, can he make it up the Warped Wall for the first time?

Come on, Loni! Come on, Loni!

Eloni... Oh, he's in, too!

He's in the drink but he's into the Grand Final, Leila.

He is through!

And look at them hugging.

Oh, look, and their wives, Melissa and Aleisha,

hugging it out, as well.

What a great contest between these two big ninjas,

and it will be the very first time for Eloni into the Grand Final.

For Paul, a chance to maybe wet his whistle on the way out.

I love it when the ninjas hug it out.

Eloni set a cracking pace right from the start,

but Paul was nipping at his heels all the way.

The Dropping Shelves prove that size does matter

when, first, Paul and then Eloni buckled under their weight.

But, as first ninja onto the obstacle,

Eloni bags that precious Grand Final spot.

Boys, wowee, what a race.

Loni, I mean, you are through to a Grand Final.

How are you feeling?

Oh, I'm pretty stoked to get through but sucks for Pauly.

Yeah, Pauly, mate, I mean, great race,

you were right with him right till the end.

You were really catching on him there. How are you feeling?

Oh, man, it was so much fun, you know, that was brilliant.

Best laugh I've had here.

And you know what, to be honest, out of anyone

I could've been up against tonight, I was so happy with him.

We were talking about it since early this morning, you know,

and, like, if there was one person

I wanted to get into the Grand Final, it was Eloni.

Brilliant, brilliant laugh.

That's very kind of you, Paul.

We all know you're just after a beer, mate.

This is what he's after.

One for you, as well, Eloni, congratulations.

Cheers, boys. Well done, mate.

Cheers, boys.

What a battle.

What a battle between two giants. Gee whiz!

You're making me look bad.

He's beaten him in the skull-off, as well.

I mean, it's all happening down here.

They're alcohol-free, by the way, guys. Drink responsibly.

Make some noise for your Grand Finalist, Eloni Vunakece!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Our next two competitors are among Ninja's elite, so skilful,

so incredibly talented that it'll be an upset whoever ends up going home.

It's a veteran and former winner

against one of our sizzling new sensations.

He's a Ninja icon, one of this sport's true greats.

Ladies and gentlemen, Rob Patterson is in the house.

That is now five Grand Final berths for Rob Patterson!

When your name is Rob Patterson, you are here to show us how it's done.

You are unstoppable, Rob!

(MUSIC RACES)

(BUZZER BLARES) Whoo!

Go, Rob!

And hoping to outrun his opponent for Grand Final glory,

the young speedster we call the Rocketman, Dylan James.

It is Dylan James. He's one to watch.

He's the Rocketman!

Could we see another newcomer conquer the course?

Has what it takes to mess with the old guard, he means business.

Here he goes, Dylan James, straight up the Warped Wall!

Yes! He's done it!

Dylan James!

This is a match-up for the ages.

In Australian Ninja Warrior's 5-year history,

Rob Patterson has never missed out on a Grand Final.

Dylan James is one for one.

Well, one of them is about to be knocked out

and will miss their first Grand Final.

Rob, second in his heat, Dylan fourth.

No prizes for second tonight.

This is exciting stuff.

Both very respectful blokes, bit of fisties before they went out there.

Great camaraderie. Good to see, Will.

Yeah, great to see, Woods.

(BUZZER DINGS)

Let's see... Here we go!

They're going and let's see if they attack

or are a little more cautious.

So far, so good.

Yeah, just as we expected,

there is absolutely nothing separating these two.

Go, go, go, yes. Nicely done.

Yes, flinging themselves over the edge and onto the next obstacle.

Yeah, it's Salmon Ladder time,

up to the Ring Toss, and, Rob, the first to the bar.

There goes Dylan.

Up they go, a couple rungs, and then head over to the fixed bars

and try and get out to those rings, Leila.

Yeah, I can't pick it.

Maybe Rob is a heartbeat ahead but there's next to nothing in this.

Rob's first to the mat.

How smooth are these ninjas.

They made that look so easy.

Onto the Dropping Shelves they go.

This is a lache festival, and you gotta hang on with the drop.

This is like Hackett and Thorpe back at the Olympics.

I mean, this is just stroke for stroke, neck and neck sort of stuff.

Look at the precision.

Here it is.

It's Warped Wall time. Straight up the wall.

He's got it! He's gonna get the buzzer!

Oh, look!

It's Rob Patterson! He's got it and he's taken no time.

What a finish!

Good on you, Rob, through to the Grand Final.

Now he's racing against the clock.

He's been here before.

He knows how important that advantage can be.

Yeah, Rob, that's it.

And that advantage very much in play

as Rob Patterson cruises through the Double Dipper.

But there's a way to go yet.

Remember, last night, only two ninjas

made it all the way through to the end of the course.

Yeah, breathe deep. You've got this.

Tamara there on the sidelines

urging him on as he prepares to head up that rope.

Doesn't look too tired, either.

He's actually still looking strong as he heads for the Beehive.

Getting a bit of sideways momentum

to catch that middle obstacle and do the 270.

Easy...

This one's gonna be tricky.

Yeah, this one, you gotta really be straight on your move,

make sure you get your hands into position

'cause you're not going straight onto the honeycomb.

Nice grab! Oh, he's got it!

Well done! Good job.

Come on, Rob, come on!

Alright, next up is the Dragon Back.

Can he slay this beast?

Just you against the course.

Taking his time, just gathering himself.

One more obstacle to go, then he can climb up that cargo net

into the crow's nest and hit the buzzer, see where he stands.

One thing I love about Rob Patterson is how calm he stays under pressure.

No panic, he's been there, done that.

Up he goes. Oh, my goodness!

Was that a triple jump?

Incredible! Oh, look at that!

He leapt over that slider as he heads up the rest of the dragon.

He is slaying this dragon.

He's crushing it with double jumps, down in the bungee, no problem.

Here's the lache.

The dismount onto the cargo net.

Stick the landing - no!

Ooh, he's...

Ooh! He's just held on!

What a catch!

He's caught himself with the legs.

That's an incredible save by Rob Patterson.

Get up there, Rob!

Can you believe that catch with the legs?

God, I thought he was in the drink, for sure, there.

This is a polished, experienced performance

by one of the original Australian ninjas.

Here he comes.

It is buzzer time, Leila.

Get it! Oh, dang, here he is!

Yes! Yes!

And the dragon breathes fire as it is slayed by Rob Patterson!

That time of 4:16 could be tough to beat.

Well played, sir.

Look at the smile from Tamara.

Flagpole.

We expected this race to be close and exciting

and, man, did Dylan James and Rob Patterson deliver.

With Dylan hard on his heels all the way,

Rob was always going to post a super-quick time.

His only misstep was that transfer from the Dragon's Back

to the cargo net but he recovered like the champion he is.

Let's go straight to it.

The cargo ropes, you caught 'em with your legs.

Run us through it.

It seems like I'm making a habit of making some really epic saves.

Last season was the Cyclone Spinner.

This season, apparently, it's that.

Absolutely incredible stuff, mate.

And do you think, mate, you won the thing in Season 2,

you're in hot form, can you win it this year?

Oh, look, it's Ninja, anything can happen.

It's Ninja, anything can happen.

Rob Patterson, he's been here before and he's back in the Grand Final.

Rob Patterson, what a performance, into the Grand Final once again,

and with his eyes on that second-chance advantage.

A terrific time from Rob Patterson to put himself in the box seat

for that advantage, but can Rob Patterson hang on to his advantage?

We'll find out.

Still to come, killer match-ups

stand in the way of Grand Final dreams...

It is gonna be a bit of a dogfight.

Bring it on.

..in what promises to be our fastest semi-final with not one...

Zak Stolz takes out the Power Pool!

..but two Power Pool winners.

And the advantage goes to Matt Bowles.

They've earned the power - who will they choose to race against?

Welcome back to the thrilling third Semi-Final

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Now, with ninjas racing side by side, this year's Semi-Finals,

two ninjas start the course and race in a knockout sprint

for a place in the Grand Final.

17 extraordinarily talented teens made it into the semis this year.

So far, six have secured a Grand Final spot,

and we have another five competing tonight.

These kids are hungry.

And we're about to see two of the best go through their paces.

With the smell of teen spirit in the air, let's bring out the ninja kid

who trains with his ninja mum, 17-year-old Queenslander Kobe Teede!

And taking the stage now, he's the Rockstar Ninja from Victoria,

17-year-old Benjamin Hunt.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I'm Ben Hunt.

My ninja nickname is the Rockstar Ninja.

I've obviously got the look, the long hair.

Love guitar, love music, grown up on music.

The thing that brought me to Ninja was actually the show.

I just sit in front of the television in awe, going,

"These guys are like real ninjas. They're just flying through the air.

"It was like a real-life action movie."

I just got absolutely hooked, couldn't get away from it.

Yeah, it's been my life for basically the past four years.

In my heats, stepping up on the stage in front of my family

and that crowd, looking down the whole way of obstacles,

it's just unreal.

That atmosphere and the scale of everything is just unmatched.

Being a teen and being a first-time ninja in the semis is just unreal

'cause teenagers definitely have what it takes.

It's the new generation of ninjas.

In my heats, I was pretty happy how far I went.

Yes!

I beat my mum, Emma.

Come on, Mum!

I'm very inspired by Mum.

She's been a role model for me since Season 1.

Go, Mum!

I'm happy I got here and Mum didn't get here.

Yes! No problem!

I was surprised when I heard Kobe's name.

There was a bit of fear inflicted.

I had heard from other ninjas that he was quite a strong contender.

I am one of the teens that are gonna dominate the Semi-Finals tonight.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

I feel like it's the first day of exams, Woods.

Yes! A bit of nervous energy down here.

Come on!

There's Kobe's mum and Ninja training partner Emma

on the sidelines.

She was knocked out in the heats, coming off on the dominoes.

Two 17-year-olds locking in and one of them is going to a Grand Final.

It's hard to pick, same age, similar ability.

They both came off the Anaconda in the heats.

This is head-to-head racing.

It's a whole different ball game.

(CHEERING)

Here we go.

The Sprinting Steps to rope,

it's a very fast start to a very speedy course.

They can't afford to look sideways here at what the other one is doing.

It's all about focus but not a problem for these two

who fling themselves at the bag, ride it to the other side.

Gee, they're away, the teenagers.

This is nail-bitingly close as they head toward the Log Dash.

Once again, they can't let themselves get distracted

by what's happening next to them.

And going with speed and a dive.

Oh, oh, oh!

They both make it through and now the Salmon Ladder to Ring Toss.

Now, this one's interesting.

Kobe Teede once fell and got stitches from a salmon ladder.

Oh! Let's see if he can overcome it.

Gotta do a minimum of two with the salmon ladders.

Here we go.

Ben getting up that salmon ladder.

I think Ben might just be ahead but here comes Kobe.

I can't separate them, Jim.

Wow, Leila!

This is incredibly close.

They're going ring for ring.

It's anyone's race right now.

This is amazing.

These guys are flying.

Can't call it.

Is it Ben?

Ben's across first.

Wow, that was impressive.

Both of these young ninjas handling the first four obstacles.

Oh, bit of a fist bump. Bit of camaraderie, love it.

There we go, Ben right up there.

Both of them on the Dropping Shelves,

but Ben got there first,

which means, if they both fall from this obstacle,

Ben will be in the Grand Final.

Oh!

Two more, two more.

OK, but can Kobe hold on?

He needs to complete this obstacle to make it into the Grand Final.

Yes! He's gonna do it.

One more and look at that landing.

He's into the final, Leila, and he's at the Warped Wall.

Mum and dad are thrilled.

He's just three chances now to beat the wall.

He hasn't made it up the wall yet in this competition.

He's pumped, as well, Kobe, he's pumped.

Beat the wall! (CHANTING)

Kobe Teede, the Ninja Weapon, can he make it, up, up, up?

Can he beat the wall? He's got it!

He's over!

He's up the wall!

(BUZZER BLARES)

Oh, my goodness!

Kobe Teede, the Ninja Weapon.

Keep going, buddy. Keep going, keep...

You're a bit tired? Well, keep going.

You're in the Grand Final

but you're still battling the clock, buddy, let's go!

He's behind Rob's time

but these teens are light, fast, they've got stamina.

He could chase that clock down and grab that Grand Final advantage.

Let it take you, let it take you.

I love what he's doing here, this mixed grip.

That's a veteran move for a rookie ninja.

Here he goes.

Alright, he's down. Lift-off!

He's across. No!

Oh, no, splashes out!

That's another teenager through to the Grand Final.

Absolutely fearless performance from Kobe Teede.

This race couldn't have been any closer.

Ben and Kobe were neck and neck the whole way.

But, when Ben couldn't quite get a grip on the Dropping Shelves,

the door opened for Kobe Teede.

He made it all the way to the buzzer

to become the seventh teen through to the Grand Final.

On course now, a Ninja nerdy best mates match-up

that is the definition of a crowd pleaser.

Both in their fourth season of Ninja, from Brisbane,

it's Ninja Nerd Nathan Burley and Ninja Toddles Todd Smith.

Toddles, it's Todd Smith!

Yeah!

This is awesome.

We're training partners and really good, like, best mates.

We race against each other about, what, once a month, at least?

Yeah, easily.

Our weaknesses and our strengths kind of are opposite for each other.

Definitely.

Todd's very, very good up in the air but has very soft ankles and legs.

But Nathan isn't as good as me in the air,

so it'll be a close one, it might be a bit of back and forth.

We can't wait to race against each other.

We're always fighting over who's the most ultimate Ninja nerd,

and today we're gonna prove it.

Whoo-hoo!

I think it comes down to this.

It's a redemption run for Nath 'cause I've been dominating him.

I was by Todd's side when he got married,

and gonna be by his side again tonight but slightly in front.

Nuh, nuh, he'll be behind once again.

As usual. Yeah.

(HEARTY LAUGHTER)

Don't slip over, buddy!

Here we go, this is the one we've been waiting for,

the battle of the nerds.

Want to have a flex-off with the boys? Here we go.

Oi, boys!

(ANIMALISTIC GRUNTS)

Here go the nerds.

Toddles, surprisingly good pecs.

Why surprising? 'Cause he's a nerd? Yeah.

That is nerd pride right there.

(BUZZER DINGS)

Here they go, over the Sprinting Steps,

and Nathan Burley flying across them and Nathan wants that lead

because, when two ninjas fall on the same obstacle,

it's the ninja who gets there first who goes through.

That's smart tactics going onto the Log Dash.

Yeah, and it's...

Oh, no!

Oh, no! Nathan Burley!

Well, let's see, he's not out yet

because, if Toddles hits the water...

They're both out!

They're both out and do you know what that means?

Nathan Burley was first onto the obstacle

so he will advance to the Grand Finals.

The nerdy ninjas stepped on the geek gas right from the get-go.

Nathan Burley was first onto the Log Dash and the first to fall.

But best mate Todd Smith followed him into the water.

Nathan squeaks into the Grand Final

and the Log Dash claims its first two victims of the night.

(CHEERING AND WHISTLING)

Nath, you got to the platform first. You're through to the Grand Final.

Whoo! I'm in the Grand Final!

(CHEERING) Well done, mate.

Oh, mate, Nath deserves this, you know?

He trains so hard and, mate, he got there first.

Mate, he beat me so good on him.

I'm so proud of him.

First-time granny for you, Nath.

How are you feeling? I can't wait.

Bring on more obstacles.

Every time, I get more excited about more obstacles, so...

That's a really nerdy thing to say, mate.

Super pumped about obstacles.

Well, look, it was a hell of a nerd-off.

Surely we've got one more final nerd flex in us

before we get out of here.

Together, here we go.

(ANIMALISTIC GRUNTS)

Nathan Burley, we'll see you in the Grand Final!

Great stuff, fellas.

Wow, we'll take a break and return with another incredible showdown

on this Semi-Final of Australian Ninja Warrior.

Coming up, a powerwoman match-up.

Even just taking one extra second could be the difference

between making it to the Grand Finals or not.

My training that I've done for this is gonna work.

And, later, it's the old guard versus the new

when WA's Tradie Ninja Sam Goodall takes on 16-year-old Matt Bigham.

And reigning champion Zak Stolz plays his Power Pool advantage.

Who will the Zak Attack choose as his Semi-Final opponent?

Who do you want to race against?

I tried to go into the realm of the unknown

but also I wanted strong competition.

Thanks to Energizer, the Ninja who goes furthest fastest

in each of the three Semi-Finals wins a second-chance advantage.

If the ninja fails to complete a Grand Final stage,

they can use their second-chance advantage to re-run the course,

increasing their chances of reaching Mount Midoriyama.

Here they go, Launchpad to Trapeze.

They're up, quick start to the knock-out semis.

Oh, he dives for it! They both make it!

Ho-ho!

They are toe to toe!

Whoa! And he's in the water!

He's in!

Eloni, oh, he's in, too!

Look at these guys on the Log Dash!

Oh! Ooh!

Just missed the net!

Welcome back and what a night it's been so far

with our veterans and our very talented teens

putting on a show here at Sydney Olympic Park.

Two newbie ninjas who took the stage also provided plenty of drama.

Queenslanders Alex Cvetkovski, a 20-year-old rock-climber,

took on Big Red Josiah Savonoff,

the second-tallest ninja in the Semis.

Look at the big guy, oh! Oh, no!

The 2-man show looked like it was reduced to one,

but Josiah wanted an encore.

He's fighting like crazy using that long arm to try and get up there.

Alex put his rock-climbing skills to good use and extended his lead.

Where did this kid come from?

He is owning this course.

And Josiah was forced to play catch-up.

Oh, no! Oh!

Josiah Savonoff is out.

That left Alex to close the show with one final act.

Fatigue showing there.

He's starting to look a little shaky now.

Oh! No, no!

Oh, such a shame!

His run the second fastest of the night

and he learnt a valuable Ninja lesson.

Well, there were so many times in my training

where I thought I should go running and I didn't go running.

(LAUGHTER)

Alex Cvetkovski, you're in the Grand Final.

Make some noise, everyone!

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Now it's time for a couple of our female ninjas to take centre stage.

These two athletes are perfectly matched

in strength, speed and agility,

and both have been to the semis in previous seasons.

For a guaranteed spot in the Grand Final,

let's welcome this season's shortest ninja.

Representing the Gold Coast in her fourth Ninja season,

it's Skye Haddy.

And taking her on, from Sydney,

it's the 25-year-old Nanny Ninja Judith Carroll.

To be in the semis competing against another ninja directly

does add some pressure because speed is not my friend.

I like to chill out, take my time, definitely don't rush through.

Even just taking one extra second could be the difference

between making it to the Grand Finals or not.

I'll definitely be befriending speed tonight.

I think my biggest struggle will always be my height.

I'm just so tiny.

Judith's obviously a lot taller than me.

Her strides are gonna be bigger.

They're gonna be able to, you know, reach or lache further

than what I can.

That's something that's definitely going to be in my mind

coming into semis.

I may be the smallest ninja here,

but I am gonna fly through that course.

I just have to give it everything I've got

and trust that my training that I've done for this

is gonna work and that I can do it.

We're gonna be going as hard as we can

and both be trying to get into the Grand Final for the girls.

I love to see the women bringing it.

These are supremely fit athletes getting focused.

It's game face time now.

A little wave there from Judith to her boyfriend, Mat Hutchins-Read.

Go, Judy!

And Mat knows how brutal this course can be.

He was knocked out of his semi by the barest of margins.

And look at these stats.

Judith stands almost 18cm above Skye.

Convert that height into wingspan

and she may have the edge unless Skye can turn on the jets.

This is the hare versus the tortoise.

(BUZZER DINGS) Here we go, they're off.

And I'll tell you what, Judith is not playing the tortoise tonight.

Ooh, they're quick, the girls.

Yeah, the girls.

Take a look at Skye!

She's clinging onto that bag for dear life.

She's got plenty of ticker, this girl.

Here's the tricky part, over the Log Dash.

Judith gets there.

So does Skye. Oh, yes!

They are neck and neck as they move to the Salmon Ladder to Ring Toss.

Judith first onto the obstacle.

This isn't like Judith.

She got here at an unusually fast pace,

but this is her comfort zone with her big reach.

Oh, jeez, look at Skye go!

Oh, this is a close contest we've got here.

And this is where the additional wingspan can really favour Judith.

Skye's just 154cm tall.

Can she get in the rhythm

and just start gibbon swinging and get some ground?

She's gonna need to

'cause Judith has a pretty sizeable lead at the moment.

It's amazing what Skye does with that small wingspan.

Oh, look, she's trying to reach that second ring over.

She's just got it now.

And Judith is up and running.

She is absolutely flying through this course.

Skye isn't giving up.

Ooh, she just misplanted that ring.

She's got it now.

How is that for determination?

Come on, Skye!

She's made it across but Judith is a long way ahead.

She is on the precipice of the wall.

One more kick, there's the dismount.

Now, what's Skye doing?

We know she's fast.

She's over to the Dropping Shelves. Yeah.

There she goes, lacheing across.

Judith taking the opportunity to catch her breath

but Skye's chasing her.

Oh!

(AUDIENCE GROAN)

Obviously, trying to go quick.

That was a terrific effort but that ensures

that Judith Carroll is gonna make her first Grand Final.

Here she goes up the ramp. Power, drive, drive!

Come on, Judith, she's done it before.

Ooh, she just needs to get up this wall

and she'll have a shot at that Grand Final advantage.

Same height as last season but it is challenging when the conditions

are a little bit humid, trying to get those legs to fire, Leila.

Come on, Judith, show that wall who's boss.

Beat that wall!

Yes, she's beaten it, she's beaten it, she's hitting the buzzer!

Oh, well done. Well done.

Head on through. Amazing.

Judith Carroll up the wall

and over to the Double Dipper and chasing that advantage.

Come on, lots of power.

A lot of love from the crowd and from boyfriend Mat

as Judith prepares to ride that Double Dipper.

One, two. Go! Now go, go!

And onto the cargo net. Wow!

Nice!

How easy did she make that look.

That's one down.

Judith's trailing Rob Patterson by 1:40 but we know her focus is on

completing this course rather than speed.

She's aiming for the top of the crow's nest.

I reckon she can do it.

She's got the turn coming up.

Go!

Wow!

Nicely done.

And this one's a tricky one.

It is side to side.

How do they make that 270 look so easy?

Oh! Good catch, yes!

I don't know how they do that. It's amazing.

Alright, now you gotta get your sideways move.

She's gotta stick this dismount.

Boom.

I'm right there with her.

I've got the sideways. Yeah, you've got it?

Well, do you want to get out there

and do the Dragon Back 'cause she looks understandably fatigued.

Oh, yes, digging deep.

You can hear some of the kids that she actually looks after

cheering her on on the sidelines there.

Yeah, come on, Judy.

The family's right behind you.

Maybe that's what she needs.

Here she goes, up the dragon.

Ohp, she's a little off kilter, gotta get that left hand up.

There you go.

Come on, Judith!

There it is. Ooh!

Ooh, no! Oh, no!

In the pool!

Just didn't make it to the end.

Slayed by the dragon.

Skye Haddy kept pace with Judith

right up to the Salmon Ladder to Ring Toss.

Her smaller wingspan meant she was stuck on this obstacle

for way too long.

She tried to make up ground but with speed comes mistakes.

From then on, the race belonged to the Nanny Ninja.

She couldn't slay the dragon,

but we do have another woman into the Grand Final.

How good is that.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Judith Carroll, unbelievable, mate.

Three attempts at Ninja Warrior.

You're through to the Grand Final.

This is your best result yet. How do you feel, mate?

I'm probably gonna cry, honestly.

I wanted this from the start and finally made it, so I'm very happy.

Yeah. (BOTH GULP)

Take a second, take a second.

I don't want to make you cry too much,

but we notice the Nanny Ninja, as well.

We've got some of the girls here that you normally babysit.

If you were a decent babysitter, they'd probably be in bed by now.

I know.

Girls, what did you think of Judith tonight? How did she go?

Awesome. She was brilliant?

Yeah. Great stuff.

Judith Carroll's through to the Grand Final, everyone.

Get around her!

(TRIUMPHANT MUSIC)

We are 100% excited to see Judith Carroll going to the Grand Final,

an emotional ninja who has finally made her dream come true.

He won the Power Pool and has a killer advantage.

Who will the Silent Assassin have in his sights?

Next, it's Matthew Bowles.

And, later, this 16-year-old left us hanging in the heats.

Will WA's Daniel Waterman send it

right here on the Australian Ninja Warrior Semi-Finals?

(CHEERING)

Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior Semi-Finals.

This is the all-important last semi-final of the competition,

and we have just six Grand Final spots left to fill.

And hoping to fill one of those spots

is a ninja who's a real weapon on the course.

And that's why he's been nicknamed the Silent Assassin,

2-times grand finalist Matt Bowles.

In the heats, Matt won the Power Pool,

so tonight he holds the power to choose his opponent.

Somebody call the fire station.

This ninja is burning the course down.

(BUZZER BLARES)

In the heats, I ended up with the fastest time on the course,

and that put me up against Mike Snow and Olivia Vivian on the Power Pool.

These two veteran ninjas were not easy to beat

but I managed to come out on top.

Matt is on the buzzer.

Matt has claimed that critical advantage.

I'm the Silent Assassin.

My mission today is to hit both buzzers and get to the Grand Finals.

Now, Matt Bowles, who's it gonna be?

For my advantage, I pick the strong rock-climber called Jett.

I know climbers are strong but are they gonna be fast?

JIM: Matthew Bowles, aka the Silent Assassin,

has used his advantage from the heats

and chosen his target, Jett Cairns.

LEILA: Gives Jett a lot to prove, doesn't it?

"Oh, yeah, pal?

"You think choosing me is an advantage, do you?

"Well, look at what I've got."

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

JETT: My name is Jett Cairns.

I'm 21 years old,

and I live in the Blue Mountains,

and I build walking tracks.

Putting steps and drains in and that kind of thing.

The amount of walking and stuff that we do,

you've got to be pretty fit.

I'm just a bit of an unknown to all the other Ninjas,

but I'm obsessive over my climbing training,

and Ninja training as well.

My special skill is that I can do a one-finger pull-up.

Yeah, I could be up against a veteran Ninja tonight,

but I've got the skills, and I'm here to shock.

Balls to the wall. That's it. Alright. Let's do it.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

LEILA: Yeah, Jett placed 18th in his heat,

coming off on the second obstacle, the Eagle's Claw.

But Matt, well, he annihilated the entire course,

posting the quickest heats run of the season,

faster by 16 seconds.

Jett Cairns is up against it with Matt Bowles, that's for sure.

But I'm not betting against anyone who can do a one-finger pull-up.

(BELL DINGS)

JIM: Here they go. And it's a fast start.

This is a turn-up.

Jett is matching Matt step-for-step,

and they leap onto the bag at exactly the same time!

This isn't in the script! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!

They're onto the Log Dash. Matt's through, but Jett...

(CROWD GROANING) Oh, that's got to hurt.

Ooh, ooh, wow. Jett's gone under.

He's squirrelled it! He's squirrelled the log!

Jett might be down, but he's not out.

He is a fighter, and what an effort!

He is up and onto the next obstacle!

Yes, it's not pretty, is it, what Jett had to do there,

but he's still in the game.

So many Ninjas have struggled on the Log during these semis,

but I don't think we've witnessed a comeback like this one.

Remember, Matt chose to go up against Jett here.

And he is right in this, Leila,

and he's got the speed to trouble Matt Bowles.

Matt's girlfriend Lilian on the sidelines there,

shouting advice.

Yeah, Lilian is saying, "Take your time,"

but Jett is closing the gap fast. He's almost through the Ring Toss.

Ooh, here comes Jett Cairns!

Matt's on the Dropping Shelves.

Slow and steady he goes, perfect technique,

but he'd want to get a hurry on here. Jett could catch him.

Jett is absolutely flying across these shelves.

He's gonna have to take some risks here if he wants to catch up,

'cause Matt has found himself at the Warped Wall.

Go, Jett. Go, Jett.

WOODY: Gee, it'll go down to the wire here.

And he's over! Here is Jett,

and here is Matt up the wall!

He's heading our way. He is heading for that buzzer.

He is through to the grand final! (SIREN SOUNDS)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING) Yes!

And that was a whole lot closer than anyone expected!

It's onto the Double Dipper. You don't need your shirt.

He's not gonna let anything slow him down, Jim.

And he needs to pick up the pace here if he wants that advantage.

Matt's behind Rob Patterson's time right now.

Oh, there he goes! Yes, yes!

Down the second and straight onto the Cargo Net,

and heading for the Beehive.

You know he's serious when the shirt comes off.

Matt made up some time, but he does need to keep moving.

Remember, he has to beat Rob Patterson's

4 minutes and 16 seconds

for that second chance advantage in the grand final.

He needs to step on the gas now.

I think he heard you, Jim... LILIAN: Beauty! Yes!

..because Matt is racing through this obstacle.

And he's absolutely giving us a masterclass on the course.

Up! And he nails the landing!

If Matt gets on quickly,

he'll carve out a chunk of the clock.

Rob took some time getting on and had a mishap on the Cargo Net.

He is on, and 27 seconds behind.

He needs speed with caution here.

Yes, the dragon can be a Ninja killer,

but this Ninja looks determined to slay it.

This is gonna be close.

Yes! He's onto the Cargo Net.

There's only eight seconds in this. Come on!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

He's got to keep going up this Cargo Net.

The buzzer's at the top.

He won't beat Rob, but he's into another grand final.

He is right there. It's about time.

He's gonna lay down the gauntlet. (SIREN SOUNDS)

And there he goes. Yes!

Well done. Champion!

Champion! (INDISTINCT)

This bloke is hot. He's a contender.

And Matt Bowles becomes the second Ninja tonight

to complete the course,

earning himself a spot in the grand final.

Matt performed two better

than Judith Carroll,

our third woman through

to the grand final,

but unfortunately,

he was just six seconds short

from taking the advantage

from Rob Patterson.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Matty Bowles, the Silent Assassin. I mean, gee-whiz,

Australia loves it when you take the shirt off, mate.

Can I ask you, what's the decision process?

When do you take the shirt off?

Um, when I thought I might get wet. (CHUCKLES)

Right! Right, so you were concerned

about the second half of the course there?

Definitely, with it being three really hard obstacles...

I went into full Zen mode, took it off,

unleashed the power. (APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Matty Bowles, the Silent Assassin, he's into a grand final.

Matty Bowles, everybody! (CHEERING)

LEILA: And there's plenty more thrilling Ninja action to come.

Rob Patterson is hanging onto the grand final advantage,

but if there's one Ninja who knows the power it brings,

it's our reigning champion,

who won with the second chance in his pocket.

Determined to claim the advantage and win back-to-back,

it's Zak Stolz.

I won season five.

I can go up against any other competitor, so, tonight,

I'm gonna show my opponent how it's done. (LAUGHS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior semi finals.

We're at the pointy end of the competition now.

There are just five spots left in the grand final,

and ten fearless Ninjas determined to make it all the way to the end.

Wow, what a battle we have here.

These two Ninjas both finished top five in their heats.

One is a lightning-quick two-times grand finalist,

the other is the absolute epitome of power and control.

Let's bring them out. It's 30-year-old Dungeon Master,

Rat Dad and cop, Jake Baker.

Go, Jake!

And 26-year-old Sydney physio, Matthew Tsang.

My heat went pretty well, I thought.

I managed to reach the Warped Wall. (SIREN SOUNDS)

And I put down a pretty good time.

So finding out that I made it to the Power Pool was fantastic.

I was really happy to have a chance at that.

I'm hoping my runs at the Power Pool in the heats

have shown some of the other Ninjas that I'm here to race hard

and I'm not gonna be making mistakes easily.

It's definitely a tough pairing.

Jake was one of the Furthest Fastest of the night,

so, it's gonna give me a lot to work towards.

I've been working the COVID wards full-time.

That's kept me quite busy, both physically and mentally.

And because of that, I haven't been able to really put myself out there

to train as much as I would have been.

So, after taking a few years off, in the heats,

I've made it up to the Warped Wall and hit that first buzzer.

(SIREN SOUNDS)

In the semi finals, I'm hoping to up it a notch,

and bring on a new kind of gear.

It's basically go fast or go home.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Alright, Matthew Tsang and Jake Baker.

A couple of really, really quality Ninjas here, Woods.

A couple of fine wines out here, these blokes.

Come on, Jake!

JIM: There is Jake's mum, Mandy, also a police officer.

She inspired Jake to join the academy.

LEILA: Yeah, this is a solid match-up.

It will all come down to speed,

and these guys have got plenty to burn.

They were actually in the same heat.

Jake was third, Matthew was fifth,

but only one is going through to the grand final.

(BELL DINGS)

OK, here we go. Nothing much separating them just yet.

They're stride-for-stride.

Jake hitting the bag a fraction faster.

Now for the Log Dash.

This one's proved tricky tonight,

but straight over for Jake!

Very well handled by both of them, Leila. That was impressive.

Jeez, you really get a view up Matty Tsang's shorts

from down here, I tell you what. Oh!

(CHUCKLES) Jeez, there's not much short there.

It's Jake who's gonna get to the rings first.

And let's check out his technique.

Good swing.

Nice, skipping motion, too. Oh, it's smooth!

He does not look like he's in a hurry,

but he's moving fast. Great technique.

He's got a bigger wingspan,

he is able to handle that a lot faster than Matty Tsang,

but that was a good move from the third-time Ninja,

the physiotherapist from Sydney,

making up some ground as he gets onto the Dropping Shelves.

He is, isn't he? This is so close!

Jake is sticking to his rhythm.

There's maybe only two swings in this.

It's gonna come down to the wire.

He's gonna have to hurry, Leila.

He's gonna have to hurry,

'cause Jake is onto the Warped Wall, and he's going up.

Here he comes! Can he get it the first go?

Yes! He's got it!

Oh! Mate, he was half a step behind him.

Oh! It's pretty close! He's gonna get the buzzer.

Here comes Jake! (SIREN SOUNDS)

He's got it.

Jake has hit that buzzer.

That was close, though. That... Oh!

And Matthew pushed him all the way, and because of that,

Jake is only 12 seconds behind Rob Patterson's time.

Fly time. Good catch.

Another good catch. Two really nice catches there, Leila.

Good job!

Yeah, Jake hasn't made up any time on Rob yet,

but he gets his chance now.

A strong performance on the Beehive

will put him right in the mix for that huge grand final advantage.

That's the way. Keep going, Jake.

Jake has time, but if he's quick on and in between

these last obstacles, he could take the lead,

and remember, Rob was upside down on the Cargo Net.

Yeah, Jake will have one eye on the clock for sure, Jim,

and he's been pretty quick, too, as he heads out on the honeycomb.

He's clawed back five seconds!

So he's only seven seconds behind Rob's time now.

Yes, locked in.

What can he do on the Beehive over to the third honeycomb? Come on.

Yes! (APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

How do they make it look so easy?

He is trying to get lined up for a proper dismount.

And then it's the Dragon's Back.

He is at the last obstacle.

But check this out, Leila - Jake is on the charge.

He's hit the afterburners.

He's only three seconds behind.

Up he goes.

That was a big jump, too. Double jump to get started.

Oh! Ooh... Down he goes into the bungee.

He's halfway home. He knows he's racing the clock.

Can he keep up this frantic pace?

He is a little off-kilter.

Got to get the left one to match. There he goes.

OK, Jake. Five seconds ahead.

If he's clean from here, he should be the fastest.

He's across! He's on the net!

He is heading up! 4:16 was Rob's time.

Looks like he's gonna smash it!

Keep going! All the way!

He's got to keep going. He might get the fastest.

Let's go, buddy! Get up! The clock is ticking!

Hit that buzzer! He's there.

He's there. Hit it! Hit it!

Oh, my god! He's hit it! He's hit it! Yes!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

What a run by Jake Baker.

He's posted the fastest time of the night,

20 seconds ahead of Rob Patterson,

and holds the grand final advantage.

Mount Midoriyama is in his sights.

Jake Baker had to work hard

to shake off the fast-finishing Matthew Tsang

in the head-to-head section of the course.

Then Jake's exceptional cardio fitness kicked in,

and he had enough left in the tank

to race through the next three obstacles

and record tonight's best time.

Gee-whiz, mate, that was a bloody fast time.

How are you feeling?

I got to the back half of the course...

Yep? ..and I was just heaving!

Yeah, yeah. Couldn't breathe!

Yeah, I can see it. Everyone's talking about the cardio,

but mate, you are through to your third grand final here...

Oh... ..on Ninja Warrior.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

So Jake Baker's only the third Ninja

to complete the course tonight,

but how long will he enjoy

the view from the top?

'Cause there are still four more

knockout races to be run.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

LEILA: We've got some Ninja legends waiting in the wings,

including last year's winner, Zak Stolz.

Coming up...

the teenager that blew us away in the heats

and stole our hearts.

DANIEL: It means so much being here on Australian Ninja Warrior,

hanging around my idols,

getting to talk to them, it's such an amazing feeling.

Can WA's 'Send It' Ninja Daniel Watermann

push Jake Baker off top spot and down the leaderboard

to nab the grand final advantage?

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

LEILA: Welcome back to the thrilling third semi final

of Australian Ninja Warrior.

As the knockout races continue,

The Furbinator, Stewart Furze,

faced off against 22-year-old 'Spider' Sam Roberts.

And our Daddy Ninja Stewart Furze quickly got the jump on Sam.

And The Furbinator is off!

His Ninja dreams flashed before his eyes

when he slipped on the Log Dash.

Oh! Oh! JIM: Oh, he's down!

Spider Sam made his move, but it wasn't to be.

Can... No! And Spider Sam is in the water!

Yep, he's out. He's out.

After a miraculous save,

it was a race against the clock for Stewart,

with plenty of family support.

(SIREN SOUNDS)

And he made it all the way to the Double Dipper

and into the grand final.

Oh! Oh!

(BUZZER SOUNDS) Just missed the net!

Well done, Stewart 'The Furbinator' Furze,

a first-time dad

and now a three-times Ninja grand finalist.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

OK, we are down to our final three races,

and there are only three grand final spots left to fill,

with legends, newcomers, and of course,

some hungry teens keen to grab them.

When we opened this season up to 16- and 17-year-old Ninjas,

we didn't dare dream how incredible they'd prove to be.

And our veteran Ninjas didn't expect

how much of a challenge they'd be, either.

They certainly didn't, Jim.

Now comes the ultimate battle of the old and the new,

as another teen tries to make his mark.

Alright, so our next semi final pairing, guys,

is Matt Bigham. Where is he? There he is. In here, Matty boy.

Who will be head-to-head with...

Sam Goodall!

Take it easy on me, alright?

I'm getting old! (CHUCKLES)

MATT: I'm 16 years old,

and I've kind of been full-on Ninja training for my whole life.

You know, I did gymnastics and some parkour,

and then rock climbing.

It's all kind of like combined, like,

the perfect formula to be a Ninja.

In my heats, I got to obstacle five, the Ring Chaser.

It blew my expectations out of the water.

I did far better than what I thought I would do.

The teenagers have what it takes to, you know,

compete with the big dogs who've been doing it for years.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

He is, you know, pretty much Ninja royalty.

But 'cause he's been doing it so many years...

he's getting a bit old.

Does mean I'm pretty old. That's true.

It's my turn to shine.

But I'm coming into the semis, and it's game on.

The next generation of Ninjas, they're here,

trying to beat me and take my spot,

so I've got something to prove to these young whippersnappers.

May the best man win. Or...

Best man or boy win. You choose. (LAUGHS)

LEILA: It's a battle for - or, should I say of - the ages,

because Sam is more than twice as old as Matt.

JIM: WA's tradie Ninja Sam Goodall

is looking to make his sixth grand final.

Now, Matt went further in the heats than Sam.

He went all the way to obstacle five.

On paper, this is all Matt,

but Sam says he's got a point to prove.

Go, Matt!

And dad David on the side, supporting Matt,

and Sam's wife Rachel on the big screen.

Sam Goodall is the guy for me. I bloody love this bloke.

You just want more bald people in here so you're not alone.

Represent, baby. Represent. (LAUGHS) Here we go.

(BELL DINGS)

So there they go,

and they are tiptoeing across the Sprinting Steps,

but they are done and they're gonna launch onto the bag and roll,

and from there, Leila, it's a Log Dash.

Oh, no! Oh!

Splash down!

Wow. Wow, we've had a stack.

Matt Bigham, he is out.

OK. This is what it is. (SIGHS)

If Sam can get through this - he has to get to the other side.

Come on, Sam. If he does...

He's over! ..he's into the grand final!

Nice job, babe!

Oh, Matt Bigham, what a shame!

The Log Dash claims yet another Ninja tonight.

The young fella just went out that bit too fast.

The Tradie Ninja on the Ring Toss now.

He doesn't have the pressure of head-to-head racing anymore,

but he doesn't want to slow the pace too much.

Now he can attack.

Look at that move. Just skipping a little peg.

Going back, though, he's got to get the little motion.

Here we go. Here we go, Sammy.

Nice one. That's a nice rhythm now.

Should swing off.

Ooh! Ooh!

Look at that one-arm release!

He almost went off the mat there, but he's OK. Thumbs up.

Yeah, people on the side of the course ready to keep an eye,

make sure everyone's OK. He's given them the thumbs up,

and he's headed to the Dropping Shelves.

Look at this bald man. I love it. I love a baldie out there.

He's done what he needed to do in the head-to-head,

and he knows he's in the grand final.

(RACHEL LAUGHS NERVOUSLY) Jake Baker's time of 3:57

will be tough to beat with no-one pushing Sam along.

Yeah, he needs to pick up the pace a bit, though.

Too easy! Go on, Sammy!

Just one swing back and across. He's not wasting any time.

As he laches across those Dropping Shelves

and heading for the Warped Wall!

Beat the wall! Come on.

Yep, 4.35m, this wall.

Gonna take a little bit of time, gonna say hi to Rachel,

as he tries to make his assault on this dual Warped Wall.

Come on. Come on!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

No problem at all.

Alright. (SIREN SOUNDS)

Buzzer. Thumbs up.

And now it's time to go... whichever way you want to go.

You want a mic? You can do that. (LAUGHS)

Here you go. Nice one.

Go get 'em, Sam.

I think he just owned us, Jim.

Uh, without a doubt. (CHUCKLES)

We'll see if he can continue to own the course here.

It's Double Dipper time, and he is 38 seconds slower than Jake.

He is across. He is down.

Oh, no! Oh!

Ooh.

Didn't quite make that last little transition move

to the Cargo Net.

But thumbs up, and he is into that grand final.

(LAUGHS) Thumbs up from Rachel as well.

After a fast and furious start to the race,

the Log Dash consigned yet another Ninja

to an early and watery grave.

And with a spot in the grand final guaranteed,

Sam Goodall proved to us all

that the old dog does still have some tricks.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Sam Goodall, my bald brother, mate, let's touch heads if we can.

Look at this. Look at that goodness. Oh, yeah. Mmm!

Gee-whiz, you can feel the sparks flying off these two blokes.

You gotta feel pretty good about the fact that you're in the granny now.

Yeah, look, I really didn't deserve a spot in the semis,

but getting paired up against one of these young whippets,

that was a shock to the system. I thought...

Yeah, I told him to take it easy on me.

Yeah, well, it was actually quite an interesting contrast,

because obviously he's going back to school tomorrow.

For you, back to the nursing home. You know...

(LAUGHTER) It was quite interesting that,

you know, one of the oldies actually got out on top.

One of only 11 Ninjas to be here every single time,

grand final every year. Congratulations, mate.

You're a champion of the game.

Sam Goodall into his sixth consecutive grand final

here on Ninja.

He notches one up for the old guard. What a legend.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Up next, lightning quick and just 16 years old -

will Daniel Watermann lead the teens to the top spot?

Mount Midoriyama, I'm coming for you,

not only for me, but for all the other teens out there too.

I may only be 16, but I'm ready for this,

and I'm gonna be the youngest winner ever.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Welcome back to the Australian Ninja Warrior semi finals,

where so far, only three Ninjas have made it all the way through

this challenging semis course,

with Dungeon Master Jake Baker slaying every obstacle in his path

to land on top of the leaderboard.

LEILA: But coming in hot for the top spot

is the super-speedy teen we call the 'Send It' Ninja.

From Perth, Daniel Watermann...

in a showdown against the Teenage Ninja Turtle

from Geelong in Victoria, Kai James.

KAI: My Ninja name is Turtle.

I have two turtles. I was obsessed with turtles.

Had everything about turtles.

I may be a Ninja Turtle,

but on the course, I'm not as slow as one.

Come on, Kai!

These teens have no fear. There's no scar tissue.

Going into semis, I want to prove myself,

since I didn't really get to show what I could do in the heats.

I'm here to show my full potential and hit that buzzer.

How cool is this kid?

My proudest moment in the heats

was grabbing onto that Warped Wall and climbing up it

and hitting that buzzer. That was amazing.

And the attack of the teens continues!

Going for that Power Pool was so crazy, just 'cause...

Oh, you're around your idols,

and it's like going up against the best, it's insane.

What a moment. (CROWD CHEERING)

It's a one-in-two chance of making it to the grand final tonight,

so I'm gonna bring my all to the course.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

WILL: Daniel Watermann versus Kai James.

Daniel's actually got 'Send It' on his T-shirt.

What does that mean? It means he's gonna go bloody hard.

Let's see how he goes. (LAUGHS)

Yeah, the 'Send It' Ninja versus the Ninja Turtle,

but don't let the name fool you.

Kai also has a handy turn of speed.

Kai had a shock exit in the heats,

but don't count him out.

He is taller and has more wingspan,

and is back to prove his worth.

Daniel was a standout in the heats,

competing in the Power Pool.

One of only two teens to achieve that distinction.

And there's the family from WA on the big screen.

Their boy Daniel has the makings of a great Ninja.

(BELL DINGS)

Here we go. They are moving and grooving,

and they are across the first obstacle.

Ooh, and that is explosive movement from Kai James,

and he is first to the Log Dash.

But it's Daniel who races onto the obstacle first,

Kai hot on his heels.

These teens are tearing through this course!

At the Salmon Ladder,

both of them clanking their way to the top at high speed.

He is giving it to Watermann, and Watermann's quick.

What a race this is turning out to be!

This is so close!

Man, the 'Send It' Ninja a little bit ahead,

but will the extra wingspan of Kai James make a difference here?

Both of them using their bodies elegantly.

And they land their dismounts at exactly the same time.

But it's Kai who is first onto the Dropping Shelves.

Incredible stuff from both of these kids.

Oh, yes, they're full of energy. They're...

Oh, no! Oh, Kai just losing his grip!

Kai just came off.

Yeah, but Daniel Watermann has to finish this one,

because he was second onto this obstacle.

If he does this... he's into the grand final!

WOODY: Come on, Daniel!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Just him against the Warped Wall now.

CROWD: Beat the wall! Kai James is out.

And Daniel is one of just four teens who've made it up the Warped Wall,

but that race has to have taken it out of him.

Not this time.

He's got another two shots at this. He's gonna have to dig deep.

Sometimes you've got to get a little bit more time

when you come off of those tough obstacles and refocus.

He's got a drive to thrive. Here he comes.

Get up there, big boy! Yes! Beat the wall! Beat the wall!

He's beaten that wall!

There's the buzzer. This 16-year-old from Perth

has beaten the wall. He's sent it...

He's sending it straight across. (LAUGHS) He's taking a bow!

Yes!

And it's time to concentrate now

on winning that second chance advantage.

The Double Dipper. Leaning into it, and away he goes.

Fly, young man.

Here he goes... over! Well done.

Down the next dipper, and easily catching the net.

He's sending it so far.

Now, next, it's the Beehive.

And this is interesting, Leila.

Daniel Watermann is going into this obstacle

only eight seconds behind Jake Baker's time.

He is born to Ninja.

He is chewing up this course.

Will he be the first teenager to get all the way to the end?

Well, the way he's going, he could do exactly that,

and win that grand final advantage.

Yes, he's got it.

Another great catch.

Grip strength, lache, body control -

this kid can do it all.

Alright, well, he's done eight.

Can he do the ninth obstacle, the Dragon Back,

which has been a Ninja killer in the past.

Waving to his family. What do you think, Perth? Can he do it?

Go, Dan! Go, Dan!

Whoo-hoo! Yep, they're right behind him.

They want to see him become the first teenager

to conquer this course.

He's certainly looking the goods at the moment.

Yes, but he's burnt up time getting onto the Dragon's Back.

At 50kg, though, he's 33kg lighter than Jake Baker.

Can he convert that to speed?

Up he goes again here.

A couple more.

Click it up there, big fella. You can do it. Come on.

Gosh, this has got to be so hard.

Look at him straining, Leila. Yes.

He's pushing hard... Ooh...

..but he is so close to the finish. Get it up there!

Straightened it up. He's done well.

He's got to hold on for dear life here. He's got to hold on!

Lost an arm! Hold on!

He did it! My goodness. Saved it.

What a save! Amazing save.

Now he's got to hit that Cargo Net,

and then he's going up the Crow's Nest.

Come on, buddy. Get that big swing.

Oh, no! Oh! Oh, no!

Oh, in the pool! The dragon has slayed the teen,

but he is through to the grand final.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Kai proved a lot faster than your average turtle,

but his grip failed him on the Dropping Shelves.

After clinching a spot in the grand final,

Daniel was on track to become the first teen

to conquer the demanding semis course.

He pulled off one of the saves of the season on the Dragon's Back,

but fatigue got the better of him on his final lache.

Let's go to Woody, who's got him right there.

Daniel Watermann, I mean, wowee.

You're 16 years old.

First time on Australian Ninja Warrior,

you are into a grand final. How are you feeling?

Oh, I don't even have words to explain it at the moment, eh?

It's insane. (CHUCKLES) It's insane.

'Insane' is definitely one word. Were you happy with your run?

Obviously just came off at the end there.

Was that just fatigue?

Ah, yeah. Just got forearms fully pumped.

I should have taken more of a break, but here we are.

Daniel Watermann, ladies and gentlemen.

He is into a grand final as a 16-year-old.

Look out, the teens are coming.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING) Good stuff, man!

This is what it's all about, Daniel. Well done.

Up next, the last race.

The current champ needs a win if he's to go back-to-back.

Zak Stolz chooses his opponent

and has his sights set on

the grand final second chance advantage.

Speaking from experience, that is powerful.

That can be the difference between,

well, falling off and winning.

(LAUGHS)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

Welcome back to all the semi final action of Australian Ninja Warrior,

where Ninjas have been battling it out head-to-head

for a coveted spot in the grand finals.

JIM: And tonight, we have witnessed some heartbreaking wipeouts,

as well as moments of sheer triumph.

Every Ninja has given this competition their all,

with Jake Baker setting the benchmark

with the fastest time of the night.

Now, there's just one grand final spot remaining.

And we have two worthy contenders hoping to claim it,

including one of this sport's true greats.

Yes, Jim, earlier tonight,

our reigning Ninja champion Zak Stolz

played his Power Pool advantage.

His decision will greatly affect his chances

of making it through to the grand final.

Zak Attack, who do you want to race against?

I tried to go into the realm of the unknown,

but also I wanted a strong competition, so,

I picked Steven. Stevel Knievel. (APPLAUSE)

My name is Steve Manassah.

I'm 26, from Albany, Western Australia.

Being from a small town,

you've got to make yourself busy with certain activities,

like diving, swimming...

Training in the Ninja gym.

(FUNKY MUSIC)

I think he chose me because I'm a little bit inexperienced.

JIM: Oh, he's going backwards. This is confounding.

And he's in the drink. Oh, no!

The Anaconda may have got the better of me in the heats,

but I'm not gonna let Zak stand in the way of winning tonight.

I'm ready to smash it.

ZAK: The winner of the semi finals is gonna win a second life,

and, speaking from experience, that is powerful.

It was the reason I won last year.

MAN 1: Oh, no! (BUZZER SOUNDS)

MAN 2: You've got a second chance run.

It is so, so powerful to have. It is massive.

Oh! (LAUGHS) He got it!

So, I desperately want to win that advantage.

I still have what it takes. I feel nice and strong, ready to go.

So I'll be doing everything in my power I can to get there.

LEILA: Steve Manassah is fast, he is strong,

and, according to Sam Goodall, WA's best at the Warped Wall.

He is not to be underestimated.

JIM: Yes, Leila. Zak has taken a gamble alright,

but he's also a proven winner who's not afraid to challenge himself.

WOMEN: Zak Attack! Zak Attack! Zak has quite the cheer squad

going on down there, including his grandmother, Sherry.

They're expecting him to go back-to-back.

WOODY: Oh, we're pumped about this one.

Get to see the reigning champ, Zak Stolz,

Zak Attack, in action.

But let's be honest,

there's no secret who I'm supporting.

Come on, the Zak Attack!

Zak's all smiles up there,

but he is carrying a bit of an injury to his left knee.

We'll need to keep an eye on that.

I wonder, has Zak made the right decision

choosing to take on Steve in this final semi?

Here we go. (BELL DINGS)

Now it's time to get off and get going.

Onto the Sprinting Steps to rope...

(CROWD GROANS)

Oh, what happened? Steve is out.

Steve hit the water, so now Zak is into the grand finals.

Yeah, the only problem with that, Jim,

is now Zak doesn't have anyone pushing him.

He wants a fast time.

He wants that grand final advantage,

especially after it helped him win the competition last year.

But can he keep up the pace without someone nipping at his heels?

And he's gotten through the three obstacles

that would worry him the most with that knee issue.

Just moves so smoothly through here.

You can see why he's the reigning champ.

Zak Attack, you're still moving.

Bloody hell, no rest.

His knee certainly doesn't seem to be bothering him,

and neither does the fact that he's left his competition

back in the water at obstacle one.

He is powering through these Dropping Shelves.

I am looking very impressive here.

He wants the advantage, he wants the title,

and right now, despite no-one chasing him,

he is three seconds faster than Jake was at this point.

I reckon Jake Baker is watching the clock

rather nervously around about now.

This is the test, though. He's onto the wall.

And if that knee is gonna give him any trouble,

it will be here.

Jim, he wants to go all the way.

He's got the form to do it. He's at the top of the world.

(SIREN SOUNDS) Smacking that buzzer!

(LAUGHS) A victory dance. Alright, let's go.

We're on the clock, buddy. Come on! Get the time!

The clock is running.

This guy is impressive.

He is straight up and onto the Double Dipper

one second ahead of Jake Baker.

And this is tight.

Here he goes.

Smooth. Oh, yes. Double Dipper.

Cargo Net.

And check that time, Jim.

Zak is just half a second behind Jake Baker now.

But he is smoking this course.

He's onto the Beehive.

He can make up time here with his power and precision.

These are the type of obstacles the current champ loves.

Big laches and big catches.

Just... He just glides through the air.

It's like there's no gravity with him.

3:57 the time to beat.

The Zak Attack keen to go back-to-back,

and he's tearing his way through this course.

Oh! Nails it!

Look at that body control. Look at that grip strength.

And he's gonna swing off right here for the dismount.

Careful with your left leg! (GROANS)

This is quick.

He's now running 12 seconds ahead of Jake.

Come on, Zakky!

Remember, the time to beat is 3:57.

Little bit of a hair toss before you slay a dragon.

Zak believes he wouldn't have won last season

without that grand final advantage,

and you can see how desperately he wants it again this year.

The current champ,

about to stamp his authority on the course once more.

He won the Power Pool advantage in the heats,

and he's about to steal the grand final advantage

off Jake Baker.

The Zak Attack is one of the elite Ninjas

who seems to be able to do the impossible

and make it look easy at the same time.

Come on, one more Cargo Net.

It's a brutal end to this course.

He's got to get going. That's risky.

Ooh! (BUZZER SOUNDS)

He JUST touched the water!

Can't believe it! Last year's winner Zak Stolz

hitting the water just metres from the buzzer.

Oh! Wow! He's right at the finish line,

and the feet go in the water.

Oh, the Zak Attack...

I feel like I lived that with him!

Let's take a look at what happened to Steven Manassah

back there on the first obstacle.

He actually missed the last of the Sprinting Steps

and couldn't get enough rope to keep himself out of the water.

After that, Zak was racing the clock,

and boy, was he quick.

He was on track to post the fastest time of the night.

But an awkward landing at that final Cargo Net

stopped him short of the buzzer.

This Ninja legend will once again be competing in the grand final,

only this year, he'll be doing it without an advantage.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

What happened right at the end there?

Tried to get the hips through. Missed my hand placement.

Unfortunately copped the, uh, con yonnies on the...

(LAUGHS) ..the way down, so.

The con yonnies have copped a whack, but they'll bounce back

for the grand final, there is no doubt.

But Zak Attack, our reigning champ,

he's in good spirits. He's in a grand final.

Zak Stolz, everybody!

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)

We now have our final 12 grand finalists!

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

Fan favourites Nathan Burley

and Eloni Vunakece have made it

to their first grand final,

as has teenager Kobe Teede.

Superstar Judith Carroll

also chalks up her first,

along with the best performing teen,

Daniel Watermann.

And the cream of the crop have

most definitely risen to the top.

JIM: And a special shout-out to Jake Baker,

who was Furthest Fastest tonight,

and wins that incredible second chance grand final advantage,

all thanks to Energizer.

Well, that brings us to the end of our third and last semi final.

Next week, the path to Mount Midoriyama

is even more perilous.

Who will survive and prove themselves worthy

of climbing the coveted red rope?

Don't miss grand finals week.

Goodnight, Australia. Goodnight.

(SOFT PIANO MUSIC)

For five years...

our legends have been chasing the Holy Grail.

MAN: Mount Midoriyama is the be all and end all.

It's just the pinnacle of Ninja.

Yet only one has ever conquered it.

MAN: You've got to aim high. You've got to aim for the stars.

MAN: I am here to climb Midoriyama.

As Australia's greatest sporting quest continues...

This is what I've dreamed of.

..a new generation of Ninjas...

BOY: Being one of the eight teens to make the grand final tonight,

I'm so proud of myself.

..have proven the summit is within reach again.

BOY: Being this close to Mount Midoriyama,

I want to prove to Australia that 16-year-olds can go all the way.

After four of the fastest heats...

JIM: So much power. What an athlete.

..and nail-biting knockouts in the semis...

Oh! Oh, my god!

..only the best of the best remain.

WOMAN: I'm the only mum to ever make it to a grand final.

(DRAMATIC MUSIC)

The time has arrived...

MAN: Tonight's the night.

Time to shine, time to put it down on the line.

..to face the mountain...

MAN: Eight years of my life dedicated to this.

A lot of pain, a lot of sacrifice.

..as the grand final stage is set.

I'm setting my sights high, to win this whole season.

It's now a race against each other...

BOY: I'm versing some of the best people in Australia.

..as well as the clock.

Go! Go! Come on, the clock is ticking!

And anything less than perfection ends the dream.

Oh, no! No! This has not happened!

Over two massive nights,

three gruelling stages...

If you don't respect the course, you're finished.

..lead our Ninjas to the Holy Grail -

Mount Midoriyama.

(APPLAUSE AND CHEERING)