G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "Persistence can change failure into extraordinary achievement." - Matt Biondi (American Swimmer). With that in mind, let's do this.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏉 All systems are go

🇦🇺 What to expect in a monster round 2

🎮 eRacers call foul play

SJ Tipping Game (results) 🎉

We had a huge number of entries again, which is great to see.

Two of you managed to pick 2 winners and a 3rd from the three races selected, and both selected 4L as the total winning lengths.

I guess we're going to have to give you both the win!

Shout out to Jason T & Brett M - You should have an email from me today.

🎉 To celebrate the return of the NRL, keep your eye out for a comp later in the week.

🏉 NRL

'We're looking for mars': Peter V'landys aiming to have crowds at NRL matches by July

Just days away from getting the NRL back up and running prior to any rival Australian sporting code, Peter V'landys has identified his next goal: getting crowds back.

Despite crowds being a virtual afterthought for both the NRL and AFL this season, V'landys, ever the optimist, is aiming to have spectators filling the stands by July 1.

"We're on the moon," V'landys told the Sydney Morning Herald. "We're looking for Mars now."

NRL games are set to get back underway this week starting May 28, a date that was widely criticised as being ambitious in various rival sporting circles, and will initially take place behind closed doors.

"The next test for us is once they relax the measures, we want to see in the next three weeks if the infection rate is altered in any fashion. If it hasn't, we'll be pushing very hard for crowds....capped crowds." (nine)

Ball Boys Axed for Million-Dollar Replacements

The strict biosecurity rules under which the NRL is returning will see the end of the humble ball boy – with their roles to be taken up by some of the game’s best-paid stars. reports the (Telegraph - sub required)

🇦🇺 AFL

Blockbusters galore as AFL prepares for monster round two

The AFL is set to release the first phase of the new fixture today.

Powerhouses Collingwood and Richmond will lock horns on Thursday, June 11, while fierce rivals Geelong and Hawthorn is tipped for the following night.

The Showdown in South Australia also looks likely to feature in the first week of the restarted season.

West Coast and Fremantle is set to play Gold Coast and Brisbane respectively with the two WA sides set to spend a month in Queensland.

The AFL is set to reveal Essendon and North Melbourne will travel to New South Wales to take on Sydney and GWS respectively, while Carlton v Melbourne and St Kilda v Western Bulldogs will be the remaining matches in round two. (AFL.com)

⚽️ Football

Not plastic but Cardboard fans

In their first home game back since the Bundesliga returned, Borussia Mönchengladbach used cardboard cutouts of supporters to make the stands look less empty. Some away fans have also got in on the act, with the cost (€19) going to charity.

Transfer Gossip:

🔁 Rumoured to be Liverpool bound, Timo Werner scored a hat-trick for Leipzig this weekend. His stats this season are unreal:👤 Games - 37, ⚽️ Goals - 30, 🎯 Assists - 12

🔁 Odds cut from $67.0 into $2.2 on Philippe Coutinho joining Newcastle

🏌🏻‍♂️ Golf

The Match II: Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning face off against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady at Medalist.

Rain has delayed the start ‘The Match II’ Featuring Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Tiger Woods And Phil Mickelson. (you can view it on the Bleacher Report App)

Their second meeting features Tom Brady pairing up with Mickelson and Peyton Manning joining Woods in the tag-team match. The four stars will play at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Fla., where Woods regularly practices when he's home.

The match will raise at least $10 million for coronavirus relief efforts, but the players will have the chance to earn more money on the course for charities. The unique event includes a four-ball format for the front nine and a modified alternate shot format for the back nine. (SI)

📺 Random watch

BBC sports commentator narrates Australia's penguin parade in lockdown voiceover.

UFC: This UFC fighter's weight-cut is not for the faint-hearted 🥵💪

🏉 Rugby

Rugby Australia releases trio after they refuse Coronavirus pay cuts

Rugby Australia and Queensland Rugby Union have released Izack Rodda, Harry Hockings and Isaac Lucas after they refused Covid-19-related pay cuts.

RA said the decision was made after the players chose to "pursue termination of their contracts" and was "effective immediately".

It comes after RA warned of A$120m (£64.4m) losses because of coronavirus.

Rugby Australia interim chief executive Rob Clarke said: "The game collectively took the difficult but necessary action to stand down over 70% of the entire rugby workforce, which equates to over 150 workers that are now receiving the JobKeeper subsidy.

"At the same time, 189 professional rugby players in Australia accepted reduced pay for an interim period to enable the game to navigate this unprecedented situation. The three Queensland players elected not to accept these terms." (BBC)

🎮 F1 (eSeries)

‘Wasn’t him in the car’: Ex-F1 star’s online race cheating claim

The outcome of round five of Formula E’s esports Race at Home Challenge was under a stewards’ inquiry on Sunday amid claims a “ringer” had taken the place of Audi Sport’s Daniel Abt and finished third.

Saturday’s 15-lap race around a virtual Berlin Tempelhof track was won by Britain’s Oliver Rowland for Nissan e.dams with Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne second for Mercedes.

“Really not happy here because that was not Daniel driving the car himself, and he messed up everything. Really ridiculous,” Vandoorne said on his Twitch stream after an incident during the race.

“I’m questioning if it was really Daniel in the car.” Jean-Eric Vergne, a two-times champion in the real-life all-electric series, backed up Vandoorne.

“Please ask Daniel Abt to put his Zoom next time he’s driving, because like Stoffel said I’m pretty sure he wasn’t in,” the Frenchman said.

Abt, who had not featured on the virtual podium in any of the previous races, did not appear for online post-race interviews. (Fox)

Back on Wednesday!