🗞 What a Bloke

G’day Sports Fans,

🗣️ “I’m not a fan of it, I don’t like the whole bravado, pushing people around. If you’re that brave about things, my players and their players, get into a UFC cage and I’ll see how brave they are.” - Ange Postecoglou after his sides 3-2 win.

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Fri: 07:00 - PGA TOUR - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am [Fox Sports]

Fri: 14:30 - ODI Series - Australia v West Indies [Fox Cricket]

Fri: 11:00 - NFL Pro Bowl Skills Showdown [7mate, ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

Sat: 02:30 - Asian Cup Quarter-Final - Australia v Korea Republic [Channel 10 or Paramount+]

Sat: 07:00 - Six Nations Rugby - France v Ireland [Stan Sport]

Sun: 14:30 - ODI Series - Australia v West Indies [Fox Cricket]

🏏 The West Indies will be hoping to keep the momentum going into their three-match ODI series against Australia, beginning today.

The world champions, back playing the shorter format for the first time since last November, are set to hand four players international debuts across the series.

Pacemen Lance Morris and Xavier Bartlett are likely to get the call-up given Pat Cummins, Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Allan Border Medallist Mitch Marsh are not part of the 13-man squad.

Fraser-McGurk, just 21 and coming off a breakout summer including a big BBL campaign, and big-hitting 24-year-old Sutherland will play at some stage during the series, which continues in Sydney (February 4) and Canberra (February 6).

🏉 The rumours around Jack Wighton returning to the State of Origin arena are heating up with the Rabbitohs star having reportedly “made himself available” for Blues selection.

Wighton cited family reasons and wanting to win a premiership at the Raiders last year for retiring from representative football in 2023, but it appears he is keen to return.

🏏 Australian legend Ricky Ponting has confirmed his interest in coaching a T20 franchise in the Major League Cricket competition later this year.

The former Australian Test captain was linked with the Washington Freedom earlier this week, with the American-based competition looking to continue their growth after a strong inaugural season in 2023.

"There have been some discussions ... I haven't committed to anything just yet, but I've had some initial chats," he told SEN Radio.

⚽️ Bad to worse: Football Australia is investigating a possible data leak which could include the player contracts and personal information of players and club members around the country.

An independent cybersecurity research publication reported that passports details were among information leaked online which could potentially affect every local customer or fan.

🏀 The JackJumpers’ imports stood up when Tasmania needed them most, as Jordon Crawford and Milton Doyle combined to all but end Cairns’ top six hopes

Crawford put up 25 points, which included six threes, while Doyle had 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists in a busy night at Cairns Convention Centre, as the JackJumpers strengthened their grip on third with a 94-86 win.

🏏 Victorian coach Chris Rogers has revealed Will Pucovski suffered dizziness when he returned to training after suffering a head knock in Adelaide and he’s been ruled out of the Sheffield Shield clash starting on Saturday. 

🐴 Promising colt Pivot City could join stablemate Raikoke in the Group 3 Zeditave Stakes (1200m) on February 24 with a first-up victory tonight at The Valley. 

Mick Price and Michael Kent Jr-trained Pivot City is a $1.60 TAB favourite for the 1000m Benchmark 64 under lights from $4.20 second elect Austmarr, prepared by Anthony and Sam Freedman. 

Pivot City emerged as a potential stakes-calibre three-year-old sprinter last spring with an effortless five-length Bendigo romp on debut but failed to fire second-up in the Listed Poseidon Stakes.

⚽️ Manchester United's Marcus Rashford annoyed teammates' as reports suggest he took a private jet to Northern Ireland, embarked on a 12-hour tequila spree, later missing training due to illness.

Witnesses spotted him at a nightclub and allegedly found him passed out on a hotel bed, fully clothed, at 3 am.

🏎️ Lewis Hamilton is on the brink of leaving Mercedes, the team where he has won six of his seven drivers’ world titles, for Ferrari in an F1 contract bombshell.

Motorsport reports Hamilton is in advanced negotiations to join the Italian outfit for the 2025 season with a decision expected “imminently”. Sky News reported the Mercedes factory was to be briefed yesterday morning (UK time) before a formal today.

Ferrari's stock is up 10% today on the back of a positive earnings report and news that Lewis Hamilton is leaving Mercedes to join the company's Formula 1 team.

🏀 Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is out for Thursday's (US time) game against the Utah Jazz and will receive further evaluation on his left knee in the next 24 hours, via ESPN sources.

⛳️ The US PGA Tour announced a deal worth up to $3 billion (A$4.6bn) with a group of billionaire sports team owners to create a for-profit entity, PGA Tour Enterprises.

The commercial venture partnership with Strategic Sports Group (SSG), under the PGA Tour’s control, offers nearly 200 PGA Tour players the chance to become equity holders in the new company launched Wednesday.

🏀 The Memphis Grizzlies plan to retire Marc Gasol's No. 33 jersey during their April 6 game against the Philadelphia 76ers.

Gasol played for the Grizzlies from 2008 to '19 and remains the franchise's leader in minutes played (25,917), starts (762), baskets (4,341), free throws made (2,701), defensive rebounds (4,624), total rebounds (5,952) and blocks (1,135).

🏈 icymi: Mike Macdonald's handiwork in Baltimore produced the NFL's top scoring defense in 2023. It also caught the eye of a team on the opposite coast.

The Seattle Seahawks have hired Macdonald as their new head coach, the team announced Wednesday night.

TODAY

06:30 - Premier League - West Ham United v Bournemouth [Optus Sport 3]

07:00 - Spanish La Liga - Getafe v Real Madrid [Optus Sport 2]

07:00 - PGA TOUR - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Round 1 [Fox Sports]

07:15 - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Manchester United [Optus Sport 4]

10:00 - NHL All-Star Weekend - NHL All-Star Game Draft [ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

11:00 - NFL Pro Bowl - NFL Pro Bowl Skills Showdown [7mate, ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

11:30 - NBA - Boston Celtics v Los Angeles Lakers [ESPN or Kayo Sports]

14:00 - NBA - Utah Jazz v Philadelphia 76ers [ESPN or Kayo Sports]

14:30 - ODI Series - Australia v West Indies [Fox Cricket]

14:30 - Men's NCAA - USC Trojans v Oregon Ducks [ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

15:00 - Test Match - India v England [Fox Sports]

19:30 - NBL - Adelaide 36ers v Sydney Kings [ESPN or Kayo Sports]

19:45 - A-League Men - Brisbane Roar v Wellington Phoenix [Paramount+]

21:45 - A-League Men - Perth Glory v Melbourne City [Paramount+]

SATURDAY

02:30 - Asian Cup Quarter-Final - Australia v Korea Republic [Channel 10 or Paramount+]

02:30 - SA20 - Paarl Royals v Sunrisers Eastern Cape [Fox Cricket]

07:00 - Six Nations - France v Ireland [Stan Sport]

07:00 - PGA TOUR - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Round 2 [Fox Sports]

10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Victoria v South Australia Redbacks

11:00 - NHL All-Star Weekend - NHL All-Star Skills Competition [ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

11:00 - Sheffield Shield - Queensland Bulls v Tasmania Tigers

12:00 - NBA - Memphis Grizzlies v Golden State Warriors [ESPN or Kayo Sports]

13:30 - Sheffield Shield - Western Australia v New South Wales Blues

14:40 - Women's ODI Series - Australia v South Africa [7mate, Fox Cricket]

15:00 - Test Match - India v England [Fox Sports]

17:00 - A-League Men - Western United FC v Sydney FC [Paramount+]

17:30 - NBL - Illawarra Hawks v Brisbane Bullets [ESPN or Kayo Sports]

18:00 - A-League Men - Newcastle Jets v Melbourne Victory [Paramount+]

19:45 - A-League Men - Adelaide United v Central Coast Mariners [10 Bold or Paramount+]

20:00 - NBL - Melbourne United v South East Melbourne Phoenix [ESPN or Kayo Sports]

22:30 - SA20 - MI Cape Town v Pretoria Capitals [Fox Cricket]

23:30 - Premier League - Everton v Tottenham [Optus Sport 1]

SUNDAY

01:15 - Six Nations - Italy v England [Stan Sport]

02:00 - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Crystal Palace [Optus Sport 4]

02:00 - Premier League - Newcastle United v Luton Town [Optus Sport 3]

02:00 - Premier League - Burnley v Fulham [Optus Sport 5]

02:30 - SA20 - Joburg Super Kings v Durban Super Giants [Fox Cricket]

03:45 - Six Nations - Wales v Scotland [Stan Sport]

04:00 - Men's NCAA - Miami Hurricanes v Virginia Tech Hokies [ESPN or Kayo Sports]

04:00 - Men's NCAA - LSU Tigers v Arkansas Razorbacks [ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

04:30 - Premier League - Sheffield United v Aston Villa [Optus Sport 1]

04:30 - Spanish La Liga - Deportivo Alaves v Barcelona [Optus Sport 2]

05:00 - PGA TOUR - AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, Round 3 [Fox Sports]

07:00 - Spanish La Liga - Girona v Real Sociedad [Optus Sport 2]

07:00 - NHL All-Star Weekend - NHL All-Star Game [ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

09:00 - Test Match - New Zealand v South Africa [Fox Cricket]

10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Victoria v South Australia Redbacks

10:30 - Men's NCAA - North Carolina Tar Heels v Duke Blue Devils [ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

11:00 - Sheffield Shield - Queensland Bulls v Tasmania Tigers

12:30 - NBA - New York Knicks v Los Angeles Lakers [ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

13:30 - Sheffield Shield - Western Australia v New South Wales Blues

13:45 - Test Match - New Zealand v South Africa [Fox Sports More]

14:00 - NBL - Tasmania JackJumpers v Adelaide 36ers [10 Peach, ESPN or Kayo Sports]

14:30 - ODI Series - Australia v West Indies [Fox Cricket]

14:30 - Men's NCAA - Gonzaga Bulldogs v Saint Mary's Gaels [ESPN 2 or Kayo Sports]

15:00 - Test Match - India v England [Fox Sports]

16:00 - NBL - Perth Wildcats v New Zealand Breakers [10 Peach, ESPN or Kayo Sports]

17:00 - A-League Men - Macarthur FC Bulls v Western Sydney Wanderers [10 Bold or Paramount+]