🗞 Booed off

June 28, 2020

G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "I only have two words for you men - believe in yourselves" - Jack Dyer, instructing his players during a final series.

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏉 NRL wrap-up

🇦🇺 AFL in a dreadful state

⚽️ Liverpool end 30 years of hurt

🗣⚽️ Apparently the winners get free Covid-19 tests (they'll need them)

🏉 NRL Weekend Wrap-up

Storm 50-6 Warriors: (match report) Scintillating performances from Ryan Papenhuyzen and Jahrome Hughes helped the Storm pile on the points.

Roosters 26-12 Dragons: (match report) With James Tedesco & Josh Morris already out, both Victor Radley and Sam Verrills suffered potentially season-ending ACL ruptures (Roosters raised a complaint about the pitch). Roosters dug incredibly deep to beat the Dragons.

"You don't have to coach these guys a lot. There's not a lot of messages out there. You listen to [Luke] Keary or Boyd [Cordner] talk, they're the ones that are really coaching them on the field. - Trent Robinson

Cowboys 32-20 Knights: (match report) The Cowboys turned it up to 11 against the Knights in a first-half masterclass, with a win that snapped a three-match losing streak.

Broncos 12-30 Titans: (match report) An Ash Taylor inspired Titans side sent the Broncos' season to a new low. The Broncos trailed 22-0 at half-time and were booed off by a crowd of 6262.

"This is the first time I have heard a Brisbane Bronco side booed off at half-time," Former Broncos captain Justin Hodges.

Parramatta 25-24 Raiders: (match report) Parramatta overcame the loss of Mitchell Moses to hang on and beat the Raiders in a golden point thriller.

After missing his first attempt, Clint Gutherson was the hero sinking an 87th-minute field goal.

Sea Eagles 22- 40 Sharks: (match report) With Manly missing wounded stars plus dominant displays from Shaun Johnson, Chad Townsend, and Matt Moylan lifted the Sharks to their third win in four.

Bulldogs 6-34 West Tigers: (match report) Canterbury junior Tommy Talau scored two tries to consign his former club to the bottom of the ladder on a night of milestones for Wests Tigers and coach Michael Maguire.

🏉 No pubs, no parties for Munster

Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster says the pubs being shut down has been the secret to his excellent form.

"I guess [there's] no pubs or alcohol or partying with teammates or stuff like that, so I'm probably off the piss a lot now," Munster said.

"I'm 90 kilos, and I haven't been that since probably 2016, so feel really fit and lean and sharp with my ball handling.

In the four recent games, Munster busted over 4 tackles per game, set up three tries and ran for 115 metres per game with two line breaks.

Munster suffered a knee injury (likely an MCL strain) at the weekend, that will likely put him out for a month to six weeks.

🇦🇺 AFL: Dismayed Clarko laments 'dreadful' state of modern footy

Two premiership coaches have savaged the standard of footy, with Hawthorn’s Alastair Clarkson declaring the game is “in a dreadful space” and pleading for change.

Both Clarkson and Geelong coach Chris Scott spoke about the state of the game in their post-match press conferences on Sunday. They were both victorious, but neither were happy with how footy looks right now.

While the Hawks’ four-point win over North Melbourne was intense, both sides kicked just eight goals, while things were much worse at the MCG where the Cats and Melbourne went into halftime at two goals apiece.

"I hope I'm not the only one who thought it was a dreadful game? There are just no highlights in the game. We got a result, we bank it and move on," Clarkson said post-game.

"You wonder why the game is an arm wrestle and you can't get any open footy. Tonight's game, if that's the spectacle we're trying to search for in our game, our game is in a dreadful space.

afl.com.au

Two clubs earned top marks on a weekend full of stunning upsets.

But two sides fell flat on their face once again, and have to answer some big questions.

Every team’s Round 4 performance analysed and graded in foxfooty.com.au’s Report Card.

afl.com.au

🐴 Golden Eagle winner will get to push The Everest claims

rainer Chris Waller hasn't given up hope of seeing Kolding line up in The Everest this spring. He looks to get his inaugural Golden Eagle winner back to his best.

The Group I winning son of Ocean Park has returned to work in Chris Waller's yard. The stable confirming his spring will kick off in the Group II Missile Stakes (1200m) on August 8 at Rosehill.

"I think if we had a good sprint race first up, it would tell me where we are heading with him.

'I know he has won an Epsom and won a Golden Eagle, but is he sharper over 1200 or 1400m? That's the reason for heading to the Missile Stakes, plus we can space his races.

"He will go second-up into the Winx Stakes, which might be a good thing."

TAB.com.au list Kolding as a $51 chance in The Everest - which Waller already has the first confirmed runner in with Nature Strip set to run in the TAB slot for the $15 million sprint. (racenet)

🐴 Santiago clinches Aidan O'Brien's 14th win in Curragh Classic

Press to 📺 the whole race on Twitter

Favourite Santiago clinched a 14th Irish Derby win for Aidan O'Brien as the trainer saddled the first four in the Curragh Classic.

O'Brien securing a 1,2,3,4 in the race.

Jockey Seamie Heffernan secured his fourth Irish Derby triumph as his (3.0) mount held off Emmet McNamara on Tiger Moth by a head. (BBC)

"It (the St Leger) looks a lovely race for him. We have the second and the third there too, so we will see what the lads want to do.

⚽️ Thousands of Liverpool fans gathered at Anfield to celebrate their side's first title in 30 years

Liverpool's 30-year wait for a top-flight title is over after Manchester City lost 2-1 at Chelsea to confirm the Reds as Premier League champions.

It is Liverpool's 19th top-flight title and their first since 1989-90.

"I have no words, it's unbelievable.

"It's much more than I ever thought would be possible. Becoming champion with this club is absolutely incredible. - While wearing a Liverpool shirt and clearly emotional, Klopp told Sky Sports.

A record-breaking season

Klopp's side has produced one of the most memorable campaigns in Premier League history, amassing 86 points with 28 victories, two draws and a single defeat from 31 games.

Such has been their dominance; at one stage, they led the table by 25 points - a record gap between a side in first and second in the English top flight.

Records still possible;

  • The most wins in a season (the record is 32),

  • Most home wins (18),

  • Most away wins (16)

  • Biggest winning margin (19 points).

  • Over 100-points in a season

  • Their title win this season is the earliest on record, at least with regard to games remaining, with the Reds having seven to play.

👊🏻 UFC: Poirier comes from behind to take victory

A bloodied Dustin Poirier recovered to beat Dan Hooker by unanimous decision in a gruelling main event at UFC Fight Night in Las Vegas, USA on Saturday.

"That's fighting," he told ESPN. "A fight isn't a fight until there's something to overcome. That's what we did tonight."

The fighters landed 390 strikes - the most in a lightweight fight in UFC history, and fifth-most overall - with Poirier making 208 of those. (ESPN)

🚘 McLaughlin does the double in Sydney Supercars return

Scott McLaughlin's hunger for success remains after winning two races at the Supercars' first round in more than 100 days in Sydney.

The Ford flyer dominated Sunday's second race from pole, making it three wins from five starts in the COVID-19-affected season.

Not even an almost four-month hiatus and persistent speculation he will race in an Indy Car next year can stop McLaughlin's charge towards a third-straight title.

He now leads the Championship by 49pts. (nine)

"The love and the want to go racing again. We can do as many cartoon (Eseries) races as we want but there's nothing like going out there for the very first time and revving the engine. - McLaughlin said.