🗞 Build him a Statue

AUSSIE SPORTS
Pat’s Back!

🏏 Australia face Namibia in their next T20 World Cup group match at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua today (10:30am, Prime Video).

Captain Pat Cummins returns, and Josh Hazlewood will be key on this wicket. While Namibia will rely on Gerhard Erasmus and David Wiese.

This will be the first T20 meeting between the two teams.

Australia aims to continue their winning streak after victories against Oman and England. A win will give them the ability to perhaps rest players against Scotland. Which, as a bonus, may not do England any favours.

⚽️ Australia put in a dominant performance, with a 5-0 thrashing of Palestine, securing top spot as Group I winners in the AFC qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup ‘26.

Goals: Kusini Yengi 5' (P), 41', Adam Taggart 26', Martin Boyle 53', Nestory Irankunda 87' (P).

Graham Arnold's team has won all six games, scoring 22 goals and conceding none. Although some may question the quality of their opponents, progressing through this phase undefeated is a sign of their potential as one of Asia's top teams.

With South Korea's win over China, Australia will be placed in pot two for the next phase of qualification. This sets up tougher challenges ahead, potentially facing teams like Korea, Japan, or Iran.

⛳️ The US Golf Association (USGA) announced Adam Scott, the 2013 Masters winner, would claim one of the final two exempt berths in the 156-player lineup for this years US Open. Meaning Scott will stretch the second-longest consecutive men’s majors streak in golf history.

🏊🏼‍♂️ Olympic Swimming Trials Night 2 (notable): The women’s 100m backstroke was simply incredible, with two swimmers breaking the 58-second barrier.

Reigning world record holder and Olympic champion Kaylee McKeown was under world record pace at the 50m. Her time (57.41) represents the 2nd-best 100m backstroke ever and she continues to own 8 of the top 10 swiftest performances in history.

20-year-old Mollie O’Callaghan joined her, hitting a huge personal best of 57.88.

The men’s 200m free was built up as the race of the night, however, just one man was able to achieve the Swimming Australia-mandated Olympic Qualification Time of 1:45.97.

Maximillian Giuliani was that swimmer, nailing a Paris 2024-worthy time of 1:45.83.

⚽️ The Newcastle Jets will live to fight another day after a deal was finally completed to sell the battling A-League club to new owners.

Melbourne-based group Maverick Sports Partners were announced as the Jets' new owners on Tuesday.

NRL NEWS
Cheese Cut!

📄 NRL team lists round 15: Brandon Smith dropped by Roosters; big guns return in NSW. (TEAMS)

• South Sydney and NSW have received a major boost, with back-rower Cameron Murray named in the squad after missing the past two months with a hip injury.

• Sharks: Blues halfback Nicho Hynes returns after being rested from the Broncos game.

• Dolphins: Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow and Felise Kaufusi return.

• Warriors: Shaun Johnson is back for the first time since picking up a sternum injury in Round 10.

🏉 The Eels have confirmed genuine interest in the the former Wallabies coach, whose resume is vastly more skewed towards rugby union than league.

Cheika’s relatively brief rugby league coaching experience includes his time in charge of Lebanon from 2020-22 & The Cedars reached the quarter-final at the 2021 World Cup afas an assistant at the Roosters for the 2020 season, working under Trent Robinson.

AFL NEWS
Dusty Returns!

📄 A plethora of stars across the competition are expected to make their return from injury this week, including Dustin Martin for his highly anticipated 300th game.

And among others, Geelong’s skipper and up to several Giants guns could bolster their sides in must-win clashes. (TEAMS)

🤕 On Tuesday, it was announced that Christian Petracca (who remains in Hospital) had suffered four broken ribs, lacerations to the spleen, and a small puncture in the lung.

The Melbourne superstar was hospitalized on Monday after receiving a knee to the ribs from Collingwood captain Darcy Moore just before the quarter-time siren.

Petracca returned to the field and played for 20 minutes before being substituted shortly after halftime and transported from the ground in an ambulance.

Melbourne’s football boss, Alan Richardson, said there was no timeline on a return to playing with his recovery the priority.

“Obviously, Christian’s health is the number one priority for us at the moment,” Richardson said.

Many fans are asking if his health is the ‘main thing’, why did he return to the field of play when he clearly “couldn’t run effectively and he couldn’t hold onto the ball for more than one second.”

🗽 Eddie McGuire and Jimmy Bartel have called on the AFL to commission a statue of three-time Richmond premiership star Dustin Martin.

As mentioned, , as a

"They talk about it in American sports, what pose should they use?" Bartel began on Nine's Eddie and Jimmy podcast. "The Lakers have Shaq (O'Neal) dunking on a ring, Kobe (Bryant) fading away."

He said Martin's should be "the big stiff arm".

Maguire agreed, and explained how it should be constructed and mounted in a way that made it accessible for fans to pose next to it as if they were being "don't argue’d".

WORLD NEWS
Big Daddy Sheffler!

⛳️ US Open Preview: Defending champion Wyndham Clark is in a field of 156 players, which features world number one Scottie Scheffler, who is looking to win a first US Open.

The US Open last visited Pinehurst in 2014 when Germany's Martin Kaymer led from start-to-finish.

Three-time champion Tiger Woods has received a special exemption to play, while last year's runner-up Rory McIlroy is looking to end a decade-long drought in the majors.

World number one Scheffler is the top pick after his recent win at the Memorial Tournament, adding to his five titles this year. Despite an arrest outside Valhalla, his performance has been consistent, with his worst finish being joint eighth at the US PGA Championship. The hope is for a fairy tale win on Father's Day.

McIlroy, aiming for his fifth major, has a strong record at the US Open and PGA Tour wins this year. Schauffele and Clark are also contenders, while MacIntyre, Fleetwood, Hovland, and Aberg are rising stars to watch.

⚡️Whisper: The word is that the greens are lightning quick (Twitter)

Big name grouping: McIlroy, Sheffler & Shauffele, the World number 1-3 are matched up for the first two rounds.

The Aussies: Min Woo Lee, Adam Scott, Cameron Smith & Jason Day, have all had top 5 finishes at the US Open.

⚽️ Chelsea have agreed personal terms with France Under-21 winger Michael Olise, 22, and are set to discuss scheduling payments to meet his release clause at Crystal Palace.

🏏 Muhammad Rizwan made a steady unbeaten half-century as Pakistan kept their slim hopes of qualifying for the T20 World Cup Super 8s alive with a seven-wicket win over Canada in New York.

🎾 Roger Federer declared the main reasons for his success were "grit" and hard graft as he rejected the theory his tennis game was "effortless".

Federer, one of sport's highest achievers, looked to set the record straight as he delivered a graduation speech, at Dartmouth College in the United States.

The 42-year-old then went on to deliver three "tennis lessons", which he identified as: "Effortless" is a myth, It's only a point, Life is bigger than the court.

It’s well worth a few minutes of your time.

🗼 Carlos Alcaraz plans to have a tattoo of the iconic landmark as a permanent reminder of winning the tournament he loved as a child. 

The 21-year-old Spaniard claimed the Grand Slam title many thought he was destined to lift with a five-set victory over Germany's Alexander Zverev.

"It will be on the left ankle - the Eiffel Tower and today's date," Alcaraz said.

🏀 Coach Dan Hurley has turned down a six-year, US$70 million offer from the Los Angeles Lakers, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and will return to chase a third straight national title at UConn.

🏒 The Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the series with a 4-1 win over the Oilers that was powered by two unsung members of their supporting cast. Rodrigues scored twice, giving him three goals in the Final.

"It's special. You try to embrace it, try to stay in the moment. It's two big wins for our team. And I think we've already turned the page and we're getting ready for Game 3," Rodrigues said.

🏀 Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic was included on Serbia's 16-man preliminary roster for the upcoming Paris Olympics on Monday, quieting doubts he would skip the basketball tournament.

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