G'day sports fans,

It's not cool asking, but it would be cool of you if you could forward this email to just one mate or colleague and tell them it's good (lie if you have to 😉)

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏟 Empty Stadiums

🏉 NRL season openers

🐴 SJ reader write up for the Cheltenham Festival

Sports Bulletin:

⚽️ European Football matches to be played in empty Stadiums as Coronavirus takes hold. While Italy's Serie A is suspended until at least April 3rd.

🎾 The '5th slam' Indian Wells won’t go ahead this week after organisers were forced to cancel it due to concerns of a coronavirus outbreak.

🏉 NRL

2020 NRL season: Round 1 preview

Over five months have passed since the Sydney Roosters successfully defended their premiership, and starting this weekend, fifteen other clubs will be out to stop them from completing a premiership hat-trick in 2020.

The SCG’s unavailability due to two cricket One Day Internationals will force the Roosters on the road for the first two weeks of the new NRL season, with their premiership defence to start with the long trip west on the M4 to face the Penrith Panthers.

Before then, the Parramatta Eels will have the honour of kicking off the new season when they face long-time rivals the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs at Bankwest Stadium, while the North Queensland Cowboys will christen their new stadium with a clash against Queensland rivals the Brisbane Broncos.

Latrell Mitchell’s Rabbitohs career will start with a clash against the Sharks, while the fierce rivalry between the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles and Melbourne Storm will be a match you will not want to miss on Sunday.

To round out the opening weekend, the under-siege St George Illawarra Dragons will host the Wests Tigers at WIN Stadium in Wollongong for the first time since 2008. (continue reading theroars round 1 preview)

NRL Round 1 teams: Every squad named for season openers

Club debutants, young guns, shock selections.

Every squad has been named for the opening round of the 2020 NRL season.

Here is the Round 1 teams. (Here)

⚽️ Football

UEFA Champions League matches:

RB Leipzig v Tottenham (RB lead 1-0)

Teams winning 1-0 away in the first leg have gone on to progress 18 times and been eliminated three times.

Valencia v Atalanta (Atalanta lead 4-1)

Incredibly, teams winning 4-1 at home in the first leg have only progressed three times and been eliminated twice.

Any hope for Valencia? Remember Kostas Manolas? Barcelona still have nightmares about him. The Greek centre-back, then with Roma, completed one of the remarkable Champions League comebacks with a decisive header as the Italians, 4-1 down from their quarter-final first leg, won 3-0 in Rome to go through on the away goals rule. That was the second time in Champions League history that a team had gone through after losing the first leg 4-1 - Deportivo La Coruna did it in a 2003-04 quarter-final against AC Milan, winning the second leg 4-0.

Liverpool v Atletico Madrid (Thurs, agg 0-1)

How has this score played out previously? Teams winning 1-0 at home in the first leg have progressed 23 times and been eliminated 10 times.

In reality this is a real 50/50, Anfield can nullify any visting side.

Liverpool have struggled to break teams down. It needs to be a low-scoring game for Atletico to go through. Their hope again is to score early, but if it is about defending they are happy to do it, not scared at all

Paris St-Germain v Borussia Dortmund (Thurs, 1-2)

How has this score played out previously? Teams winning 2-1 at home in the first leg have progressed 11 times and been eliminated 14 times. This is a must watch, could be the tie of the round. (BBC)

AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying

Australia may be five goals to the good in their bid to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, but head coach Ante Milicic insists they will leave nothing to chance in Wednesday’s qualifying play-off second leg against Vietnam at Cam Pha Stadium.

🇦🇺 AFL

Western Bulldogs superstar Marcus Bontempelli opens up on being named No. 1 in Mark Robinson’s top 50

New Western Bulldogs skipper Marcus Bontempelli says he doesn’t play the game for individual recognition, but likes being in the conversation as the best player in the game.

AFL 360 co-host and Herald Sun chief football writer Mark Robinson ranked the 24-year-old midfielder as the best player in the game when he revealed his top 50 on Tuesday.

Bontempelli was rated ahead of Brownlow medallists Dustin Martin (No. 2), Nat Fyfe (No. 3) and Patrick Dangerfield (No. 5), with Carlton co-captain Patrick Cripps at No. 4. (Fox)

🏏 Cricket

‘Shut the f*** up, let me bat’: Steve Smith’s epic Nathan Lyon spray

If Nathan Lyon had any concerns that Steve Smith was getting nervous as he closed in on his first Test ton since the Cape Town scandal, the batting superstar dismissed them with 13 simple words.

“Tugga said why don’t you work in 10s,” Lyon recalled, on Amazon docu-series ‘The Test’, of the advice Steve ‘Tugga’ Waugh gave him on the way out of the dressing room. “I remember saying to Smudger (Smith), we get 10 more runs we get to 250. He goes, ‘shut the f*** up, let me bat, I’ll get it up to 300.’”

Australia fell short of 300 – all out for 284 – but Smith still got his century, making a brilliant 144 off 219 before falling to Stuart Broad. (Fox)

The Amazon doc is one not to miss.

It begins with the biggest scandal ever to engulf Australian cricket and ends inside the victorious visiting dressing room in one of the most incredible English summers in recent memory.

'The Test', released on Amazon Prime Video March 12, gives unprecedented access to the men in baggy green caps as they sought to rebuild their reputation following the ball-tampering scandal.

⛳️ Golf

The Players Championship

The Players Championship features the most dramatic finish in golf paired with arguably the strongest field of the year

Rory McIlroy returns to the Stadium course at TPC Sawgrass a year after holding off Jim Furyk by one stroke to win The Players.

The world No. 1 comes into the week as the hottest and most consistent golfer on the planet. Following a T-5 at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, McIlroy has reeled off seven consecutive top-five finishes.

Tiger sits this one out with a stiff-back.

Dry and breezy conditions should once again pose a stiff test as the game’s best step into the gauntlet of the 17 hole’s island green.

Players Championship 2020 prize money increased to (US$15 million) and winner 2020 tour earn (US$2.7 million). (SI.com)

Former golfer Paige Spiranac slams the sport’s ‘hypocrisy’

Former golf star Paige Spiranac has hit out at the hypocrisy she claims is rife within the “elitist” sport, opening up about her love-hate relationship with it.

The American college prodigy, who had a short career as a professional before walking away from the sport at the top level, slammed golf for being too exclusive and not a place where people who don’t fit the traditional mould can feel comfortable.

Paige said that she's called a 'sl**' and a 'w****' because she wears tank tops, and revealed that it's even cost her opportunities to help out with charities.

🐴 Racing

Sport Journal reader and keen punter Scott, has kindly given us all some insight into how it might go down on Day 2 (get stuck in)

BALLYMORE HURDLE

Envoi Allen sets the standard here; he's 7-for-7 under Rules (professional races not including point-to-point races where jumps horses are often purchased from). He seems to have scared most of the decent opposition off. Hasn't been obliterating fields, that's not his style. The biggest concern is the stable form, only four winners from 47 starters in the fortnight before the Festival, keep an eye on the Gordon Elliott results from Tuesday before lumping on. 

3.Envoi Allen, 11.The Big Breakaway, 10.Sporting John

RSA CHASE

A three-mile Novice Chase, meaning these horses are all in their first full season over the big fences. The long-time favourite has been Champ until he fell two fences out here on New Year's Day. His price has drifted in recent weeks, but if trainer Nicky Henderson has sharpened him up at home, then he's getting out to a tremendous price. In his other 11 starts, he's won eight and been runner-up twice. And if there are any demons remain about falling at this venue, this race is actually on a different course. (Cheltenham uses two courses, the 'Old' and the 'New' to allow it to get through the four days of the Festival). Minella Indo won the three-mile hurdle at the Festival last year while Copperhead won a G2 at Ascot by panels last time.

5.Champ, 8.Minella Indo, 6.Copperhead

CORAL CUP HURDLE

High-class hurdle, which is notoriously hard to pick with a tantalising convergence of wily veterans and rising talent. Not only is it difficult to win, it's also tough to get into the field. Hence, trainers are renowned for protecting their mark - gaining a high enough rating to get into the field, then not going all out to win in further races before the Festival, i.e. don't be put off by 'poor' recent form. 

Stratum was lined up to run in the 2018 Melbourne Cup, but the plan failed. This campaign will have been months in the planning, now he'll be cherry ripe on the day. Franco de Port is another from the Willie Mullins stable, lightly raced and close up in Graded company last start. Champagne Well has found it difficult to win of late but continues to make the frame.

12.Stratum, 6.Franco De Port, 20.Champagne Well

QUEEN MOTHER CHAMPION CHASE

Now a two-horse race with the scratching of Altior. Chacun Pour Soi defeated Defi du Seuil at Punchestown off level weights last year and that's no compelling reason to think that should be reversed. If the track stays borderline heavy, Politologue might run into a place.

3.Chacun Pour Soi, 4.Defi Du Seuil, 6.Politologue

CROSS COUNTRY CHASE

Prepared to take on Tiger Roll, who I'm expecting to be more focused on winning a third Grand National than this race three times, after missing runs early in the season. The French are attacking this race en masse, and the youngest horse in the race, Easysland, looks like the next star of cross-country jumping. Veteran Urgent de Gregaine always runs well around here while Tiger Roll won't be far off. 

4.Easysland, 14.Urgent de Gregaine, 13.Tiger Roll

BOODLES JUVENILE HURDLE

A handicap race for 4yo hurdlers with minimal form on the board, this race has been known to dish up some big-priced winners. Gordon Elliott has five in the race, but despite what the market says, I'm not convinced what the stable order is. Aramax will probably be favourite, but Mark Walsh always rides Irish-trained runners for JP McManus. Daryl Jacob is the pick for the owners of Saint Doroux, Davy Russell is more of the generic stable pick aboard Recent Revelations. At the same time, lightweights are required for Tronador and Gealach. 

Recent Revelations won an all-age maiden nicely at Cork before running second to Aramax at Naas, when buckling at the last obstacle. In receipt of 6lb and a more genuine pace in a big field, I expect a strong showing. The big shock might come from stablemate Gealach who receives 14lb from Aramax after the claim. Palladium should be undefeated over hurdles - he was beaten a lip on jumping debut after making a mess of the last obstacle and has since won twice very easily, showing strong finishing pace, a big asset for the famous hill.

14.Recent Revelations, 22.Gealach, 3.Palladium

CHAMPION BUMPER

The only Flat race of the week, traditionally poo-poohed by the diehard National Hunt fans. There's a huge boom on Appreciate It from the Willie Mullins stable. That barn regularly wins this one, so no need to take him on. Adrimel recorded impressive figures at Doncaster last time out while Ferny Hollow may still have more to come.

2.Appreciate It, 1.Adrimel, 7.Ferny Hollow

Star New Zealand filly Probabeel to renew her rivalry with Funstar

Star New Zealand filly Probabeel will not take on older horses in the Coolmore Classic but will instead renew her rivalry with Funstar in a Group Two race at Rosehill.

Probabeel had been posted favourite for Saturday’s Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) for fillies and mares but will stick to her own age in the Phar Lap Stakes for three-year-olds over the same distance. (racenet)

King of Ink: 'I've tattooed LeBron, Odell Beckham and Lewis Hamilton' - this is Bang Bang's story

LeBron James, Odell Beckham Jr, Thierry Henry, Lewis Hamilton and Justin Bieber have all been tattooed by Bang Bang. The New York tattoo artist tells his stories of inking athletes and celebrities.

Back on Friday!

📺 Live sport

Wednesday

⚽️ 07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Valencia v Atalanta (Optus Sport 2)

⚽️ 07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - RB Leipzig v Tottenham (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 09:15 - Copa Libertadores - Santos FC v Delfin SC (BeIN Sports 1)

🏀 11:00 - NBA - Houston Rockets v Minnesota Timberwolves (Sky Sports 2)

🏀11:00 - NBA - San Antonio Spurs v Dallas Mavericks (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 11:30 - Copa Libertadores - Palmeiras v Club Guarani (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 11:30 - Copa Libertadores - Boca Juniors v Independiente Medellín (BeIN Sports 2)

🏀12:00 - WCC Tournament - Gonzaga Bulldogs v Saint Mary's Gaels (ESPN 2)

🏀13:30 - NBA - Golden State Warriors v Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 22:00 - AFC Women's Olympic Qualifying - Vietnam v Australia (Fox Sports)

Thursday

⚽️ 06:30 - Premier League - Manchester City v Arsenal (Optus Sport 3)

⚽️ 07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Liverpool v Atletico Madrid (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Paris Saint-Germain v Borussia Dortmund (Optus Sport 2)

⚽️ 09:15 - Copa Libertadores - Colo-Colo v Clube Atletico Paranaense (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 09:15 - Copa Libertadores - River Plate v Deportivo Binacional (BeIN Sports 2)

🏀 11:00 - NBA - Oklahoma City Thunder v Utah Jazz (Sky Sports 2)

🏀 11:00 - NBA - Dallas Mavericks v Denver Nuggets (ESPN 1)

⚽️ 11:00 - SheBelieves Cup - United States v Japan (ESPN 2)

⚽️ 11:30 - Copa Libertadores - Sao Paulo v LDU Quito (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 11:30 - Copa Libertadores - Flamengo v Barcelona Sporting Club (BeIN Sports 1)

🚘11:55 - Melbourne 400 Practice 1, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🚘 12:20 - Carrera Cup Melbourne Practice 1, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🚘 13:35 - Melbourne 400 Practice 2, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🚘 15:15 - Carrera Cup Melbourne Qualifying, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🚘 16:10 - Melbourne 400 Qualifying Race 1, Round 2 (Fox Sports)

🚘 16:30 - Melbourne 400 Qualifying Race 2 (Fox Sports)

🏏 19:00 - CricketODI SeriesIndia v South AfricaFox Cricket (501 or 255HD)

🏉 20:05 - NRL - Parramatta Eels v Canterbury Bulldogs (Fox League)