🗞 Finals Showdown

G’day Sports Fans,

🗣️ Classic quote, and Friday night advice; "If you are not in bed by 12 o'clock, go home"- Jack Dyer, instructing his players during a final series.

📧 P.S. First time reading? Subscribe here for free.

🇦🇺 In the season opener, Brodie Grundy showcased his dominance [despite being stung by a bluebottle jelly fish druring his pre-match swim at Bondi] , leading the Swans to a 22-point victory over Melbourne with a final score of 12.14 (86) to 9.10 (64).

Isaac Heeney also shined for the Swans, contributing significantly in the midfield as the team surged with eight goals in the second half, securing the win.

Despite a strong start, Melbourne faltered later in the game, despite standout performances from Jack Viney and four goals from Bayley Fritsch.

🏉 Andrew Johns criticised the Knights for their "terrible defence" in a surprising 28-12 loss to the Raiders in the opening round.

Despite being favoured to win, Newcastle disappointed their loyal fans with numerous errors and missed tackles.

The hosts committed 13 errors and conceded six penalties against Canberra, along with a staggering 30 missed tackles, making for a disappointing start to the season.

🏀 In a thrilling NBL finals showdown, Melbourne United staged a remarkable comeback from a 16-point deficit in the fourth quarter to clinch a stunning victory 115-106 vs Hawks, in game one of the best-of-three semi-final series.

🏉 The full extent of Eddie Jones' damaging Wallabies tenure has been laid bare after Rugby Australia chief executive Phil Waugh admitted there had been $2.6 million of "unapproved" spending throughout the doomed World Cup campaign.

🥇 Australia’s new Olympic uniforms were unveiled in Sydney on Thursday, and included designs by the artist and boxer Paul Fleming and Torres Strait Islander artist David Bosun.

Fleming’s design, called Walking Together, is a nod to the way the Olympics unite people from all countries, backgrounds and cultures. Bosun’s artwork features elements of traditional and modern ways of life in the Torres Strait Islands, with all lines in the design converging on the Dhan, an important cultural item.

🚨 Chelsea manager Emma Hayes says Sam Kerr has the club's "full support" after being charged with racially aggravated harassment of a London police officer.

Kerr, 30, pleaded not guilty to the offence at a court hearing on Monday, the Crown Prosecution Service said.

⛳️ Oddly satisfying; Golf ball pyramids: the eighth wonder of the world…

⛳️ LIV Golf has abandoned its effort to secure Official World Golf Ranking points has sparked some passionate reactions among the sport’s top players.

Ahead of LIV’s tournament in Hong Kong, No. 3–ranked Jon Rahm reiterated his years-long beef with the OWGR system. “If anything, the more time that goes on, the more it proves to be wrong,” he said. 

🏏 England's hopes of salvaging a final victory from their tour of India are already in grave danger after an awful batting collapse on day one of the fifth Test in Dharamsala.

The tourists were spun out for 218, losing their last eight wickets for 81 runs and at one stage a calamitous 5-8 in 37 deliveries. India finished day one 135-1: Jaiswal 57, Rohit 52*.

⚽️ Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City are battling it out to sign Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich. The 29-year-old Germany international is looking to leave Bavaria this summer.

🥊 Ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou clashed with Tyson Fury and says he is "just getting started" in boxing before his heavyweight fight with Anthony Joshua.

Ngannou faces Joshua in Saudi Arabia on Friday but opted to do his best verbal sparring with former opponent Fury at Wednesday's news conference.

🥊 Loosely Sticking with Boxing, YouTuber Jake Paul will face former world champion Mike Tyson in a boxing match on 20 July (US).

It is unclear if it will be an official fight or an exhibition bout, but it will be staged in Texas and broadcast live on streaming platform Netflix.

Paul, 27, beat Ryan Bourland in his 10th professional fight last Saturday.

Tyson, whose professional career ended in 2005, had his most recent exhibition bout in 2020 and will turn 58 three weeks before facing Paul.

🏎️ Red Bull team boss Christian Horner says it is "time to draw a line under" the controversy over accusations about his behaviour towards a female employee.

Red Bull has suspended the woman who accused Horner of inappropriate behaviour, which he has denied.

Red Bull's engine partner Honda has called for more details about the matter.

Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso set the pace from Mercedes' George Russell and Red Bull's Max Verstappen in Saudi Arabian Grand Prix practice.

TODAY 
06:00 - PGA TOUR - Arnold Palmer Invitational, Round 1 (Fox Sports)
07:00 - Super League - Hull Kingston Rovers v Warrington Wolves (Fox League)
07:00 - UEFA Europa League R16 - Benfica v Rangers (Stan Sport)
09:00 - Test Match - New Zealand v Australia (Fox Cricket)
11:00 - NHL - New Jersey Devils v St. Louis Blues (ESPN 2)
11:30 - NBA - Dallas Mavericks v Miami Heat (ESPN)
14:00 - NBA - Denver Nuggets v Boston Celtics (ESPN)
15:00 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Sports)
17:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Moana Pasifika v Rebels (Stan Sport)
18:00 - NRL - Warriors v Cronulla Sharks (Fox League)
19:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - NSW Waratahs v Highlanders (Stan Sport)
19:40 - AFL - Brisbane Lions v Carlton Blues (Fox Footy or 7mate)
20:05 - NRL - Melbourne Storm v Penrith Panthers (Fox League or Channel 9)
21:30 - NBL Semi-Final Series - Perth Wildcats v Tasmania JackJumpers (10 Peach, ESPN or Kayo Sports)

SATURDAY
01:00 - Pakistan Super League - Peshawar Zalmi v Quetta Gladiators (Fox Sports More)
02:00 - PGA TOUR - Puerto Rico Open, Round 2 (Fox Sports)
02:20 - Heavyweight - Anthony Joshua v Francis Ngannou (Main Event)
06:00 - PGA TOUR - Arnold Palmer Invitational, Round 2 (Fox Sports)
07:00 - Super League - Leigh Leopards v Leeds Rhinos (Fox League)
09:00 - Test Match - New Zealand v Australia (Fox Cricket)
11:30 - NBA - Cleveland Cavaliers v Minnesota Timberwolves (ESPN)
12:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Fijian Drua v Crusaders (Stan Sport)
14:00 - NBA - Los Angeles Lakers v Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN)
14:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - Brumbies v Western Force (Stan Sport)
15:00 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Sports)
15:05 - NSW Cup - Parramatta Eels NSW Cup v Canterbury Bulldogs NSW Cup (Fox League)
16:20 - AFL - Gold Coast Suns v Richmond Tigers (Fox Footy)
16:30 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Cricket)
17:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Hurricanes v Blues (Stan Sport)
17:30 - A-League Men - Melbourne City v Wellington Phoenix (Paramount+)
17:30 - NRL - Parramatta Eels v Canterbury Bulldogs (Fox League)
19:30 - AFL - GWS Giants v Collingwood Magpies (Fox Footy or Channel 7)
19:35 - NRL - Gold Coast Titans v St. George Illawarra Dragons (Fox League)
19:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - Queensland Reds v Chiefs (GEM or Stan Sport)
19:45 - A-League Men - Adelaide United v Melbourne Victory (10 Bold or Paramount+)
23:30 - Premier League - Manchester United v Everton (Optus Sport 1)

SUNDAY
01:00 - Pakistan Super League - Karachi Kings v Lahore Qalandars (Fox Sports More)
01:15 - Six Nations - Italy v Scotland (Stan Sport)
02:00 - Premier League - Bournemouth v Sheffield United (Optus Sport 5)
02:00 - Premier League - Wolverhampton Wanderers v Fulham (Optus Sport 3)
02:00 - Premier League - Crystal Palace v Luton Town (Optus Sport 4)
02:00 - Super League - London Broncos v Wigan Warriors (Fox League)
03:45 - Six Nations - England v Ireland (Stan Sport)
04:00 - Formula 1 Saudi Arabia - Formula 1 Saudi Arabia Race, Round 2 (Fox Sports)
04:30 - Premier League - Arsenal v Brentford (Optus Sport 1)
04:30 - NHL - New Jersey Devils v Carolina Hurricanes (ESPN)
04:30 - PGA TOUR - Arnold Palmer Invitational, Round 3 (Fox Sports)
04:30 - Super League - Catalans Dragons v Hull FC (Fox League)
06:30 - PGA TOUR - Puerto Rico Open, Round 3 (Fox Sports)
07:00 - NHL - Boston Bruins v Pittsburgh Penguins (ESPN)
07:00 - Spanish La Liga - Girona v Osasuna (Optus Sport 2)
09:00 - Test Match - New Zealand v Australia (Fox Cricket)
12:30 - NBA - Phoenix Suns v Boston Celtics (ESPN 2)
14:00 - UFC 299 Main Card - Sean O'Malley v Marlon Vera (Main Event)
15:00 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Sports)
15:00 - NBL Semi-Final Series - Illawarra Hawks v Melbourne United (ESPN)
16:05 - NRL - Dolphins v North Queensland Cowboys (Fox League or Channel 9)
16:30 - Test Match - India v England (Fox Cricket)
17:00 - A-League Men - Sydney FC v Brisbane Roar (10 Bold or Paramount+)
17:00 - A-League Men - Macarthur FC Bulls v Central Coast Mariners (Paramount+)
20:00 - Pakistan Super League - Islamabad United v Multan Sultans (Fox Sports)