G'day sports fans,

Classic quote: "If you're not fired with enthusiasm, you'll be fired with enthusiasm." - Vince Lombardi, American Football Coach

In today's edition of Sport Journal:

🏉 Roosters Masterclass & Friday Night Football Previews

🏀 NBA will return at Disney World

🐴 Racing tipping game

🏉 NRL

Roosters hand Broncos their biggest ever defeat

Greg Alexander called it a “horror show” and tennis star Nick Kyrgios questioned whether they had even been training during the mid-season break as the Broncos capitulated against the Roosters. 

The Roosters piled on 10 tries and gave the Broncos a rugby league lesson for the ages.

The absence of Roosters talisman James Tedesco, who pulled out on game day with a high fever, did not assist the Broncos one bit.

The 29-0 lead by the Roosters at the break also handed the Broncos the worst first-half deficit in the club's history. (nrl)

Broncos last 5 games - 2 wins, 3 losses. For 56, Against 190. That’s -136 in 5 games. 

Transfer: One potential positive for the Broncos is that Code-hopping premiership winner, Ben Te'o has returned effective immediately.

The news was confirmed by the Broncos on Thursday night, with Te’o leaving the Sunwolves and Super Rugby to link up with his former club for the remainder of the season.

Staying in Brisbane: Brisbane’s Eastern Suburbs District Rugby League Football Club Inc — behind one four reported bids to become the city’s second team in the NRL — filed a trademark on the title “Brisbane Firehawks” this week. Could be a clue into the identity of the NRL’s 17th team. (Fox)

Friday Night Football

Panthers (4th) 1.45 v Warriors (12th) 2.75

Penrith remain unbeaten but they'll be itching to make a statement against the Warriors after blowing a commanding lead to draw with Newcastle last round.

Meanwhile, the Warriors are coming off a terrific win over the struggling Dragons in which they completed a record 46 of 48 sets - including 44 straight sets - and didn't concede a point.

Head-to-Head (since '98): Panthers (23), Warriors (16), Draw (1)

Last time out: Warriors 18-19 Panthers (June 2019)

Form: Panthers WWD, Warriors LLW

Key Stats:

• Warriors have lost 7 of their last 8 in Sydney (Panthers 1.40)

• Villame Kiku (Panthers) has scored try in 4 of his last 5 games (3.10)

• Panthers have lost the first half in each of their last 5 games - Warriors/Panthers HT/FT (6.50)

Predict the winning margin in the two games to win. 

How to play: It’s FREE to play, have a go at picking the winning margin in the Cowboys v Sharks and Raiders v Knights matches, win Sport Journal merch. simple. It’s free to enter and a bit of fun.

How to play: 

• Click HERE to enter

• Enter your email and name (so we can contact you when you win)

• Pick a winning margin in Cowboys v Sharks > hit next

• Pick a winning margin in Raiders v Knights > hit next

• Have a guess at the time the first try will be scored in each match > make sure you hit submit

If we have a good number of players, we’ll look to build out the comps and increase the prize fund. Play HERE

🇦🇺 AFL

Cometti called into footy's Hall of Fame

Iconic broadcaster Dennis Cometti and Port Adelaide champion John Abley have rounded out the 2020 class inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame.

Cometti, 71, retired from television at the end of 2016 after calling more than 1000 matches throughout a decorated 40-year career.

A master of the one-liner, Cometti is described by fellow broadcasting great and former commentary partner Bruce McAvaney as the "golden voice" of football.

"Brilliant voice, the sense of humour, the one-liners, capturing the moment, the longevity ... why wouldn't he be in the Hall of Fame?" McAvaney said.

His personal favourite line?

"Maybe one where I was able to combine my two art forms, and use a line from the Rolling Stones," he said.

"(Crows champion) Andrew McLeod was involved in a skirmish, and the umpires had come in to say to the players to break it up, which allowed me to go with, 'Hey, you, get off McLeod'. (nine)

🏀 NBA

22-team proposal for NBA return to play

NBA Commissioner, Adam Silver’s 22-team proposal, clears the way for the league to resume play July 31 at a bubble site inside Walt Disney World.

Eighty-five days after Rudy Gobert’s positive test for COVID-19 prompted the NBA’s suspension, the league is on the verge of resuming its 2019-20 season.

All 22 teams will play eight regular-season games to cement seeding for the playoffs, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, which will include a play-in for the no. 8 seed in each conference.

The returning teams will reportedly include the 16 that were in playoff position at the time of the suspension.

The final six teams will be those that were within six games of a postseason berth when the season halted.

The proposal would mean that the eight teams with the league’s worst records—the Hornets, Bulls, Knicks, Pistons, Hawks, Cavaliers, Timberwolves, and Warriors—can officially look forward to next year (The Ringer)

🐴 Racing

How to play: It's free to enter, simply pick the first 3 home in the Tab Stradbroke hcp (Group 1) on Saturday.

How to play: 

• Click HERE to enter

• Enter your email and name (so we can contact you when you win)

• From the horses listed you simply scroll across to see the field and select the horse you think will finish 1st, 2nd and 3rd for a chance to win Sport Journal merch. simple.

• Make sure you hit submit

⚽️ Football

Fans use a 'Zoom wall' to watch games

As professional football returned to Denmark, fans used Zoom to be part of the action.

• A 'Zoom wall' down one side of the pitch showed the faces of thousands of fans watching from home

• Families wearing club shirts and scarves cheered inside their living rooms.

• DSL league leader FC Midtjylland is planning a "drive-in" for fans to watch their first home game from their cars (ABC)

Transfer Gossip:

The breaking news is that Chelsea have agreed a deal in principle to sign Timo Werner, in a deal worth almost €60M on a five-year-deal. One of the hottest strikers in world football right now, Werner would be a coup for Chelsea, seemingly from under Liverpool's nose. (Sky)

Liverpool are now linked with a loan move for Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele, who they bought for €105 million from Borussia Dortmund in 2017.

Paris St-Germain want 175m euros (£156m) in cash from Barcelona for 28-year-old Brazil forward Neymar. (Sport - in Spanish)

🏉 Rugby

Sam Burgess accuses Mike Ford of using him as 'pawn'

Sam Burgess has called his then-Bath coach Mike Ford "a snake" and accused him of using Burgess as a "pawn" to play politics during England's dire 2015 Rugby World Cup campaign.

The ex-rugby league star, now 31, was included in England's World Cup squad nine months after his union debut.

"Mike Ford wanted the England coaching job," Burgess told the House of Rugby podcast.

Burgess, who returned to rugby league following the World Cup after just one season in union, claims Ford stoked controversy around his selection by discussing the issue in the media despite Burgess' requests not to. (BBC)

Dan Carter: Blues sign New Zealand great 

Carter, 38, was a free agent after finishing his spell in Japan with Kobelco Steelers.

The fly-half played 112 times for New Zealand, helping them win the World Cup in 2011 and 2015.

“Two things from the lockdown that I realised was I really enjoyed spending more time with my family and I miss rugby."

“I've not played for several months so it will take me a little bit of time to get game-ready,” said Carter, who lives close to the Blues' base in Auckland.(BBC)

Super Rugby Aotearoa could see crowds from match day 1 (June 13th).

PM Jacinda Arden will announce next Monday whether NZ can step down to level 1, which would mean "sports and concerts stadiums can be sold out".

Back on Monday!

📺 Live sport

Friday

🎱 00:00 - SnookerChampionship League, Day 4 (Fox Sports More) 

🎯 04:30 - Darts - PDC Home Tour, Night 42 (Fox Sports) 

🏉 18:00 - NRL - Penrith Panthers v Warriors (Fox League) 

🏉 19:55 - NRL - Melbourne Storm v South Sydney Rabbitohs (Fox League or Nine)

Saturday

🎮 09:00 - NBA 2K League (ESPN 1) 

🐴 14:55 - Group 1 - JJ Atkins, 1,400m (7 or Sky Racing 1 or Sky Thoroughbred Central)

🐴 15:35 - Group 1 - Stradbroke Handicap, 1,400m (7 or Sky Racing 1 or Sky Thoroughbred Central)

⚽️ 17:30 - K League 1 - FC Seoul v Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (Optus Sport 1) 

🏉 17:30 - NRL - Parramatta Eels v Manly Sea Eagles (Fox League) 

🐎 18:38 - Harness Racing - Group 3 Pacers, Cabra-Vale Diggers JD Watts Memorial, 2,300m (Sky Racing 1) 

🏉 19:35 - NRL - North Queensland Cowboys v Cronulla Sharks (Fox League) 

⚽️ 23:30 - Bundesliga - RB Leipzig v SC Paderborn 07 (BeIN Sports 2)

⚽️ 23:30 - Bundesliga - Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 23:30 - Bundesliga - Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz 05 (BeIN Sports 3)

Sunday

🚘 10:00 - IndyCar - Texas 300 Race, Round 1 (Fox Sports) 

👊🏻 10:00 - UFC - PPVUFC 250, Prelims (ESPN 1) 

👊🏻 12:00 - UFC 250 - Amanda Nunes v Felicia Spencer (Main Event) 

🏉 16:05 - NRL - Canberra Raiders v Newcastle Knights (Fox League or Nine) 

🐴 17:35 (TBC) - Horse RacingGroup 1, Yasuda Kinen, 1,600mSky Racing 2 

🏉 18:30 - NRL - Gold Coast Titans v Wests Tigers (Fox League) 

⚽️ 20:00 - K League 1 - Seongnam FC v Daegu FC (Optus Sport 1)

⚽️ 21:30 - Bundesliga - Werder Bremen v VfL Wolfsburg (BeIN Sports 1)

⚽️ 23:30 - Bundesliga - FC Union Berlin v Schalke 04 (BeIN Sports 1)