🗞 Hot Streak

G’day Sports Fans,

🗣️ “I heard someone say they had a colleague nicknamed “Photo Finish” because they always leant slightly forward while walking.” 🤣

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

🏉 Superstar Joey Manu racked up an incredible 349 running metres as the Roosters overcame the absence of several big names to defeat the Knights 22-20 at McDonald Jones Stadium.

Despite a hip injury that, received “a few needles at halftime” - Kalyn Ponga almost won it for his side at the death but Roosters prop Terrell May came up with an incredible slips catch to stop a grubber on the final play.

🇦🇺 Brisbane marked Lachie Neale's 250th game with a milestone victory, clinching their first win at the MCG since 2022 against Melbourne.

Despite wintry conditions, the Lions managed to hold the Demons to their lowest three-quarter time score in four years. The final score saw Brisbane triumph 12.10 (82) to 8.12 (60), maintaining a significant lead even as Melbourne attempted a late surge.

Charlie Cameron and Eric Hipwood each contributed three goals, bouncing back after a slow start to the season.

The simmering feud between Brisbane and Melbourne players got personal with Lion Noah Answerth & Demon Harry Petty.

After Petty missed a shot on goal in the fourth quarter, Answerth pretended to cry, rubbing his eyes to mock Petty.

Reminder: Petty was left in tears in late 2022 after a sledge by then-Brisbane captain Dayne Zorko against the tall, believed to be about Petty’s mother.

🏏 Steve Smith has signed for US Major League Cricket side Washington Freedom.

He joins head coach Ricky Ponting at Freedom, who lost in the eliminator to eventual winners MI New York in 2023.

This year's competition begins on 4 July (local), and follows the T20 World Cup, which is being hosted in the USA and West Indies.

Smith joins fellow Australian internationals Adam Zampa (Los Angeles Knight Riders), Spencer Johnson (Knight Riders) and Tim David (MI New York) in being signed up for the competition.

🏉 Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga has broken his silence over the reports that he’ll be approached to become South Sydney’s interim coach if Jason Demetriou is axed.

Fox League’s James Hooper first reported that Meninga has become Souths powerbrokers’ top target as interim coach, with Demetriou set to be given his marching orders after this week’s game against Cronulla. 

The Rabbitohs board voted for Meninga over other short-listed candidates Michael Maguire and Souths assistant Ben Hornby. 

“I love the idea of being an interim coach, however, I’ve got some big commitments in my life, I obviously do a lot of media with Fox and (SEN), I’ve got the Australian gig and I’ve got my own business, so a lot of consideration needs to take place.”

🐴 Feature racing heads to Bendigo this Saturday with the Listed Golden Mile set to headline an exciting ten race card.

Foxy Frida comes off a solid run in the Group One Coolmore Classic and should certainly find this easier. She boasts a terrific record at this track having taken out the last two editions of the Gold Bracelet and Billy Egan will again do the steering. ($8.50)

The Listed Bendigo Guineas will also be run and won along with the $250k VOBIS Gold Rush for the two year olds. 

🥊 Danilo Creati has identified Nikita Tszyu’s “fragile” jaw as a potential weakness for him to exploit during this month’s title bout in Sydney.

Tszyu will look to defend his Australian super welterweight title when he faces Creati at the Hordern Pavilion on April 24.

It will be the Australian boxing champion’s first fight since he toppled Dylan Biggs in Newcastle last year, while Creati, who boasts an 8-1-1 (1 KO) professional record but has not registered a victory since 2022, is unbeaten as a super welterweight.

“He’s fragile. His chin is fragile, so we’re going to go for it.”

🏀 A 22-man Australian Boomers squad has been named in preparation for the 2024 Paris Olympics, Basketball Australia announced on Thursday.

The extended squad - which features 10 NBA players - will be refined ahead of the Boomers' pre-Olympics training camp in July, before the Games begin later that month.

The entire team from the Boomers' short-lived 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign has been selected to the squad. Ben Simmons was not named in the squad, with the Brooklyn Nets forward undergoing back surgery in March, ruling him out of selection for these Olympics.

The newest inclusion to the Boomers' program is Johnny Furphy, the 19-year-old wing out of Melbourne who just completed an impressive college season at Kansas. Furphy, who's part of the extended squad, is currently No. 28 on ESPN's 2024 NBA Mock Draft. (Squad list)

⛳️ The opening round of the Masters was delayed by thunderstorms at Augusta National in the United States.

The opening tee shots were pushed back by heavy rain and 40-45mph winds.

The first round began 10:30am (instead of 8:00 local) after the ceremonial tee shots from past champions Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Tom Watson.

The weather is forecast to be much better on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

📃 Last minute cheat sheet:

🏀 icymi: Australia’s Josh Giddey continued his hot streak with another double-double as his Oklahoma City Thunder blew away an injury-hit San Antonio Spurs 127-89.

Giddey had 20 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in 29 minutes in the blowout win on 7-12 shooting, with the Thunder up by 23 points after the first quarter.

The Spurs were without superstar Victor Wembanyama and were never in the contest.

🥇 icymi: World Athletics has announced it will become the first international federation to award prize money at the Olympic Games.

The global governing body said a total prize pot of $2.4m has been made available for this summer's Olympics in Paris, with gold medallists receiving US$50,000

This will be extended to silver and bronze medallists at Los Angeles 2028.

🏀 Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss the remainder of the regular season, the team announced Wednesday, after an MRI confirmed a strain of his left soleus (calf).

Antetokounmpo's left Achilles tendon is fully intact, sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, and his return to play will depend on how quickly his left calf strain heals.

⚽️ Arsenal and Chelsea are closely monitoring Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney, 28, who would cost up to £40m this summer.

🏀 The Iowa Hawkeyes are set to retire Caitlin Clark's number 22 jersey. She finishes as the all-time leading scorer in college basketball, totalling 3,951 points and averaging 28.4 points, 7.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists.

Clark, 22, is set to join the WNBA and is projected to be the number one pick in the draft on Monday (local).

⚾️ Aussie Travis Bazzana has enjoyed a record-setting start to his junior season at Oregon State. The Sydney native is likely to go first or second in the next MLB draft.

⚽️ King Makers: Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham still have to play all three of the title-chasing Premier League rivals before the end of the season.

Tottenham play a North London Derby against Arsenal later this month, before matches against Liverpool and Manchester City in May.

🏈 An arrest warrant has been issued for Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice after he was involved a hit-and-run crash that injured four people.

Police in Dallas, Texas, said two speeding cars, a Lamborghini and Corvette, caused "a chain reaction collision" on 30 March.

Rice faces eight charges, including aggravated assault and collision involving serious bodily injury.

Reports, say the 23-year-old plans to hand himself in.

TODAY 

05:00 - Major - Masters Tournament, Round 1 (Fox Sports)
05:00 - UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final - Bayer Leverkusen v West Ham United (Stan Sport)
05:00 - UEFA Europa League Quarter-Final - Liverpool v Atalanta (Stan Sport)
09:00 - NHL - New York Rangers v Philadelphia Flyers (ESPN 2)
09:30 - NBA - Boston Celtics v New York Knicks (ESPN)
12:00 - NHL - Seattle Kraken v San Jose Sharks (ESPN 2)
12:00 - NBA - Sacramento Kings v New Orleans Pelicans (ESPN)
17:00 - A-League Men - Wellington Phoenix v Melbourne Victory (Paramount+)
17:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Moana Pasifika v Queensland Reds (Stan Sport)
18:00 - NRL - Melbourne Storm v Canterbury Bulldogs (Fox League)
19:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - NSW Waratahs v Crusaders (Stan Sport)
19:40 - AFL - Western Bulldogs v Essendon Bombers (Fox Footy or 7mate)
19:45 - A-League Men - Adelaide United v Macarthur FC Bulls (Paramount+)
20:00 - NRL - Brisbane Broncos v Dolphins (Fox League or Channel 9)
00:00 - Indian Premier League - Lucknow Super Giants v Delhi Capitals (Fox Cricket)

SATURDAY

09:00 - Major League Baseball - MLB Strike Zone (ESPN 2)
10:00 - NBA - Oklahoma City Thunder v Milwaukee Bucks (ESPN)
12:30 - NBA - Sacramento Kings v Phoenix Suns (ESPN)
12:40 - NSW Cup - Warriors NSW Cup v Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles (Fox League)
13:45 - AFL - GWS Giants v St. Kilda Saints (Fox Footy or 7mate)
15:00 - NRL - Warriors v Manly Sea Eagles (Fox League)
15:05 - Shute Shield - Western Sydney Two Blues v West Harbour Pirates (Stan Sport)
15:05 - Shute Shield - Northern Suburbs Rugby v Eastwood Rugby (Stan Sport)
15:05 - Shute Shield - Warringah Rugby v Randwick Rugby (Stan Sport)
15:05 - Shute Shield - Eastern Suburbs Rugby v Gordon Rugby (Stan Sport)
15:05 - Shute Shield - Sydney University Rugby v Manly Rugby (Stan Sport)
15:30 - A-League Men - Western United v Central Coast Mariners (Paramount+)
16:35 - AFL - Carlton Blues v Adelaide Crows (Fox Footy)
17:05 - Super Rugby Pacific - Hurricanes v Chiefs (Stan Sport)
17:30 - A-League Men - Brisbane Roar v Newcastle Jets (Paramount+)
17:30 - NRL - Parramatta Eels v North Queensland Cowboys (Fox League)
18:30 - Shute Shield - Newcastle Wildfires v Southern Districts Rugby (Stan Sport)
19:30 - AFL - Port Adelaide Power v Fremantle Dockers (Fox Footy)
19:30 - AFL - Gold Coast Suns v Hawthorn (Fox Sports)
19:35 - NRL - South Sydney Rabbitohs v Cronulla Sharks (Fox League)
19:35 - Super Rugby Pacific - Rebels v Highlanders (GEM or Stan Sport)
19:45 - A-League Men - Sydney FC v Western Sydney Wanderers (10 Bold or Paramount+)
21:30 - Premier League - Newcastle United v Tottenham (Optus Sport 1)
22:00 - Spanish La Liga - Atletico Madrid v Girona (Optus Sport 6)
00:00 - Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Wolverhampton Wanderers (Optus Sport 5)
00:00 - Premier League - Manchester City v Luton Town (Optus Sport 4)
00:00 - Premier League - Burnley v Brighton & Hove Albion (Optus Sport 3)
00:00 - Indian Premier League - Punjab Kings v Rajasthan Royals (Fox Cricket)

SUNDAY

02:30 - Premier League - Bournemouth v Manchester United (Optus Sport 1)
02:30 - NHL - New York Rangers v New York Islanders (ESPN)
02:30 - Spanish La Liga - RCD Mallorca v Real Madrid (Optus Sport 2)
05:00 - NHL - Dallas Stars v Seattle Kraken (ESPN)
10:00 - NHL - Pittsburgh Penguins v Boston Bruins (ESPN)
12:00 - UFC 300 Main Card - Alex Pereira v Jamahal Hill (Main Event)
13:00 - AFL - Geelong Cats v North Melb. Kangaroos (Fox Footy)
16:00 - AFL - West Coast Eagles v Richmond Tigers (Fox Footy)
16:05 - NRL - Wests Tigers v St. George Illawarra Dragons (Fox League or Channel 9)
18:15 - NRL - Canberra Raiders v Gold Coast Titans (Fox League)
20:00 - Indian Premier League - Kolkata Knight Riders v Lucknow Super Giants (Fox Cricket)
23:00 - Premier League - West Ham United v Fulham (Optus Sport 3)
23:00 - Premier League - Liverpool v Crystal Palace (Optus Sport 2)
23:35 - Women's FA Cup Semi-Final - Manchester United Women v Chelsea Women (Optus Sport 4)