🗞 Never Make Excuses

G’day Sports Fans,

🎯 Living the Dream: “Probably just treat myself to a kebab. Get myself some bottles of coke, bottles of Fanta. Probably treat myself to some more vapes” - 16-year-old darts prodigy Luke Littler on how he’ll spend his AU$400k of prize money.

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🇦🇺 AUSSIE SPORTS NEWS

🏏 Brisbane Heat beat Hobart Hurricanes by one run to remain undefeated and wrapped up a KFC BBL finals spot in a rain-interrupted low scoring thriller at the Gabba.

The Hurricanes needed 13 runs from the final over and three off the final delivery, but skipper Nathan Ellis could manage just a single off the last ball as Pat Dooley was run out.

🏏 Candice Warner has admitted she’s “not so sad” after her husband and cricket great David ended his Test and ODI cricket career at the SCG on Saturday afternoon.

Warner hit 57 before he was dismissed just 11 runs short of Australia wrapping up its series whitewash in an eight-wicket win over Pakistan.

“He cops it more than anyone I know,” Candice said of her husband.

“When he’s away the crowd can be so much, and there’s people giving it to him on social media, the media itself.

“But he deals with it in a way that I’ve actually never seen anyone deal with it.

“He never makes excuses. He never says it’s all getting too much. He just cracks on.”

🏏 Usman Khawaja’s reprimand for wearing a black armband onto the field during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth will stand after the International Cricket Council rejected his appeal against the sanction.

⚽️ Sam Kerr has suffered an ACL injury while on a warm-weather training camp, with Chelsea in Morocco, the club said on Sunday.

"Sam will be assessed by a specialist in the coming days and then begin her rehabilitation with the club's medical team," Chelsea said in a statement.

🚴🏼‍♀️ At the National Road Cycling Championships in Ballarat, a minute’s silence was held before the women’s road race memory of Melissa Hoskins.

Ruby Roseman-Gannon, a member of Hoskins’ former team Jayco Al-Ula, won the national title.

“I never really knew Mel but I think a lot of people are struggling with it,” Roseman-Gannon said.

Luke Plapp and Chris Harper blew their rivals away in the elite men's road race

🥊 Undefeated American Vergil Ortiz Jnr has called out Tim Tszyu for a WBO world title headliner – with his legendary promoter Oscar De La Hoya suggesting he would even be willing to make the fight in Australia.

Tszyu has already responded to the surprise call out on social media, saying he would happily accept what he dubbed a “modern day classic” with the rising star whose knockout record now stands at 20-zip.

🏈 Aussie punter Cam Johnston has been lauded for his “game-changing” performance as the Houston Texans clinched a playoff spot over the Indianapolis Colts.

🌎 WORLD SPORTS NEWS

⚽️ Kevin de Bruyne made his return to competitive football for the first time since August as Manchester City began their defence of the FA Cup with a comfortable 5-0 victory against Huddersfield Town at Etihad Stadium.

While, Jakub Kiwior's own goal and a late Luis Diaz strike gave Liverpool a 2-0 victory over Arsenal.

Patrick Bamford scored the ‘goal of the round’ in Leeds’ 2-0 win. 👇🏻

🎾 37-year-old Rafa Nadal had arrived in Australia on the first leg of his farewell tour, having said 2024 will likely be his last, but the tape that has long held up the body has unravelled a little further. A hip injury sustained at the Brisbane International has ruled him out of this year's tournament. 

🎾 Elena Rybakina will head to the Australian Open full of confidence after demolishing Aryna Sabalenka in the Brisbane International final Sunday, while Grigor Dimitrov upset Holger Rune to win his first title since 2017.

The doubles IQ of Laura Siegemund along with the power and endurance of Alexander Zverev has proved the perfect combination in Germany's United Cup final win.

🏀 Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has had his suspension lifted by the NBA after missing 12 games.

Green was banned indefinitely for striking Phoenix Suns player Jusuf Nurkic in the face during the Warriors' 119-116 defeat in December.

The incident was the third time the 33-year-old had been ejected this season.

The NBA said Green had "completed steps that demonstrated his commitment to conforming his conduct to standards expected of NBA players"

⛳️ Meanwhile, in Hawaii, from three feet Jordan Spieth is one of us. PGA pro Kev Kisner on comms “It’s 3 feet Jordan, just knock it in bud”

Going into the final round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions, Chris Kirk leads -21, with Spieth two behind.

📺 08:00 - Tournament of Champions, Round 4 (Fox Sports)

⚽️ Golden Lion, from Martinique, endured an 8,000-mile round trip only to lose 12-0 to Lille in the French Cup.

The team from the tiny Caribbean island were able to play in the competition because sides from a variety of France's overseas territories are allowed to compete in it.

⚽️ Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham have agreed to sign Timo Werner on loan from RB Leipzig with the option to make the deal permanent at the end of the season. 

The German scored previously scored 23 goals in 89 appearances for Chelsea before returning to Leipzig in 2022.

🤔 Wiki Teaser Answer: Stuart Dew.

Throwback to July last year when Dew was sacked from the Suns, and former player Daniel Gorringe revealed his tattoo.

📺 LIVE SPORTS ON TV

TODAY 

05:00 - NFL - Carolina Panthers v Tampa Bay Buccaneers (ESPN 2)

05:00 - NFL - New Orleans Saints v Atlanta Falcons (7mate)

05:00 - NFL - Tennessee Titans v Jacksonville Jaguars (ESPN)

08:00 - PGA Tour - Tournament of Champions, Round 4 (Fox Sports)

08:25 - NFL - Green Bay Packers v Chicago Bears (7mate)

08:25 - NFL - Washington Commanders v Dallas Cowboys (ESPN)

09:00 - Men's NCAA - Memphis Tigers v SMU Mustangs (ESPN 2)

12:00 - Men's Super Smash - Central Stags v Wellington Firebirds (Fox Cricket)

12:20 - NFL - Miami Dolphins v Buffalo Bills (ESPN)

13:30 - NBA - Los Angeles Lakers v Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN 2)

19:15 - Big Bash League - Sydney Thunder v Perth Scorchers (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)

TUESDAY

15:30 - Men's Super Smash - Canterbury Kings v Northern Brave (Fox Cricket)

19:40 - Big Bash League - Adelaide Strikers v Hobart Hurricanes (Fox Cricket or Channel 7)