🗞 New Immortal

🏀 The NBA is diving into the inaugural HoopsFest in Perth, with a Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Asia camp to take place during the multi-day event.

The BWB Asia camp (September 19-22) will see 30 boys and 30 girls - aged 17 and under - from across the Asia-Pacific region descend onto Perth's Warwick Stadium, where they'll participate under the tutelage of current and former NBA, WNBA, and FIBA players and coaches.

BWB camps have produced a plethora of NBA and WNBA players, including 41 of the record 125 international players on opening-night rosters going into the 2023-24 NBA season. That includes two Australians: Josh Giddey and Josh Green.

🏏 Former Australian opener David Warner has penned a two-year deal with the Sydney Thunder, committing for the entirety of the 14th edition of the Big Bash League.

The 37-year-old, who retired from international cricket earlier this year, will once again don lime green this summer in a massive boost for the western Sydney club.

⛳️ Olympic golfer Min Woo Lee has announced he will return home to play in this year's Australian Open (November 28).

Lee finished third at last year's Open, after winning the Australian PGA Championship.

🎾 Nick Kyrgios will make his return to the court from injury in an exhibition mixed doubles event with Naomi Osaka ahead of the US Open.

"I know it's been a long time but my body is finally ready to get back out there and have some fun.”

NRL NEWS
The Next Immortal

👨🏻‍⚖️ Judiciary: Rabbitohs centre Richie Kennar has had his Careless High Tackle charge downgraded at the judiciary and is available to face the Knights in Round 25.

Kennar was sent to the sin bin for the tackle on Wests Tigers winger Luke Laulilii in the 31st minute of Saturday night's match at Campbelltown Sports Stadium.

Nine other players charged across the Round 24 games will pay fines.

❌ The Rabbitohs hope superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell will be able to serve his looming ban for an off-field incident while out injured.

And that has attracted the ire of the NRL 360 panel with host Braith Anasta saying it would be “an absolute p**s take” if Mitchell is allowed to do so.

Mitchell is expected to be hit with a one-match suspension and hefty fine after a photo was leaked of him leaning over a white substance in a hotel room in Dubbo.

🏅 The NRL is set to name the first Immortal since 2018 tonight in a special ceremony at the SCG, but how will the 14th be chosen to join the game’s greats?

According to the NRL’s induction process, a screening committee reduces the entire Hall of Fame Register down to 20 players during their first deliberation stage.

11 new men’s players are set to be celebrated and inducted into the Hall of Fame alongside six women’s stars, two coaches, two referees and four contributors.

The 11 New Men’s Hall of Fame Inductees; 

• Cameron Smith

• Johnathan Thurston 

• Billy Slater

• Cooper Cronk

• Greg Inglis

• Sam Burgess

• Benji Marshall

• Lionel Morgan

• Les Boyd

• Benny Elias

• Steve Renouf

Then, in the second deliberation stage, the 20 players are whittled down to just five players who are then confirmed as the “final ballot”.

The players presented are then put to a vote.

12 judges then vote and give their points out in a 3-2-1 format with a total of six points being handed out per judge.

That equals a total of 72 aggregate points available to be given out across all five players.

To be included as an immortal, players must achieve an aggregate of 20 per cent or more of the total votes, which equates to 15 or more.

A minimum of one player will be inducted.

👥 TEAMS: Just three rounds remain in the 2024 NRL season with places still up for grabs in both the Top 8 and the Top 4. This is also the time of year when the also-rans do their best to claim a victory over finals-bound teams.

Broncos: Tristan Sailor is the new fullback with Reece Walsh (wrist) sidelined while Selwyn Cobbo returns on the wing.

Panthers: Jarome Luai shifts to halfback and Brad Schneider comes in at five-eighth in the absence of Nathan Cleary (shoulder).

Rabbitohs: Halfback Cody Walker (concussion protocols) will miss the match, replaced by Dean Hawkins in the No.7 jersey.

Roosters: Forward leader Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is back from a four-game ban.

AFL NEWS
Houston we have a problem

👨🏻‍⚖️ Port Adelaide’s Dan Houston has likely played his last game for the club after failing to argue down a five-game ban for a brutal bump on Adelaide's Izak Rankine.

The AFL Tribunal on Tuesday evening upheld Houston's rough-conduct charge, meaning the All-Australian defender will sit out the rest of the season even if Port make it all the way to the grand final.

He is also unlikely to return to Alberton next year, as he is reportedly considering leaving the Power at season's end to return to his native Victoria.

Meanwhile, Greater Western Sydney defender Lachie Ash will miss the final round of the home and away season after his one-match ban for rough conduct was upheld by the Tribunal.

Ash was banned for a dump tackle in the Giants' win over Fremantle on Saturday.

❤️ The Football industry has been deeply shocked by the sudden death of journalist Sam Landsberger following a traffic accident in Richmond on Tuesday morning.

Landsberger, 35, spent more than 14 years covering football for News Corp in Melbourne and was well known to football fans through his work in the pages of the Herald Sun and, more recently, on television for Fox Footy.

✍🏼 Melbourne vice-captain Jack Viney has put trade speculation to bed, joining skipper Max Gawn in signing a new contract extension with the Demons. (AFL)

🐯 All Change: Former Richmond captain Dylan Grimes has announced his retirement after 234 games for the club.

Grimes joins Dustin Martin as the second Richmond player from the club's three premierships between 2017 and 2020 to retire this season.

The veteran defender said he "will miss the thrill of the contest" and the "incredible feeling" of playing in front of Richmond's fans.

🏏 Darius Visser hit six sixes in an over as Samoa set a new men's T20 International record of 39 runs in a over during a 2026 T20 World Cup regional qualifier on Tuesday.

Visser finished with 132 off 62 balls including 14 sixes and five fours as he became the first Samoan to hit an international century.

🚴🏻‍♂️ Three-time champion Primoz Roglic won the first mountain stage of this year's Vuelta a Espana to claim the race leader's red jersey.

The Slovenian edged past Lennert van Eetvelt (Lotto Dstny) on the line to clinch Tuesday's fourth stage after a gruelling 14km climb to Pico Villuercas in searing heat.

1. Primoz Roglic (Slo/Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) 14hrs 33mins 8secs

2. Joao Almeida (Por/UAE Team Emirates) +8secs

3. Enric Mas (Spa/Movistar) +32secs

⛳️ The PGA Tour heads to Castle Rock, Colorado, this week for the BMW Championship. Castle Pines Golf Club will be the host, and measures as a massive 8,130-yard par 72 with Bentgrass greens.

The field consists of the top 50 players remaining in the FedExCup Standings, and like the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week, will not feature a cut.

Last three winners: 2021 Jon Rahm, 2022 Patrick Cantlay and 2023 Viktor Hovland.

All logic dictates that we should be looking at Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele but Patrick Cantlay is looking for his third win in this event and will not be concerned about the length of Castle Pines.

🏀 Is this a 2 or 3 pointer? (I think 3)

🎾 icymi: World number one Jannik Sinner beat Frances Tiafoe in straight sets in the Cincinnati Open final to claim his fifth title of the season.

The 23-year-old Italian, who has been struggling with a hip problem, won 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 against American Tiafoe.

⚽️ EPL Whispers: Juventus have enquired about Chelsea’s Raheem Sterling, Mna City’s Kyle Walker and Joao Cancelo are on Saudi’s Al-Hilal's shortlist, while Manchester City are interested in re-signing Ilkay Gundogan who left for Barcelona this time last year.

🏎️ F1 returns from its four-week summer break this weekend to go racing at Zandvoort, Netherlands with the heated battle toward both world championships set to continue.

Dutchman Max Verstappen has been formidable at his home grand prix ever since its return to the F1 calendar in 2021: capturing every pole position and race win on offer. But after McLaren’s dominant 1-2 finish in Hungary, and Lewis Hamilton’s inherited win from team-mate George Russell in Belgium, there are signs that the reigning world champion’s record-breaking streak of home-field success could be under serious threat.

For the first time since 2020, Red Bull has gone winless in the last four grand prix – reducing its margin of advantage in the constructors’ standings from 60 points after Barcelona to 42 points after Spa.

A much-needed win in front of Zandvoort’s notorious orange army would certainly go a long way in reaffirming its place atop the standings, but heightened competition won’t be the only obstacle they’ll will need to overcome this weekend.

🥇 icymi: Track cyclist Matt Richardson, who won three medals for Australia at the Paris Olympics, has switched nationality and will now represent Great Britain.

The 25-year-old was born in England but moved to Western Australia at the age of nine, and maintained dual citizenship during his 16 years living there.

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TODAY

12:10 - MLB - Los Angeles Dodgers v Seattle Mariners (ESPN)
20:00 - Test Match - England v Sri Lanka (Fox Cricket)
00:00 - Max 60 - Max 60 Group Game (Fox Sports)

THURSDAY 

02:15 - Max 60 - Max 60 Group Game (Fox Sports)
04:30 - Max 60 - Max 60 Group Game (Fox Cricket)
06:45 - Max 60 - Max 60 Group Game (Fox Cricket)
12:10 - MLB - Los Angeles Dodgers v Seattle Mariners (ESPN)
19:50 - NRL - Wests Tigers v Manly Sea Eagles (Fox League or Channel 9)
20:00 - Test Match - England v Sri Lanka (Fox Cricket)