🗞️ We Rock The Party

📸 Photo of the week: Record breaking 16-year-old Gout Gout celebrates winning the Boys' U18 100m final at the 2024 Australian All Schools Athletics Championships in Brisbane.

👨🏻‍⚖️ Rohan Dennis Pleads Guilty

Former world champion Rohan Dennis has pleaded guilty to an aggravated charge of creating the likelihood of harm following the tragic death of his wife, Olympian Melissa Hoskins, in a car incident outside their Adelaide home last December.

Hoskins, a world champion and two-time Olympian, died after being struck by a vehicle driven by Dennis. The court heard there was no intent to harm, and Dennis will be sentenced at a later date.

🎾 Cruz Hewitt Eyes Australian Open Qualifying Spot

Cruz Hewitt, son of tennis icon Lleyton Hewitt, is being considered for a qualifying wildcard at the Australian Open.

The 16-year-old has built on his junior success, boasting a 30-10 record this year. Ranked 106 globally, but 15th among players born in 2008.

⛹🏻‍♀️ Adelaide Lightning Part Ways with Coach Nat Hurst

Nat Hurst and Adelaide Lightning have mutually agreed to part ways just eight games into her third season. A seven-time WNBL champion as a player, Hurst leaves after a challenging tenure, citing frustration over the team’s struggles despite a star-studded roster featuring Paris Olympians Steph Talbot and Isobel Borlase.

“It’s been super challenging,” Hurst told ESPN. “I’ve grown a lot, and I’m determined to coach on.” Assistant Matthew Clarke will step in as interim coach as the Lightning look to regroup.

🏉 Rugby Australia Sets Ambitious Goals

Rugby Australia has outlined bold targets for 2025-2029, aiming for the Wallabies to win the Bledisloe Cup every two years and for both the Wallabies and Wallaroos to feature in the final stages of the next Rugby World Cups.

The "From Green to Gold" strategy, released Tuesday, spans grassroots to elite levels, including Super Rugby, sevens, and national 15s teams. Optimism remains high for coach Joe Schmidt’s potential extension beyond the 2025 British & Irish Lions Series.

🐴 James Orman Injured in Freak Stable Incident

Queensland’s top jockey James Orman will be sidelined after a horse bit off the tip of his finger during trackwork on Tuesday. While fitting a tongue tie to Prince Of Boom, the Rob Heathcote-trained galloper accidentally clamped down.

The reigning Queensland metro leader with 30 wins this season, Orman had four rides booked for Ipswich today. His focus now shifts to recovery after the freak accident will disrupt his strong start to the season.

🎶 Ex-Roosters foursome drop debut rap single

What do a Wallaby, a Rooster, a Bulldog and a Japanese rugby star have in common? A debut single and incoming album to drop later this week.

Footy stars Joey Manu, Joseph Sua'ali'i, Sitili Tupouniua and Siua Wong make up the rap group, who began teasing something in the works in early November. In a string of social media posts since, Dreamyourz announced their official album OFF-SZN dropping on December 12.

🇵🇬 PNG Poised to Join NRL in Historic Expansion

Papua New Guinea’s entry into the NRL is set to be confirmed tomorrow, marking a historic milestone for the rugby league-mad nation.

Prime Minister James Marape, speaking at Sydney's PNG CORE conference, highlighted the potential of the venture, backed by $600 million from the Australian government.

The club will debut in 2028, with plans for a 15,000-seat home stadium in Port Moresby and a dedicated academy nurturing nearly 700 young talents. While key decisions on branding, coaching, and player recruitment remain, officials are confident PNG’s 12-million-strong population will make it the NRL’s most supported franchise.

🙋🏻‍♂️ 2024 AFL Draftees Poised for Round 1 Debuts

With the AFL season fast approaching, the spotlight turns to the new draftees likely to make an impact in Round 1 of 2025. Clubs like Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, and Sydney are tipped to unleash top picks early, while others may opt to develop their talent in lower leagues.

Adelaide’s Sid Draper, Brisbane’s Levi Ashcroft, and Carlton’s Jagga Smith headline the names ready to push for selection.

🥇 Tarryn Aiken Claims IRL Golden Boot After Stellar Season

Jillaroos half back Tarryn Aiken has been crowned the 2024 IRL Golden Boot winner, capping a remarkable year. The 25-year-old steered Australia to Pacific Cup glory, Queensland to a historic State of Origin win, and the Roosters to the NRLW premiership, collecting two player-of-the-match medals along the way. Simply unstoppable.

⚾️ Juan Soto’s $765M Deal and Baseball’s Déjà Vu

Baseball’s history may not repeat, but it often rhymes. Juan Soto’s record-breaking $765 million contract with the Mets echoes Alex Rodriguez’s $252 million deal with the Rangers in 2000. Both deals, forged at the same Dallas winter meetings hotel by Scott Boras, symbolized the excesses of their eras.

Rodriguez’s blockbuster signing was a cautionary tale. The Rangers endured three losing seasons, struggled to build around their star, and ultimately shipped him to the Yankees. By 2010, they were in bankruptcy court.

Soto’s mega deal raises familiar questions: can one player truly justify such an astronomical cost?

⚽️ Romero Calls Out Spurs Board After Chelsea Collapse

Tottenham defender Cristian Romero has taken aim at the club’s board following a 4-3 loss to Chelsea, accusing them of failing to invest in the squad. “City, Liverpool, Chelsea—they strengthen every year. We need to imitate that,” Romero told Telemundo.

With Spurs languishing 11th in the table, Romero defended manager Ange Postecoglou, instead pointing fingers at the board. “It’s always the same—players change, coaches change, but the same people are responsible,” he said. Spurs’ lack of ambition, he suggested, is holding back a club with title-winning potential.

🏎️ Ferrari to Power Cadillac’s F1 Debut

Ferrari will supply engines and gearboxes to Cadillac’s Formula 1 team if its 2026 entry is approved. While Cadillac plans to develop its own power unit by 2028, Ferrari ensures the US brand a competitive start.

Despite losing Sauber to Audi, Ferrari will maintain two customer teams on the grid for 2026.

🎾 Sabalenka Crowned WTA Player of the Year

Aryna Sabalenka claimed the WTA Player of the Year title after a stunning 2024 season, winning the Australian Open, US Open, and two additional titles. Rising to world number one in October, Sabalenka finished with a 56-14 record, cementing her dominance despite missing Wimbledon and the Olympics.

🏈 icymi: Stona and Petaia Join NFL’s International Talent Pathway

Olympic discus champion Roje Stona and Wallabies star Jordan Petaia are among the 2025 cohort for the NFL’s International Player Pathway (IPP). The program identifies global talent, giving athletes a shot at the NFL.

The 14 athletes will undergo a 10-week training camp in Florida, honing skills before showcasing their talents to scouts. Stona, fresh off Olympic glory, and Petaia, aiming to follow Australian Jordan Mailata’s NFL success, headline a group including UK and Irish rugby players. The IPP program has launched 41 players into NFL teams since 2017, with six making active rosters.

📸 Photo of the Week: Bareback rider Rocker Steiner rides Bishop of Hi Lo Pro Rodeo during the Annual Wrangler National Finals Rodeo at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

🐴 On the loose: Rufio was contesting the closing 2m7½f handicap chase in Musselburgh, Scotland before unseating his amateur rider Lucy Brown at the fourth fence.

The $101.0 shot completed another circuit of the course before exiting the track and heading for the town centre, with images of the ten-year-old galloping down a street.

🏈 Bengals Snap Losing Streak After Cowboys Blunder

In the chaos of Texas football, the Cincinnati Bengals emerged victorious, 27-20, snapping a three-game losing streak. With two minutes to play and the score tied, Dallas deflected a punt only for Amani Oruwariye to touch the ball, making it live—Cincinnati pounced.

Both teams now sit at 5-8, clinging to faint play-off hopes, but this one will sting for Dallas, who missed quarterback Dak Prescott’s leadership on the field.

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TODAY 

04:45 - UEFA Champions Lge - Girona v Liverpool (Stan Sport App)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Stade Brestois 29 v PSV Eindhoven (Stan Sport App)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Shakhtar Donetsk v Bayern Munich (Stan Sport App)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Red Bull Salzburg v Paris Saint-Germain (Stan Sport App)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - RB Leipzig v Aston Villa (Stan Sport App)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Bayer Leverkusen v Inter Milan (Stan Sport App)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Atalanta v Real Madrid (Stan Sport App)
10:30 - Men's NCAA - Tennessee Volunteers v Miami Hurricanes (ESPN 2)
11:00 - NBA Cup Quarter-Final - Milwaukee Bucks v Orlando Magic (ESPN)
13:00 - Men's NCAA - Arkansas Razorbacks v Michigan Wolverines (ESPN 2)
13:30 - NBA Cup Quarter-Final - Oklahoma City Thunder v Dallas Mavericks (ESPN)
15:20 - Women's ODI Series - Australia v India (Channel 7, Fox Cricket)

THURSDAY

07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Borussia Dortmund v Barcelona (Stan Sport App)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Juventus v Manchester City (Stan Sport App)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge - Arsenal v AS Monaco (Stan Sport App)
11:00 - NHL - Buffalo Sabres v New York Rangers (ESPN 2)
11:00 - NBA Cup - New York Knicks v Atlanta Hawks (ESPN)
13:30 - NBA Cup - Houston Rockets v Golden State Warriors (ESPN)
17:30 - NBL - New Zealand Breakers v Tasmania JackJumpers (ESPN)
19:30 - NBL - Brisbane Bullets v South East Melbourne Phoenix (ESPN)