🗞 Retained the No.1 spot

G’day Sports Fans,

🗣️ “If somebody gives you an opportunity, say yes to it. So what if you fail? you won’t know if you fail or succeed unless you try.” - Ann Meyers.

🧹 Housekeeping: This is the last Sport Journal 2023. It’s been a pleasure bringing you the news of Aussies dominating across the sporting world. Expect Sport Journal back in your inbox, piping hot, January 3rd. - Adam.

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

🇦🇺 AUSSIE SPORTS NEWS
 

🏉 The Kangaroos have retained No.1 spot in the IRL World Rankings, despite suffering a record 30-0 loss to the Kiwis in the final of the Pacific Cup.

Australia rose to the top spot after winning last year’s World Cup and the Mal Meninga-coached Kangaroos beat Toa Samoa in Townsville and New Zealand in Melbourne but suffered the biggest loss in 115 years in the final in Hamilton.

The Kiwis remain second, ahead of England in 3rd.

SCORES

🏏 BBL: Fraser-McGurk had fans ducking for cover at Marvel Stadium on Thursday night as he whacked the visiting Brisbane Heat attack for seven sixes.

The 21-year-old notched his first half-century in the competition from just 21 balls and finished with 55 from 23, laying the groundwork for the Renegades to post 8-162.

But Matt Renshaw posted an unbeaten 49 from 37 balls to steer the clinical Heat to a six-wicket victory, reaching 4-163 with 11 balls to spare.

⚽️ A-LEAGUE: Central Coast Mariners stretched their unbeaten A-League run to five matches as they condemned the rudderless Roar to back-to-back defeats on a wet Brisbane night. (3-0)

🏏 ​​​TEST: India are in total command of the one-off Test at Wankhede Stadium, racing to 1-98 at stumps on day after bowling Australia [formally the Southern Stars] out for a modest 219.

🇦🇺 The AFL have added Geelong great Joel Selwood and retired Adelaide and Port Adelaide champion Erin Phillips to its football operations department.

The pair have been tasked with aiding the game's on-field product and growing player engagement across both the AFL and AFLW, working in tandem with areas of AFL House that cover game analysis, talent pathways and player movement.

🏀 Three-time NBL champion Casey Prather has signed a two-year extension deal with the Brisbane Bullets, the team confirmed on Thursday.

🏉 Sharks enforcer Toby Rudolf has turned to a left-field medical specialist in an attempt to rehabilitate a troublesome toe injury [commonly called ‘turf toe’] that plagued his 2023 campaign.

“I’ve been sent to see the head physiotherapist at the Australian Ballet … I’m not expecting magic hands but hopefully she can let us know where we’re going…”

🐴 One of the country's elite horse racing training partnerships will split in 2024, with David Eustace set to leave the Ciaron Maher stable to train under his own name in Hong Kong.

With 40 victories together at the Group 1 level - including an unforgettable triumph in the 2022 Melbourne Cup with Gold Trip - the announcement was made on Thursday morning that the pair would go their separate ways in the new year.

Eustace joined forces at the top level with Maher in 2018 and the pair have since cemented themselves at the forefront of Australian racing, taking out four-straight Victorian Trainers Championships and the most recent National Trainers Championship.

🏏 Australian opener Usman Khawaja has been charged by international cricket's governing body for donning a black armband during the first Test against Pakistan in Perth.

"This is a breach under the category of an 'other breach' and the sanction for a first offence is a reprimand." - The ICC.

🌎 WORLD SPORTS NEWS

⚽️ Revamped plans for a controversial European Super League have been announced after a top court ruled that banning clubs from joining a breakaway league was unlawful.

The ESL saga began in April 2021 when news broke that 12 teams - including English teams Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham - had signed up to the breakaway competition.

There was widespread fury and condemnation from fans, European domestic leagues and even government, leading to the collapse of the plans within 72 hours.

Aside from the two Spanish giants [Barcelona and Real Madrid], other European clubs [Bayern Munich] and leagues have joined Manchester United in opposing the new ESL plans.

The proposal is for a league system which would include 64 men's clubs and 32 women's clubs.

The plans for a new ESL format would rival current Uefa tournaments.

🏉 England full-back Jack Welsby has signed a new contract with St Helens until the end of 2027, after interest from the elite Australian NRL.

"The NRL's a massive competition and everyone sees it as that, but I believe that Super League can be that and we've just got to work towards it," - Welsby added. Welsby will only be 26 when this deal expires, so never say never.

🏀 Joel Embiid scored a season-high 51 points and 12 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 127-113.

The 29-year-old is the first NBA player to score more than 30 points and 10 rebounds in 12 consecutive games since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 51 years ago.

Abdul-Jabbar's record stands at 16 games for the Milwaukee Bucks in 1972.

⚽️ Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer, who suffered a cardiac arrest during last Saturday's game at Bournemouth, has been discharged from hospital.

The club said the 29-year-old has had an Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator (ICD) device fitted.

👶🏻 Kylian Mbappe’s 16-year-old brother Ethan made his debut for PSG on Wednesday.

🏏 Sydney Sixers’ English star Tom Curran has copped a four-game ban for allegedly intimidating an umpire, with the club already announcing its plans to appeal.

He was charged with “intimidation or attempted intimidation of an Umpire, Match Referee or Medical Personnel whether by language or conduct (including gestures)”. Here’s the incident in question 👇🏻 [the umpire had previously tried to tell him not to]

📺 LIVE SPORTS ON TV

TODAY

05:00 Spanish La Liga - Real Betis v Girona (Optus Sport 2)

07:00 Premier League - Crystal Palace v Brighton & Hove Albion (Optus Sport 1)

07:30 Spanish La Liga - Deportivo Alaves v Real Madrid (Optus Sport 2)

10:00 Men's NCAA - Louisville Cardinals v Kentucky Wildcats (ESPN 2)

12:00 NBA - Oklahoma City Thunder v Los Angeles Clippers (ESPN 2)

12:15 NFL - Los Angeles Rams v New Orleans Saints (ESPN)

14:30 NHL - San Jose Sharks v Arizona Coyotes (ESPN 2)

15:00 Women's Test Match -India v Australia (Fox Cricket)

15:30 Men's Super Smash - Northern Brave v Central Stags (Fox Sports)

17:30 NBL - New Zealand Breakers v Sydney Kings (ESPN)

18:40 Women's Test Match - India v Australia (Fox Sports)

19:15 Big Bash League - Sydney Sixers v Adelaide Strikers (Fox Cricket)

19:30 NBL - Cairns Taipans v South East Melbourne Phoenix (ESPN)

19:45 A-League Men - Adelaide United v Newcastle Jets (Paramount+)

SATURDAY

06:45 Premiership Rugby (Stan Sport)

07:00 Premier League - Aston Villa v Sheffield United (Optus Sport 1)

09:00 ODI Series - New Zealand v Bangladesh (Fox Cricket)

09:00 College - Men's NCAA Regular Season (ESPN 2)

14:00 NBA - Golden State Warriors v Washington Wizards (ESPN)

14:50 ODI Series - New Zealand v Bangladesh (Fox Sports)

15:00 Women's Test Match - India v Australia (Fox Sports)

15:00 College - Men's NCAA Regular Season (ESPN 2)

15:30 Big Bash League - Melbourne Stars v Sydney Thunder (Fox Cricket)

15:30 A-League Men - Wellington Phoenix v Western Sydney Wanderers (Paramount+)

17:30 NBL - Illawarra Hawks v Tasmania JackJumpers (ESPN)

17:30 A-League Men - Sydney FC v Western United FC (Paramount+)

19:15 Big Bash League - Hobart Hurricanes v Melbourne Renegades (Fox Cricket)

19:45 A-League Men - Melbourne City v Melbourne Victory (10 Bold or Paramount+)

20:00 NBL - Melbourne United v Perth Wildcats (ESPN)

22:30 A-League Men - Perth Glory v Macarthur FC Bulls (10 Bold or Paramount+)

23:30 Premier League - West Ham United v Manchester United (Optus Sport 1)

SUNDAY

02:00 Premier League - Fulham v Burnley (Optus Sport 5)

02:00 Premier League - Tottenham v Everton (Optus Sport 3)

02:00 Premier League - Luton Town v Newcastle United (Optus Sport 4)

02:00 Premier League - Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth (Optus Sport 6)

02:00 Premiership Rugby (Stan Sport)

03:00 Heavyweight - Anthony Joshua v Otto Wallin (Main Event)

04:30 Premier League - Liverpool v Arsenal (Optus Sport 1)

08:30 NFL - Pittsburgh Steelers v Cincinnati Bengals (ESPN)

11:00 NBA - New Orleans Pelicans v Houston Rockets (ESPN 2)

11:30 Men's Super Smash - Wellington Firebirds v Auckland Aces (Fox Cricket)

12:00 NFL - Los Angeles Chargers v Buffalo Bills (ESPN)

14:00 NBL - Adelaide 36ers v Brisbane Bullets (10 Peach, ESPN 2)

15:00 Women's Test Match - India v Australia (Fox Cricket)