🗞 Ticking the Boxes

G’day Sports Fans,

📊 Wild Stat: The Panthers became the first reigning premiers in 116 years of Australian rugby league to be held scoreless in the first match of their title defence.

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🏏 Australia's coach Andrew McDonald has made his biggest declaration yet as to who will captain the country at the T20I World Cup in June.

Since Aaron Finch's retirement, Mitch Marsh has predominantly been captain of the short-form side, while Matthew Wade has also filled in the role at times.

Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins has also been named captain of Sunrisers Hyderabad for the upcoming IPL season.

"That will be a discussion when we get home. I think all roads will lead to Mitch, so I've just got to get that ticked off in certain areas," he said.

⚽️ Melbourne City midfielder Terry Antonis has scored one the greatest goals in A-League Men history on Tuesday night as his team destroyed Western Sydney by a record-equalling 7-0 at AAMI Park.

🏉 Official team lists, updates and injury news for Round 2 (NRL.com)

BULLDOGS v Sharks: With Josh Addo-Carr ruled out for the next few weeks with an AC injury, new recruit Conner Tracey comes in.

EELS v Panthers: Coach Brad Arthur goes with the same 17 that got the job done in Round 1 against the Bulldogs. Mitch Moses says he’ll be ok to play after his groin issue.

STORM v Warriors: Storm: Star five-eighth Cameron Munster hasn’t even been included in the 22-man squad this week, suggesting his groin injury is still a fair way off being healed.

ROOSTERS v Sea Eagles: A boost for the Roosters with star recruit Dom Young named to return from a neck injury.

🐴 Short-priced favourite Mr Brightside (1.85) has drawn barrier 11 for Saturday's $3.6m All-Star Mile at Caulfield. While the game on-pacer Pride Of Jenni drew barrier six.

Co-trainer Ben Hayes drawing a middle gate would have been ideal but he did not see a significant problem for Mr Brightside's jockey Craig Williams.

"Barrier six would have been better but we can deal with barrier 11 with no problems," Hayes, who trains Mr Brightside in partnership with his brothers Will and JD, told racing.com.

"The speed has drawn inside us so he can jump and roll across.”

THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

🏉 Broncos (1.36) v Rabbitohs (3.15) - The losing sides from the NRL’s Las Vegas double-header will take centre stage on Thursday night.

Brendan Piakura has been named for Brisbane despite missing most of the opening match of the season after failing his HIA, while Adam Reynolds has also been cleared. Tallis Duncan starts in the back row for Souths following Jai Arrow’s injury.

• The underdog has covered the line in each of South Sydney's last 11 matches.(Rabbitohs +8.5).

• Deine Mariner has scored at least one try in four of his last five appearances. (1.95)

• Latrell Mitchell has scored at least one try in six of his last seven appearances at Suncorp Stadium. (3.10)

🇦🇺 Carlton (1.42) v Richmond (2.85) - Will face off in their annual Round 1 fixture at the MCG on Thursday night.

The Blues completed a remarkable comeback to kick off their campaign.

The Tigers were in action against Gold Coast at People First Stadium, falling 99-60 due to an abysmal start which saw them trailing 74-7 late in the second quarter.

These clubs met just once last year, playing out a thrilling 58-58 draw after Tom Lynch tied the scores in the dying stages.

• Carlton has won each of its last four matches at the MCG by a margin of 1-39 points.

• Patrick Cripps has recorded 25+ disposals in each of Carlton's last nine matches against Richmond.

• Tim Taranto has recorded 28+ disposals in each of his last nine appearances in night matches at the MCG.

🏀 Both of NBL24’s heart-stopping Playoff Series will reach their soaring conclusions on tonight. The Game 3 clash between Melbourne and Illawarra will precede the decider between Perth and Tasmania, in what promises to be one of the biggest nights of NBL hoops this season.

Illawarra’s overtime win on Sunday night ensured the Hawks would be travelling back to Melbourne for a decisive third and final game, while the JackJumpers steamrolled the Wildcats in the second half of Monday night’s clash – despite the absence of Marcus Lee – to lock in another trip to Perth.

🇦🇺 Geelong is reportedly preparing a surprise pursuit of maligned Melbourne midfielder Clayton Oliver.

Oliver’s recent off-field indiscretions have been well-documented, but the 26-year-old trained himself into game-shape and was picked in Simon Goodwin’s Opening Round side that played Sydney last Thursday.

On Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle, Herald Sun journalist Jay Clark revealed the Cats’ renewed intrigue in Oliver.

“We can tell you tonight that Geelong is keeping very close tabs on Clayton Oliver,”

Geelong has also been linked to off-contract Western Bulldogs midfielder Bailey Smith, who will spend this year away from the game after rupturing his ACL in the pre-season.

🎾 World number one Novak Djokovic was beaten by 20-year-old lucky loser Luca Nardi in round three at Indian Wells.

Italian Nardi, ranked 123 in the world, had originally been knocked out in qualifying but reached the main draw after another player's withdrawal.

He hit 34 winners in a 6-4 3-6 6-3 win over the 24-time Grand Slam champion, converting match point with an ace.

💉 The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) remains "deeply sceptical" about Russia's anti-doping practices, says its president Witold Banka.

In 2019, Wada handed Russia a four-year suspension from all major sporting events in relation to a state-sponsored doping scandal.

That was later reduced to two years, but Russia remains banned because of the country's invasion of Ukraine.

A number of Russians are set to compete as neutral athletes at Paris 2024.

"What I can tell you is that they all remain subject to testing," said Banka.

Russia has always denied running an institutionalised doping programme but acknowledged some shortcomings in its implementation of anti-doping rules.

⚽️ Manchester United have made Everton's England Under-21s defender Jarrad Branthwaite, 21, (valued at AU$150m by Everton) their main summer transfer target.

🏏 India wicketkeeper Rishabh Pant has been passed fit to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL) after a 14-month absence from cricket.

Pant, 26, has not played since being injured in a serious car accident in December 2022.

It has been confirmed that Pant will play for Delhi Capitals in the upcoming IPL season, which starts on 22 March.

Should Pant show he can keep wicket well, he could feature in India's squad for the Men's T20 World Cup in June.

🐴 State Man won the Champion Hurdle as trainer Willie Mullins moved closer to reaching 100 Cheltenham Festival wins.

The (1.40) favourite, ridden by Paul Townend, was runner-up last year but went one better in the absence of defending champion Constitution Hill.

It was jut one of three impressive favourites to win for Mullins [Gaelic Warrior & LossieMouth], who now sits on 97 Cheltenham Festival winners (31 of which ridden by Townend). 

🏎️ Ferrari are reportedly looking to capitalise on Red Bull’s turbulent situation by poaching several key engineers from Christian Horner’s Formula 1 team.

The Scuderia have ‘acted promptly to intensify contacts with various members of the team led by Horner’, specifically aerodynamic management staff Alessandro Germani and David Morgan and head of performance Ben Waterhouse.

Furthermore, Ferrari remain hopeful that they can lure Chief Technical Officer Adrian Newey – the man largely credited with designing Red Bull’s unbeatable machines – to Italy.

🏈 The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to a one-year deal with quarterback Sam Darnold.

The Vikings had an opening at quarterback after longtime franchise star Kirk Cousins agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Atlanta Falcons on Monday.

TODAY

07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge R16 - Barcelona v Napoli (Stan Sport)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge R16 - Arsenal v Porto (Stan Sport)
10:00 - Men's Conference Tournaments - Horizon League Tournament, Final (ESPN 2)
10:30 - NBA - New York Knicks v Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN)
10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Tasmania Tigers v South Australia Redbacks (Kayo Sports)
10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Victoria v Western Australia (Kayo Sports)
11:00 - Sheffield Shield - Queensland Bulls v New South Wales Blues (Kayo Sports)
13:00 - NBA - Los Angeles Clippers v Minnesota Timberwolves (ESPN)
19:30 - NBL Semi-Final Series - Melbourne United v Illawarra Hawks (ESPN)
21:30 - NBL Semi-Final Series - Perth Wildcats v Tasmania JackJumpers (ESPN)

THURSDAY

06:30 - Premier League - Bournemouth v Luton Town (Optus Sport 1)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge R16 - Borussia Dortmund v PSV Eindhoven (Stan Sport)
07:00 - UEFA Champions Lge R16 - Atletico Madrid v Inter Milan (Stan Sport)
10:00 - Men's Conference Tournaments - ACC Tournament (ESPN 2)
10:30 - NBA - Miami Heat v Denver Nuggets (ESPN)
10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Tasmania Tigers v South Australia Redbacks (Kayo Sports)
10:30 - Sheffield Shield - Victoria v Western Australia (Kayo Sports)
11:00 - Sheffield Shield - Queensland Bulls v New South Wales Blues (Kayo Sports)
13:00 - NBA - Sacramento Kings v Los Angeles Lakers (ESPN)
19:00 - A-League Men - Western United FC v Melbourne Victory (Paramount+)
19:30 - AFL - Carlton Blues v Richmond Tigers (Fox Footy, 7mate)
20:00 - NRL - Brisbane Broncos v South Sydney Rabbitohs (Channel 9, Fox League)