🗞 A plan for everything

G’day Sports Fans,

🗣️ Billy Slater (Queensland): "I'm here for Queensland. This is Queensland's team.”

🗣️ Michael Maguire (NSW): "We've got a plan for everything. I'm really confident in the 17 we've got."

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

State of Origin

Origin I sees a vastly different New South Wales host Queensland at Accor Stadium, with new coach Michael Maguire picking a slew of debutants as his team looks to regain the shield for the first time since 2021.

Since Billy Slater replaced Kevin Walters as head coach in 2022, Queensland has won both series as an underdog, but this year will be favoured with several injuries plaguing the Blues.

The Maroons will be missing Cameron Munster for the opener with Tom Dearden taking over at five-eighth. Jaydn Su’A has been preferred over David Fifita, while J’maine Hopgood is the lone debutant, named on the bench. Meanwhile, it’s five new faces and a new skipper with the most capped Blue, Jake Trbojevic, given the honour.

Dylan Edwards was named to join Zac Lomax, Joseph Sua’ali’i, Cameron McInnes, Spencer Leniu and Haumole Olakau’atu as NSW debutants, however, a quad injury has seen him replaced by James Tedesco.

To get you in the mood, here’s a biff from the 1984 State of Origin (Twitter)

• Each of the last four Origin I matches at Accor Stadium have gone UNDER the total match points line. (36.5pts)

• Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow has scored at least one try in each of his four previous Origin appearances. (12.50 first, 2.75 anytime)

🏉 State of Origin Predictions: Are you backing Gnocchi the Bulldog's State of Origin Game 1 Predictions? (via @thecastpatrol)

• ✅ NSW

• ✅ 1-12 points winning margin

• ✅ Teddy MOTM

AFL News

👨🏻‍⚖️ Tribunal: West Coast's rising star Harley Reid faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after failing to overturn his two-game suspension for a dangerous tackle at the AFL tribunal.

The suspension means he's no longer eligible for the AFL's Rising Star award, despite being a top contender.

With West Coast's bye falling between their upcoming games, Reid won't play again until June 30 when they face Hawthorn at Optus Stadium.

🐯 Richmond has made the call to rest Dustin Martin for their upcoming clash against Adelaide, allowing the star player to mark his 300th game milestone at the MCG.

Martin missed Tuesday's training session at Punt Rd due to illness. Coach Adem Yze confirmed Martin's absence, noting that he's feeling ‘a bit crook’.

Martin is set to join an elite group of Richmond players when he reaches his 300th game milestone against Hawthorn at the MCG on June 15.

✍🏼 Sydney coach John Longmire has emphasized the significance of Will Hayward's signing (5 yr deal), highlighting it as a key component of the Swans' strategy to cultivate the "next generation" of players.

The plan, conceived during Covid, aimed to bolster the team's prospects for success.

With Hayward, 25, along with other key signings like Errol Gulden, Ollie Florent, James Rowbottom, Isaac Heeney, and captain Callum Mills secured on long-term contracts, Longmire underscores the club's foresight in assembling the foundation for future premiership contention.

Longmire stressed the investment made in these players from their early days, has aided their collective growth and significant playing time together.

❤️ The AFL world is mourning the death of Western Australian legend John Todd at the age of 86, passing away in his sleep on Tuesday following an illness.

The Australian Football Hall of Famer excelled on the field but will be remembered as one of the great coaches of the game.

🦶 Collingwood's star forward Jamie Elliott is set to sit out the next six to eight weeks.

He's been sidelined since Round 8 with what was initially thought to be a foot injury but later diagnosed as a vascular problem.

In an update on Tuesday, the Pies reported that Elliott's vascular issue is showing positive progress and is nearly resolved.

NRL News

❌ Taylan May has engaged his defence lawyer Abdul Reslan as he prepares to front Penrith's board and attempt to keep his lucrative contract.

May is due to appear next Tuesday after being issued with a show-cause notice that lists several incidents over multiple years.

The Panthers believe they have grounds to terminate the centre's contract immediately, and that the alleged breaches do not relate to the current police charges.

⛔️ Do not try this at home - The Inspired Unemployed getting dropped by NRL players.

“Taking turns catching bombs - if you drop the ball you get a chiropractic adjustment from Angus Crichton and Dylan Napa.”

This is too much 😂 (Watch the full video on YouTube)

Aussie News

🛏️ New bed, new you: Michael Hooper says a new mattress has revived his hopes of Olympic selection.

Hooper is now running freely and plans to return to full training with the Australian sevens team next week.

"I put up with two weeks of this thing. So I had enough one morning, about 3am I just bought a new bed that would be shipped in that day.

"And that seems to have solved the problem... it's seemingly worked. Now, it's also coincided with not training for 10 days. So, chicken and egg stuff here."

Hooper hopes to be fit to play trial games against Fiji this month before coach John Manenti names his Olympic squad in early July.

⛳️ Adam Scott ended his longest day in golf with a playoff loss against fellow Aussie Cam Davis in a U.S. Open qualifier, and now Scott has to wait a week to see if his alternate status will allow him to extend the longest active streak of playing the majors.

Scott, who has played in every major starting with the 2001 Open Championship, can still get to Pinehurst No. 2 for the U.S. Open on June 13-16.

The USGA has held back six spots in case there are late qualifiers through the world ranking.

⚽️ icymi: The Matildas have named an 18-strong team for the Paris Olympics, including eight players heading to their third straight Games.

Australia's women's team will travel to France without all-time leading goalscorer Sam Kerr, who scored six times in Tokyo, as she was officially ruled out with a torn ACL.

Matildas squad: Mackenzie Arnold (GK), Ellie Carpenter (VC), Steph Catley (C), Kyra Cooney-Cross, Caitlin Foord, Mary Fowler, Katrina Gorry, Michelle Heyman, Clare Hunt, Alanna Kennedy, Teagan Micah (GK), Clare Polkinghorne, Hayley Raso, Kaitlyn Torpey, Emily van Egmond (VC), Cortnee Vine, Clare Wheeler, Tameka Yallop

🎾 Breaking: Defending champion Novak Djokovic has withdrawn from the French Open before his quarter-final with a knee injury.

Serbia’s Djokovic had a scan for injury, having blamed the "slippery" Roland Garros clay courts for aggravating the problem during his fourth-round victory.

The top seed announced his withdrawal from the Grand Slam tournament later on Tuesday.

The 37-year-old was due to play Norwegian seventh seed Casper Ruud in the last eight on Wednesday.

The injury has ended his hopes of winning a 25th Grand Slam title - which would be an outright all-time record - on the Paris clay.

🏏 T20 World Cup: Afghanistan opened their T20 World Cup campaign with a convincing 125-run win over Uganda in Guyana.

England v Scotland was abandoned with no result due to rain with the Scots 0-90 after 10 overs.

While Netherlands chased down Nepal’s 108 in the 19th over to open up with a win.

🎾 Jannik Sinner continued his pursuit of a second Grand Slam in 2024 by comfortably beating Grigor Dimitrov to reach the semi-finals of the French Open.

The Australian Open winner beat the Bulgarian 10th seed 6-2 6-4 7-6 (7-3) in Paris.

LIVE: Wimbledon Champion Carlos Alcaraz is currently two sets up against Stefanos Tsitsipas.

👊🏻 Conor McGregor issued an apology for the late cancellation of a UFC 303 press event in Dublin on Monday, as he attempted to alleviate concerns that his fight at the event would not go ahead in Las Vegas this month.

“I apologise to my Irish fans, and fans around the world, for the inconvenience and appreciate all your passion and support. I can’t wait to put on the greatest all-time show in the Octagon.”

🚘 Four cars, one ditch: Sack the navigators for not calling the hard left!

🏒 With the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final (vs Oilers), Miami is four wins away from becoming the 10th city/metro area to win a championship in all four major sports leagues.

Miami has three NBA championships via the Heat (2006, 2012, 2013), two Super Bowls via the Dolphins (1973, 1974) and two World Series via the Marlins (1997, 2003). All it's missing is a Stanley Cup.

🎾 American third seed Coco Gauff reached the French Open semi-finals after recovering to beat Tunisia’s Ons Jabeur in an absorbing contest.

Gauff will meet defending champion Iga Swiatek who defeated Marketa Vondrousova 6-0 6-2.

🏀 The Dallas Mavericks have signed general manager Nico Harrison to a multiyear contract extension.

The Mavericks announced the deal Tuesday, two days before they play the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Terms of the extension were not disclosed.

EPL Transfer News

Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne has said he is "open to everything" as he discussed the possibility of a move to Saudi Arabia.

The Belgian playmaker, 32, has one year left on his contract at City where he has won six Premier League titles and the Champions League since joining in 2015.

De Bruyne said that should he spend two years in Saudi Arabia, he would be "able to earn an incredible amount of money".

Bayern Munich have made an approach about signing Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes, 29, from Manchester United. (O Jogo - in Portuguese)

Arsenal will reluctantly let England international Eddie Nketiah, 25, leave the club, with Fulham prepared to offer around £30m for the forward, who is also interesting Crystal Palace, Wolves and Everton. (Sun)

📺 TRAILER

Federer: Twelve Final Days is a feature-length documentary chronicling the final 12 days of Roger Federer’s professional tennis career.

Originally a home video never intended for public viewing, the film captures Federer at his most vulnerable and candid self, as he says goodbye to a game and the fans that shaped his life for the last two decades.

The film will feature interviews from legendary rivals and friends Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray.

TODAY 

09:07 - MLB - Toronto Blue Jays v Baltimore Orioles (ESPN)

20:05 - State of Origin - New South Wales Origin v Queensland Origin (Channel 9)

THURSDAY

10:30 - Men's T20 World Cup - Australia v Oman (Amazon Prime)

11:38 - MLB - Los Angeles Angels v San Diego Padres (ESPN)

19:30 - AFL - Adelaide Crows v Richmond Tigers (Fox Footy, 7mate)

20:45 - AFC World Cup Qualifier - Bangladesh v Australia (Paramount+)