🗞 The Worst Kept Secret

NRL NEWS
Bennett to Souths, Team News, Classic Biff

🏉 Finally confirmed: Wayne Bennett will return to South Sydney next year after agreeing to a three-year deal to coach the team.

The 74-year-old supercoach confirmed to The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday he will coach the Rabbitohs on a three-year deal. The club itself later confirmed the news.

The Herald reports the deal is worth about $3 million.

🏉 NRL TEAMS - The NRL returns from Brisbane to continue this intriguing season. The ladder-topping Sharks proved their critics wrong last week against the Roosters, but this week they face the ultimate test in the Panthers.

• Sea Eagles: A big in on the wing for Anthony Seibold’s men with Jason Saab back earlier than expected from a shoulder injury.

• Storm: Jahrome Hughes has been named to return from a calf injury and replaces Cameron Munster (groin).

• Roosters: Joey Manu returns from the concussion protocol and bumps Junior Pauga back to the bench.

• Broncos: Two big inclusions with fullback Reece Walsh (knee) and hooker Billy Walters (wrist) back on deck.

AUSSIE NEWS
Kerr Out, Giddey Out, McGurk In, Chieka In

⚽️ Australia and Chelsea striker Sam Kerr has been ruled out of the Paris 2024 Olympics as she continues to recover from injury. 

The 30-year-old has been sidelined since January when suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury during a warm weather training camp in Morocco with Chelsea.

Left out of Australia's squad announced on Tuesday for two pre-Olympics friendlies against China, Matildas coach Tony Gustavsson said Kerr would not return in time for the Olympics in July.

🏀 Josh Giddey may be the odd one out at the talent-rich Oklahoma City Thunder, with one reporter claiming the Aussie star could be on the way out.

According to Forbes NBA insider Evan Sidery, Oklahoma City are “widely expected to shop” Giddey, who is also extension eligible.

🏀 At 16, basketball wonderkid Jongkuch ‘J.K’ Mach is tipped to be the next big thing in Australian basketball. Standing at 225cm, he only picked up the sport three years ago but has more than made up for lost time with the Perth Wildcats academy side (cc: SBS NEWS).

🏏 IPL star Jake Fraser-McGurk has been added as a travelling reserve to Australia's T20 World Cup squad as veteran opener David Warner and captain Mitch Marsh recover from injury.

Fraser-McGurk and Adelaide Strikers' Matthew Short were named to join the 15-man squad during the early stages of the tournament, with the team set to fly to Barbados on Wednesday to commence their tournament campaign.

🏉 Wallabies legend Tim Horan has urged the Waratahs to waste no time in sending Michael Cheika an SOS to rescue the ailing NSW club.

The Waratahs are officially back in the coaching market after announcing on Monday that Darren Coleman would not be offered a contract extension at the end of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

NSW are in last place with a 2-10 record and two games remaining.

AFL NEWS
De Goey injury update , Team News, Big Ban incoming

🇦🇺 Collingwood’s Jordan De Goey won’t face Fremantle and could potentially be sidelined for longer after suffering an abdominal strain in the Magpies’ dramatic win over Adelaide.

De Goey, 28, left Tuesday’s training early after failing to get through the session and will go for scans to determine the severity of his injury.

❌ Sydney veteran Luke Parker has been handed a six-week suspension after a late bump in the VFL

In the Swans 15-point loss to Frankston last Friday night, Parker chose to run past the ball and bump his opponent Josh Smith.

The act occurred in the second term and caused major damage to Smith, who was rushed to hospital suffering serious facial injuries, including a broken cheekbone as a result of the hit.

⚽️ More Goals than ever in the EPL: That record has now been smashed for the fourth successive campaign.

The per-game ratio factors in the early Premier League era before 1995/96, when there were 22 teams in the division and 420 games in a season, which has since reduced to 20 teams and 380 games.

In total, there were 1,246 goals this season.

⚽️ Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino has left the club by mutual consent after just one season at Stamford Bridge.

Pochettino, 52, took charge of Chelsea on 1 July, signing a two-year contract with the option of a further year.

Roberto De Zerbi [who left Brighton on Sunday by mutual consent], is the favourite to succeed Pochettino.

⚽️ Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou has defended his side's upcoming international friendly in Melbourne following growing concerns over player welfare — with the match scheduled to take place just 72 hours after the English Premier League season concludes.

Tottenham will take on Newcastle United in a post/pre-season friendly at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) tonight (live on 10Bold), in what will be a homecoming exhibition for Postecoglou.

There have also been complaints that the fixture will overshadow this Saturday’s A-League grand final.

🚴🏻‍♂️ Australia's Ben O'Connor called the race organisers "dinosaurs" after a delayed and shortened stage 16 at the Giro d'Italia [due to the risk of avalanches], which was eventually won by race leader Tadej Pogacar.

Slovenia's Pogacar extended his huge lead [7mins 18secs] at the top of the general classification with his fifth stage victory.

"It's probably one of the worst organised races I think and I'm just being honest. This would never happen in 99% of other situations," O’Connor, who is fourth overall, told Eurosport.

🏎️ McLaren Formula 1 Team today announced a bespoke one-off Ayrton Senna inspired livery to run on its’ cars at the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix.   

In collaboration with Senna Brand and McLaren Racing Official Primary Partner OKX, the “McLaren SENNA presented by OKX” campaign celebrates Senna’s incredible racing legacy.

The livery is a tribute to him, remembering his life and impact on McLaren and Formula 1, thirty years on from his passing.

The vibrant yellow, green and blue colourway takes inspiration from his iconic helmet and will feature on the MCL38 throughout the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix weekend.  

🥊 The undisputed heavyweight World Champion Oleksandr Usyk is expected to face Tyson Fury in an immediate rematch which could mean his IBF belt is stripped away [as he won’t be facing the mandatory challenger]; Daniel Dubois is then set to fight Filip Hrgovic for vacant IBF title in June.

⛳️ The arraignment for Scottie Scheffler's charges, arising from an incident preceding the PGA Championship's second round, has been rescheduled to June 3 due to a scheduling conflict with his lawyer.

Scheffler was taken into custody outside Valhalla Golf Club in the early hours of Friday morning for failing to cooperate during an investigation into a pedestrian fatality.

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