Good evening!

Just as last night’s NRL and NRLW Dally M ceremony seemed to be ending, Will Warbrick’s booming voice echoed across the room.

The imposing Melbourne Storm winger moved towards the stage as attendees sat in a state of brief confusion.

Then, as he was joined by fellow New Zealanders Joe Tapine and Eli Katoa, it became clear what was happening. The three players performed a haka to honour Storm halfback and Kiwi international Jahrome Hughes, who won the Dally M medal for NRL Player of the Year.

It was amazing to see the show of immense respect as Hughes stood on stage with tears in his eyes.

I’ve got 10 seconds

Stat of the day

41
The number of years since English Premier League club Aston Villa has played in the Champions League. Two rounds in, Villa has marked its return to the competition, formerly known as the European Cup, with successive victories. Overnight, they upset German club Bayern Munich 1-0 with a stunning 79th-minute goal courtesy of Jhon Durán.

Quote of the day

"I got the process wrong. My intentions never had any malice. I was just trying to do what I thought was best for me and the club.”
Newcastle Knights star Kalyn Ponga speaking to AAP. The 26-year-old faced criticism last month after he attempted to withdraw from national team selection to prioritise the Knights 2025 season. The NRL responded by pointing to players’ contractual obligation to participate in representative football if healthy. Ponga has since made himself available.

Random fact of the day

In dressage, an equestrian event, competitors are not allowed to use their voice or click their tongue to control the horse. If the judges hear them do so, they are penalised.

I’ve got 30 seconds

In case you missed it…

🏉 Melbourne Storm halfback Jahrome Hughes and Sydney Roosters second-rower Olivia Kernick were honoured as the NRL and NRLW’s 2024 Dally M Medallists. Hughes claimed the prestigious award by a single vote over Roosters fullback James Tedesco. Kernick prevailed over Titans playmaker Lauren Brown by two votes. Hughes and Kernick will feature for their respective teams in Sunday’s NRL and NRLW Grand Finals.

🎾 Carlos Alcaraz won the Beijing Open, beating world number one and defending champion Jannik Sinner in the final. After losing the first three points of the final set tiebreak, the 21-year-old Spaniard won seven straight points to claim victory. Alcaraz now holds a 6-4 advantage in career matches against Sinner.

⛵ Great Britain’s sailing team is one win away from securing the right to challenge New Zealand in the America’s Cup. The Brits beat Italy in both races of the Louis Vuitton Cup last night and now lead the best-of-13 series 6-4. The next and possibly final race between the two countries will be on Friday night (AEST).

🏉 Ninth-placed Essendon Bombers held off a late charge from the Sydney Swans to keep their hopes of AFLW finals alive. The Bombers went into the final quarter at Henson Park in Sydney with an 18-point lead before the eleventh-placed Swans scored 15 unanswered points. Ellyse Gamble starred for the visitors with two goals. 

🏉 Leicester Tigers rugby union coach Michael Chieka has been banned for two weeks after disrespecting a match-day doctor. The former Wallabies coach was found guilty of "conduct prejudicial to the interests of the game" by England’s Rugby Football Union. Cheika challenged a decision made by the doctor which saw one of his players removed from the field in line with concussion protocols.

I’ve got 1 minute

Polkinghorne announces retirement from international football

Clare Polkinghorne, the Matildas most-capped player, has announced her retirement from international football. The 35-year-old’s final match for Australia will likely be during the Tillies four home games against Brazil and Chinese Tapei in November and December. The defender isn’t saying goodbye to the sport completely though. Polkinghorne will continue playing for Kristianstads DFF, after signing with the Swedish Club at the start of the year.

Career

Polkinghorne debuted for the Matildas in 2006 at age 17. Since then, she’s made 167 appearances in the green and gold, including five World Cups and three Olympics. 

What they said

In a statement via the Matildas, Polkinghorne said, “It’s been a special 18 and a half years in the Matildas' jersey, and it’s something that I’m incredibly proud of. I’m just really thankful that I got the opportunity to do what I love for so long and to represent this great team for so long.” 

Polkinghorne also has her sights set on becoming a football coach. “I think coaching is the natural profession for me and something that I’m really excited about challenging myself with.”

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I’ve got 2 minutes

Women’s T20 World Cup preview

The women’s T20 cricket women’s World Cup begins tonight in Dubai with Bangladesh and Scotland facing off in the opening match. As Australia looks to their seventh World Cup title, here’s what you need to know.

Context

This year’s T20 World Cup is being held in Dubai. Originally, the tournament was scheduled to take place in Bangladesh but was moved due to safety concerns following recent political unrest.

Ten teams will participate in over two weeks of competition, before a world champion is crowned in the final on 20 October.

Format

The World Cup teams have been split evenly into two five-team groups. Each team will play the other four teams in their group once during the Group Stage.

Following those matches, the top two teams from Group A and Group B will advance to the Semi-Finals on 17 and 18 October.

Australia’s outlook

Australia are defending champions and six-time winners of the women’s T20 World Cup. They’ve won the last three consecutive tournaments, and arrive in Dubai as the world’s top-ranked team and firm favourites.

The Aussies have shown strong form in the lead-up, beating England and the West Indies in warm-up matches earlier this week.

Australia is in Group A with India, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Their first game is against Sri Lanka at 8:00pm this Saturday (AEST).

Their toughest opponents are likely to be India on 14 October. India are the world’s third-ranked team and were runners-up in 2020.

Group B is made up of Bangladesh, England, Scotland, South Africa, and the West Indies. England are favourites to top this group as the world’s second-ranked team.

How to watch

All games will be streamed on Amazon Prime.

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Looking forward…(All times are AEST)

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