That State of Origin game… wow.

For a full rundown, check out the two-minute section.

P.S. It’s Thursday, so get your footy tips in.

9
The number of Aussie golfers competing in the Women’s PGA Championship in Valero, Texas, this weekend. The tournament is the third women’s golf major of the year and will see the world’s best golfers compete for a total prize purse of $US12 million ($AU18.5 million), with the winner receiving $US2.4 million ($AU3.7 million). American world #1 Nelly Korda is the favourite, while Australia’s hopes will be spearheaded by world #8 Hannah Green and two-time major winner Minjee Lee.

"I just wonder who the person is that has sent that. I don't think it's something that I would ever say to my worst enemy. It's just an awful, awful thing to say to anyone. It's horrible."
British tennis player Katie Boulter speaking to BBC Sport regarding the abusive messages that she receives following matches. The specific message she referenced in this case was someone who had said: "Hope you get cancer.” A separate study has found that a significant portion of abusive messages sent to female tennis players are from people gambling on sports who have lost money because of the result of her match.

On Friday night, Geelong Cats captain Patrick Dangerfield is set to become the 25th AFL/VFL player to play 350 games. The 35-year-old two-time Brownlow Medallist debuted for the Adelaide Crows in 2008 before moving to the Cats in 2016.

🏉 With the British and Irish Lions tour looming, Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt has named a 36-player squad ahead of the side’s match against Fiji on 6 July. The squad includes two uncapped players: Western Force back-rower Nick Champion de Crespigny, and Brumbies winger Corey Toole, who could be in line for Wallabies debuts next month. One notable omission is veteran playmaker James O’Connor, who will come off the bench for the Crusaders in the Super Rugby Pacific final on Saturday. Instead, Schmidt selected Noah Lolesio, Ben Donaldson, and Tom Lynagh as possible five-eighth options. The match, set to be played in Newcastle, will be the players' last opportunity to impress before an official squad is announced ahead of the first Lions Test on 19 July. 

🎾 Alexei Popyrin was eliminated from the Queen’s Championship in the Round of 16, losing to world #6 Jack Draper in a final-set tiebreaker. Popyrin was the last Aussie standing in the famous grass-court tournament played in the lead-up to Wimbledon, which begins on 30 June. Draper is the second seed at the tournament, behind Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz, and will play American Brandon Nakashima in the quarter-final. 

⚽ New research published by a team of Australian scientists in the journal Sports Medicine — Open, has suggested repeatedly heading a soccer ball can alter brain chemistry. The research investigated head impacts that do not cause a concussion, finding  “a controlled non-concussive soccer heading task was found to alter select markers of brain function, chemistry and microstructure.” While the effect on the brain was subtle, researchers suggested it highlighted the importance of “exercising caution when performing repetitive head impacts in sport.”

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The Los Angeles Lakers are set to be sold for $US10 billion, making the NBA franchise the most valuable U.S. professional sports team ever. The valuation comes as the Buss Family, a majority stakeholder in the team, sells its stake to American businessman Mark Walter. 

The Buss Family have owned the team since 1979, when Jerry Buss bought it for $US67.5 million. Under Buss’ ownership, the Lakers won 11 NBA championships, more than any other franchise in the league. 

The reported deal with Walter surpasses the March sale of the Boston Celtics, another professional basketball team in the NBA, to American businessman Bill Chisolm for $US6.1 billion. At the time, it was the most expensive sale of a U.S. sports team in history. 

Walter is the CEO and Chairman of multinational conglomerate TWG Global. The American businessman already has stakes in several professional sports organisations, including the LA Dodgers (baseball), the LA Sparks (basketball), the Billie Jean Cup (tennis), the Cadillac Formula 1 team (motor racing), and the Professional Women’s Hockey League (ice hockey).

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The Queensland Maroons held off a late charge from the NSW Blues to win State of Origin Game Two 26-24 in Perth last night. 

The result means that the series is now tied at 1-1, with a decider set to be played in Sydney in three weeks. 

In wet conditions at Optus Stadium in Perth, the Blues got off to a winning start, opening the scoring courtesy of winger Brian To’o and establishing a 6-0 lead. 

That was short-lived as the Maroons found their groove and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow scored two tries within seven minutes. 

As the Blues racked up eight penalties in the first half (to Queensland’s none), the Maroons took advantage and crossed twice more before half-time, heading into the break with a healthy 26-6 lead. 

To win from this position, the Blues would have to pull off the largest comeback in State of Origin history. And they almost did. 

NSW scored four unanswered tries, bringing the score to 26-24 with nine minutes remaining.

After that, they were unable to capitalise on their opportunities, turning the ball over twice in the dying minutes due to handling errors. Blues winger Zac Lomax will rue missed points opportunities after failing to kick three of his five try conversions. 

Newly appointed Maroons skipper Cameron Munster was named the Man of the Match.

Blues coach Laurie Daley said: “We let ourselves down in the first half. We showed what we’re capable of doing in the second half, but you can’t play a half of football like that against a quality opposition, and expect to be close.”

Munster told Channel Nine after the match: "We needed to turn up for our coach tonight and we f***ing did. We didn't perform for him in Game One. He got a lot of [flak] for it, and he didn't deserve it."

After being written off for Game Two, the Maroons have kept the series alive and set up a decider in Sydney on 9 July. The Blues will retain their tag as favourites for Game Three because of the home ground advantage, but Queensland have demonstrated the danger of writing them off.