Good evening!

Tonight is the first time in rugby league history that a third game will be played to decide Women’s State of Origin. I’m sure both teams will be running out onto the field in Townsville with a mixture of confidence and nerves as they get an opportunity to write their names into history.

Off the back of last night’s emphatic victory, the energy in New South Wales is high.

You can watch the game on Channel 9 or 9Now and kick-off is at 7:45 pm.

CARN THE BLUES!

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Stat of the day

19,000,000
The number of swimming strokes Cate Campbell estimates she took during her career. Campbell officially announced her retirement after over 20 years via a post on social media last night. She remains one of Australia’s most decorated swimmers with eight Olympic medals.

Quote of the day

"After his release, Van de Velde sought and received professional counselling. He demonstrated to those around him - privately and professionally - self-insight and reflection."
The Dutch Olympic Committee’s comments on Steven van de Velde, a volleyball player selected to compete in Paris. The selection has sparked controversy because Van de Velde was sentenced to four years in prison for the rape of a 12-year-old girl in 2014. He is now 29-years-old.

Random fact of the day

The largest-ever sporting event attendance was 173,850 at the 1950 football World Cup final between Uruguay and Brazil at Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Uruguay won the match 2-1.

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In case you missed it…

⚽️ Georgia’s football team upset Portugal 2-0 this morning at the Euros to reach their first-ever tournament knockout stage. Both teams will advance to the Round of 16 which begins this weekend. Georgia will face Spain, to whom they lost 3-1 in Euro qualifiers. Portugal will play Slovenia.

🥅 U.S. women’s football star Alex Morgan has not been selected by coach Emma Hayes to represent her country at the Olympics this year. Morgan has played in four World Cups and three Olympics, scoring 123 goals in 224 appearances.

🏉 Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli left training early with a back spasm on Wednesday and may not take to the field for his team’s clash with North Melbourne on Sunday. Bontempelli is one of the leading contenders for this year’s Brownlow Medal.

🏏 South Africa beat Afghanistan by 9 wickets in the first semi-final of the T20 World Cup. It is the first time South Africa has made it to the final of the men’s T20 World Cup. The Proteas were dominant, bowling Afghanistan out for 56 and completing their run chase in 8.5 overs. They will play the winner of India and England in the final on Sunday morning (AEST).

🏀 Australian basketballer Johnny Furphy missed out on round one of the NBA draft today but will hope to hear his name called out when 28 more picks are announced tomorrow. Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher was the No.1 pick (Atlanta Hawks) while fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr, who played for the NBL in Australia last season, was the No.2 pick (Washington Wizards).

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One of Australia’s top hockey players, Rosie Malone, is rumoured to be left off the 16-woman Hockeyroos Olympic team to be announced on Monday ahead of Paris next month.

Shock omission

News of Malone’s exclusion from the Olympic team was first detailed in a post by journalist Tracey Holmes on X. 

Malone has played 106 games and scored 32 goals for the Hockeyroos since debuting in 2018. The 26-year-old also represented Australia at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. 

More recently, she was part of a 22-player pre-Olympic squad named in December and a starter for the Hockeyroos team which played in the FIH Pro League earlier this month. Given her credentials and recent form, her omission from the team has come as a surprise. Holmes called her “one of the world’s great hockey players”.

Hockey Australia comment

The Daily Aus reached out to Hockey Australia requesting further information. They said: 

“We’re in the process of nominating the teams for the Olympic Games to the Australian Olympic Committee by this Friday, June 28, as per the nomination policy. We’re respecting all of our players’ confidentiality during this nerve-wracking time and keeping their well-being in mind. The AOC will announce the teams in due course, with the date set for Monday, July 1.”

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The Blues defeated the Maroons 38-18 last night in State of Origin Game II to tie the series in front of 90,084 fans at the MCG. Now with one win each, the series decider will be played on 17 July at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium.

How it happened

The Blues had a near-flawless first half, scoring six unanswered tries and leaving the field after 40 minutes with a record first-half scoreline of 34-0. The onslaught slowed in the second half with Queensland scoring 18 points to the Blues' four, but it was too little too late for the Maroons, the damage inflicted earlier in the match couldn’t be undone.

Tensions also boiled over early in the second half with Liam Martin (NSW) and Pat Carrigan (Qld) both being sent off for their actions amidst a scuffle involving the majority of the players on the field. 

Mitchell Moses, the Blues halfback, was named the man of the match. Moses, who missed Game I due to injury, had four try-assists equalling a record held by Blues legend Brad Fittler.

The Decider

Queensland has won 11 of the 13 deciding games that have been played in Brisbane. In 2022, for example, the Blues won 44-12 in Melbourne after losing Game I and were beaten by Queensland at Suncorp in the Game III decider. 

So… even after the Blues’ triumphant victory on neutral ground in Game II, Game III in Brisbane is very much up for grabs.

Queensland leads the total series tally, having won 24 compared to NSW’s 16.

Women’s State of Origin tonight

Tonight, attention turns to the Women’s State of Origin series decider. The match kicks off in Townsville at 7:45 pm (AEST) and can be streamed live on Channel 9 and 9Now.

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Looking back…

Looking forward…(All times are AEST)

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