🏉 Panthers Prowling In Perth

We see you, it's Tuesday, 21 June

🔊 Sport Today Podcast

This morning, Sam Ferris and Martin Gabor are at the mic.

Today's listen time: 10 minutes.

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

📺 What we're watching

🥅 10.00am - Stanley Cup Game 3 - Lightning v Avalanche - Amalie Arena, Tampa - Foxtel, Kayo

⚾ 10.00am - MLB - Brewers v Cardinals - American Family Field, Milwaukee - Foxtel, Kayo

🏏 7.00pm - ODI - Sri Lanka v Australia - R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo - Foxtel, Kayo

All times are in AEST

🏉 Freddy's big call so Blues don't lose

Change can be a scary thing. But if you’re a Blues fan like us, you gotta have faith in coach Brad Fittler after he overhauled the team for Game 2 on Sunday.

Golden points: NSW just has to win after they lost Game 1 in Sydney. So Fittler has started fresh and is backing his former NRL club to get the job done.

• I’m not talking about the Roosters. Freddy is a proud Panther and he’s picked 7 Penrith players in the starting side for this must-win match.

• That includes Api Koroisau who will start at hooker in place of Damien Cook, who goes back to the bench. That’s all part of the plan to match Queensland’s speed through the middle.

• The Maroons don’t really care what the Blues do. They’ve made 2 changes because of injury. Murray Taulagi debuts and Jai Arrow is back after he was suspended during camp last year.

They said it: “I remember back out in Dubbo, I used to love it, get dressed up for it, watching, waiting for it to come around.” - The next jersey Blues rookie Matt Burton puts on will be the real deal.

What’s next: The Blues are already in Perth to soak up the sun before Game 2 on Sunday night. There are so many games this weekend as part of rep round, including Women’s State of Origin on Friday.

🏊‍♀️ New rule divides swimmers

The action in the pool at the Swimming World Championships is starting to heat up. But what’s happening on land is turning into a hot issue.

Golden points: FINA, that’s swimming’s governing body, decided that only transgender athletes who have started to transition before they’re 12yo can compete in women’s events.

• That was a decision backed by 71% of the national federations.

• Some big names have supported the vote. That includes Aussie legend Cate Campbell who said inclusion and fairness had to be treated equally.

• But not everyone agrees. Aussie swimmer Maddie Groves called out Campbell on social media, saying her views were unfair.

They said it: “Shame on everyone that supported this discriminatory and unscientific decision.” - Expect to hear more from Groves and FINA.

What’s next: FINA is thinking about bringing in a new open category for trans athletes who want to compete. Let’s see if other sports follow suit.

⛳ If the shoe Fitz

Golfer Matt Fitzpatrick joined a very exclusive club yesterday. A club so exclusive that it only has one other member who just so happens to be the GOAT.

Golden points: Fitzpatrick won the US Amateur Open at the Country Club in 2013, and 9 years later added the real thing for his first win in the States.

• Only one other man had won those 2 titles at the same course. I said he was the GOAT but he’s actually the Golden Bear, Jack Nicklaus. The man who won 18 majors.

• Fitzpatrick held on to win by one shot, and it was tense. He had to come up with a shot that he called “one of the best shots I ever hit” on the final hole and then watched Will Zalatoris miss a putt that would’ve forced a playoff.

• He got a tasty $4.5 million and wants to win 6 majors.

They said it: “Normally, people have a monkey on their back. I had a gorilla on my back.” - Let’s celebrate his caddie, Billy Foster, who finally won after 40 years.

Watch it: This is not where you want to be with the tournament on the line.

🛶 Sister act goes to the extreme

Seeing Jess Fox win gold at the Tokyo Olympics was one of the highlights of 2021. But start paying attention to her sister because she is really good.

Golden points: Life’s a breeze for Jess at the moment. She’s won back-to-back International Canoe Federations World Cup events in the K1 slalom.

• Gold is great, and she’ll win plenty more. But Noemie Fox is creeping up after she picked up the silver medal in the extreme slalom.

• That sounds gnarly. Yeah, it is. You’ve got 4 competitors going through the course at the same time trying to navigate through obstacles while getting bashed by the rapids. That’s why they call it extreme.

• Noemie finished 2nd in the World Cup event in Krakow, a week after she came 4th. Check out her race here.

What’s next: The ICF World Cup heads to Slovenia this weekend. You might want to follow extreme slalom because it makes its Olympics debut in Paris in 2024.

⚾ Jack goes whack like never before

To hit a home run in baseball must be an elite feeling. But to do it not once, not twice, but thrice is the stuff of legend.

Golden points: I guess that makes Jack Suwinski legendary because he did it yesterday. Oh, and here’s the kicker - he’s a rookie.

• There’s a lot to unpack here because this is so cool. Suwinski spanked 2 balls out of the park and then stepped up to the plate with Pittsburgh and San Francisco locked at 3-3.

• You know how this goes. He homered to win the game on Father’s Day with his dad there watching him.

• No rookie had ever hit 3 HR and a walk-off HR in the same game. That’s why record books aren’t carved out in stone.

Watch it: You gotta check out these hits. Even the commentator couldn’t contain his excitement.

👀 Quick singles

🏉 There’s mixed news for Richmond heading into their big AFL game against Geelong. Dustin Martin is back from illness but former captain Trent Cotchin is out with a broken collarbone.

⛵ Australia keeps on winning at the Sail Grand Prix. Things looked really dire in Chicago, but a series of fortunate events saw them win again on Lake Michigan.

🏁 Daniel Ricciardo missed out on the top 10 at yesterday’s F1 Grand Prix in Canada. But it wasn’t his fault, and his boss at McLaren actually apologised for stuffing up a pit stop.

🏀 Kyrie Irving could be on the move again. The NBA star had a disrupted year in Brooklyn because of his COVID vaccine stance and it now looks like he might leave the Nets if they can’t sort out a new deal soon.

🎾 Nick Kyrgios is the first athlete to sign with a sports agency called Evolve. He could be the first of many because it’s co-founded by fellow tennis star Naomi Osaka.

🏉 England’s rugby tour of Australia just got real after they named their squad yesterday. The series starts next Saturday in Perth with the first of 3 Tests.

🙃 Left of field...

I once had a miniature cricket bat signed by Steve Waugh. Watevs, no biggie. But a MotoGP fan in Germany has me covered.

Golden points: Footy players have made a habit of giving their boots and jerseys to fans after a game. Motorcycle rider Jack Miller took it up a gear.

• Before the German MotoGP started, cameras showed a fan with a sign that read “Jack, wanna exchange gloves for a t-shirt?”

• Miller saw him and winked. But surely he would forget after a brutal race in stinking hot conditions.

• No chance. He found the fan and gave his very sweaty gloves to the fan. And just to show there is karma in this world, Miller finished 3rd in the race.

Watch it: An actual fan would have been nice to cool Miller down, but this fan moment was a different kind of cool.

📽 The highlight reel

This might be the best catch you see all year. Blake Robertson knows he's in trouble the moment he holds on during baseball's College World Series. Check out this landing.

📸 Photo finish

We'll gladly look after one of those trophies if Steph Curry needs a hand. Geez, he's good.

🏃‍♀️ The finish line

🏆 Today's trivia answer

Queensland kicked a very late penalty goal to win 8-6.