🏉 It's try time!

Footy's back, it's Thursday, 10 March

🔊 Sport Today Podcast

This morning, Sam Ferris and Lucy Watkin are at the mic. 

Today's listen time: 9 minutes

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

📺  What we're watching today

⚽ 7.00am - UEFA Champions League - Real Madrid v PSG - Santiago Bernabéu, Madrid - Stan Sport

🏀 11.30am - NBA - Heat v Suns - FTX Arena, Miami - Foxtel, Kayo

🏉 8.05pm - NRL - Panthers v Sea Eagles - BlueBet Stadium, Penrith - Channel 9, Foxtel, Kayo

All times are in AEDT

🏉 COVID chaos welcomes in the new season 

Who would win between a panther and a sea eagle? It’s one of nature’s great mysteries and even David Attenborough would struggle to answer that. Luckily, we’ll find out tonight when Penrith plays Manly to open the new NRL season.

Golden points: Rugby league has been back for a few weeks with the NRLW, but it’s the men’s turn now after 5 long months. 

• The Panthers are the defending premiers but they’ll be without injured halfback Nathan Cleary. That hurts because he’s really good and they’re playing Manly, who have the best player in the world. That would be Tom Trbojevic.

• It hasn’t quite been 84 years like the Titanic meme, but this will be the first NRL game in Sydney since last July when the comp was moved to Qld because of COVID.

• The virus has already affected a few clubs this week with new Sharks coach Craig Fitzgibbon forced into isolation before his first game in charge. 

What are the chances… the Panthers defend their title? The Roosters went back-to-back in 2018 and 2019, but it’s been tougher than a sirloin on $10 steak night. The Panthers have lost a few players from last year’s team while the Roosters get a stack of injured stars back.

Watch it: The sun is out so it’s time to fire up the BBQ. The game kicks off at 8.05pm and you can catch it on Channel 9, Foxtel and Kayo. 

🚨 New Podcast Launches Today!

Don't Forget Your Tips! is a weekly podcast for footy fans who are keen to get an edge in their footy tipping comp. There will be 2 episodes each week - one on NRL and the other AFL - all done in around 10 minutes by 6.00am (AEDT/AEST) on Thursdays. The first episode lands today, previewing Round 1 of the NRL, with AFL episodes starting a week later. Follow Don't Forget Your Tips! on Apple, Spotify and all podcast apps.

🏏 Case closed for cricket's controversial rule

If you played park cricket as a kid then there’s a fair chance there was a stop in play while someone walked their dog across the field. Well, there’s gonna be a rule for that after cricket’s big wigs came up with some changes.

Golden points: If you haven’t heard of the Marylebone Cricket Club then you may have come across the MCC. Turns out they’re the same thing. They are cricket’s lawmakers, and they’ve updated their rule book.

• Cricket purists have long debated the Mankad rule. No, that’s not a rude word. But some batters have sworn after they were given out thanks to the controversial rule that allows a bowler to take off the bails if the non-striker tries to steal a headstart.

• Well, there’s no more debate because the Mankad is now a legal form of run-out. 

• Another big change is that the fielding team can no longer use saliva to try to keep the ball shiny. That was brought in because of COVID and it’s now a permanent rule change. 

Key click: Here's a detailed look at all the new rules. 

🏏 MCG set to host Warne's final farewell

His death still doesn’t feel real, but plans are in place for Shane Warne’s state funeral later this month. 

Golden points: Vic Premier Daniel Andrews has locked in 30 March as the date, with the MCG set to host the event.

• The memorial will be held in the evening to give people enough time to get there after work. You can buy tickets but the service will also be livestreamed.

• Some of Warne’s musical mates will likely be there to celebrate his life.

• Warne’s body is expected to return to Australia today. His family will hold a private service before his public farewell. 

Watch it: Warne was great mates with Chris Martin from Coldplay. Check out this video of him getting up on stage to perform with the British band.

🎾 Murray puts his wallet where his mouth is 

If you hear the line “Great Scott!” then your mind probably goes to Doc Brown from the movie Back to the Future. We’ve got to check copyright laws, but it looks like tennis star Andy Murray now owns the words “Great Scot”. 

Golden points: Murray says he’s going to donate all his prize money this year to help the humanitarian effort in Ukraine.

• Murray has been a UK ambassador for UNICEF which helps children all over the world. 

• He says 7.5 million children could be affected by Russia’s invasion, and he wants his money to be used to ensure kids have access to food, medicine and education. 

• Murray isn’t the only one helping out. The 4 grand slams and a couple of big tennis organisations will chip in close to $1 million. 

They said it: "Children in Ukraine need peace - now." Murray says the time for talk is over.

⚽ Blink and you missed it

Lots of people thought that Polish striker Robert Lewandowski was stiff to miss out on the Ballon d'Or award this year as the best male footballer in the world. Well, he’s moved on pretty quickly - literally - because he scored a hat-trick in record time yesterday.

Golden points: Lewandowski scored three goals in the first 23 minutes in Bayern Munich’s 7-1 win over RB Salzburg in the European Champions League Round of 16.

• It was a bad time to make an early morning cuppa because he scored those goals in just 11 minutes.

• The win means Bayern is into the final 8 after they were held to a 1-1 draw in the first leg. This is why you don’t panic too early. 

• In the other game yesterday, Liverpool lost 1-0 at home to Inter Milan, but advanced because they won the first match 2-0.

Watch it: There are 2 more games on this morning. The big one is in Spain where Real Madrid are playing PSG. Real Madrid lost the first leg 1-0 but they are the most successful club in this comp for a reason. You can catch both games on Stan Sport. 

👀 Quick singles

🏉 After a few successful years in NSW and Qld, women’s State of Origin will enter unchartered territory. Rugby league’s interstate showpiece event will be played in the ACT for the first time.

🏀 Kyrie Irving raised the bat as the Brooklyn Nets snapped out of their slumber to sting the Hornets. Irving only needed 19 shots from the field to score his 50 points. That’s pretty impressive because only one guy in history has scored 50 with fewer shots.

⚽ Forget about Jon Snow because the Matildas are about to take over in the north. The Matildas will take on New Zealand in Townsville in April. They’ll then head from the tropics to chilly Canberra for game 2 a few days later. 

⛳ It will be a family affair in Florida when Tiger Woods’ daughter introduces him into the World Golf Hall of Fame. 3 other people will also be inducted before the Players Championship event starts. 

🏉 It’s a case of better the devil you know as 6 AFL captains picked the Demons to reach the grand final again. The AFL asked all 18 captains some questions before the new season starts next week.

🏏 England are heading south on the ladder after they were beaten by the West Indies at the women’s 50-over World Cup. The defending champs have lost their first 2 games of the tournament. Only the top 4 teams make the finals.

🙃 Left of field…

Everybody panic! No, not really. Jackie Moon was at an NBA game yesterday in California but it’s been confirmed that there were no bears with him. 

Golden points: Actor Will Ferrell was decked out in all his Jackie Moon gear from the movie Semi-Pro for Golden State’s NBA game against the Clippers.

• He was surrounded by actual pros and it probably showed in the pre-game warmups.

• Moon has been associated with the Warriors ever since Golden State’s Klay Thompson cut himself and had to wear a headband. He said he looked like Jackie Moon and then dressed up as the character for Halloween.

• Moon’s presence helped turn the tide for the Warriors. They snapped a 5-game losing streak with a 112-97 win over LA.

Watch it: There was no full moon yesterday, but there was a Jackie Moon hitting half-court shots. 

📽 The highlight reel

We're less than a week into the Women's 50-over World Cup in New Zealand but we might have seen the catch of the tournament by the West Indies' Deandra Dottin.

📸 Photo finish

Australia's men's cricket team has arrived in Karachi for the 2nd Test against Pakistan and it looks like the locals are all over how to pronounce Marnus Labuschagne. 

🏃‍♀️ The finish line

🏆 Today's trivia answer

Murray's first Grand Slam title was the 2012 US Open.