DIEGO Maradona causes a stir with his reaction to Argentina’s progression to the next round, the Socceroos endure heartbreak and France and Denmark cop criticism over their ‘boring’ match. We wrap up a crazy night from Russia in our World Cup Wrap. GAMES/RESULTS Australia 0 Peru 2occeroos bottom as Peru triumphant Denmark 0 France 0:Goalless draw as Danes, French progress Iceland 1 Croatia 2: Classy Croatia end Iceland hopes Nigeria 1 Argentina 2: Late strike saves Argentina’s World Cup MARADONA LOSES IT AS ARGENTINA WIN THE greatest football player of all time spent the week looking like he wanted the ground to open up and swallow him as Argentina limped meekly through the group stage of the World Cup with an opening draw and loss. But Diego Maradona suddenly found a zest for life as his national team finally bagged a win - and spot in the next round - with a 2-1 win over Nigeria. Marcus Rojo’s decisive goal in the 87th minute sent the Argentine crowd into raptures, none more so than Maradona who had a simple - if less than eloquent - message for the haters. Social media, predictably, went into overdrive after Maradona’s... shall we say, exuberant celebration in the stands? But it wasn’t quite the happy end to the night Maradona thought it would be. Paramedics tended to the Argentina legend after he fell ill post-match, according to reports. A video emerged showing the 1986 World Cup winner looking unwell, walking with difficulty and being guided into the dining room of the VIP section by two friends and then sitting in a chair. Other photographs showed two uniformed paramedics attending to him, with one appearing to take his pulse. Argentina media reported that Maradona had suffered a spike in his blood pressure. Argentinian newspaper Ole reported that Maradona was able to walk and had gone to his hotel. Maradona has had a series of health problems, including cocaine addiction. In 2007 he reportedly came close to death. DANES, FRENCH SLAMMED OVER SNOOZEFEST FOOTBALL FANS hated the battle of backpasses that the Denmark-France World Cup match devolved into, and they likely will watch more teams collude when soccer’s showcase expands to 48 teams. The sellout crowd at Luzhniki Stadium started booing early in the second half, angry that two talented teams were passing the ball back to goalkeepers and refusing to go on the attack.

Former NBA star Andrew Bogut says the concept of five Australian NBL teams taking on the might of the NBA would have been laughed out of America just a few years ago, but now a win is also achievable. An opening marquee clash between NBL champions Melbourne United and Ben Simmons' Philadelphia 76ers highlights seven games announced on Wednesday between NBL teams and NBA sides over a week starting September 28. In the second year of the innovation, it's the most games NBA clubs will have played against teams from an international league in a single pre-season. "The NBL is starting to get a name globally," said Bogut, the Sydney Kings' superstar signing, who faces a match up with old foes at the LA Clippers in Honolulu. "To even have these conversations with NBA teams probably wouldn't have happened four or five years ago. "To be honest they would have laughed when people called to try and arrange these games so the fact they've got this done two years in a row and to this capacity is great so hopefully we can keep pushing this momentum." The expansion of games follows the success last year, when Melbourne United excelled against Oklahoma City, falling agonisingly with a one-point loss. The Sydney Kings also played Utah Jazz last year and Bogut looked forward to resuming his fiery relationship with the LA Clippers which developed when he was with Golden State Warriors. "I've had a good history with the LA CLippers," Bogut said. "Blake Griffin has gone and he was one of the main ones but hopefully DeAndre (Jordan) is still there because we have some beef." The other matches are in the US mainland and will also feature the Adelaide 36ers, New Zealand Breakers and Perth Wildcats. United open the series against Philadelphia on September 28 at the Wells Fargo Centre. The 76ers are led by Australian point guard and 2018 Rookie of the Year Ben Simmons and their head coach Brett Brown, a former coach of the Australian national men's team. Bogut said that United showed against OKC last season that a win for an Australian team was possible. "It's doable - European teams have done it and there's no reason why NBL teams can't," he said. "NBA rosters are still fresh at that point so they're still figuring each other out so I think there will be a few opportunities and hopefully we can put ourselves on the map with a win." Schedule:- September 28 - Philadelphia 76ers v Melbourne United - Wells Fargo Centre, Philadelphia September 29 - Utah Jazz v Perth Wildcats - Vivint Smart Home Arena, Utah September 30 - LA Clippers v Sydney Kings - Stan Sheriff Centre, Honolulu October 3 - Phoenix Suns v New Zealand Breakers - Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix October 5 - Denver Nuggets v Perth Wildcats - Pepsi Centre, Denver October 5 - Toronto Raptors v Melbourne United - Scotiabank Arena, Toronto October 5 - Utah Jazz v Adelaide 36ers - Vivint Smart Home Arena, Utah

MAGIC Johnson is betting his job on his free-agent recruiting skills for the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson declared Monday that he will step down as the Lakers’ president of basketball operations if he can’t persuade an elite free agent to sign with the 16-time NBA champions within the next two summers. “Next summer, if nobody comes and I’m still sitting here like this, then it’s a failure,” Johnson said after a news conference to introduce draft picks Moe Wagner and Svi Mykhailiuk. Johnson was put in charge of the Lakers’ front office by owner Jeanie Buss in February 2017, and the former superstar point guard immediately announced his plans to revive the struggling franchise by enticing the game’s best players to join as free agents. With Paul George and potentially LeBron James headlining the market this summer, Johnson is leading the Lakers’ efforts to land both players this weekend. If they sign elsewhere, Johnson and the Lakers will pursue the large crop of 2019 free agents. And if he strikes out with every big name, Johnson said he will quit. “Like I told you when I took the job, it’s going to be a two-summer thing for the Lakers,” Johnson said. “This summer, and next summer, and that’s it. And if I can’t deliver, I’m going to step down myself. She won’t have to fire me. I’ll step away from it. Because then, I can’t do this job. But so far, so good.” Although the Lakers are mired in the worst five-year stretch in franchise history and haven’t made the playoffs since 2013, Johnson and general manager Rob Pelinka have been successful in achieving their initial goals since they took over 16 months ago. They have solidified a decent core of talented young players - Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart - to provide their potential free-agent signees with support. They have made several slick trades and personnel moves to clear enough salary cap room to offer two mammoth free-agent contracts this summer. Now comes the tough part: Persuading George or James or other big names to move to Hollywood. Johnson said he has no idea whether the Lakers’ pitch will be well-received, but he also feels confident in his task. “I’m Magic Johnson,” he said with his ubiquitous smile. “You know how many finals I’ve been in? So you think I’m worried about this? I played against Larry Bird in the Finals. I played in nine Finals.” Johnson is the second straight basketball decision-maker for the Lakers to create a self-imposed deadline for success. In 2014, co-owner Jim Buss told the Los Angeles Times that the Lakers had to be a contender within three to four years, or “I will step down, because that means I have failed.” The Lakers badly missed that deadline, and Buss’ sister fired him and general manager Mitch Kupchak in February 2017. Johnson and Pelinka are spending this week honing and finetuning their free- agent pitches. They’ll show their plans to Jeanie Buss later in the week, along with numerous contingency plans for the short-term and long-term future. “If we can sign somebody this summer, we’ll do that,” Johnson said. “If it doesn’t happen, we’ve got to turn to next summer.”

THE Perth Wildcats will take on NBA opposition for the first time in more than two decades as part of an expanded NBL exhibition series in the United States this year. But the Wildcats, who knocked back an invitation to take part in last October’s inaugural inter-league series, only agreed to take part this year after receiving league guarantees it would not interrupt their NBL championship assault. The NBL will push back its 2018-19 regular season by a week to accommodate the glamour exhibition series, which will be held in late September and early October. The Wildcats will play games against the Utah Jazz (September 30) and Denver Nuggets (October 5) in their home arenas on the eve of the NBA season. The Jazz team will feature Australian stars Joe Ingles and Dante Exum. NBA and NBL representatives will today make a joint announcement of the series, which is seen as a huge endorsement for Australian basketball and the revamped local league under the ownership of prominent businessman Larry Kestelman. It will be broadcast live into Australia. “It’s an exceptional opportunity for our club as a brand,” Wildcats chief executive Troy Georgiu said. “It’s recognition of our success over the years and as an elite professional sporting team within Australia. “To play in the best basketball landscape in the world will only increase our brand and our exposure to American athletes and supporters.” The Wildcats will be joined in the US by four rival NBL clubs, including Melbourne United and the Sydney Kings, who were among three NBL representatives in last year’s series with the Brisbane Bullets. Perth and Melbourne are the only NBL clubs that will play two games against NBA teams this year, with Sydney and two others to play one game each. Melbourne pushed Oklahoma City Thunder to the limit last year, losing a thriller by one point. The trip created a travel and fixture nightmare during the early parts of the regular season, but Melbourne overcame the hurdle and won the NBL championship in March. The delayed start to the 2018-19 regular season has ruled out any chance of similar issues. “Melbourne went last year and they won the championship, so it shouldn’t affect our title chances,” Georgiu said. “It’s an exciting opportunity for the group to get away and bond in an environment in which they should be excited about playing in. “Playing against the best in the world should only motivate our guys to do better and be more focused. “There would be pride in being that first NBL team to beat an NBA team as well. “We usually go away in the pre-season to do team bonding anyway, so this is taking that to the next level and I feel the players will thrive on that opportunity and environment.” Georgiu confirmed star import Bryce Cotton would spearhead a full-strength Wildcats line-up in the US and expected to have its import brigade in place by then. A Wildcats delegation will head to the NBA Summer League at the end of next week to step up the club’s recruitment drive. “For us this series is a crucial part of the pre-season and with all the new players, the more time spent on court together, the better,” Georgiu said. “It’s our intent to have everyone fit and firing at full tilt to ensure they get the games in the legs before the regular season starts.” Wildcats owner Jack Bendat and the club’s board gave its full support to the US trip. The Jazz fixture at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City will be Perth’s first ever on US soil. A Wildcats team fresh from winning what was referred to as the ‘Triple Crown’ – the pre-season competition, minor premiership and NBL championship – was beaten by the Houston Rockets in its last meeting with an NBA team at the 1995 McDonald’s Championship in London. Adrian Hurley’s outfit featured club legends Ricky Grace, James Crawford and Andrew Vlahov, and went on to beat Spanish giants Real Madrid to finish third in the international club championship event.

BEN Simmons is destined for greatness. That’s the view of Sydney Kings big man Andrew Bogut after the Philadelphia 76ers sensation became the first Australian to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. As expected, Simmons claimed the prestigious honour ahead of Utah point guard Donovan Mitchell and Boston’s Jayson Tatum at a lavish ceremony in Los Angeles. Watching on from his home in Melbourne, Bogut couldn’t have been prouder of the rising Australian star’s achievement. “It’s much deserved,” said Bogut, who was the first Australian to be the NBA’s No.1 Draft pick with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005. “I think it is the best regular season a rookie has had for a while.” Simmons surged to the honour following a historic rookie season with Philadelphia under former Sydney coach Brett Brown. He led the resurgent 76ers to the second round of the playoffs with averages of 15.8 points, 8.2 assists and 8.1 rebounds on almost 55 per cent shooting from the field. Simmons also surpassed the legendary Magic Johnson for the second-most triple doubles in an NBA rookie season. The point guard’s 12 triple doubles put him only behind the great Oscar Robertson, who had 26 with the Cincinnati Royals in 1961. Simmons may be a clear winner in many people’s eyes, but some critics felt he should not be eligible for the award, given this year is technically his second in the NBA system. The Newcastle-raised star fractured his foot on the eve of what was supposed to be his rookie season in 2017-2018, ruling him out for the year. He may not have played, but he was still received the benefit of being inside an NBA franchise. Despite the conjecture, the NBA ruled he was still eligible for the Rookie of the Year award. A proud Simmons said he was honoured to receive his award. “I’d like to thank my family, friends, I wouldn’t be here without them,” Simmons said. “My teammates, of course, and my great coach Brett Brown and the city of Philadelphia for really embracing me and my family.” Simmons is also the first Australian to win a major NBA award. The NBA’s yearly awards were voted on by a panel featuring 100 members of the media from all over the world and tabled before the playoffs began.

THERE will be perfectly-timed put downs, gushing photo spreads, tired tabloid moans about the grunts and a stream of questions about Serena Williams. It can only mean one thing: Maria Sharapova is back at Wimbledon. Three years after her last appearance at the All England Club, and 14 years since the Russian won the title, launching the giggling teenager into the financial and media stratosphere, Sharapova’s career is at a crossroads. Now 31, Sharapova missed 2016 Wimbledon as she sat out a doping ban while injury scuppered her plans to play the qualifying tournament 12 months ago. She is without a Slam title in four years, her fifth and most recent coming at the French Open in 2014 while she has won just one trophy — a low-key end-of-season affair in Tianjin — since her return from suspension. However, there have been flashes of vintage Sharapova along the way and when she returned to Grand Slam tennis at the US Open last year, it was in some style. Wearing a diamond-encrusted black number, she knocked out then world number two Simona Halep first up on the way to the last 16. At this year’s French Open, she comfortably disposed of sixth-ranked Karolina Pliskova for the loss of just three games before running out of steam in a quarter-final defeat to reigning Wimbledon champion Garbine Muguruza. The fourth round in Paris should have pitted her against Williams but fans were denied a 22nd meeting between the pair when the American withdrew injured. Williams has loomed large in the Sharapova story. The American lost to her in the 2004 final at the All England Club and at the Tour Championships that same year. Since then, however, Sharapova has lost 18 on the bounce to her career-long nemesis. — PUBLIC BATTLES — That run includes a semi-final defeat at Wimbledon in her last appearance at the tournament in 2015. Williams was also the victor in the quarter-finals of the 2016 Australian Open, Sharapova’s last event before her 15-month doping ban kicked in. Adding spice to this year’s Wimbledon, the two clashed off the court at Roland Garros when Williams described claims made against her by Sharapova in her autobiography as “100 percent hearsay”. Sharapova fired back: “When you’re writing an autobiography, I don’t think there is any reason to write anything that’s not true.” On the eve of Wimbledon five years ago, they were trading barbs again when Williams gave an explosive interview to Rolling Stone magazine. “She begins every interview with ‘I’m so happy. I’m so lucky’ — it’s so boring,” said Williams without namechecking the Russian. “She’s still not going to be invited to the cool parties. And, hey, if she wants to be with the guy with a black heart, go for it.” The ‘black heart’ was a not so subtle reference to Bulgarian tennis player Grigor Dimitrov, a rumoured former boyfriend of Williams, who was then dating Sharapova. A few days later, Sharapova aimed a trademark icy riposte at Williams who is now a seven-time Wimbledon winner. “If she wants to talk about something personal, maybe she should talk about her relationship and her boyfriend that was married and is getting a divorce and has kids,” she said in reference to Patrick Mouratoglou, who is still Williams’s coach but was reportedly her boyfriend at the time as well. Fifteen years after making her Wimbledon bow as a 16-year-old, Sharapova knows that with a game made for grass, a return of just the Wimbledon title is meagre. She has been back to the final only once since 2004, losing 6-3, 6-4 to Petra Kvitova in 2011. There have also been some embarrassing howlers — in 2008, losing to Alla Kudryatseva, ranked 154, then to world number 45 Gisela Dulko in 2009 and to Michelle Larcher de Brito, a 131st-ranked Portuguese qualifier in 2013. Now ranked 24 in the world, Sharapova heads to Wimbledon without any competitive grass court action having pulled out of Birmingham last week. “I need to take care of my body and make sure I stay healthy,” said the Russian who still managed to get some time on Centre Court this week. She wasn’t practising but was giving Canadian ice hockey legend Sidney Crosby a guided tour.

RAFAEL Nadal remains the king of clay, but the world number one arrives at Wimbledon harbouring only slender hopes of winning the tournament for the first time since 2010. Nadal extended his incredible record on the red dirt of Roland Garros earlier this month as he crushed Dominic Thiem to win his 11th French Open title. The Spaniard has enjoyed another golden period on his favoured clay this year, claiming the Monte Carlo, Barcelona and Rome titles as well as his latest triumph in Paris. That dominant streak extended Nadal’s impressive renaissance after two years of injury woe. He has won three of the last five Grand Slams, taking the French Open two years in a row and lifting the US Open trophy in 2017. But, while the 32-year-old’s superiority on clay is unquestioned, Nadal has found it far harder to transfer that dominance to the All England Club’s lawns in the latter stages of his career. The 17-time Grand Slam champion won the most recent of his two Wimbledon titles eight years ago and hasn’t been past the last 16 since 2011. Nadal has admitted in the past that he finds it hard to make the transition from clay to grass. The low bounce on grass threatens to aggravate the knee injuries that have plagued him for years. With that in mind, Nadal decided to withdraw from last week’s Wimbledon warm-up at Queen’s Club to rest his aching body after the gruelling clay campaign. “I had a very intense campaign on clay and my body needed rest because drastic changes are not good,” Nadal said. “I had to spend time adapting physically and in my tennis to the surface. “I will certainly arrive at Wimbledon with less preparation, but I’m going with confidence high because I played very well through the whole clay-court season.” Nadal has been preparing for Wimbledon by training for the past week on the grass courts of the Mallorca Open near his home in Manacor. — TALE OF WOE — During that training block he suffered a scare after appearing to twist his ankle. But Nadal, who hasn’t played a competitive match since the French Open, appeared to recover quickly and will take part in exhibition matches near London this week in a bid to hone his grass game. Even so, his absence from Queen’s and the subsequent lack of grass game-time raises doubts about his chances of a third title at Wimbledon, which starts its 150th edition on Monday. Nadal did receive a boost on Sunday when he regained top spot in the ATP rankings from Roger Federer after his old rival’s surprise defeat against Borna Coric in the Halle final. Between them, Federer and Nadal have won the last six major titles, the old rivals sharing them out with three each. But it is Federer who heads to London as the reigning Wimbledon champion, with the Swiss legend favoured to win the tournament for the ninth time after resting during the clay season. Although Nadal reached five successive Wimbledon finals from 2006 to 2011 — discounting his 2009 absence due to injury — the tournament has become a house of horrors for him lately. His tale of woe started in 2012 with a stunning loss to world number 100 Lukas Rosol. There was worse to come for Nadal in 2013 when unheralded Belgian Steve Darcis dumped him out and a year later Nick Kyrgios, ranked 144, inflicted yet more misery on the Spaniard. Dread-locked Dustin Brown was the next player outside the top 100 to send Nadal home early in 2015 and last year’s calamity came against Luxembourg journeyman Gilles Muller in a five-set marathon.

THANASI Kokkinakis and Alex Bolt will clash in a bitter-sweet Wimbledon qualifying showdown on Thursday morning (EST) after the pair moved to the cusp of the main draw - and their biggest payday of the season. Good friends, Kokkinakis, 22, and Bolt, 25, swept into the final round at Roehampton with dominant performances, each securing a guaranteed $34,000. But much higher stakes are now in play after Kokkinakis took just 65 minutes to demolish Poland’s Kamil Majchrzak 6-1 6-4 and Bolt thumped Briton Alex Ward 6-2 6-2. Carrying a quad strain, Kokkinakis hopes to survive his close mate. “I’ve got a day off (on Wednesday) which I need,” he said. “Definitely not ready for best of five. But grass is a leveller. “’Bolty’ likes to play some short points as well, and he’s absolutely chopping it up so he’s obviously in some good form as well. And he’s been playing a lot more tennis than I have, as well.” Bolt’s confidence is soaring after thrashing Ward. “Overall I feel like I played a really solid tennis match. I’m just in a great spot right now,” he said. “Obviosuly (Thanasi and I are) both from Adelaide, we’ve had a few training blocks together so we know each other well, we’re really good mates off the court so I’m really looking forward to it – I think it’s going to be a good match.” First-round losers at the All England Club next week receive $69,700 - but if precious opportunity is converted, prizemoney and ranking bounties multiply. Lleyton Hewitt will be among a cluster of Australian onlookers. The 2002 singles champion is partnering Bolt as a doubles wildcard entrant and also has enormous regard for Kokkinakis. Bernard Tomic, Jason Kubler and John-Patrick Smith are also into the final phase of qualifying. Kubler, contesting only his sixth grasscourt event since turning professional 10 years ago because chronic knee soreness, savoured a miracle 3-6 6-3 12-10 win over Czech Adam Pavlasek The talented right-hander has primarily concentrated on claycourt events to protect his knees - until recently. The decision to venture back onto grass paid handsomely with a superb win over Pavlasek. A former top junior, Kubler will next play Canadian Peter Polansky. Tomic, looking lean and focused after the wastefulness of 2017, buried Bosnian Tomislav Brkic 6-2 6-4 and will face Belgian Ruben Bemelmans for a place in the main draw. Smith overwhelmed Marcel Granollers 6-3 6-4 to earn a crack at American Michael Mmoh. The quintet will bid to join Nick Kyrgios. Matt Ebden, John Millman, Alex de Minaur, James Duckworth and Jordan Thompson at Church Road. Arina Rodionova, Priscilla Hon and Lizette Cabrera reached the second round of women’s qualifying, but Jaimee Fourlis lost to Bulgarian Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 3-6 6-4. Hon upset Ukrainian 15th seed Anhelina Kalinina 6-3 7-6 (7-3). Rodionova downed Romanian Jaqueline Cristian 6-1 7-6 (7-5). Cabrera stunned Slovak 17th seed Jana Cepelova 2-6 6-4 6-4, recovering from a set and break down to prevail. “I was just telling myself (when I was down) that if I lose I just want to leave it all out there and fight ’til the end,” she said. “I wasn’t playing my best today but I just trusted myself out there. I’m really happy I ended up winning. “I love grass, it’s my favourite surface and I think the last few weeks I’ve been training really well. “Just been losing some tight matches. But I think I’ve been learning more and more every year on the grass and I really enjoy it. I think my game is coming along really well.”

Petra Kvitova continued to impress with a straight-sets victory over Kateryna Bondarenko in the second round at the Eastbourne International. The third-seeded Kvitova, who won her fifth title of the season on Sunday in Birmingham, triumphed 7-5 6-3 on Tuesday and looks in impervious form ahead of her bid to win a third Wimbledon campaign. Kvitova's career looked seriously in doubt 18 months ago after a knife attack at her home which led to surgery on her left playing hand. "I'm pretty happy with my win today," Kvitova said. "Obviously, I'm a little bit tired, but I got a hit this morning before the match, a warmup. "The whole tournament (in Birmingham) was more relaxed for me from my side. It was great that I hopefully will save some energy for the next weeks. I felt good with the body, so that's important." In a tight first set, Kvitova secured the first break but Bondarenko broke back when the Czech player was serving for the set. However, Kvitova broke straight back and held her serve to love, clinching the first set with a delightful serve and volley. Bondarenko went 3-1 up with a break in the second as Kivitova double-faulted. But that was to be the last game the Ukrainian won. Kvitova sealed the match with another break when her opponent hit a forehand into the net. Up next for Kvitova is Agnieszka Radwanska, who defeated Australia's 15th-seeded Daria Gavrilova 5-7 7-6 (4) 6-0. British No. 1 Johanna Konta will face top-seeded Caroline Wozniacki in the third round after easing past Aleksandra Krunic 6-1 6-3. The 13th-seeded Konta stuttered at times and perhaps benefited from Krunic injuring herself while sliding into the net mid-rally toward the end of the first set. The Serbian player had treatment on court and played the second set with strapping on her left leg. Konta has not dropped a set against Wozniacki in their two previous meetings - the 2017 Australian Open and the final of last year's Miami Open. "I'm looking forward to that," Konta said about her upcoming match against the Australian Open champion. "I haven't played her in quite some time and she's obviously a Grand Slam champion this year, playing some great tennis, so I'll look forward to that battle." Earlier, Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus upset sixth-seeded Julia Goerges 1-6 6-4 6-4, while Danielle Collins of the United States beat 16th-seeded Carla Suarez Navarro of Spain 6-2 6-4. Collins will next face Angelique Kerber after the German comfortably defeated Dominika Cibulkova 6-3 6-3. Fifth-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Estonia looked back to some of her best tennis as she dismissed Kaia Kanepi, 6-3 7-5. It was Ostapenko's first match since losing in the first round of her French Open title defense. Other seeded players to make it to the third round were: Daria Kasatkina, Elise Mertens, Barbora Strycova, Anastasija Sevastova and Ashleigh Barty. In the men's draw, fifth-seeded Leonardo Mayer beat Gilles Simon 6-4 7-6 (4) in the first round. Mayer took the first set when he broke Simon for the second time after a lengthy final game which saw the Frenchman save four set points. The second set was even tighter before the Argentine, who served up seven aces, eventually prevailed. Seventh-seeded Steve Johnson is also safely through to the second round after easing past Daniil Medvedev 6-2 6-4.

WORLD No.2 Roger Federer will return to Perth for a third consecutive Hopman Cup campaign this summer. Federer was this morning confirmed to again team up with Belinda Bencic to defend Switzerland’s title from last summer’s mixed-teams tournament. The 20-time Grand Slam winner has prevailed at the Australian Open following his past two Hopman Cup campaigns. Federer’s return means the Perth Arena tournament will have two of the top-three men’s players in the world, with third-ranked Alexander Zverev also coming back to partner Angelique Kerber on the German team. WA has heartily embraced Federer in his past two visits to WA, with thousands attending his open practice sessions and last year’s ‘quokka selfie’ going viral. In a statement, Federer said he was “very excited” to make another visit to Perth. “We had a wonderful week (last summer). I took a quokka selfie. Western Australia has treated me super well... you, the fans, have been amazing,” he said. “Perth Arena is a wonderful place to start the new year and it’s obviously the perfect preparation for the Australian Open and it worked so well the last couple of years. “I can’t wait to come back.” But Federer won’t be taking another quokka selfie when he returns this summer, with Tourism Minister Paul Papalia cagey about how they plan to use the Swiss maestro to drive interest in the WA this time around. Papalia again refused to reveal the cost of luring Federer to WA, firing back at Opposition Leader Mike Nahan as he fielded questions about the deal this morning. “This deal is a commercial one, it is subject to commercial in confidence obligations,” Papalia said. “We are in a quite brutal fight with other States and Territories for Tourism business. “I can tell you right now that every other State would love to have Roger Federer and the other players that we’ve got but we can’t reveal the amounts that we paid because that would compromise our ability to not only get Roger or any other serious figure in the future in a similar fashion. “What I can say though is later on today when you leader of the opposition comes out in his whiny voice and says: ‘They’ve got to tell us how much they paid’ you can say to him that we paid exactly the same amount that he did two years ago when he signed a confidentiality agreement. “But I guarantee you there is one difference: we will extract far greater value for the tax payer dollar than they ever did getting Roger to stand on Cottesloe Beach playing tennis with Colin Barnett.” Federer’s trip to Rottnest Island last summer received wide-spread coverage, with the 20-time grand slam champion’s quokka selfie going viral. But the State Government is giving little away of their plans for the world No.2 come the end of the year. “I’m going to leave you in suspense but I can tell you that it’s not planned to be a quokka selfie, it’s going to be something else,” Papalia said. “It’s got to be something unique to WA. “It will be good. It will be something really cool. It might be associated with water.”

AARON Woods and Moses Mbye might’ve left, but Canterbury will still be feeling the effects of poor salary cap management until 2021. That’s according to NRL 360 host Paul Kent, who says the duo’s mid-seasons exits will do little to ease the pressure on the Bulldogs’ recruitment and retention. Bulldogs chief executive Andrew Hill fronted members in May telling them the club was unlikely to make any major signings for three years due to the decisions of the previous board which was voted out in February. It appears as though that will still be the case despite Woods and Mbye joining Cronulla and Wests Tigers respectively. “They were going to be salary cap compliant (in 2019) but it essentially meant they had to sign six or seven players on minimum wage ($100,000) next year,” Kent told NRL 360. “By getting rid of Aaron Woods, what that allows them to do — the Morris boys are going to be leaving, Greg Eastwood’s leaving, Moses Mbye’s gone — they will be able to start looking at players $200,000 to $300,000 worth. “There’s no point having Josh Jackson, David Klemmer, Kieran Foran — when he comes back — top quality players surrounded by kids who are essentially reserve players at any other club. “The big problem for the Bulldogs, and this is going to terrify Bulldogs fans, is they will not have clear space salary cap wise until 2021. “In 2019, they’re going to be affected with players getting back-ended deals as well as other players activating what we call ratchet clauses. “In 2020, they’ll also be doing that.” Meanwhile, even after dishing out on Woods, coach Shane Flanagan insists Cronulla’s salary cap can accommodate off-contract veterans Luke Lewis and Paul Gallen next season — should they play on. Flanagan “stuck to his guns” on what he believed was a reasonable price to buy the prop from cap-squeezed Canterbury and was certain it would not leave the club at risk of its own issues next NRL season. “That won’t make a difference for us. In the back of our mind one or both (of Lewis and Gallen) could retire, one or both could battle on next year,” Flanagan said on Wednesday.

AFTER 244 NRL games, Parramatta co-captain Beau Scott has decided to hang up the boots. The 34-year-old forward, who was off-contract at the end of 2018, sadly wasn’t able to go out on his own terms after suffering an ACL injury earlier this season. Scott made his debut with Cronulla in 2005 before moving to St George Illawarra where he played six seasons and won the 2010 grand final. He signed with Newcastle in 2013 and spent three seasons there before joining the Eels. In addition to club duties, he played three Tests for Australia, 11 Origins for NSW and three games for NSW Country. “I feel privileged to have played the great game of rugby league professionally for the past fourteen years, and I’m grateful for the opportunities and experiences that have come with it,” Scott said. “I would like to thank all of the players, coaches and support staff who I have been associated with throughout my career, and I’d like to acknowledge and thank all the fans and members who have supported me over such a long period.” Scott said he and his family are looking forward to the next phase of their lives and he plans to further his involvement in Arcade Trader, an arcade and vending company, while preparing to launch a new app called Sign Time. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS NRL debut: Cronulla v Melbourne, round 22, 2005 Eels debut: Parramatta v Broncos, round 1, 2016 NRL games: 244 NRL tries: 32 Premiership: 2010 (St George Illawarra) Rep honours: - State of Origin for NSW (2010-12) - Kangaroos (2011, 2014) - NSW Country (2009, 2012, 2014)

ROBBIE Farah has already made a difference to Josh Reynolds’ game, and he expects the other members of the Tigers’ spine to also benefit greatly from his experience. “I obviously played Origin with [Farah] previously but just his knowledge of the game it just helps me,” he told NRL360. “I know it’s going to help [Luke] Brooksy and also Moses [Mbye], because Moses is very new to that position as well and I just think it’s really good for us at this time of year.” “He just knows the hooking role. I’ve learned a few things straight away off him just little things, and he’s just going to be great for the club in general.” While slotting two new arrivals in Farah and Mbye into the spine could be cause for concern with combinations, Reynolds can only see the positives. “The boys started really well, we won a fair few games at the start of the year, but we probably haven’t been playing our best footy the last few games. And for those two classy players to come straight into our team it’s only going to be good,” he added. Luke Lewis, who’s also played alongside Farah for NSW, said he’s not just bringing experience but a purple patch of form. “He’s always been a Tigers boy. When you think of Tigers you always think of Robbie Farah. So I think to have him back is an instrumental gain for you guys,” Lewis said to Reynolds. “He’s been outstanding for South Sydney his last two games he’s played for them and he’s going to be massive I reckon.” Paul Kent applauded Wests’ decision to welcome back Farah, saying it’s the perfect example of how to use the June 30 cut-off to your advantage. “It puts you guys back in the conversation. I love that about the fact we have this June 30 deadline,” he said. “I know a lot of people go, ‘What’s a contract worth?’ But for a club like you guys who can sit there and reassess halfway through the season, and say, ‘Righto, we’ve got a timeframe now, a deadline of June 30, what do we need? How much room in our cap? Let’s go and get a quality hooker’... That’s what you’ve done, suddenly the Tigers are back in the frame. “There was a danger there that after that strong start to the season the Tigers were going to just slowly lose pace with the finalists, the top eight, but now they’re back in the picture, they are a team that’s back challenging again because they’ve got a quality No.1, a quality dummy-half and you guys in the halves.”

IT’S not worth sticking with Ben Hunt for Game III because when the series is on the line next year, he is not the man you want calling the shots. That’s the stinging assessment from his former teammate and Fox League expert Justin Hodges, who said the Dragons pivot has had more than enough opportunities to prove the critics wrong. “You would’ve hoped Ben Hunt really stood up,” he said. “I think he’s such a wonderfully talented player, just at big stages he hasn’t hit that mark yet.” He added that he had discussed the issue with former Maroons and now Kangaroos head coach Mal Meninga, who agreed Hunt wasn’t the answer at No.7. “I was talking to Mal Meninga the other day and he thinks at that level he’s probably a better No. 9, but Andrew McCullough didn’t do anything wrong either,” he continued. “Whether you start him at nine or put him on the bench, but then you’ve got Kalyn Ponga so you’ve got so many headaches.” Hodges said the upcoming dead-rubber is the time to make changes, and he wants to see Ash Taylor join Cameron Munster in the halves. “So you look at giving young Ash Taylor a go, I think he deserves his shot he’s been playing very well. “I think Ash Taylor will definitely be the future, he’s still working on his game but the seasons he’s had over the last couple of years, he’s starting to learn game management as well, so I think he’ll be a fantastic player [for Queensland].” Hodges would also drop Jarrod Wallace after the bookend ran for less than 50 metres for his third straight Origin match. “You’d put maybe Josh McGuire back up to the front row and you move Jai Arrow into the lock position and bring young Joe Ofahengaue onto the bench,” he suggested. “I think Kevvie will make more changes now, I think it makes sense. You don’t want to make too many changes coming into Game I next year when you know the Blues side is going to be the same side it was the last two games barring injuries or suspensions. “Obviously you don’t want to lose Game III and lose 3-0 in the series, but it just gives you a bit of an out to try and blood some new players and maybe put other players in different positions where maybe we couldn’t if it was a decider.”

With just three lines in a Manly media release, Jackson Hastings is free from the club that hasn’t wanted his services for a long time. “Manly Warringah Sea Eagles have today released Jackson Hastings from the remainder of his contract, effective immediately,” it reads. “The Club and Jackson’s management have made the decision mutually. “Hastings played 13 NRL games for Manly. The Club wishes Jackson all the best in his future endeavours.” The decision will allow the 22-year-old to trade in the Blacktown Workers Sea Eagles for a potential move to the Super League, with a number of English clubs reportedly clamouring for his signature. After a horrendous injury toll at Narrabeen, Hastings would’ve been an ideal replacement for Api Koroisau at hooker but such was his falling out with the first-grade squad that Trent Barrett opted instead to try and add 19-year-old debutant Manase Fainu to their 30-man roster. While, the NRL initially rejected Manly’s attempt to blood Fainu, he will now be free to line up against Penrith this weekend. Hastings was dumped to the Intrust Super Premiership indefinitely after an altercation with captain Daly Cherry-Evans earlier this season in Gladstone. Following the bust-up, Barrett came out and said that was just one of many incidents involving Hastings that led to his demotion. “There have been concerns ongoing,” Barrett said. “This certainly isn’t a one-off incident. We have pretty well documented a lot of things over the past 12 months. “The last formal one was on February 2 when we had Jackson in here with the RLPA with his manager and our welfare officer to try and work out a plan to work through some issues to avoid a situation we’ve just gone through.” Hastings has played 47 NRL games, having debuted with the Roosters in 2014. Meanwhile, rangy back-rower Shaun Lane has rejected a “competitive offer” from the Sea Eagles to stay for the next three years, in favour of taking up an opportunity elsewhere.

THE return of New Zealand NRL stars from the Denver Test has hit yet another snag with Manly prop Martin Taupau’s re-scheduled flight delayed due to mechanical issues. The Kiwi Test team’s flights were cancelled on Monday (AEST) due to an electrical storm, leaving them set to land just a day before the start of NRL round 16 matches. Players were booked on different flights on Tuesday, leaving them set to land back in Australia and New Zealand on Wednesday. However, Taupau, who is expected to run out for Manly on Saturday against Penrith, took to Twitter on Tuesday to complain about a fresh delay which is likely to make him miss a connecting flight to Sydney from San Francisco. Manly have been in frequent contact with Taupau to monitor his return, which is crucial given their dire roster situation with the club struggling to name 21 fit players at times this season. “We’re just looking forward to getting Marty home,” chief executive Lyall Gorman told AAP. The delays haven’t affected members of the England team, who flew home immediately after defeating the Kiwis on Sunday (AEST). However they mean St George Illawarra forward Leeson Ah Mau is set to arrive back in the country on Wednesday, just one day before his team’s clash with Parramatta. Dragons coach Paul McGregor has already said he’ll take a cautious approach with team selection for the Eels clash, given the effects of recent rep matches and long travel. However he must operate within the confines of his 30-man roster, after having four players in State of Origin, three in Denver and another two playing in last week’s Pacific Test. The Warriors trio of Issac Luke, Peta Hiku and Ken Maumalo were heading straight to Auckland from the US, with coach Stephen Kearney unsure if he will use them against Cronulla on Friday night. The Roosters’ Isaac Liu and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves are also due to play on Friday night against Melbourne’s Kiwis prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona in Adelaide, giving them just two days back in the country to prepare. It comes after a number of NRL clubs opposed the controversial Test, amid fears over player workloads through the middle of the season with an overseas trip and short turnaround. However the game was considered a success, with England coach Wayne Bennett backing the fixture’s future for the next two years of the deal after almost 20,000 fans turned out at Mile High Stadium.

ROUND 13 of Queensland Premier Rugby was a tipster’s worst nightmare, with upsets galore throughout the results. With just five rounds remaining before finals, the scenes at Crosby Park where ninth placed Brothers knocked-off top-of-the-table Souths is evidence that the 2018 Hospital Challenge Cup is wide open. Here are five things we learned from the weekend. 1. Eagles soar on Heritage Day After knocking off Souths in Round 12, the odds were stacked against Norths as they returned to Hugh Courtney Oval for their Heritage Day clash against Wests. They lost the services of St George Queensland Reds Kane Douglas and Duncan Paia’aua, centre Conor Chittenden suffered a broken jaw in the late stages of the Souths game and prop AJ Campbell was overseas representing the Cook Islands. Despite wholesale changes in the lead up to the game, the Eagles were ready for the challenge ahead, donning the traditional Teachers-Norths long-sleeve jersey. The Bulldogs crossed for three first half tries, two scored in quick succession just before halftime while Norths had two players in the sin bin. The home-side trailed 16-19 at the break, with three first-half penalties from Nick Jooste keeping them in the race. Norths dominated proceedings in the second half. Nick Chapman crossed to put the Eagles back in the lead, before tries from roommates Reece Hewat and Malik Pataanga secured the 37-10 win. Norths now sit in sixth place on the ladder, nine-points shy of the fourth placed Easts, with a clash against GPS providing a tough challenge for them this weekend. Norths and Wests fans can look forward to seeing their clubs on national television this Wednesday evening, as the match will be replayed on Fox Sports channel 503 at 5pm. Make sure you tune in or set your set-top box to record. 2.Brothers shock Souths at Crosby Park Heading into this clash, most Queensland Premier Rugby fans would have said it was safe to put the house on the Magpies, as two teams on opposite ends of the ladder prepared to go toe-to-toe. But the Brethren had other ideas as they got out to a 14-nil lead with Garrath Ryan and Harry Wilson barging over from close range. A yellow-card to Brothers winger Alex Gibbon provided Souths with a one-man advantage and they crossed for their first try through Teti Tela, allowing them to head into halftime trailing 14-7. Brothers were first to score in the second half, with a run from Wilson leading to a pick-and-drive try from Criff Tupou. Experienced scrumhalf Richard Kingi came on for the Magpies and helped orchestrate a try for Joey Lalagavesi in the right-hand corner, before scoring one himself to narrow the margin to 21-19. A final try for Luke Beauchamp put the game out of reach for Souths however, 28-19, as they suffered their second loss in as many weeks to a team outside of the top four. Brothers are only set to get stronger in the next few weeks, as their five Junior Wallabies representatives return from France. 3.Bond deliver when it counts After their loss to University of Queensland in Round 12, Bond were six points shy of the top four and needed to perform against fourth placed Easts to ensure they kept their finals hopes alive. Captain Tai Ford drove over for the first try of the game, which Harry Nucifora converted to give the visitors an early 7-nil lead at Tigerland. The lead was short lived however as Easts scored off a driving maul through Sam Richards, before Jale Vakaloloma made a break down the sideline to set up Luke Everson for the Tigers’ second try. Nucifora slotted a penalty to keep Bond in touch as they headed into the sheds trailing 12-10. Easts were first to score in the second stanza, with Landon Hayes busting through the defence to set up Savenaca Totovosau. Trailing 19-10, Ford brought his side back into the match, scoring his second try off the back of a scrum. Bond’s forwards followed their captain’s lead, and worked their way towards the Tigers’ tryline once more. Sam Dobb proved to be the hero, securing the 22-19 win with a try from close range. Bond still sit shy of the top four on 29 points, only three behind Easts in fourth place. If the Tigers want to ensure their spot in the finals, they need to stay in the winner’s circle to keep the chasers such as Bond and Norths at bay. 4.Sunnybank give the Red Heavies a scare at St.Lucia Yet another match where top-four placed University would have been hot favourites heading in, but it was Sunnybank who turned up ready to play. An early yellow card to UQ prop Hamish Richards provided Sunnybank with an opportunity to take control of the match, and they crossed for two tries to take a 12-nil lead. Some neat footwork from Jock Campbell put Sairusi Lalanabaravi over for the Red Heavies’ first underneath the posts, narrowing the score line to 12-7 before halftime. After a serve from Mick Heenan at the break, the Students were first to score through TJ Siakisini. The conversion from James Dalgleish put them in the lead 14-12. A yellow-card to reserve Will Andersson hurt the Red Heavies once again, as Nick Kepu charged through the line for the Dragons’ third try. Clifton Setu crossed for Uni to level the scores at 19-all, before Thomas Mellor dived over to regather the lead. A successful penalty from Dalgleish 45 metres out put the Red Heavies ahead 29-19, but Sunnybank weren’t down and out. Flyhalf Jake Strachan split the UQ defence from deep inside the Dragons’ own half, before firing a pass out wide to Charlie Tupu on the wing. Tupu dived over in the corner, but was tackled high by Setu as he crossed the line, resulting in a penalty try for the Dragons and yellow card for Setu. The score now saw Sunnybank within reach, 29-26, but University regathered position and closed out the match, claiming top spot on the ladder in the process. 5.Halley Appleby Memorial Ball continues to keep Halley’s legacy alive University of Queensland hosted the 2018 Halley Appleby Memorial Ball over the weekend at Victoria Park, in what is an annual celebration of one of Premier Rugby’s biggest characters. After the Queensland Rugby community lost Halley back in July of 2011, after an unfortunate accident in a clash between University and GPS at Yoku Road, the Red Heavies have worked hard to keep Halley’s legacy alive. Halley was the ultimate clubman, and the memorial ball acts a reminder for the Rugby community as to the great camaraderie that exists within the Premier Rugby competition. The Ball also raises funds for the Save Lives Donate Organs (SLDO) charity, and UQ also award the Halley Appleby Memorial Scholarship to an apprentice or trainee within their playing ranks. While playing at UQ, Halley was an apprentice carpenter, struggling to make ends meet from week-to-week. The staff at UQ Rugby worked with Halley’s family to introduce the scholarship, to help provide support to a UQ player facing the same challenges. Fittingly, the 2018 recipient, Brendan Greste, is also an apprentice carpenter. Having grown up on the Sunshine Coast’s northern beaches, one of the most emotional tributes of the evening was delivered by his former Noosa Dolphins teammates, who belted out a stirring rendition of their club song in his honour.

RUGBY would become “a nanny state” if Israel Folau is suspended for his challenge in the air against Irish captain Peter O’Mahony, Waratahs forwards coach Simon Cron said. The Tahs are expecting Folau to be cleared at a hearing to be set for Wednesday, anticipating he’ll be able to play in Friday’s crucial Super Rugby clash against the Rebels in Melbourne. “I’d be stunned if he’s not available, personally I think it’s an interesting decision to even send him there,” Cron said. “They’ve made that call, so he’ll go and defend himself. You probably saw it, personally I think if you’re in the air and you’re three foot off the ground, four feet off the ground, he’s quite high off the ground. “I would think (Ireland would) look at their one-man lifting technique. I know, we do a lot of it. “I’d be surprised. It’d be a bit of a nanny state if they pull him.” Folau was cited for the ninth-minute challenge in last Saturday’s Test defeat to Ireland at Allianz Stadium, a move that stunned Australian rugby officials and players. O’Mahony was being lifted by only one teammate, CJ Stander, and fell awkwardly more so because of Stander’s instability than contact by Folau. In the three instances Folau challenged O’Mahony for kick-off ball, he won possession back for the Wallabies, which means he was in a realistic position to catch the ball. That has been World Rugby’s marker of when aerial challenges are acceptable. If they citing commission finds Folau guilty of dangerous contact with O’Mahony, it would have to be in the split second before winning the ball back and falling to the ground. It would create a huge grey area around competing for the ball, and encourage teams to stick to the one-lifter tactic and have teammates fall to win penalties and force yellow cards. “My understanding of the law is that when you’re both competing for the ball, you’re both competing for the ball,’ Cron said. “The only way around that is maybe we change the sport and say you’re not allowed to leave the ground and turn it into under-12s. I’m not sure. “We’ve had presentation after presentation. We’ve had (referee) Angus Gardner in here and he’s shown us video of what goes, what doesn’t. “We’re really clear on what we think you’re allowed to do and not allowed to do. And it states it in the law. So I’d be surprised if it changes. “I think they just need to revisit it themselves.” A World Rugby spokesman said the performances of referee Pascal Gauzere and television match official Ben Skeen would be reviewed after a number of controversial calls in last weekend’s Test won 20-16 by Ireland. “As is the normal procedure, all match official team performances are thoroughly reviewed to identify and implement any learnings and inform future appointments,” the spokesman said. “This process includes the regular workshops for head coaches and match officials, which will continue and are invaluable to alignment in a dynamic and sometimes complicated sport.”

In the end the agony was written on their faces, as the Socceroos’ World Cup dreams melted in the Sochi sun. Dreaming of a win and a place in the last 16, Australia lost 2-0 to Peru even with a 37-minute cameo from Tim Cahill. Goals in each half from Andre Carrillo and Paolo Guerrera gave Peru a consolation win, leaving Australia bottom of the group. Even had they won their fate would have been sealed, with Denmark drawing against France to secure second place in the group. But there was intense frustration that the performances against France and Denmark couldn’t be completed with victory. Outgoing Socceroos coach Bert van Marwijk praised the Australian team but lamented its lack of goals throughout the group stage. Insisting he had no regrets over his five months in charge, van Marwijk said it was a "fantastic period" for him personally in which he had learned from coaching the Australians. "It is not a success but also not a failure," van Marwijk said of his tenure. "Everyone saw the way we performed and we have got lots of compliments. But compliments don’t win you games, goals do. "We showed that when you don’t have the best players, you can still compete with France, Denmark and Peru. "That means you can reach a lot when you work very well. But you need individual quality to decide games, you need to find a goal, and I could not find that solution. "Against France in football terms we were at last the equal, and against Denmark we were better. Today I have the same feeling but in all three games we couldn’t make the difference with goals." Australia knew they faced a delicate balancing act against Peru, of not leaving themselves open while pushing for the win they needed. In a match until then of shadow-boxing, Peru suddenly found a perfect punch. A ball over the top of the Australian defence was gathered in the corner by captain Paolo Guerrero, who looked up and curled a deep cross towards Andre Carrillo. Arriving unheralded at the far corner of the box, Carrillo struck a perfect volley back across Mat Ryan and into the bottom corner. That opening goal hurt Australia, even more so when replays appeared to show Peru were off-side. And an Marwijk tended to agree. "We had lots of chances and shots, but Peru had maybe two shots and scored," he said. "Their first goal I think was off-side so we didn’t have luck -- though even if we had won it wouldn’t have changed anything." Desperately Australia tried to respond, but 24-carat chances went begging. Tom Rogic, playing like a man on a mission, ran at the Peruvians, beat four players but saw his shot beaten away by Pedro Gallese. Then Rogic freed Robbie Kruse into the box for a cutback, but as the goal gaped for Mathew Leckie, Anderson Santamaria somehow scooped the ball away. By halftime Australia had mustered six shots, but only one on target, a statistic that spoke volumes -- especially when Peru showed them again the art of seizing the moment in the 50th minute. Admittedly they had some luck in the process, though the move that opened up space for Cueva to charge down the left was elegant. Cutting inside, Cuevo struck a cross that deflected off Jedinak into the path of Guerrero; the captain struck it goalwards and another slight deflection off Mark Milligan helped it past Mat Ryan. Finally van Marwijk produced his trump cards, sending on Cahill and Daniel Arzani. Immediately there was a flurry of chances, Aziz Behich’s shot brushing the post on its way wide and Cahill’s goalbound effort hitting his own man. Arzani hit the top of the net with a daring volley from the edge of the box, then Behich sidefooted a low cross just a fraction beyond Cahill’s run. As the game, and the World Cup drifted away, the Australian fans were denied even the consolation of Cahill scoring at a fourth World Cup. A day of such hope ended in bitter disappointment.

THIS is why they call it the beautiful game surely? Incredible footage has emerged of a Colombia fan helping his blind, deaf friend experience his country’s win over Poland. Jose Richard Gallego lost his hearing and vision to disease at just nine but his passion for football did not diminish. Fortunately, his friend Cesar Daza was on hand to walk him through the game using a special series of gestures in a Bogota bar. Gallego says: “I still remember before I lost my sight, I often watched the matches between Santa Fe and Millonarios on TV. “I’ve liked Millonarios since then.” Gallego met Daza three years ago and the duo bonded over their love of football. https://youtu.be/74nnLh0Vdcc

VETERAN striker Brendon Santalab has quit the Western Sydney Wanderers, after the A-League club offered him an administrative role only for the new season. Santalab, the winner of the Wanderers Medal last year and club’s all-time leading goalscorer, wants to extend his playing career by at least another season. Santalab will now reunite with Tony Popovic at Perth Glory on a one-year deal. “I’m very excited to join Perth Glory Football club,” Santalab said. “The opportunity to work under Tony Popovic again was an opportunity too good to miss.” “I’m looking forward to joining a team with so many fantastic players and meeting the clubs fans.” The 35-year-old spent five seasons with the Red and Black, during which he endeared himself to the Wanderers faithful. “Brendon has been a wonderful servant for the club and we thank him for his contribution during his five seasons with us,” said Wanderers CEO John Tsatsimas. “On and off the pitch Brendon has shown passion and pride in the club, and been a fantastic ambassador with his roles in the community. “While we were hopeful that Brendon would take up a prominent role within our community program that was offered to him, we totally understand and respect his desire to continue his career as professional footballer.” “It’s been an incredible journey,” said Santalab. “I leave the Wanderers with an Asian Champions League Winners Medal, Player of the Year (Wanderers Medal) award in 2016/17, two golden boot awards and currently hold the club’s all-time goalscorer title. “I’m delighted with my time at the Wanderers.”

YOU’VE woken up to the news… yeah we’re out. We played well but we lost. Yet another honourable loss. Whoop-de-doo. Signs were bad for the Socceroos early on when Craig Foster predicted we would win. A good tactic most Australian’s have when enjoying the world game is to disagree with everything Fossie says so his prediction did put an early dampener on the night. Despite that bad omen there was cause for optimism within the Australian fans. All the reasons pointed to an Aussie win: Peru had nothing to play for except pride, and they were without their best player in Jefferson Farfan! Australia would pull out a plucky performance because that’s what we as a nation do! Then when Peru took the field wearing red with white sashes, all Australians felt a huge subconscious confidence as our opponents now resembled a Melbourne Heart away team. We couldn’t lose! Could we? Course we bloody could. This is the FIFA World Cup. Throughout history we’ve won 2 matches out of 16. It’s a cruel sport. The sort of cruelty we Australians aren’t really used to, and we live in a country designed to kill us. The boys in gold started strong, they were fired up! Mile Jedinak called for a penalty in the 5th minute claiming the Peruvian defender Anderson Santamaria struck the ball with his arm, replays showed it bounced off his crotch. Mistaking his crotch for his arm was actually quite the compliment of Santamaria’s manhood, stupidly this gave the Peruvian defender confidence and he played quite well for the rest of the match. Australia dominated play for the first 15 minutes, then Peru began predicting our tactics a little better. One tactic that wasn’t ideal was when a long ball was put into the Peru forward half Trent Sainsbury spilled it straight to the feet of Paolo Guerrero, who then passed the ball to Andre Carrillo who scored a belter. Australia 0-1 Peru. From the sidelines Peruvian manager Ricardo Gareca cheered loudly. Gareca who looks so much like a villain from a 1980s action movie I expected Steven Seagal to appear and snap his neck. SBS Special comments man Craig Moore gave us false hope that it was going to be reviewed as offside, but alas no. Australia continued playing as the better side for the remainder of the first half, with some great chances coming through Rogic and Mooy; but at the half we frustratingly still trailed 1-0. What doesn’t help is because SBS didn’t expect to be broadcasting every single group game, they only sold a certain amount of ads meaning we’re seeing the same commercials every bloody night. How anyone can be annoyed by Lucy Zelic pronouncing names properly considering we have to hear the TAB head vs heart fans “chanting” to the tune of Countdown Races every break is beyond all human reason. When Guerrero scored Peru’s second goal five minutes into the second half the sound of casual Socceroos fans switching off and going to bed was heard all the way in New Zealand. Now it was only the true believers remaining. Ironically it was at this point that Bert Van Marwijk did what all the casual fans had been screaming for, he brought on Tim Cahill. Timmy did bring some energy to the Socceroos, but they still lacked finesse. Chance after chance was squandered. Then to rub salt into the wounds the commentators turned to the Socceroos future and reminded us that after this match Graham Arnold would be our national coach again. In the 84th minute Mathew Leckie had a great chance but forgot to actually shoot the ball and the keeper collected it with ease. Summed up Australia’s night perfectly. As our hopes agonizingly died the post mortems began and David Basheer pointed out that Australia have conceded a goal in every World Cup Final they’ve played since 1974. “Conceding goals has been the Socceroos’ achilles heel” and suddenly I pined for the buffering wheel of Optus Sports. The final score was Australia 0-2 Peru. It didn’t matter that we lost because France and Denmark drew 0-0 which meant even if we had won we wouldn’t have got through. Bloody Northern Hemisphere, they ruin everything. So farewell World Cup 2018! We’ll watch the rest of you, but in that bitter way you look at ex’s wedding photos on Facebook. To my fellow fans of the round ball game, I offer this as solace: we did better than those cheatin’ Italians.

Ten teams have now secured spots in the knockout stage at the World Cup but Australia won't be there when the round of 16 action kicks off. The Group C outcome was confirmed on Tuesday when the Socceroos lost 2-0 to Peru in what was ultimately a meaningless game as France and Denmark played out a goalless draw to secure both team's a passage to the next stage. There there was very little to get excited about after the Socceroos fell behind to Peru on 18 minutes. A cracking volley finish from Andre Carrillo was the highlight in Sochi while captain Paolo Guerrero's deflected shot in the second half sealed the points and Australia's exit from the tournament with just a point. Tim Cahill finally made an appearance off the bench with his side two goals down but it was way too late for the Socceroos, as Bert van Marwijk's pragmatic approach ultimately proved fruitless. As depressing as the result was for Australian football lovers it was far better than what France and Denmark made the fans at the Luzhniki Stadium bear witness to for 90 minutes. With a draw enough to please both European sides, the first goalless draw of a vibrant and enthralling World Cup was produced. Whistles and boos were deafening as Didier Deschamps' heavily-altered France line-up and the Danes failed to create any notable attacking forays. "No one needs this kind of football. I feel sorry for the fans," World Cup chief organiser Arkady Dvorkovich told the Sport Express paper. In contrast, Argentina's 2-1 victory over Nigeria proved thrilling as Lionel Messi's early exit from Russia was avoided. Needing to win to set up a round of 16 clash with France, Argentina took the lead when the mercurial Messi scored in the 14th minute. It was the 100th goal registered at the tournament and fitting as Messi snapped his World Cup drought. The Africans equalised through a Victor Moses penalty in the 51st minute to put one foot into the knockout stage. Either side could have won it and it was Argentina that struck through an unlikely source in defender Marcos Rojo on 86 minutes. Saint Petersburg Stadium erupted with the Argentine team and supporters, including Diego Maradona, celebrating like they had won a third World Cup. Croatia proved too good for Iceland despite selecting just two regulars in their starting XI for their Group D encounter. After a goalless first half, Croatia midfielder Milan Badelj opened the scoring before Gylfi Sigurdsson levelled from the penalty spot in the 76th minute. The winner arrrived on 90 minutes with Ivan Perisic crashing his shoot into the net to maintain Croatia's perfect record in Russia. They will be favoured to get past Denmark when they clash in the round of 16.

A PERU fan nearly became the most hated man at the World Cup after appearing to attempt to steal Tim Cahill’s shirt as he was giving it to a child. The four-time tournament veteran was playing in what will likely be his final major tournament at the age of 38. And after Australia’s 2-0 defeat to Peru in their final group game, former Everton ace Cahill attempted to give his shirt to a youngster in the stands. But as he was making sure it found its way into the right hands, a Peru fan nipped in and attempted to steal the shirt out of the young supporter’s grasp. The shirt is fought over for a few moments before the child’s mum gave the Peruvian the ultimate finger wag and he backed off. The Australian YouTuber who uploaded the footage of the incident called the cheeky fan a “d***head”. View video here: https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses...49178382954496

SUPER RUGBY is back after the competition stopped for the June international window. The Blues have lost their star dual international Sonny Bill Williams for their final home match of the year against the Reds. Meanwhile, the Rebels and Waratahs have both lost their respective captains for their important local derby. Read on for all your latest team news. BLUES v REDS in Auckland, Friday 5:35pm AEST ALL Black Sonny Bill Williams will miss the Blues’ home fixture against the Reds with a shoulder injury picked up against France in Dunedin. But Blues coach Tana Umaga has been able to welcome back a number of players to his side for their final home match of the season. The Blues are yet to win at Eden Park all season and in their last match against the Rebels, suffered a 20-10 defeat. After being rested for the match against the Rebels, Test back Rieko Ioane returns to the side and will slot in at inside centre alongside Michael Collins in the midfield. Exiting outside back Melani Nanai returns on the wing and will partner New Zealand sevens youngster Caleb Clarke, while Matt Duffie will play fullback. Captain Augustine Pulu must pass a fitness test and if fit to play will partner Stephen Perofeta in the halves. Another All Black, Ofa Tu’ungafasi starts at tight-head prop alongside Alex Hodgman, while James Parsons is the hooker. The Blues have a formidable back-row with veteran Jerome Kaino picked at blindside flanker, he will be joined by No 8 Akira Ioane and for the first time in 2018 Blake Gibson starts at openside flanker after off-season surgery on his shoulder. “This is an important occasion for our club and for this team,” Umaga said. “Jerome has been a magnificent contributor to the Blues and the All Blacks both on and off the field, and much of that success has been on Eden Park. “There is no better way for our team to honour Jerome than to produce a performance of real quality, consistency and direction. “Our season to date has been disappointing, but we see these final three games as important for us to transfer that hard work that we see on the training field into performance on it.” The Reds have a few injury concerns and are likely to be without rookie Wallaby Caleb Timu, who suffered an ankle injury against Ireland in the second Test in Melbourne. Outside backs Izaia Perese and Chris Feauai-Sautia also picked up injuries in club rugby during the June international window and are also likely to miss the match. BLUES (15-1): Matt Duffie, Melani Nanai, Michael Collins, Rieko Ioane, Caleb Clarke, Stephen Perofeta, Augustine Pulu (c) or Sam Nock, Akira Ioane, Blake Gibson, Jerome Kaino, Matiaha Martin, Gerard Cowley-Tuioti, Ofa Tu’ungafasi, James Parsons, Alex Hodgman Reserves: Matt Moulds/Leni Apisai, Pauliasi Manu, Sione Mafileo, Jacob Pierce, Murphy Taramai, Jonathan Ruru, Bryn Gatland, TJ Faiane/Tumua Manu Reds (15-1 likely): Jono Lance, Filipo Daugunu, Samu Kerevi, Duncan Paia’aua, Jordan Petaia, Hamish Stewart, Moses Sorovi, Scott Higginbotham, George Smith, Lukhan Tui, Kane Douglas, Izack Rodda, Taniela Tupou, Brandon Paenga-Amosa, JP Smith Reserves: Andrew Ready, Sef Fa’agase, Ruan Smith, Harry Hockings, Angus Scott-Young, Liam Wright, Ben Lucas, Aidan Toua Referee: Egon Seconds Venue: Eden Park Rebels v Waratahs in Melbourne, Friday 7:45pm AEST Rebels TBC Waratahs TBC Referee: Nic Berry Venue: AAMI Park Highlanders v Chiefs in Suva, Saturday 5:35pm AEST Highlanders TBC Chiefs TBC Referee: Paul Williams Venue: ANZ Stadium Brumbies v Hurricanes in Canberra, Saturday 7:45pm AEST Brumbies TBC Hurricanes TBC Referee: Nick Briant Venue: GIO Stadium Sunwolves v Bulls in Singapore, Saturday 9:55pm AEST Sunwolves TBC Bulls TBC Referee: Ben O’Keeffe Venue: Singapore National Stadium Sharks v Lions in Durban, Sunday 1:15am AEST Sharks TBC Lions TBC Referee: Jaco Peyper Venue: Kings Park Jaguares v Stormers in Buenos Aires, Sunday 3:40am AEST Jaguares TBC Stormers TBC Referee: Angus Gardner Venue: Estadio Jose Amalfitani