 England star cops death threats for not clapping Mar 2nd 2021, 10:48, by wwos England rugby player Ellis Genge says he received death threats after not clapping his Welsh opponents following his side's defeat in the Six Nations. In rugby, it's tradition for teams to applaud each other after a match as they walk off the pitch. "Don't know why I'm not clapping in that tunnel must be deep in thought, utmost respect for the Welsh," Genge wrote on Twitter. "As for keyboard warriors sending death threats etc..." added Genge, referring to the abuse he'd been sent over social media after footage was circulated of the incident. SIGN UP: The only place rugby fans can watch every match is Stan Sport. Start a 30 day free trial now, for a limited time only On Sunday, England Rugby released a statement saying that respect is a "core value" of the sport and that Wales "deserved their victory." It continued: "Unfortunately, some of the reaction on social media to players and the team has not shown the level of respect the rugby community prides itself on. "We will support our players and team against online abuse and hope true rugby fans will stand with us." Twitter did not immediately respond to CNN's request for comment. This comes after BBC reporter Sonja McLaughlan also revealed that she had received abuse on Twitter following her post-match interviews. McLaughlan asked England captain Owen Farrell and coach Eddie Jones a number of times about controversial refereeing decisions during his side's 40-24 defeat. READ MORE: Waratahs coach responds to sacking threat READ MORE: Presenter left in tears after Test captain interview READ MORE: What we learned from wild Super Rugby round  "Toxic, embarrassing, disgraceful, appalling. Just some of the feedback I've had," McLaughlan wrote on Twitter. "Thanks for using @ sign so it's all hit home. Now imagine getting inundated with abuse for doing your job. In my car crying. Hope you're happy." In response to the tweet, England Rugby said that "abuse for doing your job is not OK and we stand with you. We will see you for the next one. Hold your head high and know you have our support." The Six Nations also said that "abuse of public figures or members of the media on social media or anywhere else is not acceptable," while the BBC "strongly condemn(ed)" the abuse sent to McLaughlan and said she "absolutely has our full support." On Monday, the Welsh Rugby Union said it was "hugely disappointed and saddened by the social media abuse directed at opposition players and members of the media" and that such abuse "has to stop." Before Saturday's game, which saw Wales secure the Triple Crown after victories against Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations, England coach Eddie Jones had told CNN that social media is "never going to change" and that his coaching staff leave it to individual players to decide how they deal with abusive messages. Last month, Instagram announced tougher measures to combat online abuse on its platform, including further controls to reduce the abuse people see in their direct messages (DMs). The platform also told CNN that between July and September 2020, it took action on 6.5 million pieces of hate speech, including in DMs, 95 percent of which was found before anyone had reported it. For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |   Ex-Pie recounts teammate's shocking racial slur Mar 2nd 2021, 09:19, by wwos Ex-Collingwood forward Andrew Krakouer has detailed the moment he heard a shocking racial slur in the team changerooms that left him feeling "anxious" and "disgusted". While at his locker at Collingwood's Holden Centre headquarters midway through the 2012 season, Krakouer overheard a group of three teammates sharing an abhorrent joke about Indigenous Australians. Speaking to the Herald Sun, the former forward recounted what followed when he confronted the trio over their behaviour. "I've got no interest in mentioning any names, but there was a group talking and I heard the word 'b--ng' come up," Krakouer told the Herald Sun. "Straight away there were a number of emotions running through me. I was anxious, I was angry, I was annoyed — and in disbelief that I had just heard that in my own workplace and it was my own teammates who were making the racial slurs. "They were having a bit of a laugh and I walked over and I said, 'Would you guys mind telling me what is so funny?' "They tried to sort of laugh it off and say, 'It's nothing, mate, don't worry about it', and I said, 'No, actually, I just heard you guys say the word 'b--ng' and you're laughing about it. I want to know what's so funny'. "He told me that the word 'b--ng' came from back in the day when white Australians used to run over Aboriginal people in their car and that 'b--ng' was the sound the car made when it hit them. I was absolutely disgusted."  Krakouer said he was inspired to speak out by Heritier Lumumba and Leon Davis after the pair came forward with their own stories of racism during their time with the Pies. Krakouer said he'd shared that story with "only a handful of people" prior to his Herald Sun interview. Former Collingwood star Daniel Wells is one of 12 people appointed to a special anti-racism group at the club as it takes the next step in stamping the issue of systemic racism out. According to a Collingwood statement, the anti-racism group will assist the club in developing a "framework for change and ultimately provide community leadership on addressing racism". The establishment of an anti-racism group was a key recommendation of the club's recently released Do Better Report. |  Shaq ready to rumble in latest wrestling stint Mar 2nd 2021, 08:32, by wwos Shaquille O'Neal may again absorb some intentional hits in his tag team match this week. The 7-foot-1 basketball Hall of Famer gets his chance to dish out retribution — maybe a slam, a side headlock or a clothesline — when he steps into the ring for his first match with AEW (All Elite Wrestling). "Oh, I'm winning," O'Neal said. "Guaranteed." O'Neal says he's a lifelong wrestling fan and ripped off a list of favorite wrestlers from Tony Atlas and Junkyard Dog to Andre the Giant and Brock Lesnar. Big guys. Tough guys. Like Shaq. O'Neal is set to perform in his first competitive match when he teams in All Elite Wrestling with Jade Cargill in a mixed tag to take on Cody Rhodes and Red Velvet at Daily's Place in Jacksonville, Florida, on Wednesday's episode of "Dynamite." The seeds for a feud were set up last November when Cargill appeared on "Dynamite" and trash-talked Rhodes that O'Neal was the real giant-killer of pro wrestling. O'Neal responded on "Inside the NBA" and told Rhodes to name the place. "I'm the type, I can never back down from a challenge," O'Neal told The Associated Press. "I'm not a professional wrestler, but I've been in a match before. I've got a lot of moves in my arsenal. When you step inside somebody's world, you have to stick to what you're masterful at. I'm not acrobatic. I'm not going to be jumping off the ropes. I'm coming with the power game. When I get hands on him, I'm going to display this power." O'Neal visited the wrestling-training facility Nightmare Factory in Norcross, Georgia, but has otherwise limited professional wrestling training. "I'm the type that if I have a look and see you do it, I got it," O'Neal said.  O'Neal was crushed as a teenager when Hulk Hogan slammed and defeated Andre the Giant in the main event of WrestleMania III. Once he became an NBA star, Shaq Diesel — a nickname made for pro wrestling —- eventually had a word with the Hulkster. "I told him, 'you broke my heart when you body-slammed Andre the Giant,'" O'Neal said. "I cried as a kid. I really did." All was — mostly — forgiven seven years later in 1994 when Hogan beat Ric Flair at Bash at the Beach and celebrated with O'Neal. O'Neal has been as well traveled inside the squared circle as some of his favorite stars. He stood side-by-very-large-side with Hogan in both World Championship Wrestling and Impact Wrestling, and even competed in the Andre the Giant battle royal at WrestleMania in 2016. O'Neal, who boxed Shane Mosley in 2010, stared down the 7-foot Big Show in WWE's battle royal before they teamed up to double choke-slam Kane. The remaining wrestlers conspired to toss O'Neal over the ropes and eliminate him from the match. "I wanted to get my hands on the Big Show," O'Neal said. O'Neal might get his chance after Show left WWE after a 20-plus year stint there and is set to make his AEW debut on Wednesday. What a coincidence! The 48-year-old O'Neal, who won four NBA titles over his Hall of Fame career, is the latest in a long line of active and retired athletes who wrestled in attraction matches. Dennis Rodman and Karl Malone wrestled for WCW in the 1990s, Lawrence Taylor wrestled in the main event of WrestleMania XI, and Mike Tyson has made appearances for WWE and AEW. "This one will top them all," O'Neal said. |  Legend rips Diamonds coach over captaincy call Mar 2nd 2021, 08:21, by wwos Former national netball captain Liz Ellis has roasted Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich over her decision to not name a permanent skipper for the Constellation Cup. Marinkovich removed Caitlin Bassett from the role of sole captain early in February and made the radical decision to have a new skipper for each of the four Tests against New Zealand, which has fuelled raging debate ever since. That debate reignited after Australia's 49-44 loss in the first Test in Christchurch today. "We felt there was going to be an Australian captain named. It would make sense at the start of a new era with a new coach," Ellis said on Nine's post-match coverage of the first Test. "Do you stick with Caitlin Bassett? Do you move to a new captain? She felt that she wanted to rotate the leadership. I feel like that's the wrong thing to do. As a former Australian captain I want a leader named. "I felt like tonight there was nobody to stand up and rally the troops, especially when Caitlin Bassett went off. There's players who are out there trying to prove that they should be leaders and that's terrific. "But that probably is a reflection of how Stacey Marinkovich operates. I think she sits back and will take her time - whatever time she feels she needs to make the right decision - regardless of what people like me or Catherine say." Marinkovich opted for Bassett to captain Australia in the first Test despite last month's demotion. Bassett had been Australia's sole captain since August 2017 and has long been a Diamonds mainstay. Australian netball great Catherine Cox believes there's no need to have a rotation policy because there's a stand-out captaincy candidate. "To me it is precious time that you're wasting. I also think that it's very obvious, very evident, who your next captain should be - and that's Liz Watson," Cox said. "I think she's the best leader on the court, she's always on the court, one of the most consistent and high-performing in that side. Give her the role." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Star's passionate defence of embattled veteran Mar 2nd 2021, 08:09, by wwos Connor Watson has jumped to the defence of embattled Newcastle Knights teammate Mitchell Pearce as the star halfback nears the end of a nightmare off-season, praising the impact he's had as a mentor. Pearce's life was thrown into disarray when news broke of the 31-year-old sending racy text messages to a female Knights employee, which led to his wedding to Kristin Scott being cancelled less than a week out from the event, late in December. That led to Pearce resigning from his post as Newcastle's captain early in the new year, before breaking down in tears as he read a statement in a press conference.  The tumultuous off-season of the former NSW Blues playmaker took another ugly twist when he broke his right thumb and was forced to undergo surgery late in January. And in the latest crushing blow, The Daily Telegraph has reported that Pearce is set for a pay cut of $250,000 per season to remain at the Knights in 2022. But Watson, who crossed from the Roosters to the Knights with Pearce ahead of season 2018, took the opportunity in an exclusive interview with Wide World of Sports to stress the fact that he'd been "a big help".  "Me and 'Ju' are close mates. He's been right by my side since I first came into first grade and even before that he was a big help when I was playing 20s and SG Ball. He was always there for me then," Watson said. "I have a lot of respect for 'Ju'. He definitely helped me come through the grades and has helped me become the player that I am. "As a kid coming through he was massive in helping me and I know he's done it for a lot of guys, especially a lot of young halves. There are a lot of guys he's mentored and a lot of them play first grade now too." Pearce last year led the Knights to their first finals appearance since 2013, with the club finishing seventh before crashing out in a 46-20 defeat to the Rabbitohs in an elimination final. The Knights' new skipper is yet to be named but the race was narrowed to five when the club finalised a new five-man leadership group in late January, consisting of Kalyn Ponga, Blake Green, Daniel Saifiti, Mitch Barnett and Jayden Brailey.  Watson backed Pearce to carve out a strong 2021 campaign. "It's been a tough couple of months for 'Ju'," Watson said. "He's working hard on himself and that's important. He knows he's made a mistake and there's no shying away from that. "But even though he's gone through a lot I don't think 'Ju' will miss a step this year playing footy." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Umpire reverses own decision in bizarre scene Mar 2nd 2021, 06:49, by wwos Umpire Donovan Koch has put up one of the most bizarre moments from an official in recent memory after he reversed his own decision during the Marsh One-Day Cup on Tuesday. Redbacks spinner Peter Hatzoglou thought he had bagged his first top-flight wicket when he went up for an appeal for caught behind off WA's Sam Whiteman. While it was an ambitious appeal from Hatzoglou with Whiteman looking nowhere near the ball, many were surprised when Koch's finger when straight up, dismissing the batsman in a bizarre scene. But as fast as Koch made his initial call, he just as swiftly reversed it after realising the error of his ways, allowing Whiteman to live another day. "He knows he's got it wrong and he's changed his decision," Stuart Clark said in commentary for Fox Cricket. Brett Lee added: "Well, we couldn't believe it. He's fired him and said, 'I've got it wrong'. "He's missed that by a mile." Despite the bungle it was a brave bit of work from Koch rectifying his error, and Stuart was all for it. "I give him complete respect for that because usually you just give them out and panic about it." |  Green's amazing form continues with big hundred Mar 2nd 2021, 06:18, by wwos Cameron Green has followed up his impressive Sheffield Shield century last week with another triple-figure score. Australia's incumbent number six for the Ashes blasted his was to 144 from 101 balls as Western Australia posted an imperious 5-369 at the WACA. Shaun Marsh also transferred his fine form in red ball cricket over to the one-dayers, making 113 (110). It's the first hit-out for both sides in this edition of the Marsh Cup, in which each team will only play each other once before a grand final on April 11th. Green's century follows on from an unbeaten 163 last week in four-day cricket, and with minimal fixtures between now and the Ashes at the end of the year, any prolonged time in the middle will go a long way towards hopeful's chances of being part of the Ashes. MORE CRICKET NEWS: Mark Taylor backs Moises Henriques for Ashes Ironically, one of his chief rivals for those middle order national team spots was a victim as a bowler today. Travis Head, who Green played alongside in his debut Test earlier this summer, finished the day with 1-47 off five overs, which included Green hitting him for three consecutive sixes. The winner of this match will join New South Wales and Queensland at the top of the ladder, who beat Victoria and Tasmania, respectively. For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Axe set to drop on Australia's T20 bowling unit Mar 2nd 2021, 05:59, by wwos Fill-in Australia coach Andrew McDonald has hinted at changes for the visitors' do-or-die third T20 against New Zealand. Australia must win tomorrow's Wellington fixture to keep the series alive after losing the first two T20s by 53 runs and four runs respectively. MORE CRICKET NEWS: EXCLUSIVE: Mark Taylor says Aaron Finch must rediscover ruthless mindset McDonald has been particularly disappointed with Australia's bowling during the middle overs in the five-match T20 tour, which has enabled the Blackcaps to post scores of 5-184 and 7-219. MORE CRICKET NEWS: National selector George Bailey confirms Aaron Finch will captain Australia at T20 World Cup New Zealand dominated the 10 overs following the powerplay in the first two matches, with Australia bleeding 1-98 in the first clash and 2-130 in the second as Devon Conway, Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson and James Neesham flayed the bowling attack.  "We haven't got those middle overs right," McDonald said. "That may be a reason for us to reinforce that area or make some changes that potentially strengthen that area with both bat and ball." But Australia's potential team changes are unlikely to fill fans with a great amount of confidence. Drafting in D'Arcy Short or Ashton Turner at the expense of Ashton Agar would be highly unlikely to improve Australia's bowling in the middle overs.  Subbing in Jason Behrendorff, Riley Meredith or Andrew Tye at the expense of Agar would all but certainly improve Australia's middle-over bowling but would weaken the batting line-up. Tanveer Sangha was a strong performer for the Sydney Thunder in the latest BBL summer but replacing Agar with him would weaken both Australia's batting and bowling. And no bowler who's yet to feature in this series presents as a better option than Australia's frontline bowlers for the first two T20s: Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, Daniel Sams and Adam Zampa. Despite having hinted at changes for the third match, McDonald was supportive of both Agar and Zampa.  "Agar has played two games in the last three-and-a-half months as well, so he's going to be better every game that he plays," McDonald said. "Zampa at this stage hasn't gotten into the games ... (but) his quality over the last two years suggests that the next game he probably will have an impact." Australia's players yet to be used in this series are Behrendorff, Meredith, Tye, Short, Turner, Sangha and Ben McDermott. The tour of New Zealand carries enormous importance as a chance for Australia to continue to work toward finding the best XI for this year's T20 World Cup, set to be held in India across October and November. "One thing we can control is the bowling, so we'll look at how we use our bowling through that phase of the game," McDonald said. "We're clearly trying to be aggressive as a batting unit through that period anyway, so (any changes are) more about how we defend the New Zealand batters and what match-ups we use through that period of time to get the most improvement in our performance. "We've got a big squad of 18 players here ... Every player that came on this tour (is) a live chance." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Gallen roasts Browne's heavyweight GOAT claims Mar 2nd 2021, 05:27, by wwos Rugby league great Paul Gallen has escalated his war of words with Lucas Browne ahead of their April 21 boxing showdown, with the pair locking horns at a media conference today. Gallen fired a number of shots at the ex-WBA champion, describing Browne's greatest achievement as a "reserve grade" title before taking aim at his physique. Gallen, 39, (10-0-1) will clash with Browne, 41, (29-2-0) in a heavyweight bout in Wollongong next month. Their first big press conference went the way of Gallen, who took every opportunity to throw some jabs at the former boxing champion. Browne became Australia's first and only world heavyweight champion in 2016 when he won the WBA title after defeating Uzbekistan's Ruslan Chagaev. But Gallen's first shot at the heavyweight fighter was a takedown of Browne's title accomplishment, which the footballer turned boxer described as a "reserve grade" belt. "He won a version of the world title," Gallen said. "He wasn't the WBA champion at all. He won a version of a world title. "I would liken it to a reserve grade competition in rugby league. If you win a reserve grade competition, you don't run around telling everyone you won the NRL Premiership, which is what he does." Browne's rise to the top of the heavyweight division was short-lived. His WBA belt was later ripped away after he tested positive for the banned substance, clenbuterol. He was also suspended by the WBA at the time. Gallen then took the opportunity to hit out at Browne's physique, which he suggested resembled someone who needs to be tested for performance-enhancing drugs.  "I saw him yesterday. I didn't know whether to give him a bra or not — he's developing a little bit of b--ch tits," he said. "Maybe some of the supplements over the years are starting to take effect. My missus actually saw it and said, 'Give him a bra.' "I said, 'Darling, he's probably too big for you, those b--ch tits.' So, I'm a little bit concerned about that. We've spoken about testing." Despite Gallen's repeated jibes, Browne wanted none of it and chose to take the high road. "I don't really like what he says most of the time in regards to me," Browne said. "Calling me a bum and saying he's got better things to do at the end of the year, it does sort of rub me the wrong way considering I'm the best heavyweight we've had in Australia." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Walters' big selection shock puts star on outer Mar 2nd 2021, 05:09, by wwos Broncos coach Kevin Walters has appeared to have made his first selection bombshell at Red Hill, axing Tom Dearden in favour of Brodie Croft at halfback. Walters wasted no time off the back of the Broncos' 34-18 loss to the Cowboys in the NRL trials over the weekend, starting Croft at No.7 on Tuesday during an opposed training session. Many had believed Dearden was the talent to lead the Broncos into a new era after the 19-year-old became Brisbane's first-choice halfback for the final 10 matches of last season. "He is their future. I don't think there's any doubt that he is a quality player and once he gets experienced and gets a little bit more confidence around him, then he's the way to go," said league legend Peter Sterling told WWOS' Sterlo's Wrap last season. But it appears Walters is not nearly as convinced by the youngster, handing Croft the keys to the engine room alongside Anthony Milford has been cleared to return from a hand injury. Many around Brisbane are reading it as a very real sign that Croft will be Walters' go-to halfback by the time Brisbane line up against the Eels in the first round of the 2021 season next weekend. What is already clear is that there will undoubtedly be plenty of contention over who runs the park at Suncorp Stadium. "If you don't perform each week, you won't be in the starting 17," Milford said. "They (Dearden and Croft) both do the same thing as playmakers. They both steer the ship around and are similar players, so it's Kevvie's headache to have.  "Whoever steps up in the No.7 jumper will do the job for us." The Courier Mail's Peter Badel tweeted: "Big news at Broncos … Brodie Croft training at halfback. Tom Dearden set to be axed for season opener against Eels after starting in the No. 7 in trial loss against Cowboys last Saturday night." While Nine's Ben Dobbin said: "Kevin Walters looks set to make a shock move prior to rd 1. Brodie Croft to be the preferred halfback over Tom Dearden." |  What Storm will miss most about Cam Smith Mar 2nd 2021, 04:49, by wwos Storm legend Billy Slater says his former side will have to transform everything in a post-Cameron Smith era, but that you should write them off at your peril. "Cameron Smith would certainly make this team better, he'd make any team better. But Craig Bellamy's still there and that system is still there," Slater told Wide World of Sports.  "It hasn't failed to date, and I don't think many people will be writing off the Storm." With Melbourne seemingly acknowledging that it was time to move on by naming Jesse Bromwich and Dale Finucane as co-captains, Slater said it was impossible to quantify the impact Smith had on the team as a whole. "It's a collective to replace Cameron. We've seen his leadership, that's one area of the game that both Jesse and Dale will need to fill a void, but also the likes of Cameron Munster, Jahrome Hughes and Ryan Papenhuyzen," Slater said.  "Some of those guys are quite young but it's time for them to step up and find a leadership role." But while players with pedigree at Origin and international level won't be in short supply, there's plenty of other aspects of Smith's departure that are virtually irreplaceable. MORE NRL NEWS: Seibold denies sabotaging Maguire at Souths "Obviously when you lose someone like Cameron Smith that's been so influential in that team for such a long time, there's not just any one thing that you lose," Slater said. "Given the fact that Harry and Brandon are probably more dynamic No.9s than Cameron was - Cameron had a great subtlety to his game. They're both quite explosive players and that's probably the one thing the team's had to adapt to." Slater said the players around the ruck would need to approach each play in a different way than when Smith was steering the side, and that they needed to be proactive, not reactive.  "If you react to them (Smith/Grant) running it's too late, you've got to react to the things that they're seeing that indicate a run. That's probably the biggest thing that I see. "The No.9 makes the first decision every time the ball's played. So in a sense, they've got the most important job on the field because they dictate everything." Because Smith didn't have the YouTube highlight compilations of a player like Slater or Johnathan Thurston, sometimes his brilliance went unnoticed. His former teammate said opponents were often defeated before they realised anything was wrong. "It's the most dangerous part of him. He can beat you without you even knowing it - that's the beauty of Cameron," he said. "You look at Ryan Papenhuyzen or Latrell Mitchell - you know when they're brilliant. But Cameron can be the most influential player in a game and not be in the top-five players.  "He can influence the game so much and you don't even recognise that he's doing it." Obviously it's big shoes to fill for either new hooker, but Slater says both come with a considerable pedigree and are up to the task. "You've got two guys that are playing in that position who've got huge futures. You've got the New Zealand No.9 and a guy who played for Queensland," he said. MORE NRL NEWS: Craig Bellamy's signature the driving force behind Storm-Broncos feud "The club's in a good position because of its work ethic and its culture - if there was ever an ideal time to move on it's probably now. "If you are going to lose him, you want it to be coming off a premiership. When you win, every player in that team and squad grows in confidence and it's an ideal time to transition from the most influential player in the game." Despite the pedigree of both would-be heirs, there are some things you can't replace - but possibly with time, they could learn. "It's so underestimated. When your team is getting a bit erratic or frustrated, I've seen Cameron Smith just calm the whole team down and dictate what happens," Slater said. "He dictates who it goes to, when it's kicked - you can really control the game from that position, and that only comes from experience." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  How Saad can exploit polarising rule change Mar 2nd 2021, 04:32, by wwos Essendon great Matthew Lloyd says Carlton star Adam Saad could be one of the major beneficiaries from the AFL's new stand the mark rule that prohibits lateral movement. The new rule has been on show early in a number of scratch matches, and has been polarising due to any movement from the player on the mark resulting in a 50m penalty. Saad, who is arguably the quickest defender in the AFL, was one player to take advantage of the new rule in a scratch match against his old teammates. "I think it was Devon Smith on the mark and Devon is told to stand, so Adam Saad, with the pace and explosiveness he's got, he pretty much charged, did his swerve that he does," Lloyd told 3AW's Sportsday.  "Smith couldn't move and couldn't do anything but put his hands out and suddenly Saad was away. He would've gained an extra 30-40 metres." Lloyd said teams with speedy halfbacks in the mould of Saad will be able to take full advantage of the new rules, praising the rule for allowing freedom of movement. "Nick Hind, Jason Johannisen, I'm thinking of all the halfback flankers who can take on players who are asked to stand the mark," he said. "I was speaking to some players today and they said the corridor was hit up much more, so that's a big tick. "I know it can look farcical at times, but I'm not against this rule for the fact that it can open up the corridor and there is a lot of fast-paced ball-movement. For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Brutal NRL change to force body transformations Mar 2nd 2021, 01:40, by wwos Melbourne Storm legend Billy Slater says he's a fan of the NRL's rule changes but admits the increased speed of the game will force a number of players to "strip a few kilos". After a successful 2020 season, the NRL last December confirmed a number of new rules in order to make the game faster, more free-flowing and entertaining for fans. Following last season's introduction of the six-again rule for ruck infringements, changes to scrum situations will now continue the up-tempo pace of the game. The ball will typically be in play for longer now, with a play-the-ball restart to replace scrums when the ball is carried or kicked into touch. Season 2021 will also see 10-metre infringement penalties be replaced with the six-again ruling. The rule changes were on full display during last month's trial games, which was reportedly met with a number of frustrations from players who claimed they "couldn't breathe" with the increased intensity according to the Sydney Morning Herald. Asked if the rule changes were making the game too fast, Slater said. "I don't think so.  "I enjoy it. I like the game being fast, it's entertaining. I suppose I played at 87kg and it brought us little players back into the game. "Look, I think it's a great entertainment product. I think the rule changes last year worked. Teams and players will have had the off-season to practice and work on other little subtleties in the game that are going to get them an advantage with these rule changes. "The other thing is the new rule change with the scrums - I think it's a great place to attack from. Now policing defensive players to stay in the scrum, we've already seen a number of tries with the trials. The more and more these players experience these scrums and what they're feeling, they're going to come up with some real creative plays. I think it's a great thing for the game." Last weekend's trial showed the changes appeared to suit the South Sydney Rabbitohs, who thumped the Dragons 48-16 in the Charity Shield.  With the game becoming more free-flowing as stoppage times reduce, it's expected the faster and more skillful players will takeover. South Sydney playmaker Cody Walker looked to be a prime example of that when he scored a hat-trick during an eight-minute period in the first half. Despite Slater admitting the "more unstructured" flow is "entertaining", the Queensland rugby league legend admits a number of players, especially the forwards, will need to ensure they're playing at a lighter weight to cope with the increased intensity. "The ball is in play more often, players are going to have to be fitter. They might have to strip a few kilos, the bigger guys. The game is always going to have big guys, it's always going to have little guys," Slater said. "Nelson Asofa-Solomona is 130-something kilos. There are some big poppas running around that are still making an effect and being able to play the game. "I think it's a lot more entertaining and a lot more unstructured. The instinctive players like Cody Walker, who we saw pick up three tries on the weekend in I think about eight minutes, those sort of players are really going to rise and take advantage of things." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Bassett retains captaincy despite rotation policy Mar 2nd 2021, 00:58, by wwos Caitlin Bassett has been retained as the Diamonds captain for the opening match of the Constellation Cup despite coach Stacey Marinkovich's leadership rotation policy. Bassett's future as the leader of the team was thrown into doubt after Marinkovich opted to go for a "squad leadership approach" as opposed to having a full-time skipper. Marinkovich's rotating captaincy policy has attracted plenty of criticism, particularly from her predecessor Lisa Alexander, as the coach insisted that it wasn't a way to ease Bassett out of the team. However, the decision to name Bassett the captain for Game 1 of the Constellation Cup was met with raised eyebrows. The 32-year-old has been the skipper of Australia since 2017 and a mainstay in the line-up, but was forced out of Super Netball due to the emergence of the Super Shot. While Bassett has been a prolific shooter throughout her career, she has often operated best closer to the goal, and saw her playing time dwindle with the Giants. The veteran shooter opted out of her contract with the Giants, joining Waikato Bay in New Zealand's domestic league for the 2021 season. Despite the move abroad and doubts over her captaincy, Bassett maintained that playing in the 2022 Commonwealth Games was a goal for her.  "I've had great conversations with key people within the Diamonds programs and we all agree that court time is essential for my development," Bassett said last October. "My intention is to be a key part of our Birmingham Commonwealth Games team in 2022, and I'm looking forward to continuing to work with the squad while playing for the Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic next year. Bassett is joined by five debutants in the Diamonds' squad for Game 1, with Kiera Austin, Verity Charles, Sophie Garbin, Kim Jenner and Care Koenen all named for the first time. The series will get underway at 5pm AEDT on Tuesday when Australia and New Zealand take the floor in Christchurch, with the match to be shown live on 9Gem. For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Seibold denies sabotaging Maguire at Souths Mar 2nd 2021, 00:51, by wwos Anthony Seibold has hit back at claims he sabotaged Michael Maguire's relationship with South Sydney officials in order to grab the top job. Seibold is coming off a bumpy 18 months after being sacked from the Broncos after their horror run, and is now working as an assistant for Adam O'Brien at Newcastle. However, during an appearance on the Talking With TK podcast, Seibold was quizzed about his time at the Rabbitohs and was asked about the circumstances surrounding his elevation to the top position. There were murmurs that Seibold worked behind the scenes to oust Maguire at the time but the ex-Brisbane coach said nothing could be further than the truth.  "At Souths the opportunity just came up overnight," Seibold explained. "We were doing a review meeting and I got a phone call from the general manager of football Shane Richardson. "He said: look we've decided to part ways with Michael Maguire immediately if any media call it's no comment, we'll update you later on. "I've seen rumours that I undermined him – it's all bulls--t, absolute f---ing bulls--t. Pardon my language, but it made it hard between me and Madge because that's what people wanted to report because that's a good story. "The story came out after I left South Sydney so I understand there's agendas at play. I rang Madge and Madge will tell you this … I wanted to talk to you before I sign the contract. "I told Souths I wouldn't sign until I spoke to Madge and said this is what's happened and he said mate, you've worked hard for an opportunity. And you feel for him because he's a good guy and a good coach." The move worked out well for Souths and Seibold, who led the team to a top four finish one game short of the grand final while taking out Dally M coach of the year. Despite leaving the club, Seibold says he still is fond of the Rabbitohs.  "I still love Souths," he said. "I hope they have a good season, I love the boys that I coached that are still there. "They were fantastic to coach, I didn't want to leave then. The Broncos showed a lot of interest in me and regardless of what was said I hadn't signed anything. "I hadn't spoke to them at all. I knew they were interested but I had no contract offer or nothing. I started to get interest when they started talking the length of the contract because it wasn't just about me, it was about the kids, looking after my parents, it was a bigger thing. "They offered me a six-year deal with the sixth year in my favour. Souths offered me a three-year deal. Now, I didn't want to go. "The hardest conversation I've had in my life was calling (Rabbitohs owner) Russell (Crowe) when he was in New York and saying I had to go. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity to set up my family." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  $50b threat to Aussie sport at boiling point Mar 2nd 2021, 00:05, by wwos Debate rages about whether athletes should or should not speak up on social issues. Former Socceroos captain Craig Foster says that neither option is the answer, exactly. He believes that they must speak up. "This paradigm that sports people are not citizens is something that's being increasingly challenged and I'm thrilled by that," Foster, now an Adjunct Professor of Sport and Social Responsibility at Torrens University, told Wide World of Sports. "Firstly, sports people … I call them sporting citizens. That it, they are citizens and human beings before athletes or sports people. "I call them sporting citizens and what that means is, every citizen has a duty to do everything in our power, use the tools at our disposal, to help build a better society; particularly post-COVID. Athletes are no different. They are citizens. "They have a different platform, they are in a different industry to most people but they are citizens and they're human beings, and they have a fundamental obligation to speak out on these issues. "If that challenges fans and people in the sports industry, that's natural because somehow sport has propagated this theory that athletes are not human beings; that when that cross the white line and hit the tennis ball, they either have nothing to say, have no feelings and actually aren't part of broader society. "They are. We have to get comfortable with that and particularly when we talk about existential and global issues like climate action or COVID, or indeed vaccinations."  Sport worldwide has become increasingly active in combating racism, sexism, anti-LGBTQI views and other dangers to human rights. Foster is currently speaking out to highlight the findings of a Climate Council report into the future impacts of global warming on sport, particularly during summer. In this instance, Australia is facing a major threat to its great national pastime. The report found that Australia's sports industry, worth an estimated $50 billion annually and employing more than 220,000 people, faced direct danger from climate change. Australia's summers are becoming increasingly hotter and by 2040, heatwaves in Sydney and Melbourne are projected to reach 50°C if global warming is not slowed. There have been dramatic recent examples in elite sport. Last year's summer of tennis was impacted by smoke and ash from mass bushfires. In the 2018 Sydney Ashes Test, England captain Joe Root was hospitalised amid 42°C conditions at the SCG. In December 2019, New Zealand cancelled part of a warm-up match in Melbourne due to a 45°C forecast. There were also warnings about health hazards for spectators in extreme heat, while impacts on grassroots sport - with participants ranging from young children to seniors - are of significant concern. Such extreme weather forecasts would make participation untenable in many cases. "In some respects it's grim but it's very much a wake-up call for all of us in sport, to both take action and speak up," Foster said. Athletes such as Australian cricket vice-captain Pat Cummins, Wallabies great David Pocock, Olympic swimming gold medallist Bronte Campbell, world tour surfer Adrian Buchan and AFLW player Sharni Layton have leant their voice to the report's message. While this is a sport-specific document, there is obviously a far greater discussion to be had about global warming and athletes provide cultural cut-through to the public. "I'm delighted to see that Australia is in the box seat for the 2032 Olympics Games, where already the Queensland Government are talking about a positive emission Games, which is wonderful," Foster said. "We're starting to see some real progress but one of the more important aspect of this report is the imperative for all of sport to accept our duty to help other sectors of civil society advocate for urgent climate action. "Surely we have a responsibility to try and ensure that the next generation of kids who you see running around on the parks today can have the same opportunities in sport, and in life, that we've had. But to do that, you have to recognise that the effects of extreme heat on young children are going to directly impact community sport right across the country. "The strength of this report is that it encapsulates that very effectively and articulates not just what the future might look like but the actions that we can take. One of those, of course, is the obligation that we have as sport to speak out. "The other one is divestment of sport from sponsorship from fossil fuel companies. That's a big issue that sport needs to face now, so I'm encouraging all professional athletes around the country to think seriously about speaking and advocating to their own sports, to ensure that the new commercial partnerships in sport are ones that are committed to net-zero emissions, that don't add to global warming and hopefully are part of the transitional economy to renewable energy."  For Foster, who transcended sport in recent years with his extraordinary campaign to save refugee footballer Hakeem al-Araibi, the bottom line is simple. "Sport can no longer stand on the sidelines," he said. "Sport shouldn't allow others to do all of the advocacy, to speak out and do the heavy lifting, because ultimately we are going to be partly responsible for what the world looks like in 30 years' time. I'm sure every athlete in every sport around the country wants to ensure that we have a liveable planet, a sustainable ecology and we have to contribute to that discussion now. It's no good in 10 years' time. The climate report makes that abundantly clear. "Every Australian, I think, is increasingly recognising that in 10 or 15 years' time, summer sport could look very different to what it is now. The forecasts by 2040 for a number of days up to 50 degrees in both Sydney and Melbourne is going to impact a range of sports, whether that's cricket or my own game of football, A-League and W-League. "That's what the future looks like now but we can change it, that's the great news. There's immense hope here and that ultimately is what sport is about." *Read the full 'Game, Set, Match: Calling Time On Climate Inaction' report here For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Ex-Test skipper backs Henriques' fairytale return Mar 1st 2021, 23:23, by wwos Former Test skipper Mark Taylor has backed veteran Moises Henriques to make a fairytale return to the national side for the Ashes ahead of a make-or-break few months for Test hopefuls. Henriques and the recently-axed Travis Head have both staked their claim to make Test comebacks with strong returns at the Shield level in recent weeks. However, Taylor backed the New South Wales all-rounder Henriques over Head to claim a middle-order spot in Australia's Ashes XI. "I think it's far too early at this stage to tell who's going to fill those spots," Taylor told Wide World of Sports.  "He's getting towards the end of his career, but if I had to pick a team tomorrow, I'd have Moises Henriques at five." With the spots of David Warner, Will Pucovski, Steve Smith, and Marnus Labuschagne all but locked into the top order, it's looking increasingly like a battle for two places for anyone on the outside - but Taylor believes Cameron Green will keep his spot as well. "There's no doubt Cameron Green is the incumbent now in that six spot and rightfully so, but I'd think Australia will hope that he continues to develop," he said. "He's pencilled in now, he's almost inked in for the start of the Ashes at number six. All he can do now is continue to prove and that big score he made was obviously terrific." The odd man out right now could well be Travis Head, despite his recent statement-making double century for South Australia. "Putting a big score on the board in the first innings in particular I think is a really good thing for him - because looking back at some of his recent successes, a lot of them have been rearguard actions in the second innings when his states been struggling," Taylor said. "A big double hundred in the first innings certainly gets a big tick." The former Australian captain also said that despite Head being dropped for the end of the recent series against India, it was clear he would be a fixture for years to come if runs continued at state level. "I don't think he's even been out of favour. He's young, he's up and coming and he's a potential leader," Taylor said. "I want to see him continue to make runs, particularly against quality attacks, and I think that's going to be the question that people want answered about Travis Head. "He's struggled against the better attacks when he's been given the opportunity." CURRENT SHEFFIELD SHIELD RUN LEADERS - Travis Head - 693 in 10 innings (77)
- Shaun Marsh - 554 in 8 innings (79.14)
- Moises Henriques - 549 in 9 innings (68.62)
- Cameron Green - 531 in 8 innings (88.50)
- Will Pucovski - 495 in 3 innings (247.50)
A return to the big time for Henriques would be an incredible end to his career, after receiving a debut in 2013 and playing just three Tests. He was recalled for one match in 2016 and has never represented Australia on home soil. "I've been a big supporter of Moises throughout his career, and I'll be honest with you, I think the selectors did the wrong thing by him in 2013 when he went to India, did OK, played well in the first Test of that ill-fated tour, and then they didn't take him to England which I thought was a real mistake," Taylor said. "I thought that was the chance for him, I think he was ready to go. Then they've only given him limited opportunities between then and now." Now 34 and with a world of first-class cricket experience under his belt, Henriques may well be one that got away for Australia when people look back at his career. "He's been one of those guys that's missed the opportunities that have been afforded to people like the Travis Heads and the Mitch Marshes," Taylor said. "If they'd spent the time with Moises Henriques, they potentially would have had a guy they could lock in at number five or six. "He's got as good a cricket brain as there is of the guys who aren't in the Australian side at the moment, he's got great match awareness and obviously been a leader for NSW and the Sixers ... he's also a damn good catcher, and I've always said that's a real bonus." There may be one extra chance for any of that trio, or other bolters, to make an impression - the final of the Test Championship in June. But Australia's Test team will be out of action for six months unless England do them a favour and beat India in the final match of that series. A win for England would push the Aussies into the final against New Zealand.  "Cameron Green deserves to stay at six - but if Australia don't make that final of the Test championship it'll be down to that one Test against Afghanistan and early Shield form might become vital again," Taylor said. The 56-year-old said it was unfortunate to have to rely on England, but to not count them out just yet. "I think there's some chance because they played well in the first Test - but I hope they don't get the same sort of pitch as the last two," he said. "The MCG pitch once received a poor Test rating. If that's poor, I don't know what that last one would be." The fourth Test between England and India begins on Thursday. For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Dons legend's grim forecast after Hurley injury Mar 1st 2021, 23:16, by wwos Essendon legend Matthew Lloyd believes the hip infection ruling veteran Michael Hurley out indefinitely could have a cascading impact on the club's season. After the departure of Joe Daniher, Hurley was earmarked to play up forward alongside ex-Suns forward Peter Wright, before he was hospitalised last month. The 30-year-old did make an appearance on the sidelines during Essendon's scratch match against Carlton, but looked a shadow of himself after losing a significant amount of weight while being bedridden for weeks. With the veteran still on crutches and the club refusing to place a time-frame on his return, there is a chance that Hurley could be sidelined for the best part of the year. Hurley's injury means veteran Cale Hooker will be shifted up forward, leaving Essendon with an extremely inexperienced back six. "They're under pressure at both ends of the ground," Lloyd told Wide World of Sports. "You've got Peter Wright and Hooker trying to play forward when it's not ideal for them to be the number ones (and) you've got James Stewart learning a new craft as a key defender." 2021 looms as a make-or-break year for Wright, who fell out of favour at the Gold Coast after being drafted eighth overall in 2014, and Lloyd urged the 24-year-old to get more aggressive. "That's where the pressure sits, because he hasn't been quite competitive enough at AFL level," he said.  "He's got to get a bit more aggressive to be that replacement for Daniher in that forward line. "He needs to compete and bring the ball to ground for the likes of Devon Smith, McDonald-Tipungwuti and those types of players." The writing was on the wall for Essendon's 2021 prospects once Daniher, Adam Saad and Orazio Fantasia departed during the trade period. While all the recruitment of Giants young gun Jye Caldwell grabbed the headlines, Lloyd backed an unheralded late transaction to provide the goods for Essendon. "I don't think the ins fully replaced the outs to be honest. All the outs are match-winners, and we've seen that at the AFL level," he said.  "Nick Hind could be the big bonus of all of (the recruits). We've seen him as a forward at St Kilda, but he's playing in the half-back flank for the Bombers and he's like a Saad replacement with his ping off half-back." With skipper Dyson Heppell retreating to a halfback role in 2021, the pressure is on the likes of Caldwell and Kyle Langford to bring the grunt to Essendon's undersized midfield. Andrew McGrath, Dylan Shiel and Zach Merrett all possess the quality to be A-grade midfielders on their day, but Lloyd has one major concern about the Dons' engine room. "They've got a lot of talent in there with Shiel, Merrett and McGrath, but they're not that big, so I think they could get monstered at times by bigger midfielders," he said. "Kyle Langford and Darcy Parish, the new wave of midfielders at Essendon, become really important." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Mundine's shock plan for world title shot Mar 1st 2021, 22:25, by wwos Anthony Mundine has always had a complicated relationship with logic. Logic once told 'The Man' that leaving behind a $600,000 contract with the Dragons to take up boxing, with no amateur experience, was a hugely risky proposition. Fifty-eight fights and $34 million later, it's easy to understand why Mundine places no relevance in conventional thinking. And who could blame him? More often than not the Australian sporting icon has redefined the limits of what athletes can achieve by not giving any credence to the status quo.  This time, logic suggests the 45-year-old has next to no chance against Michael Zerafa on March 13 at Bendigo Stadium. Zerafa, 17 years younger than the former league player, is a $1.06 favourite with bookmakers. Mundine is paying $7.75 for the win. Not everybody is on board with Mundine's plans to return, after Main Event turned its back on the fighter, forcing him to stream the clash for $29.95 on www.mundine.tv. Jeff Fenech has expressed fears for Mundine's health. His father also holds reservations. Fans and members of the media feel the same. Despite an avalanche of opposition, within minutes of talking to 'The Man', it's clear his level of confidence is unswayed. "I'm going to give him a reality check and redeem myself and get all of the glory from it. Nobody thinks I'm going to win," he told Wide World of Sports. "Bro, If I win this fight I'm back in the game and have a lot more options. If something motivates me to fight again, maybe fight for a world title or a big-money fight."  No big deal right? Mundine has said far crazier things about far crazier things. And you can't expect anything less from him especially when he's selling possibly his last fight. But more often than not these things don't end well; he must know that. While Mundine will swear he truly believes he can beat Zerafa to cause one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, even the most ardent Mundine supporter can't ignore his recent track record and the pitfalls of similar comebacks by other boxers throughout the history of the sport. Mundine has lost four of his last five fights. His last outing against John Wayne Parr in November 2019 was supposed to see Mundine sail into the sunset but a split decision loss changed all that. Before the loss to the kickboxing icon, Mundine suffered one of the worst defeats of his career with a first round KO loss to Jeff Horn. But Mundine swears there was more to the story behind the Horn fight. The Queenslander's camp conspired to have him at his weakest by placing weight restrictions on him hours out from the fight, he claims.  "He drained me down to 71kg but then they made me weigh in again an hour before the fight and I couldn't be more than 75kg. So I couldn't even put on four kilos. They knew what they were doing, it was strategic and wasn't right," Mundine explains. Mundine reckons this time he'll be a "different beast", shrugging off concerns about his health and the amount of punishment he's copped. He says he's only been stopped four times during his boxing career and claims to have suffered more concussions playing league. One excellent performance can never be discounted from a professional athlete, especially one as talented as Mundine. His supporters could point to several examples of fighters coming back to shock the world, when everybody thought they were finished.  George Foreman was out of the heavyweight division for 10 years only to return and become the weight's oldest ever champion when he stunned Michael Moorer, aged 45. After being floored for the first time in his career in a win over Kevin Howard in 1984, 'Sugar' Ray Leonard retired from the sport, only to return three years later to beat Marvin Hagler over 15 legendary rounds. The comeback is etched into boxing's DNA, although one can't ignore the huge disparity in age and how much of a factor that will play. Despite approaching 50, Mundine acknowledges the question of age with optimism. "I'm still youthful, energetic. I'm seasoned and experienced. Doesn't matter how old he is. I wish he was younger," Mundine said. "I'm going to talk to him the whole fight. Every round. I'll hit him with a jab and say, 'Gotcha'. I'm going to get into his head. "He'd be lucky to beat me when I'm 50. I wanna let the older fellas know it ain't over until it's over, baby." For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! |  Djokovic 'massacre' probably racist, coach claims Mar 1st 2021, 21:35, by wwos World No.1 Novak Djokovic has been "massacred" by the media, probably because of his Balkan heritage, coach Goran Ivanisevic has claimed in an explosive interview. Djokovic last month won his ninth Australian Open and 18th Grand Slam title in typically dramatic fashion. He was slammed over a list of requests amid player quarantine lockdowns and the legitimacy of a mid-tournament abdominal injury was questioned; occurrences that he branded unfair and hurtful. Ivanisevic, the former Wimbledon champion, said that Djokovic had carried a target on his back since last year's Adria Tour; a tennis event hosted by the Serbian superstar that blatantly flaunted biosecurity norms amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He suggested that the criticism of Djokovic may be racist. "Everything started with the Adria Tour; they were after him even before that, but in the last year it seemed to me as if I am watching that film The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Why is he being treated that way? Probably because of his background, people from Balkans are always looked at differently; also, Novak is not afraid to speak his mind and to fight for causes he believes in," Ivanisevic told Tennis Majors. "What happened at the US Open (where Djokovic was disqualified for hitting a line judge in the throat with a ball), it was as if everyone was glad because that kind of s--t happened to him. In Australia he stood up for his fellow players and again – let's kick Djokovic because he is the only one to speak up, everyone else stays silent. Throughout my career I have witnessed players doing all sorts of things, but nobody got the kind of treatment Novak does. "Then, the cherry on top … How shall I put this? The most perfidious, actually the saddest thing were accusations that he was faking an injury. Why on earth would he do that? Why would the best player in the world make up an injury, and he was up two sets to love at that point?! When some other top player is injured, it is considered a heroic act for them to even step on the court. But when it is Novak, he is faking it." Ivanisevic branded Djokovic's Australian Open win "amazing" and declared: "Novak is just stronger than everybody else and people have a hard time admitting that." Djokovic has just equalled Roger Federer's record of 310 weeks as men's world No.1. He trails Federer and Rafael Nadal (20 Grand Slam titles) by two in the career majors race. Ivanisevic said that Djokovic breaking the No.1 weeks record was significant in the 'Greatest Of All Time' debate over the trio. He is counting on Nadal to win at least one more French Open, meaning that Djokovic must win at least 22 majors to end his career as the outright record holder. "Everything is important between the three of them. I mean – 311 weeks and more, it is fascinating," Ivanisevic said told Tennis Majors. "Novak has won everything that he could have won and the end of his career is not yet in sight. The GOAT debate comes down to taste and preferences, but if you have the numbers on your side, it is hard to deny some things … For me, Novak is the best and most complete player ever, for someone else it is Nadal or Federer. It will be an interesting topic to discuss when their careers are over."  Djokovic would need to win 25 singles Slams to overtake the current overall record holder (male or female), Australia's Margaret Court. At age 33, he is younger than both Nadal (34) and Federer (39). He has also sustained less damage to his body and would start favourite over both men at every Grand Slam, with the exception of Nadal at Roland Garros. For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here! | |
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