Sport

KIERSTEN DUKE: A tournament of a rival code a world away could hold the key to avoiding the abrupt end of the Manly stalwart’s playing days.

MITCHELL JOHNSON: The one-day series in regional Australia finished on a high for the home side, but they can’t afford to let it go to waste.

RICHO’S TOP 10: The players just look ridiculous, so it’s time to put an end to this farce.

KATE EMERY: AFL bosses never miss a beat condemning homophobia — but too often, their words aren’t matched by action.

SOPHIE GANNON: As one co-captain departs and the other had a season to forget, this is the guy West Coast need to lead them out of the abyss in 2026.

GEORGIE PARKER: Female athletes can be sidelined for one more reason than men, making their comebacks to the field that much more special.

MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: With two rounds to go, I am making an early call on who will be there for the decider at Accor Stadium on October 5.

For Oscar Allen, weighing up a move isn’t betrayal — it’s business. What stands out to me, though, is how Allen has been forced to talk about his situation, writes Mitchell Johnson.

JUSTIN LANGER: The very foundation of the sport is under strain from an economic model that rewards the richest, leaving the rest struggling to survive.

BEN MCCLELLAN: The league is finding out the hard way that leading the crusade against homophobia can have its pitfalls.

RICHO’S TOP 10: Izak Rankine’s brain fade is going to cost him and the Adelaide Crows dearly.

MITCHELL JOHNSON: Bob Simpson revolutionised our national cricket system, but it seems some of his invaluable lessons have been forgotten by our current crop of stars.

DANE ELDRIDGE: The Roosters chief deal-maker rarely gets it wrong, but paying $800k to an ageing and fading star is looking like a very poor investment.

SOPHIE GANNON: After being unbeatable for most of the year the Pies look cooked. These are the stats that show how it has all gone so wrong, so very quickly.

MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: Harry Grant should have been the one penalised for his Oscar winning performance to win a match-defining penalty.