Sport

MITCHELL JOHNSON: Don’t believe the talk coming out of the Australian camp — the Poms will be licking their lips at the prospect of a wounded Aussie skipper limping into the series, if at all.

BEN MCCLELLAN: The disgraced star is being made to pay for his crimes, but at what cost and to what end?

MARK ‘SPUDD’ CARROLL: The high-profile signing continues to derail Canterbury’s season as the team looks set to suffer a short September campaign.

MITCHELL JOHNSON: Fremantle has what it takes to challenge the flag contenders after proving their doubters wrong.

GEORGIE PARKER: The Saints have gone all in on two big stars, but there is one thing the club is overlooking with these big money signings.

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.