The way Brooklyn Nets coach Steve Nash sees it, it does not matter if Ben Simmons ever takes a shot for his team because he does so many other things well.
Two-time NBA All-Defensive First Teamer Simmons is set to make his debut for the Nets this season after he missed all last season while waiting for a trade out of Philadelphia and then dealing with rehab from back surgery as well as ongoing mental health issues.
"Very unique," Nash said of Simmons after the second full practice of training camp on Wednesday. "That's what makes Ben great.
"That's why I don't care if he ever shoots a jump shot for the Brooklyn Nets. He's welcome to, but that is not what makes him special and not what we need. He's a great complement to our team, and he's an incredible basketball player because of his versatility."
The Nets have the luxury of having two standout scorers on their roster in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, which should allow Simmons to play a more wide-ranging role.
"I think they'll have a certain element of cohesion out of the gates," Nash said of his star trio. "Because they're all really good basketball players, but hopefully it's something that evolves. And they can continue to find ways to make each other better. I think that's the beauty, that they actually fit really well together, but it may take time."
With Durant and Irving handling the bulk of the offense, Simmons will be free to focus on defense and rebounding while creating open looks for his star teammates.
"You're playing with some great NBA players, some of the greatest," Simmons said. "So, for me, it's just playing alongside them, figuring out where they want their shots, how they move, different spots on the floor where I need to be. It's just timing."
Simmons' career 8.1 rebounds per game should benefit the Nets, who lost one of the league's best rebounding guards when James Harden was dealt to the 76ers.
"He helps us for sure defensively, rebounding," Nash said. "And not only the talent he has, but also just size. Overall team size is something we struggled with."
Nash said he wouldn't have a problem giving the 6-foot-10, 230-pound Simmons minutes at centre when the situation calls for it.
"If he's the 'lone big,' that's a role we would definitely play him at," he said. "But he's also our playmaker and point guard."
New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge made baseball history after blasting his 61st home run of the season to equal Roger Maris' franchise and American League (AL) single-season record.
Judge, who had gone homerless in seven games, crushed a two-run homer in the seventh inning in Wednesday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Judge's record-tying 61st home run comes with another seven games remaining in the regular season. Maris' mark dates back to 1961.
The 30-year-old had gone 31 consecutive homerless plate appearances coming into Wednesday's game with some speculation he may be rested with the Yankees clinching the AL East on Tuesday.
Only three players have scored more homers in a single season than Judge; Barry Bonds (73 in 2001), Mark McGwire (70 in 1999 and 65 in 1999) and Sammy Sosa (66 in 1998, 64 in 2001, 63 in 1999).
Four-time Pro Bowl selection Joey Bosa has been placed on the Los Angeles Chargers' injured reserve but head coach Brandon Staley says he will return this season.
The Chargers 27-year-old edge rusher suffered a groin tear early in Sunday's 38-10 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Head coach Brandon Staley earlier this week said Bosa's injury was "significant" in another blow for the Chargers who are 1-2 this season, with left tackle Rashawn Slater also placed on injured reserve with a likely season-ending biceps tendon rupture.
The Chargers have been playing without top wide receiver Keenan Allen (hamstring), center Corey Linsley (knee) and cornerback J.C. Jackson (ankle) due to injuries. Quarterback Justin Herbert has been playing through a rib injury too.
"It's going to be a ways, but we expect him to come back," Staley told reporters about Bosa who will require surgery.
"He's optimistic and ready to attack it. He's in a really good frame of mind. It's never easy when you have an injury like that."
Bosa has been an impact pass rusher since entering the NFL as the third overall selection of the 2016 draft. The seventh-year veteran led the Chargers with 10.5 sacks in 2021, the fourth time he’s reached double digits in that category for his career.
Second-year pro Chris Rumph II along with veteran linebacker Kyle Van Noy are likely to step in during Bosa's absence.
"He's ready to play on the edge," Staley said of Rumph.
Korea Open finalist Jelena Ostapenko was knocked out in the first round of the Tallinn Open after letting a one-set lead slip against Kaia Kanepi.
Ostapenko looked to be cruising after winning the opener, but Kanepi levelled in the second despite the Estonian watching five set points come and go.
Kanepi then romped to victory with a stunning final set to defeat Ostapenko 4-6 6-4 6-0 and keep her hopes of winning her home tournament alive.
In second-round action, Beatriz Haddad Maia is through to the quarter-finals after a 6-1 7-5 success over Linda Noskova.
After Haddad Maia cruised to a one-set lead, the second was a much tighter affair before the Brazilian's class showed as she broke Noskova and then held serve to earn a straight-sets win.
Second seed Belinda Bencic also secured her place in the final eight with a 6-4 6-7 (2-7) 6-3 triumph over Katie Boulter.
At the Parma Ladies Open, top seed Maria Sakkari came from behind to beat Arantxa Rus and seal her quarter-final spot.
Rus saved five out of five break points as she won the opening set 6-3 to give her hope of an upset.
Those hopes were soon dashed though as world number seven Sakkari broke twice to take the second set 6-2, before clinching the match in the third to tee up a clash with Maryna Zanevska.
World number 33 Irina-Camelia Begu made it 12 consecutive wins on clay by overcoming Matilde Paoletti in straight sets and will face fellow Romanian Ana Bogdan in the next round after she beat Anna Karolina Schmiedlova 6-2 3-6 6-3.
Fourth seed Sloane Stephens saw her tournament come to an end after she was defeated by Danka Kovinic.
The NFL is hopeful Sunday's Kansas City Chiefs-Tampa Bay Buccaneers game can take place as scheduled at the latter's Raymond James Stadium, but a Hurricane Ian contingency plan is in place.
If the game needs to move for weather-related safety reasons, it will be relocated to the Minnesota Vikings' U.S. Bank Stadium.
NFL executive vice president of communications Jeff Miller told reporters on Wednesday of the league's plan B.
He said the NFL is in contact with local authorities regarding the category four storm, which has made landfall in southwestern Florida with damaging winds reaching 155mph.
The Bucs have already evacuated Tampa, training at the Miami Dolphins' facility while they are in Cincinnati to play the Bengals on Thursday.
"We're going to try to go about business as usual, and it's a little different, but everybody's families are safe, so hopefully we can concentrate," Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said.
In addition to monitoring the hurricane and any potential flooding or destruction around Raymond James Stadium, the league is taking into consideration whether playing the game in Tampa would exhaust resources that could potentially be needed in disaster relief efforts.
The league has not revealed a deadline as to when a decision would be made for the location of the game, but Miller said it will still be played on Sunday rather than being pushed back.
"Until we know more about the storm, it's going to be difficult to make that decision," Miller said.
This would be the second time in as many seasons the NFL has moved a game due to weather after Hurricane Ida forced the Green Bay Packers-New Orleans Saints 2021 season opener to be moved to Jacksonville.
The Saints are facing the Vikings in London this Sunday, making Minnesota's stadium available.
"We can't control the outside forces," Bowles said. "Our thoughts are with the city of Tampa right now, but where we have to play ... hopefully it is Tampa and everything is fine; that means we're not damaged too much.
"But if we have to go play elsewhere, we just have to focus and lock in. Nobody's going to feel sorry for us, so we've got to be ready to play."
Marin Cilic had to come from behind to defeat Dominic Thiem as he sealed a spot in the quarter-finals of the Tel Aviv Open.
Cilic, who was also celebrating his 34th birthday, was given a thorough test initially by the wild card, but Thiem ultimately faded away.
After losing the first set, second seed Cilic eventually won 6-7 (6-8) 6-2 6-4 as he succeeded in putting the Austrian's serve under intense pressure, setting up a quarter-final with either fifth seed Botic van de Zandschulp or Liam Broady.
Reacting to the victory, Cilic said: "I think it was a fantastic match. I think it was an amazing, amazing level.
"We don't get so many chances to play [a] second-round [match] in front of this big [of a] crowd, so thank you so much. It was a fantastic birthday."
Maxime Cressy, seeded fourth, was far more comfortable as he defeated fellow American Sebastian Korda 6-4 6-4 thanks to a break of serve in either set.
The only other seed in action was seventh favourite Adrian Mannarino. The Frenchman came unstuck against his countryman Constant Lestienne, who won 7-6 (7-2) 6-4.
At the Sofia Open, two high seeds were surprisingly dumped out on Wednesday.
Home favourite Grigor Dimitrov, seeded third, was beaten in straight sets by Ilya Ivashka, who showed commendable focus to see out a 6-3 7-6 (7-3) win despite the crowd's support of his opponent.
Number six seed Nikoloz Basilashvili was the other big name to suffer a shock defeat, with 38-year-old Fernando Verdasco beating him 7-6 (7-1) 7-5 as the seven-time ATP Tour title winner rolled back the years.
Lorenzo Musetti bucked the trend, however. Seeded fourth, the Italian was made to sweat by Bulgaria's Alexander Lazarov as the first two sets went to tie-breaks, but the Italian had too much in the end as he won 6-7 (5-7) 7-6 (10-8) 6-2.
Earlier in the day, Musetti's compatriot Lorenzo Sonego comfortably dealt with Bernabe Zapata Miralles 6-3 6-4.
Williams have confirmed that Alex Albon will be back behind the wheel at this week's Singapore Grand Prix after recovering from appendicitis.
Albon spent a night in intensive care earlier this month after suffering respiratory failure due to post-operative anaesthetic complications, forcing him to miss the Italian Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old was replaced by Formula One debutant Nyck de Vries, who finished ninth at Monza.
Albon is now targeting a return to action in Singapore, but he is aware of just how tough it will be to ease himself back in on one of the calendar's most demanding tracks.
"Firstly, I'd just like to thank everyone for all their messages and support over the Italian Grand Prix weekend," he said in a statement released on Wednesday.
"My preparation has been a little different than normal but I'm feeling good and I've done everything possible to get ready for one of the most physical races on the calendar.
"I am not underestimating how big of a challenge this is going to be, but I am looking forward to hitting the track on Friday and getting back driving.
"It's a great street circuit and the closest race to home for me in Thailand, so I'm really excited to be here and to see the fans that have turned out."
Albon is 19th in the drivers' championship with four points after 16 races.
De Vries is on two points from one race, while fellow Williams driver Nicholas Latifi – who is leaving at the end of the campaign – is without a point.
The Cleveland Browns have not ruled defensive end Myles Garrett out for their Week 4 visit to the Atlanta Falcons, despite the star pass rusher sustaining multiple injuries in a car accident on Monday.
Garrett sprained his shoulder and biceps in the one-vehicle crash and was hospitalised for several hours after his car went off the road and flipped over.
The Browns said the No. 1 overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft will be evaluated during the week to determine if he can take the field in Atlanta on Sunday.
''In the grand scheme of life the best thing is that's he's OK,'' Cleveland quarterback Jacoby Brissett said. ''When I texted him, I was like, 'Man, I'm just glad you're all right'.''
Garrett had a career-best season in 2021 with 16 sacks, 33 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for loss.
He has gotten off to a solid start this year, as he leads the Browns (2-1) with three sacks and five quarterback hits, while being tied for the team lead with four tackles for loss and one forced fumble.
''I know he probably wants to [play],'' Browns safety John Johnson III said. ''But if you asked me, I think he just personally should just sit it out. But I have no idea.
“Just knowing him, he probably wants to play. I wouldn't be surprised at all if he did, but that's a tricky situation. I think he should just take it easy, man.''
WBC champion Tyson Fury believes fellow Brit Joe Joyce is "the second-best heavyweight in the world" and suggested the two could meet in the ring in the future.
Joyce's stunning 11th-round knockout victory over Joseph Parker at the weekend led to talk of him fighting the likes of Fury and Anthony Joshua.
Parker had not been stopped in his 32 previous bouts, despite defeats to heavy-handed fighters such as Joshua and Dillian Whyte, and Joyce's win certainly impressed Fury.
"I've had a lovely day of watching boxing and watching all the big fights and studying all the heavyweights," Fury said in a video on Twitter.
"And I've got to say that big Joe Joyce is the second-best heavyweight in the world, behind myself.
"I've just looked at these prospects who are mandatory for the world title, Zhang [Zhilei] and [Filip] Hrgovic and everybody else. I've changed my mind and I think big Joe Joyce is number two heavyweight in the world."
Fury initially claimed to be retired after stopping Whyte inside six rounds at Wembley in April, but has since been rumoured to be in talks to fight the likes of Dereck Chisora and Manuel Charr.
The undisputed fight with Oleksandr Usyk is on hold until 2023, with the IBF, WBA and WBO champion needing time to recover from injuries after beating Joshua in their rematch in Saudi Arabia.
Fury himself has been involved in a public spat with Joshua, but it appears any plans for those two to fight later in 2022 are over after Joshua failed to meet Fury's deadline for signing the contracts.
And Fury has not ruled out facing Joyce in future, adding: "Who knows if he's number one? One day we'll have to find out who's better out of me and him.
"But at the moment I'm ruling the roost because I'm world heavyweight champion and he's not."
Rory McIlroy has called for players from the LIV Golf Invitational Series to step up to fix the bitter divide impacting the sport, declaring: "The ball is in their court."
McIlroy has been a steadfast critic of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed circuit, which counts the likes of Phil Mickelson, Sergio Garcia and Bryson DeChambeau among its ranks.
The FedEx Cup champion declared his "hatred" for the breakaway circuit last month, and recently said LIV players should be excluded from next year's Ryder Cup.
Speaking to BBC Sport on Wednesday, McIlroy said it was up to LIV's players to assume a leading role in repairing relations with those who remained loyal to the PGA.
"I would just say the ball is in their court," McIlroy said. "If they want to come to the table and try to play nicely within the sandbox that's already created, the opportunity is there."
Eleven LIV players initially supported an antitrust lawsuit filed against the PGA Tour, accusing it of operating as a monopoly and alleging the suspension of players joining the new circuit was improper.
However, eight of those players have since withdrawn, with Mickelson doing so on Tuesday.
While McIlroy believes a resolution to golf's bitter civil war is possible, he said those legal proceedings currently make reconciliation difficult.
"Right now with two lawsuits going on, and how heightened the rhetoric has been, I think we just need to let it cool off a little bit," McIlory added.
"I don't know what's going to happen with this lawsuit. No one's going to want to talk to anyone when it's hanging over the game, so I don't know what happens there.
"I've probably said a few things that are maybe too inflammatory at times, but it just comes from the heart and how much I hate what this is doing to the game.
"It has been an ugly year but there's a solution to everything. If we can send rockets to the moon and bring them back again and have them land on their own I'm sure we can figure out how to make professional golf cohesive again."
However, as LIV Golf continues to lobby the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for the ability to grant rankings points, McIlroy said the circuit's players will only have themselves to blame if they miss out on qualifying for majors.
"The only ones that are prohibiting them from getting world rankings points are themselves," McIlroy said.
"It's not as if [the OWGR] created this criteria out of thin air a few months ago to try to prevent LIV from getting points.
"I think if they were to pivot, have cuts, have a minimum field of 75, have more of a merit-based system where there's a meritocracy for how to get on the tour...
"There's a bunch of stuff where they don't meet the criteria yet, but if they were to change and meet all those points then there's obviously no reason not to give them world ranking points.
"I'm certainly not for banning them from majors, but with the way the world rankings are now, if someone that hasn't won the Masters before can't garner enough world ranking points to be eligible, then I think that's entirely on them.
"They knew the risks going in, and actions have consequences. That was a risk that they were paid for, ultimately.
"If some of these guys that don't have exemptions in the majors don't qualify for them, I have no problem with that because they knew that going in."
Lewis Hamilton is adamant it will not be the "end of the world" if Mercedes fail to a win a race during the 2022 Formula One season.
A sequence of eight-consecutive constructors' championship titles looks set to come to an end this year, with Mercedes sitting 139 points behind Red Bull.
Hamilton is also on course for an unprecedented experience in F1, having never gone a season without a race victory during his time on the grid.
Mercedes' fall from grace has been one of the major stories in the 2022 season, but Hamilton has played down the significance of not topping the podium in the campaign.
"I do not look at it as a dry spell. I feel this year has been a year of growth," he said ahead of Sunday's race in Singapore.
"It has been a good experience for all. There are six races [left] so there's six opportunities and we will try to get a win, but if we do not do well, I do not think it is the end of the world."
Mercedes' focus for the remainder of the season is to assure their second-place finish in the constructors' championship ahead of Ferrari, with six races left before the end of the season.
"We just need to understand the car," Hamilton added. "Our goal is a second placing. Hopefully, in the next six races, we will do well."
Max Verstappen's coronation as Formula One world champion is imminent and could be marked as early as Singapore.
On the back of five victories in a row, Verstappen has opened a whopping 116-point gap at the top of the standings with six races remaining in 2022.
Verstappen will be crowned as champion if he wins under the lights in Singapore alongside clinching the fastest lap but would need Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to finish eighth or lower and team-mate Sergio Perez to finish fourth or lower.
Given the sequence of requirements for Verstappen to win on Sunday, the following week's race in Japan stands as the most likely to see the Red Bull ace secure his title, but individual records are also up for grabs.
A victory would also mark Verstappen's 12th of the season, putting him behind only Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel (both 13) for the most wins in a single season.
Qualifying will likely be vital to any hopes of another Verstappen win, with 66.7 per cent of race winners in Singapore starting from pole - Vettel being the last to win in 2019 when not starting from the front.
Mathematically, three drivers are still able to usurp Verstappen from his throne, George Russell also within distance alongside Leclerc and Perez, but the dominance of Red Bull this season makes any late turnover nigh-on impossible.
Hamilton's history
With six races remaining in 2022, Lewis Hamilton is without a victory this season and it could see the British driver fail to win a race in a campaign for the first time.
Mercedes have strong history in Singapore, however, securing more wins at the circuit than any other team (four), though Red Bull and Ferrari (both three) could equal that tally this weekend.
Spare seats
Alfa Romeo's new deal for Zhou Guanyu leaves three remaining seats on the grid for 2023, with Williams, Haas and Alpine yet to fill their quota for next year.
Pierre Gasly and Daniel Ricciardo are the two on the grid that could be on the move, with Ricciardo set to leave McLaren and Gasly heavily linked with Alpine, which would result in a seat up for grabs at AlphaTauri.
Novak Djokovic wants to replicate Roger Federer's emotional farewell by having all his tennis rivals present when he brings down the curtain on his own career.
Federer played his final top-level tennis match in last week's Laver Cup when partnering long-time rival and friend Rafael Nadal in doubles competition
Djokovic and Andy Murray, two of Federer's other great adversaries, were also part of the 41-year-old's side at London's O2 Arena.
Despite boasting an all-star cast of talent, Team Europe fell to a first ever defeat against Team World, yet it was Federer's teary send-off that made the headlines.
And Djokovic, who has no current plans to retire, would like to share a similar moment at the end of his playing days.
"It was just a very touching, very emotional moment," Djokovic told reporters ahead of his second-round match against Pablo Andujar at the Tel Aviv Open.
"Seeing his kids and his family, it got me emotional as well. I also must say I was thinking about how it would look for me when I say goodbye to tennis.
"There is definitely one thing that I will wish to have, other than, of course, my family and the close people in my life, I would love to have my biggest rivals and competitors there.
"Because it added something more special; it added more importance to that moment."
Federer retires as a 20-time grand slam winner – one fewer major title than Djokovic, who is himself one behind men's record holder Nadal.
With Federer now out of the picture, Djokovic says Nadal remains his biggest rival on the court.
"We played the most matches against each other of any other rivalry in the history of tennis," he said. "The rivalry is very special and keeps going.
"Hopefully, we'll get a chance to play against each other more times. Because it's exciting for us and also for tennis fans and sport fans around the world."
As in the NFL, if you don't have a win by Week 3 of the fantasy football season, it's probably time to be concerned.
Well as concerned as it's healthy to be about a game played for fun with no real-world consequences.
Still, should you still be staring at a goose egg in the win column, then it is clear you need to nail your lineup selections in Week 4.
Thankfully, Stats Perform is here to help, using its advanced data to pick out four offensive players and a defense who are primed to deliver fantasy production this weekend.
Quarterback: Russell Wilson, Denver Broncos @ Las Vegas Raiders
Wilson managed to lead a game-winning drive on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers despite being throttled for much of the game by their outstanding defense.
The defense of the Raiders, despite the best efforts of impressive edge rusher Maxx Crosby, presents nowhere close to the same challenge, allowing 7.15 yards per pass play - the fourth-most in the NFL. The Raiders' nine touchdown drives allowed are tied for the fifth-most in the league.
In short, this is a game where Wilson can finally have hope of thriving in a Denver offense to which he has so far struggled to adapt. Have faith that Wilson will deliver in this AFC West clash.
Running Back: Khalil Herbert, Chicago Bears @ New York Giants
With David Montgomery suffering a knee injury in the Bears' narrow win over the Houston Texans, Herbert stepped up, compiling 157 rushing yards at a rate of 7.85 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns on the ground.
Herbert is taking advantage of the holes the Bears' offensive line is opening, averaging 4.76 yards before contact per attempt, the third-most among running backs with at least 20 carries, per Stats Perform data.
Bears quarterback Justin Fields has attempted just 45 passes through three games, with the Bears running the ball 57 per cent of the time. The usage will clearly be there for Herbert, assuming Montgomery cannot play, and that should translate to another impressive statistical day against a Giants defense allowing 5.3 yards per rush.
Wide Receiver: Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions vs. Seattle Seahawks
St. Brown is enjoying one of the breakout years in the NFL through three weeks. He is fourth in the NFL in receptions with 23 and has 253 yards and three touchdowns to his name.
He has a huge opportunity to add to that against a dismal Seahawks defense.
Unsurprisingly, the Seahawks' performance in Week 1 against the Broncos, in which they consistently stood firm in the red zone, proved a mirage, with Seattle shredded by the 49ers and Atlanta Falcons in successive weeks.
The Seahawks are allowing 7.84 yards per pass play, only their division rivals the Arizona Cardinals have given up more. With such a favourable matchup at home, St. Brown is a bona fide fantasy WR1 this week.
Tight End: David Njoku, Cleveland Browns @ Atlanta Falcons
Njoku produced his best game of the season so far in the Browns' Week 3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, hauling in nine of his 10 targets for 89 yards and a touchdown.
He is excelling at creating separation, winning 12 of his 16 matchups with a defender so far this season, and this week gets to face a Falcons defense that has allowed a touchdown or field goal on 15 of the 30 offensive drives it has faced in 2022.
With Njoku second in the pecking order behind wide receiver Amari Cooper in terms of pass-catchers on this Browns offense, he is in a prime spot to enjoy another excellent game.
Defense/Special Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. New York Jets
The Steelers might have struggled to stop Njoku and the Browns, but their defense should be salivating at the thought of facing the Jets.
Zach Wilson is set to return for the Jets, but he is unlikely to change their struggles holding on to the ball.
The Jets have already committed seven giveaways this season. Last year, Wilson threw 19 interceptable passes in 13 games.
Even without star pass rusher T.J. Watt, the Steelers have the defensive talent to take advantage of the Jets' carelessness and make it a difficult 2022 debut for Wilson.
Denis Shapovalov claimed a spot in the quarter-finals of the Korea Open by seeing off the challenge of Spain's Jaume Munar on Wednesday.
The 2021 Wimbledon semi-finalist needed 109 minutes to claim a 7-5 6-4 win over Munar, assuming control by breaking in the seventh game of the opener before doing likewise early in the second set.
Canadian Shapovalov – who is seeded fourth for the event – had not featured since a dramatic loss to Andrey Rublev at the US Open earlier this month, but produced a consistent display in Seoul, not committing a single double fault during the match.
His reward for the victory is a last-eight tie with Radu Albot, who held his nerve in two tie-breaks to record a 7-6 (7-3) 7-6 (7-3) win over Steve Johnson.
In Wednesday's other match, Japan's Taro Daniel beat Ecuador's Emilio Gomez in straight sets in the duo's round-of-32 tie.
Top seed Casper Ruud begins his campaign against Nicolas Jarry on Thursday.
Four newcomers - Bradley Ho, Kieran Rush, AJ Wallace, and Alex Young - are included in Jamaica’s 24-man squad, as the Reggae Warriors prepare to make their debut in the Rugby League World Cup.
Fourteen of those selected were part of the squad that qualified for the tournament when winning the 2018 Americas Championship, Jamaica thereby becoming the first-ever Caribbean nation to be included in the competition proper.
The squad is headlined by Betfred Super League stars Michael Lawrence and Ashton Golding from Huddersfield Giants.
Six players from the domestic game are included, five are from Duhaney Park Red Sharks that recently won the National Club Championship Grand Final for the eighth time in 16 seasons, along with former Excelsior Community College speedster Abevia McDonald, who now plays at London Skolars.
Also selected are brothers Aaron and Ben Jones-Bishop, the former becoming Cornwall RLFC’s first international representative.
“We are excited to mix it with the best players in the world and everyone is ready to give their all. We encourage everyone to get behind this team and join us on what should be a terrific as well as historic journey,” said head coach Romeo Monteith.
“We first made our international debut in 2009, and to have qualified for a World Cup less than 10 years later, speaks to our commitment and tenacity.
“We are in a very tough group, but our aim is to give a good account of ourselves. The World Cup is the pinnacle of the game, and we hope this will be the first of many appearances.”
The Reggae Warriors are drawn in Group C and will face Ireland at Headingley, Leeds (October 16), 2008 World Cup winner New Zealand at the MKM Stadium, Hull (October 22) and Lebanon at Leigh Sports Village (October 30).
Two teams from each group will not only advance to the quarter-finals but will also book their ticket to the 2025 Rugby League World Cup to be staged in France.
The local contingent will depart the island on Saturday 1 October, and, in a warm-up match, the Jamaicans will face Cumbria on October 7 in Workington.
JAMAICA 24-MAN SQUAD
Greg Johnson (Batley Bulldogs), AJ Wallace (Bradford Bulls), Aaron Jones-Bishop (Cornwall RLFC), Ross Peltier, Keenen Tomlinson (Dewsbury Rams), Chevaughn Bailey, Khamisi Mckain, Andrew Simpson, Marvin Thompson, Renaldo Wade (Duhaney Park Red Sharks), James Woodburn-Hall (Halifax Panthers) Ashton Golding, Michael Lawrence, Kieran Rush (Huddersfield Giants), Bradley Ho, Mo Agoro, (Keighley Cougars), Abevia McDonald (London Skolars) Joel Farrell, Ben Jones-Bishop (Sheffield Eagles), Joe Brown, Alex Young (Workington Town), Jacob Ogden (York City Knights), Jordan Andrade, Jy-Mel Coleman (Unattached).
Newcastle United are reportedly prepared to launch a third bid for Leicester City midfielder James Maddison in the January window.
Maddison, 24, has had a strong start to the season despite Leicester sitting bottom of the table through seven games, with the midfielder registering three goals and an assist.
Newcastle reportedly placed bids of £40million and £45m in the last window – which prompted manager Brendan Rodgers to say "that might just cover three-quarters of his left leg" – but January will mark 18 months remaining on his contract, with a voluntary extension looking extremely unlikely.
TOP STORY – MADDISON OPEN TO NEWCASTLE UNITED MOVE
Maddison is said to be more open to the idea of leaving Leicester after failing to break back into the England setup for the World Cup, with his only international cap coming as a substitute during a win against Montenegro in 2020.
With Newcastle players Nick Pope and Kieran Trippier both being involved with the Three Lions, it is viewed as a more favourable situation to capture the attention of Gareth Southgate.
The report from The Times indicates Leicester do have the option to extend Maddison's contract by one extra season, which could give them the freedom to see out the remainder of the campaign.
However, if Newcastle are willing to move into the £60m range, that kind of spending power could fund some significant moves to address the Foxes' problems, and there is no guarantee his value will remain this high if they delay.
ROUND-UP
– According to Spanish publication Beteve, Lionel Messi will refuse any contract extension and will leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this season.
– Kicker is reporting Tottenham's Harry Kane remains Bayern Munich's top target, and with only one more season left on his deal after this campaign, Tottenham could be forced to cash-in if he indicates he is ready to leave.
– Juventus will not renew the contracts of Angel Di Maria, Juan Cuadrado and Adrien Rabiot in order to reduce their wage bill, per La Gazzetta dello Sport.
– Calciomercato is reporting Roma will join Bayern Munich and Manchester United with interest in €30m Ajax centre-back Jurrien Timber.
– According to Fabrizio Romano, Newcastle United are monitoring highly regarded Vasco da Gama 18-year-old Andrey Santos.
The Boston Red Sox emerged 13-9 victors in an action-packed game against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday.
It continued a high-scoring series after the Orioles won the opener on Monday 14-8, marking the first time either team have played in back-to-back games this season totaling 22 or more runs.
Despite the loss, it was a memorable game for Orioles left-fielder Anthony Santander as he finished three-for-five at the plate with two home runs. Incredibly, it is the third time in the past four games he has hit multiple home runs, rocketing him up to 12th in the majors with 33 this season.
The Red Sox only had one home run in the game – a two-run shot from rookie Triston Casas, who finished three-for-four at the plate – but they scored all 13 runs within the first four innings.
Lead-off hitter Tommy Pham led the way with three RBIs, while Casas, Rafael Devers and Connor Wong had two each.
Standout Orioles rookie Adley Rutschman also went deep for his 13th home run of the season, quickly becoming one of the best young catchers in the sport.
In a difficult start on the mound for Boston's Michael Wacha, his six earned runs in three-and-a-third innings raised his ERA for the season from 2.70 up to 3.06.
Blue Jays walk Judge four times in Yankees win
The Toronto Blue Jays made headlines when they intentionally walked New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge in extra innings on Monday, and they still wanted nothing to do with him in Tuesday's 5-2 loss.
Toronto only issued four walks in the whole game, and all four went to Judge. None were credited as intentional walks, with all four coming after he worked his way to a full-count.
With Judge not getting much of a chance to swing the bat, it was Gleyber Torres picking up the slack, going three-for-five at the plate with three RBIs, while Anthony Rizzo and Aaron Hicks also drove in one run each.
Jameson Taillon pitched a quality start for the Yankees, giving up two earned runs in seven-and-a-third innings.
With the win, the Yankees clinched the AL East for the 20th time – the second-most division titles for any team, trailing only the Atlanta Braves with 21.
Acuna delivers for the Braves
Ronald Acuna Jr hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats in the Atlanta Braves' 8-2 road win against the Washington Nationals.
Both of Acuna's home runs were solo shots, while Rookie of the Year hopefully Michael Harris II also collected a pair of RBIs as he finished two-for-five with a triple and an infield-single.
The Braves are tied with the New York Mets for the lead in the NL East, with a three-game series between the two sides still to come.
Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash said there are no lingering ill effects from Kevin Durant’s trade request or his demand that Nash be fired this summer.
Nash told reporters Tuesday that he met with Durant last month to "move forward" and "clear the air".
"We're fine," Nash said after the Nets' first practice of the season. "We're good. Ever since we talked, it's been like nothing's changed. I have a long history with Kevin. I love the guy. Families have issues. We had a moment and it's behind us. That's what happens. It's a common situation in the league.
"We all were hurting, seething, to go through what we went through last year, not being able to overcome all that adversity. Sometimes you lose perspective because you expect to win, but the reality is we were able to talk and discuss what we can improve on from last year, and also keep perspective. We went through a ton of stuff."
Durant shook the NBA this offseason when he demanded to be traded, citing the Phoenix Suns and Miami Heat as his preferred destinations.
When it became clear that an ideal trade was not imminent, Durant met with Nets owner Joe Tsai and reportedly said he was willing to remain in Brooklyn if Nash and general manager Sean Marks were replaced.
Nash pushed back Tuesday that Durant ever demanded a coaching change.
"I never thought that was 100 percent," Nash said. "There was a lot of things. It's not black and white like that, so there was a lot of factors. A lot of things behind the scenes.
"A lot of things reported are not accurate. A lot of things that are reported are not 100 percent accurate. So you get fragmented bits of truth. You get things that are flat out not true. It happens... so I never really get caught up in all that stuff.
"I'm going to hear it from Kevin when the time is right. I'm going to talk to Sean, I'm going to talk to all the parties involved. So you just work through it step by step. You don't overreact. We stay calm and work on communication and facts and here we are."
One of the central challenges for Nash this season will be to keep his team focused on the court despite the seemingly never-ending storm of storylines surrounding the Nets.
"I think we're in a really good position to start the season," Nash said. "And regardless of the way everyone wants to talk about drama all the time, we've been through this. I played in the league for 17, 18 years… It does not impact me the way maybe it impacts people on the street or in the media, so it was never really as a big a deal to me.
"I always thought we'd have our moment, we'd discuss it and we would choose a course and we're fortunate to all be in the gym working together again and excited. I think the energy's been outstanding."
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