AFL and AFLW
- THE gloves are off in Sydney’s AFL rivalry with the Giants set to use their women’s team to push into territory traditionally dominated by the Swans.
- PR crisis management expert Gerry McCusker (pictured below) explains why a slow comment in a crisis is becoming the next worst thing to making no comment
State Footy
NRL
- The NRL has ended months of speculation by confirming an agreement to sell Newcastle Knights to Wests Group.
- A deal for Wests to take ownership of Newcastle’s embattled rugby league flagship has been agreed in principle by NRL officials and the Wests’ board of directors. But Wests will not proceed unless their proposal receives overwhelming endorsement from their members, who will be asked to vote at any of the group’s six licensed premises between July 31 and August 6.
- A CASHED-UP mystery consortium has emerged as a genuine threat to Gold Coast white knight Darryl Kelly’s bid to buy the Titans.
Super Rugby
- Australian Rugby Union chairman Cameron Clyne has indicated he will stand down from his position if the game’s governing body cannot legally cut a Super Rugby team for next season.
- They are as central to Australia’s rugby future as the Waratahs or Reds or Brumbies, but the reality is no one at the Australian Rugby Union has a clue as to how the New Zealanders will behave when the current Super Rugby broadcast deal expires.
A-league and other football
- Steven Lowy has met FIFA ahead of the world governing body’s intervention to sort out the stand-off over Australian football’s governance.
- THE cold war between Football Federation Australia and the A-League clubs has intensified with a new row threatening the distribution of TV money that keeps the clubs afloat.
General