World number one Iga Swiatek thrashed Coco Gauff to clinch a third straight WTA Tour semi-finals berth after moving into the San Diego Open final four on Friday.
Swiatek was irrepressible against the 18-year-old American, extending her head-to-head dominance to 4-0 with a 6-0 6-3 victory in 66 minutes.
The Pole won the first eight games of the match and always appeared in control with her reliable forehand a key feature.
Swiatek laced 13 winners with only nine unforced errors, breaking Gauff five times. The American committed 26 unforced errors for the match.
The victory is Swiatek's 62nd of the season, moving her closer to Angelique Kerber's 2016 mark of 63.
Swiatek will face fourth seed Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals as the Pole aims for her eighth WTA title of the season.
Pegula secured her berth in the final four with a 6-4 7-5 victory over compatriot Madison Keys in their first-ever meeting in one hour and 34 minutes.
Third seed Aryna Sabalenka was a surprise casualty as Croatian qualifier Donna Vekic continued her excellent week with a 6-4 6-7 (5-7) 6-1 in two hours and 37 minutes.
World number 77 Vekic has beaten former world number three Maria Sakkari and two-time major finalist Karolina Pliskova this week.
Second seed Paula Badosa was also bundled out by American Danielle Collins 7-6 (7-5) 6-4. Collins will meet Vekic in the last four.
Aaron Judge says he needs to re-discover his timing after grabbing an unwanted slice of MLB history having been struck out four times in Friday's 4-2 ALDS loss to the Cleveland Guardians.
Judge may have blasted an American League record 62 regular-season home runs but he copped some boos in Game 2 at Yankee Stadium after tallying his fourth four-strikeout playoff game, which is the most by an player in MLB history.
The Yankees slugger went none-for-five as the Guardians leveled the series at 1-1, aided by back-to-back bloop hits in the 10th inning.
But the Guardians also employed a game-changing plan against Judge, targeting him with breaking balls down and away on the outer half of the plate to which he had no response. Judge is now none-for-eight with seven strikeouts in the two games played in the ALDS.
"The timing's a little off, you're going to be swinging at pitches you don't normally swing at, and the ones you can hit, you're just a tick late or tick out in front a little bit," Judge said. "Just work on that timing and I think it'll be good to go.
"There's nothing I can do. I gotta play better. That's what it comes down to. Didn't do the job tonight."
Judge's struggles came after a nine-day break between the regular season and playoffs, but also after homering only twice in his final 14 regular season games as he approached Roger Maris' AL record.
"I've had two bad games in my career multiple times," Judge said. "It's part of it. You just got to learn from it, learn from mistakes and you're ready for the next one because, guess what, there's no breaks right now."
Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber had seven strikeouts across five-and-two-third innings, while Trevor Stephan struck out four.
Cleveland manager Terry Francona was reluctant to divulge much about their plans for Judge, nor get carried away with their two-game success against him.
"I don't mean to be rude, but if I did, I'm not sure I'd really want to share it," Francona said. "It doesn't make a whole lot of sense. I think sometimes hitters can't hit a button, and as good as guys are, sometimes guys take none-fors.
"Until you get through a series successfully, I don't think anybody if going to stand up here and pound our chest. He's too dangerous. We know that."
Aaron Rodgers is off the Green Bay Packers injury report and expected to play on Sunday against the New York Giants although he may need to tape his right thumb.
Rodgers missed practice earlier in the week after injuring the thumb on his throwing hand on the final play of Sunday's 27-22 defeat to the New York Giants at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
The four-time NFL MVP was a full participant in practice on Thursday and Friday however, and the Packers removed him from their injury report on Friday.
"He threw the ball really well yesterday, so he's confident," Packers head coach Matt LaFleur told reporters on Friday.
The 38-year-old quarterback practiced with tape wrapped on his thumb on Friday, raising concerns it may impact his ability to make throws.
When asked if Rodgers will wear tape on the thumb in Sunday's game, LeFleur replied: "No idea."
Rodgers has made 114 of 168 attempts with a 67.9 per cent completion rate for 1157 yards and eight touchdowns with three interceptions this season.
The Packers, who are 3-2 and second in the NFC North, have ruled out rookie receiver Christian Watson and linebacker Tipa Galeai due to hamstring injuries.
Linebacker Rashan Gary, who has had five sacks this season, was listed as questionable on the injury report with a toe concern.
"It's the next man up and the standard doesn't change, but let's face it, the guy is pretty impactful I'd say when he's out on the grass," LaFleur said about Gary.
"Certainly he's a guy that we definitely want in there. When he's not in there I think you can feel the effects of that."
Andy Dalton is set to meet his former team the Cincinnati Bengals for a third successive season, and he could join a historic club.
Quarterback Dalton left the Bengals in 2020 after spending nine years with the team. He is Cincinnati's all-time passing touchdown leader (204).
The 34-year-old spent the 2020 season with the Dallas Cowboys before heading to Chicago and the Bears last year. He is now at the New Orleans Saints, and with Jameis Winston questionable due to back and ankle injuries, is expected to start in the Week 6 clash against his old team.
Having helped the Cowboys and the Bears to wins over the Bengals over the past two seasons, Dalton could become the fourth QB since 1950 to go 3-0 or better against the team he was drafted by.
Joe Burrow replaced Dalton in Cincinnati and was the key to their charge to the Super Bowl last season.
Burrow has completed at least 60 per cent of his passes in 22 successive regular-season games, which ties him level with Steve Young for the second-longest streak in NFL history behind Drew Brees, who went 31 straight between 2018 and 2020.
The Bengals are 4-2 all-time on the road against the Saints, their second-best road record against a single opponent, yet in Taysom Hill they face a player who made history last week.
In New Orleans' 39-32 win over the Seattle Seahawks, Hill became the first player in the league to rush for 100+ yards on 10+ yards per carry, rush for three or more touchdowns and also throw a TD pass in the same game.
Cam Akers will miss the Los Angeles Rams' Week 6 clash against the Carolina Panthers for personal reasons.
Rams coach Sean McVay revealed running back Akers will play no part when the Panthers visit SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
McKay stated that the situation is "uncharted territory" for Akers and the Rams (2-3) amid reports he could be traded.
Asked about Akers' future with Los Angeles, he replied: "We're working through some different things right now, so hopefully you guys understand and respect that."
Akers missed the majority of last season due to an Achilles injury.
The 23-year-old has made only 151 yards from 51 carries in five games in 2022, scoring just one touchdown.
McKay will be looking for a big contribution from Darrell Henderson in the absence of Akers this weekend, while Malcolm Brown is also on the active roster.
The Dallas Cowboys have listed quarterback Dak Prescott as questionable for Sunday's meeting with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Prescott has not featured since Week 1 due to a thumb injury, and Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy told the press earlier this week that the 29-year-old was unlikely to be fit to return in Week 6.
However, Dallas have not yet ruled their QB out of contention, instead listing Prescott as questionable for the game in Philadelphia.
Cooper Rush, though, is still expected to start, with the stand-in QB having led the Cowboys to four successive wins in Prescott's absence.
Rush is the third QB in NFL history, since statistics were first tracked in 1950, to win on his first five career starts while throwing no more than one interception over that span, after Kyle Allen and Patrick Mahomes.
The Cowboys head into the game with recent history on their side, having won their past three meetings with the Eagles by 20, 20 and 25 points. The last time any NFL team had four straight 20-point wins against an opponent was the Colts against the Jaguars from 2013-14.
Philadelphia are the NFL's only unbeaten team, however, and are the first side in league history to win their opening five games of a season while averaging 400+ yards of offense and not losing a single fumble.
Andy Murray's run at the Gijon Open came to an end with a three-set loss to Sebastian Korda on Friday, dashing his hopes of a semi-final appearance in Spain.
Murray earned his fourth Tour-level quarter-final spot of 2022 by beating Pedro Cachin, but American Korda defeated the former world number one 6-4 1-6 6-1.
Korda will face Arthur Rinderknech in the last four after he upset second seed Pablo Carreno Busta, taking an epic final-set tie-break to triumph 4-6 6-3 7-6 (18-16).
The other side of the draw will play host to an enticing semi-final meeting between Dominic Thiem and top seed Andrey Rublev after they secured straight-sets wins over Francisco Cerundolo and Tommy Paul respectively.
Thiem said after his 6-4 6-3 triumph over Cerundolo: "From the first match on, I have felt great on this court.
"It is very important for me as I am trying to climb up the rankings. The semi-finals at an ATP event is helping a lot."
Meanwhile, top seed Felix Auger-Aliassime beat Brandon Nakashima 6-3 6-4 to reach the Firenze Open semi-finals, where he will face home favourite Lorenzo Musetti.
The third seed from Italy downed Mackenzie McDonald 6-3 6-2, but fellow seed Alexander Bublik went down 3-6 7-5 6-1 to J. J. Wolf.
Transylvania Open favourite Anhelina Kalinina squandered a lead as she went down 6-7 (9-7) 6-1 6-3 to Anna Blinkova in the quarter-finals.
Kalinina, the second seed, looked well placed to go on and reach the last four in Cluj when she battled into the lead against Blinkova on Friday.
But the Ukrainian could not stop the world number 138 rallying back to reach her second WTA Tour-level semi-final of the season.
Blinkova went on to reach the final on her previous last-four appearance at a WTA tournament this year – at L'Open 35 de Saint Malo – but missed out on the title when she lost to Beatriz Haddad Maia.
Kalinina's exit leaves Anastasia Potapova as the highest seed left in the tournament, and she will face fellow Russian Blinkova for a place in the final.
Potapova defeated Hungary's Anna Bondar 7-5 3-6 6-1 to reach the last four.
Jasmine Paolini beat Jule Niemeier 7-5 7-5 to tee up a meeting with Nuria Parrizas Diaz or Xiyu Wang.
Brooks Koepka holds a two-stroke lead of LIV Golf Jeddah after finishing the opening round eight under par in Saudi Arabia.
The four-time major champion made eight birdies in his round of 62 and did not go over par on any hole to head into the weekend ahead of second-placed Charl Schwartzel, while Patrick Reed is tied for third with Hideto Tanihara and Peter Uihlein at three shots off the lead.
The inaugural individual LIV Golf champion Dustin Johnson is T16 on two under par, alongside Open champion and world number two Cameron Smith.
Johnson, who has collected 121 points across the season, struck five birdies, but a double-bogey on the par-three eighth set him back.
Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood fared slightly better at three under, the latter not carding any bogies in his round.
LIV Golf Bangkok winner Eugenio Lopez-Chacarra struggled to back up his performance in Thailand and is T28 at one under par, seven shots back from Koepka. Bryson DeChambeau, meanwhile, only managed a par 70.
After withdrawing from LIV Golf Bangkok with injury, Branden Grace carded a one-over-par round on his return to action.
The Buffalo Bills will have revenge on their mind against the Chiefs, having seen their past two seasons reach a disappointing climax in Kansas City – including a 42-36 overtime defeat in the divisional round this year.
Widely tipped as the favourites to go all the way this season, the Bills enter the Week 6 contest on the back of a 38-3 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.
That was their second win by at least 34 points this season – having had multiple such wins in just two previous seasons (1992 and 2021).
Against the Steelers, Gabe Davis had two touchdown receptions of at least 60 yards and finished with 171 yards, taking his yardage for the season to 309. An in-form Davis is a frightening prospect, particularly when paired with Josh Allen – who leads the NFL for passing yards this season (1651).
The Chiefs have a devastating weapon of their own to lead the offense though, with Patrick Mahomes fresh from guiding his side to a 30-29 victory against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 – the 40th occasion the Chiefs have scored at least 30 points since Mahomes took over as the full-time starter in 2018.
Ranking fifth for passing yards this season (1398), Mahomes has thrown more TD passes than anyone else in 2022 (15) and has a TD with 7.9 per cent of his passes, behind only Lamar Jackson (8.1 per cent).
In Travis Kelce, the Chiefs also boast the player with the most receiving touchdowns in 2022, with four of his seven coming last week – despite totalling just 25 receiving yards over the course of the game.
With elite quarterbacks and receivers on both sides, the defenses could decide the outcome of the game and the Bills have been relentless with their ability to keep opposing offenses at bay, allowing 61 total points across five games – only the San Francisco 49ers (61) having less.
On top of that, the Bills defense has allowed only three passing TDs this season, again behind only the 49ers (two), and rank second for the least yards allowed per game on average (260.4), meaning it could be a frustrating game for Mahomes and company come Sunday.
Special Olympics Jamaica (SOJ) team members and staff will be presented with recognition plaques for their exceptional performances at the recent 2022 USA Games and Unified Cup in the United States.
The ceremony will take place on Friday, October 14 at 11:00 am at the SOJ’s Multipurpose Court at Independence Park in Kingston.
Jamaica’s team returned with 12 medals from the games held in Orlando, Florida from June 5 – 12.
Meanwhile, the SOJ football team went on to win the Unified Cup after beating Paraguay 2-0 in the division-one final at Keyworth Stadium in Michigan on Saturday, August 6.
The unified sports programme at the Special Olympics combines people with and without intellectual disabilities in training and competition. Special Olympics provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for children and adults.
The presentation of the plaques to the teams solidifies Digicel Foundation’s continuous support of SOJ. Since its inception, Digicel Foundation has provided donations in cash and kind, infrastructural support, help with fundraising activities and more to the Special Needs community.
The handover of the plaques will take place on October 14 at 11:00 am at the SOJ’s Multipurpose Court at Independence Park in Kingston.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook has rubbished suggestions he is in dispute with his team-mates following viral footage that appeared to show him intentionally distancing himself from them.
Video captured in a preseason loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves showed the 33-year-old splitting from the rest of his team during a huddle, while he eschewed a later one.
After a difficult first season in LA as the Lakers missed the playoffs and Westbrook's performances were the subject of scrutiny, questions were raised as to whether there was discord in the ranks even before the start of the new campaign.
But Westbrook responded: "Pre-game, I've been doing that since I've been in the league for years, man.
"I think they just cut the video, and obviously the internet is going to take it and run with whatever they need to run with.
"But I've been doing the same ritual since I've been in the league. As far as the other video, I was actually talking to the coaches and they cut that video in half as well.
"Honestly I'm just trying to compete and do my job. Everything, videos get nitpicked. You can cut any video and make anything you want out of it. It's not up to me to be able to judge that.
"I know I'm a genuine team player. I've never had a problem being with my team-mates, so I'm going to continue doing what I've been doing."
The NFL season is well under way, with Week 6 set to mark the point where over a third of the regular season has been played.
Playoff hopes are starting to rise and crucial games are on the horizon, with the Minnesota Vikings looking to provide a further boost against a Miami Dolphins side that have lost their rhythm after a perfect start.
Elsewhere, revenge is on the cards for the Buffalo Bills against the Kansas City Chiefs, who have shattered their dreams in back-to-back seasons, while there is plenty on the line in the NFC East contest between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys.
With a wealth of entertainment on offer, Stats Perform has crunched the Opta data to preview this weekend's contests.
Minnesota Vikings (4-1) @ Miami Dolphins (3-2)
After starting the season 3-0, the Dolphins have suffered back-to-back defeats by 12 and 23 points respectively, becoming only the second team in the Super Bowl era to start a campaign 3-0 but then lose their next two games by at least a dozen points – the other being the 1994 Chiefs.
However, the Dolphins have won their last three games against NFC teams by double-digit scores, marking the first time they have had such a streak against the NFC since a five-game stint from 1978 to 1979.
With quarterback duo Tua Tagovailoa not expected to return this weekend and Terry Bridgewater out due to concussion, rookie Skylar Thompson looks set to make his first career start against the Vikings and will need help from Tyreek Hill, who is the only player in NFL history with at least 7,000 receiving yards, 7,000 rushing yards and 700 punt return yards in his career.
The Dolphins' clash with the Vikings could go down right to the wire, with Minnesota having trailed with less than five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and come back to win in each of their last three matches for the first time in their franchise history, as well as being the first time any team has done so since the Lions in 2014.
The only team in NFL history to have such a comeback in four straight games was the Denver Broncos in 2011, led by quarterback Tim Tebow.
Buffalo Bills (4-1) @ Kansas City Chiefs (4-1)
The Chiefs have ended the Bills' season in each of the last two campaigns, including a 42-36 overtime win in the divisional round in 2021. In the last eight meetings, including the post season, Kansas City are 6-2, but one of those losses came at home in Week 5 last season.
Patrick Mahomes continues to be the leading man for the Chiefs, with the 30-29 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders last week marking the 40th time the Chiefs have had a game with at least 30 points since he became full-time starter in 2018. The only other team with more than 30 such games is the New Orleans Saints (35).
A tough test against the Bills defense awaits, however, with Buffalo allowing just three broken tackles this season, only the Washington Commanders having fewer (2). In contrast, the Chiefs' defense has allowed 12 broken tackles, only Houston and Las Vegas (both 15) having more.
Offensively, the Bills head to Kansas City on the back of a 38-3 triumph against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5, marking their second win by at least 34 points this season, having beaten the Titans 41-7 in Week 2. Only in 1992 and 2021 have they had multiple such wins in a season (twice in each).
Dallas Cowboys (4-1) @ Philadelphia Eagles (5-0)
For the first time, the NFC East rivals will face off with both teams entering the contest on the back of a single-season winning streak of at least four games, and the Cowboys have a historical edge after three consecutive wins by a margin of 20 or more points.
The Cowboys have held each of their five opponents so far this season to 20 points or under for the first time since 1972, while only two teams in the last 10 years have done so in six straight games to start a season – the 2013 Chiefs (9) and 2019 New England Patriots (8).
Keeping Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense at bay will be a stern test though, with Hurts setting an NFL record by becoming the first QB to have a five-start span, at any point, where he passed for 250+ yards per game, rushed for 50+ yards per game, rushed for 5+ touchdowns and went undefeated.
From the first five games of the season, the Eagles have averaged 400+ yards of offense and have not lost a single fumble during that span.
Elsewhere…
The Los Angeles Rams host the Carolina Panthers on the back of a 22-10 home defeat to the Cowboys in Week 5, with all three of their losses this season seeing the Rams score 10 or fewer points and lose by at least 10 points. From 2017-2021, they only had five such games.
The Arizona Cardinals head to the Emerald City boasting a strong record against the Seattle Seahawks, sitting 6-3 in the last nine road games. That is tied for the best record by any teams with at least two games played in Seattle since 2013 (Atlanta and New Orleans both 2-1).
The Cleveland Browns face the Patriots, having led at the start of the fourth quarter in all five games so far this season. However, they sit 2-3 (.400) in comparison to the rest of the NFL, which combines for 51-15-1 (.769).
Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Tom Brady is tied with Charlie Conerly for most career passing touchdowns against the Steelers (29 each), who he faces in Week 6. With one more, the Steelers would become the fifth team Brady has thrown at least 30 TD's against – joining the Colts, Jets, Dolphins and Bills.
Ron Rivera angrily hit out as suggestions he was not an enthused as Washington Commanders owner Daniel Snyder by the signing of quarterback Carson Wentz.
In the wake of Thursday's 12-7 win over the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field, coach Rivera was in fiery form at his post-game press conference, eventually calling a halt to proceedings himself.
ESPN this week quoted an unnamed source as saying that the signing of Wentz in a March trade from the Indianapolis Colts was "100 per cent a Dan move".
Wentz came into the Bears game carrying a bicep injury, managing only 12 of 22 passes for 99 yards with no TDs.
However, Rivera wanted to make it clear that his own role in the signing of Wentz was integral to the trade going ahead.
"Everybody keeps wanting to say, I didn’t want anything to do with Carson," Rivera said.
"Well bull****. I'm the f****** guy that pulled out the sheets of paper, that looked at the analytics, that watched the tape when we were in Indianapolis.
"That's what p***** me off, because the young man doesn't deserve to have that all the time. I'm sorry, I'm done."
The expletive-laden torrent from Rivera followed an assessment of how the team's 1-4 start had been wearing on his players.
Finally getting a second win, after losing four straight games, came as a relief to Rivera, prompting him to unload.
Brian Robinson Jr scored the decisive touchdown, two months after being shot in the knee and glute in an attempted carjacking on August 28.
"Honestly it's been hard. It really has. You lose four games in a row and everybody wants to get on you," Rivera said.
"They've played their a**es off. They've played their a**es off for everybody. They come out, they show up, and they work hard, they don't complain.
"They hear all this stuff and they've got to deal with that. I respect them for that because they're resilient."
Rickie Fowler is hoping to put on a show over the weekend at the Zozo Championship after moving into a share of the lead.
The American shot a blemish-free 63 at the Narashino Country Club on Friday to sit level with Andrew Putnam on 10 under. Putnam went one better than Fowler with a 62.
Keegan Bradley, one stroke back, provides the closest competition to the leading pair while first-round leader Brendan Steele's 73 saw him fall seven shots off the pace.
Fowler, who missed the cut at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open last time out, is having a ball in Japan and looking forward to wowing the crowd in pursuit of a sixth PGA Tour title.
"I definitely enjoy myself over here and the people are awesome. It is really cool to play in front of the Japanese fans," he said.
"I'm hoping we can give them more good golf over the weekend.
"I'm very happy with where we're at. Obviously didn't have the week we wanted last week, drove it poorly, but with some of the changes we've made and to have the finish that we did at Napa [T6 at the Fortinet Championship] and kind of seeing a lot of good things, I'm definitely happy about it and excited to be here and off to a good start."
John Huh's 61 was the best round of the day and saw him climb to eight under, one stroke ahead of Japanese home hope Keita Nakajima.
Headline act and 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama is not likely to figure in the battle for silverware but did move back to even par with a 69.
Draymond Green dismissed the necessity to rebuild trust within the Golden State Warriors following his altercation last week with team-mate Jordan Poole.
Green returned to practice on Thursday and will play in the Warriors' preseason game against the Denver Nuggets on Friday after stepping away following last Wednesday's incident where he punched Poole.
Team-mate Kevon Looney has spoken about Green needing to regain the group's trust, while head coach Steve Kerr has danced around the subject publicly, but the Warriors power forward was dismissive on Thursday.
"Everyone says, build trust as a team," Green said. "I don't really quite understand what's trust? Is it trust that you're going to make the right play?
"I always make the right play to be the best of my ability, so what is that? We do have to make sure we're together, make sure we're doing the necessary things that it takes to win a championship and have everyone's back.
"I think there's so many different things when I hear the word trust, that I'm not always certain that that is the most fitting word for what people are trying to say.
"I think it always sounds good. Everyone kind of has this idea of what that means. But yet what does that truly mean?"
Green insisted that he and Poole would be professional enough to maintain a working relationship at the Warriors this season.
"Jordan is a professional, and I'm a professional," Green said. "We have a job to do. We both have experienced a lot of winning over the course of our lives and we know what that takes, and so we want to do just that. What it takes to win. And I think that's the most important thing."
Four-time NBA champion Green was in a combative mood, adding that he did not care about how people perceived him.
And Green, 32, spoke about his desire to win another NBA title this season with the defending champions.
"I'm going to prove a lot of people wrong this year," Green said. "I've been proving people wrong my whole life, so there's some added motivation.
"Not quite proving people wrong because the same people that are talking now are the same people who have been talking forever, and they've been wrong the entire time.
"They just give new hot takes about how, 'You can't do it this time', but never acknowledge the million times that they said I couldn't do it and were wrong. I'm not quite motivated by those people.
"But there are definitely some motivations that have been sparked by some people and I'm going to use that, and I'm going to do exactly what I do when I’m motivated. In a major way."
Green was a key part of Golden State's title-winning 2021-22 side, averaging 7.3 rebounds, 1.1 blocks and 7.0 assists per game and having a big impact defensively.
The Warriors are due to open their 2022-23 NBA campaign on Tuesday against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Chase Center.
Five years on from its last iteration - and a year after it was originally set to take place - the 2021 Rugby League World Cup kicks off this weekend when England face Samoa at St James' Park in Newcastle.
Shaun Wane's hosts will be one of 16 sides jockeying to be crowned the best national team on the planet, alongside holders Australia, world number one New Zealand and a host of other countries.
Set to run for just over a month, through to the final at Old Trafford on November 19, there are already plenty of narratives for what is shaping up to be one of the most enthralling tournaments the sport has ever seen.
With that in mind, Stats Perform is here to run down who will be gunning for the prize, who is likely to fall by the wayside - and who just might capture hearts and minds along the way.
The usual suspects
There have only been three nations who have ever laid their hands on the Paul Barriere Trophy - and you can expect the two of them in the competition this year to be in the mix once again.
Australia have won this tournament a record 11 times, and despite a dearth of international rugby for Mal Meninga's side since they last hoisted it aloft, the Kangaroos firmly remain the side to beat.
In Michael Maguire's New Zealand, they will likely face a familiar foe before the final.
Australia and New Zealand have been drawn in Group B and C respectively, meaning there is no path for them to meet in the showpiece game, despite being the two most highly fancied teams with the bookmakers coming into the tournament.
The Kiwis soundly underperformed in 2017, knocked out in the quarter-finals; here, they'll be desperate to make amends.
Fifty years of hurt
England have never won the Rugby League World Cup - or rather, as a solo nation, having been part of the Great Britain side that last won the Paul Barriere Trophy in 1972.
Preparations have been less than ideal for the hosts too, with a host of key faces - including Super League Grand Final-winning St Helens trio Jonny Lomax, Mark Percival and Alex Walmsley, plus Wigan Warriors back-rower Liam Farrell - all struck off from consideration through injury.
But that has opened the door for a slew of surprises, with Salford duo Marc Sneyd and Andy Ackers handed maiden call-ups alongside Australian-born loose-forward Victor Radley.
Throw in NRL young guns Dom Young and Herbie Farnworth, and there's plenty to be excited for. Could they upset the odds and end a half-century wait for glory on home turf?
The upstart crowd
Last time a World Cup took place, Samoa endured a dismal tournament, with a draw against a gutsy Scotland side their only positive mark of the competition.
Now, it is a different story - Matt Parish's side are stuffed to the gills with NRL superstars, including six of Penrith Panthers' Grand Final-winning squad.
They'll hope to follow in the footsteps of Tonga, who caused a shock five years ago with a remarkable run to the final four, where they then ran England close.
Both teams have taken maximum advantage of rugby league's chop-and-change eligibility rules, and are now credible dark horse contenders.
Perennial semi-finalists, Fiji - who knocked out New Zealand last time around - look as if they will be considerably off the pace of their Pacific rivals, but the Bati's roaring spirit means they are unlikely to go down without a fight.
Throw in Papua New Guinea and the Cook Islands, and the Southern Hemisphere will have plenty to boast about.
The rest of the pack
It won't be a lock-out from below the equator if England and the other nations in the tournament have their say.
Wales - coached by the eternal John Kear - Scotland and Ireland ensure a Home Nations lockout for the United Kingdom, while France and Italy bring continental flavour from Europe.
Lebanon, meanwhile, are led by a familiar face from across the rugby code divide - ex-Wallabies supremo Michael Cheika, who will juggle this tournament with his role in charge of the Argentina union national team.
Then there is the two teams making their World Cup debut - Greece and Jamaica.
The former hail from a nation where rugby league has fought to even be recognised as a sport, while the latter stunned the USA to achieve a tournament bow.
While neither team is expected to make a long run, they are sure to earn their fans over the coming weeks.
Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker compared Yordan Alvarez to Barry Bonds following his latest game-winning heroics in their 4-2 win over the Seattle Mariners in Game 2 of the ALDS on Thursday.
Alvarez blasted a two-run go-ahead homer in the sixth inning at Minute Maid Park, coming after his walk-off blast in Tuesday's 8-7 rally to beat the Mariners.
The slugger's heroics have helped the Astros to a 2-0 lead in the ALDS, having gone four-for-eight with two homers and seven RBIs this series. Alvarez became the first player in postseason history with multiple career go-ahead homers in the sixth inning or later when his team was behind.
Baker, who coached Bonds for a decade at the San Francisco Giants, compared Alvarez to the seven-time National League MVP.
"You don’t go to the bathroom [when he is at bat]," Baker told reporters. "You wait. You hold it until after he hits. It was the same way with Barry Bonds. You don’t talk to anybody. You just pay attention. We've got the same anticipation."
The Mariners understandably opted to walk Alvarez in the eighth inning when trailing 3-2, but that allowed Jordan Pena to shuffle to second base. Alex Bregman proceeded to line to right-field, with Pena adding a fourth run on Mitch Haniger's arm.
"That was some Barry Bonds-type stuff there," Baker added. "I mean, that's the ultimate respect. I've seen that a bunch of times, but not in a long time since Barry Bonds.
"Bregman rises to the occasion, too. That's why I have Bregman hitting behind Yordan, because all you need in that situation is a base hit."
Mariners manager Scott Servais' decision to intentionally walk Alvarez came down to his form in this series.
"Obviously, he has done some damage against us in this series," Servais said. "He's hot right now. You've got to recognize that.
"I think you kind of game plan in how you want to go through their lineup and the guys you want to be careful with."
Thursday's loss marks the second time the Mariners, making their first postseason appearance in 21 years, have let a lead slip in the ALDS.
"You've got to finish it out, no question," Servais said. "It's difficult to do that on the road in the playoffs. You've got to make the pitches, you've got to make the plays. You've got to give the other team credit if they're able to come back."
The Astros have a 6-1 franchise series record when taking a 2-0 lead in the postseason, with their lone loss coming in 1981 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Houston will secure their sixth straight AL Championship Series berth with victory in Seattle in Game 3 on Saturday.
Suspended Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson had another civil lawsuit filed against him, alleging he pressured a woman into oral sex in a massage session in 2020.
The lawsuit is the 26th known filed against Watson, who is currently serving an 11-game NFL-imposed suspension for violating the league's personal conduct policy by committing sexual assault on massage therapists.
Former Houston Texans QB Watson has settled 23 of the lawsuits over the past few months, with one outstanding and one dropped.
The latest lawsuit filed on Thursday evening stated Watson "continually pressured [the plaintiff] into massaging his private area" before he "removed his towel" and "offered to let her 'get on top'." The lawsuit added that the plaintiff refused to have sex with Watson but was pressured into performing oral sex.
The plaintiff has suffered from severe depression and anxiety since the alleged incident, according to the lawsuit.
"My client's experience with Deshaun Watson follows a series of disturbingly similar encounters reported by more than 20 women who have filed suit against the NFL superstar," the woman's lawyer, Anissah Nguyen told ESPN.
"Like so many others, my client spent nearly two years struggling to cope with the shame and trauma from all that he has stolen from her and the daily pain that has become her reality.
"Knowing her story will bring on the hard conversations, criticism and even victim-blaming, the strength and bravery of these other women gave my client the courage to stand up and speak out.
"She seeks justice not only for herself and her own healing, but for the more than 20 women who refused to be shamed into silence, and the victims who have yet to come forward."
The lawsuit comes in the same week that Watson was permitted to re-enter the Browns training facility, having been banned since August 30.
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