18-05-2024 Breakfast Bites FIJI & PACIFIC SPORTS NEWS Podcast S09E42 #TeivovoSports #TeivovoDigital

Kia ora, Talofa, Ma’lelei, Bula, Aloha and Welcome to Season 09 Episode 42 of Breakfast Bites, by TEIVOVOdigital.com – a wrap of Pasifika people’s sports news, on a sunny and bright Saturday morning 18 May 2024.
 
Coming to you with tons of hanisi from the 180th meridian, in the middle of the blue continent.
                                                                  
In two close Super Rugby Pacific games yesterday: The Hurricanes 32-24 Moana Pasifika and the Chiefs 26-23 Rebels.
 
It’s a fine looking day in Suva for the Fijian Drua vs the Reds at 2.05PM.
 
With one of the best Referees in the world in Angus Gardner officiating, it should be a cracker!
 
Apart from all the local rugby nuts, fans have flown in from Brisbane and Tonga – that’s right from the Kingdom, to support Reds 16 off the bench, George Blake.
 
In rugby league: “No, not at all,” ARLC Chairman Peter V’landys answered when asked if Papua New Guinea was locked in as the next NRL expansion team.
 
He also revealed the NRL is against basing a Papua New Guinea team in Australia, ahead of their meeting with the Australian Government yesterday, to discuss expansion.

While PNG are the firm favourites to be given the NRL’s 18th licence, V’landys stressed there’s still a few boxes to be ticked.

The first game of Magic Round at Suncorp Stadium between the Raiders and the Bulldogs finished four tries apiece, but the Raiders’ 100 per cent conversion rate proved to be the difference for a 24-20 win.
 
Later, the Broncos beat the Sea Eagles 12-13 with Jock Madden icing the game-winning field goal and Payne Haas scaring Blues selectors in a thriller at Suncorp last night.
 
Haas limped off with what looked like a serious ankle injury in the second half, but amazingly returned to finish the game.

Today we tip the Titans to timtam the Knights, the Sharks to shortbread the Sydney Roosters and Souths to cameo the Cowboys.

In Football: Leeds powered into the Championship playoff final as a three-goal first half blitz inspired their 4-0 rout of Norwich yesterday morning.
 
Leeds will face Southampton or West Bromwich Albion in the final at Wembley on 26 May.
The Championship playoff final is widely known as the most valuable game in sport, given the winning team can earn an estimated £265Million in additional revenue from TV deals, sponsorship and other income.
 
In SportsBiz: Both vehicle and pedestrian traffic around Dodger Stadium was jammed Thursday as fans eagerly sought a Shohei Ohtani bobblehead, the first of the superstar given away by the Dodgers since the Japanese star’s record-setting US$700Million contract signed in the offseason.
 
Only the first 40,000 fans were slated to receive the bobblehead, while the game against the Reds ultimately drew an attendance of 53,527, generating long lines of fans hours before the stadium gates opened.

Within that giveaway were 1,700 special versions of the bobblehead with Ohtani in a road gray uniform, and that limited edition is already fetching bids of more than US$1,600 on eBay.
 
In combat sports: All eyes are on Riyadh, Saudi Arabia tomorrow – for the unification of all the World Heavyweight Boxing titles, and where earlier in the week Tyson Fury said, “I do it for the dough. I fight for the prize, whether it be gold bars, gold coins, cash, cars – however you want to pay me. As long as I can make a drink on it, deal done.”
 
So, not for the legacy then?

“I’m not too concerned about what people are going to be saying in 100 years,” Fury told journalists. “The dust from our bones won’t exist in 100 years, never mind what they say about a boxing match in 100 years.”

All the Ukranian Warrior had to say was, “You never see a fat wolf in the forest.”
 
Finally, only in America: The world’s best golfer, Scottie Scheffler, was arrested yesterday in an unbelievable scene outside Valhalla, where he was due to start the second round of the PGA Championship.
 
According to ESPN, Scheffler tried to drive on a median strip around a police officer, for about 15M toward the entrance of the golf course before stopping.

The police officer then screamed at Scheffler to get out of the car, and when the golfer did, he was shoved against the vehicle and arrested with the police officer saying to an ESPN reporter: “Right now he’s going to jail, and there ain’t nothing you can do about it”.

Scheffler has since been charged with second degree assault of a police officer, reckless driving, third degree criminal mischief, and disregarding traffic signals from a police officer conducting traffic.

The world No.1 and reigning Masters champion, was the hot favourite to win the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Meanwhile, Rory McIlroy put a tough week behind him as he took a share of fifth at five-under with Scheffler and others, which started less than 48 hours after his divorce filing from wife Erica became public.

“It was pretty scrappy for the most part,” he said. “Some good up-and-downs.”

Not sure if McLlroy was talking about the golf, his marriage or his divorce!

So, entering the second round of action at the PGA Championship at Valhalla, American Xander Schauffele set a course record 62 yesterday morning.

He’s at 9-under with a three-shot lead over my cousin Tony Finau on -6 with and a couple of other guys.

And that’s a wrap!
 
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Mahalo and Ka kite; for TEIVOVOdigital.com, I’m Culden Kamea tanking you all too mass for all your love and support.
 
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