Allianz Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 25 NRL game between Sydney Roosters and
Wests Tigers. The game kicks off at 4:05 pm with Sydney Roosters heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Sydney Roosters vs.
Wests Tigers
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday August 23, 2026 at 4:05 pm

Where: Allianz Stadium

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Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers Odds

Sydney Roosters vs Wests Tigers Preview

Sydney enters the round on top of the ladder after eight consecutive victories, with gritty wins over Canterbury and Penrith confirming its premiership credentials. James Tedesco returns at fullback after a two-game absence, adding another threat to a side that has balanced attacking power with improved composure. Wests Tigers has lost eight straight and must replace the injured Adam Doueihi, bringing Jock Madden back into the halves. Alex Twal returns in the pack, while Jeral Skelton starts on the wing and Sunia Turuva moves to the interchange. The Tigers did spring a 30-28 upset in last season’s meeting at Allianz Stadium, but recent performances against leading teams have exposed their defence. With the minor premiership in sight, the Roosters should dictate territory and create sustained pressure.

Meanwhile, Sindhu, a two-time world champion, made a strong fightback after losing the opening game but could not sustain the momentum in the decider. Wang kept her composure in the closing stages to seal a hard-fought victory and advance to the semifinals.

The Indian had been chasing a sixth medal at the prestigious championships, having previously won gold in 2019, silver in 2017 and 2018, and bronze in 2013 and 2014. Her exit also brings an end to India’s hopes of a women’s singles medal at the championships.

The latest Manchester United injury news ahead of their first match of the 2026/27 Premier League season against Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Saturday lunchtime

Michael Carrick has offered an injury update on several Manchester United players before their opening match of the Premier League season against Hull City.

United visit the MKM Stadium on Saturday lunchtime, a week on from their final pre-season friendly against Milan in Wroclaw, Poland. Multiple squad members missed that 4-2 defeat to the Serie A side, including Benjamin Sesko, Karl Darlow, Mason Mount, Matthijs de Ligt and Tom Heaton.

Manuel Ugarte also remains a long-term absentee after sustaining a knee ligament injury while playing for Uruguay at the World Cup this summer. However, there is more positive news elsewhere.

Benjamin Sesko

United have been without Sesko during the entirety of their pre-season preparations because of a shin injury that cut short his debut season with the club in early May. The striker has continued to recover from that issue this summer, which he played through last season before aggravating it during their win over Liverpool at Old Trafford, and has returned to full training at Carrington this week.

Carrick said during his press conference on Thursday: “Ben [Sesko] is back training, so that’s another positive. Looking forward to having him back around the group and getting him some minutes as well.”

Karl Darlow

Summer signing Darlow has yet to make his United debut as the goalkeeper continues to recover from having surgery at the end of last season. The former Leeds United goalkeeper played for them through to the expiry of his contract and also represented Wales in early June before being sidelined over the summer.

Dermot Mee has deputised for Senne Lammens in his absence as of late, with Radek Vitek signing for Middlesbrough and Tom Heaton also being sidelined. Carrick, however, now has a more positive update, saying: “Karl has trained this week. He’s back training, so he’s in good shape.

Manuel Ugarte

Knee ligament surgery for an injury sustained while representing Uruguay at this summer’s World Cup leaves Ugarte as United’s sole long-term absentee to start this season. The club confirmed his operation was successful, adding that he “will now begin the rehabilitation stage of his recovery and will be carefully managed by the club’s medical and performance staff”.

Ugarte said in the aftermath: “I’m incredibly grateful to Uruguay and Man Utd for being there for me from the moment it happened. A huge thank you as well to my family, my friends, and everyone who has sent me messages of support during this time. I’ll be back stronger.”

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Mason Mount

A foot injury sustained during the 1-1 draw against Paris Saint-Germain has sidelined Mount since early this month. The midfielder had to limp off 20 minutes into that friendly and was replaced by Tyler Fletcher in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Mount has missed the two matches since, with the latter starting alongside Andrey Santos in midfield against Leeds. Youri Tielemans then came in to partner with his fellow summer signing last weekend.

Carrick, however, suggested Mount could be back this weekend, saying: “We are managing Mason [Mount] a little bit, but he’s very close, so it’s touch-and-go for the weekend, really, if not going into next week.”

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Matthijs de Ligt

In defence, De Ligt is training again after back surgery earlier this year, having missed the final six months of last season. However, his first appearance since late November will not come on the opening day of this season.

Clarifying the situation, Carrick has said: “Matt [De Ligt] has obviously been out for a long period of time, but he’s training and great to have him back. Well, he won’t be involved, but he’s in good shape and moving in a good direction, so that’s really a good bonus for us, really, at this stage, to have him back.”

Tom Heaton

This weekend is when Tom Heaton is due to find out the extent of the innocuous-looking injury sustained against PSG a fortnight ago. Despite there being no great concern at the time when Mee replaced the 40-year-old, the setback has proved more serious than first suspected.

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Heaton is set to face at least a few weeks on the sidelines, which makes Darlow’s return to training even more timely. Carrick sounded optimistic about the summer signing being back on the bench against Hull this weekend and would, presumably, replace Mee as a substitute if now fit enough to do so.

The Indian women’s hockey team will look to secure its place in Round 2 of the FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup when it takes on England in its final Pool D match today.

India and China have four points each, but India sit at the top of the pool courtesy of a superior goal difference. The Indian side has scored eight goals and conceded only three so far. England, on three points, face a must-perform situation, with anything less than a positive result putting their qualification hopes under serious pressure.

For India, however, the equation is relatively straightforward: a draw will be enough to guarantee progression to the next round.

India aim to finish pool stage unbeaten

India enter the contest with considerable confidence after a strong campaign so far. Their 6-1 victory over South Africa showcased the attacking depth within the squad, with six different players finding the net.

The team’s attacking threat has been spread across the forward line, with Deepika and Navneet Kaur scoring twice each. Lalremsiami and World Cup debutant Sunelita Toppo have also impressed with their pace and ability to create openings.

India’s defensive organisation has been equally encouraging. The side conceded only two penalty corners against South Africa, while goalkeeper Bichu Devi and veteran Savita Punia provide plenty of experience behind a relatively young group.

England face pressure to deliver

England enter the final pool match knowing that they cannot afford another slip-up. With three points from their opening matches, they need a strong result against India to keep their hopes of advancing alive.

The India vs England FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup match will be played on Thursday, August 20, 2026.

Where will India vs England women’s hockey match be played?

The match will take place at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands.

What time does India vs England women’s hockey match start?

The match is scheduled to begin at 6:30 PM IST.

Where can I watch India vs England women’s hockey live on TV?

The FIH Women’s Hockey World Cup is being broadcast live on the Star Sports network in India.

Where can I watch India vs England women’s hockey live online?

The match will be available for live streaming on JioHotstar through its app and website.

Can India qualify for Round 2 with a draw?

Yes. India need at least a draw against England to guarantee their place in Round 2, based on the current Pool D standings and qualification scenario.

Teofimo Lopez challenges for Rolando Romero’s WBA welterweight title this weekend, and ahead of the action, two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter has revealed his fight prediction. 

Lopez famously dethroned Vasyl Lomachenko to capture the unified lightweight world titles in a shocking upset win back in 2020, but lost the belts to George Kambosos Jr in the outing that followed, prompting a move up to super-lightweight.

There, Lopez handed Josh Taylor a first career defeat and claim the WBO super-lightweight crown, managing three title defences before losing his strap to Shakur Stevenson at the beginning of the year and moving up once more.

Now, on his welterweight debut, Lopez attempts to put an early end to ‘Rolly’ Romero’s reign and tee up a unification showdown with Ryan Garcia, who hopes to defend his WBC title for the first time when he faces Conor Benn next month.

Speaking on ‘The Porter Way Podcast’, ‘Showtime’ Shawn Porter declared that he is expecting a statement performance from Lopez, forecasting that ‘The Takeover’ will win on the cards.

“There is an expectation for him [Lopez] in this fight, to really show up – and I think that he is going to show up and that we are going to get one of those Josh Taylor, we didn’t see this coming-type of performances. 

“I think that is the version that we get, I think that he forces Rolly to fight back, but I think this fight goes the distance.”

Romero-Lopez takes place on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Colin Keane and Juddmonte maintained their excellent form at the Sky Bet Ebor meeting at York, as Kalpana won Thursday’s highlight, the Group 1 Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks.

It was a second Group 1 victory in two days for Keane and Juddmonte, having won the Group 1 Juddmonte International Stakes with Item yesterday.

The Andrew Balding-trained Kalpana, winner of the King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Ascot on her most recent racecourse appearance, started today’s contest as the 10/11 favourite in the nine-runner field.

Her opposition included the winner of this race last year, Minnie Hauk (4/1), and the recent Group 1 Juddmonte Irish Oaks winner, Johanna Walsh (5/1), the mount of Dylan Browne McMonagle.

Sugar Island, the stable mate of the betting market’s second choice, Minnie Hauk, set a strong pace under Ronan Whelan, and the pair found themselves about 20 lengths ahead as they headed for the home bend.

The daughter of Dubawi found for Whelan in the straight and made the remainder of the field work to close the gap, before she was finally headed at the one-furlong pole.

As Kalpana and Keane took the lead at that stage, Jim Bolger’s Sparán Nua (25/1), with Rossa Ryan in the saddle, went second, while Minnie Hauk and Ryan Moore were third.

The favourite soon began to drift as she battled for the line, with Sparán Nua, in the Newton Anner Stud colours, staying on strongly to challenge the eventual winner, as Minnie Hauk didn’t have the pace to live with either of the main protagonists.

As they hit the finishing line, Kalpana had an advantage of a half-length over Sparán Nua, while the Aidan O’Brien-trained Minnie Hauk was two-and-a-half lengths behind the runner-up.

Earth Shot (20/1), Tattycoram (25/1) and Johanna Walsh, who had all been prominent in the earlier stages of the race, faded to finish fourth, fifth and sixth respectively.

Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn go toe-to-toe for the WBC welterweight title in one of the highest profile bouts of the year next month, and esteemed British boxing trainer Peter Fury has offered his thoughts on the contest.

Garcia dethroned Mario Barrios at the beginning of the year to get his hands on the first world title of his career, with Benn installed as his mandatory challenger soon after despite the fact that ‘The Destroyer’ has not competed as a welterweight since April 2022.

Already, Benn has publicly announced that this contest will be his final bout as a welterweight, rumoured to be feeling the full effects of a brutal weight cut, having fought twice as a middleweight last year.

Speaking to Boxing Now, Peter Fury declared his belief that fight fans are wrong to overlook Benn’s chances in the fight.

“I think that they [the public] can underestimate Conor Benn to a degree. I think that he is very good, he is a good fighter and mentally, as well, very strong. He will totally believe in himself and I think that he has got a good chance of pulling it off.

“He is fighting an exceptional champion in Ryan Garcia and sometimes people can blow hot and cold, but I think that, with the Conor Benn scenario, Garcia will have the bit between his teeth as well. So, I think that you are going to see the best of both of them.”

Whilst refusing to forecast a winner, Fury predicted a ‘closely-contested war’, with Benn keen to prove his doubters wrong.

“Can Conor Benn do it? Of course he can, he can do it. Can Ryan Garcia do it? Yes, he can, it is one of them types of fights. I’m not sitting on the fence, I think that this is going to be a hard fight. Conor Benn is no walk in the park for anybody, so I see it being a closely-contested war, that is what I can see.”

Garcia-Benn takes place on Saturday, September 12, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Jai Opetaia set to collide with reigning WBC cruiserweight world champion, Noel Mikaelian, in the co-main event of the bill.

Real Madrid striker Endrick has turned down an opportunity to join Liverpool on loan this summer, as per reports. The Brazil international faces stern competition for places in the Los Blancos squad for the 2026-27 season, following the signings of two new attackers.

According to ESPN Brasil, Liverpool have indicated that they would be interested in signing Endrick on a temporary basis this summer. The 20-year-old has no interest in leaving the Bernabeu this summer, as he wishes to fight for his place at the club.

Real Madrid are blessed with a plethora of attacking options, particularly following the addition of Carlos Espi and Yan Diomande to their squad. This situation led Endrick to seek clarity about his immediate future in the squad, and Jose Mourinho assured him that he would get minutes to prove himself.

Endrick endured a similar situation last season, barely getting any minutes before he headed out on loan to Olympique Lyon in January. There, he scored eight goals and provided eight assists in half a season before returning to his parent club this summer.

Unlike the Spanish giants, Liverpool are struggling to find the attackers to fill up their squad this summer. They are without the injured Hugo Ekitike and lost Mohamed Salah, leading to their interest in Endrick, who can cover both positions. They will have to turn their attention elsewhere as they look to bring in reinforcements ahead of the transfer window’s closure.

Former Liverpool star unveiled officially as Real Madrid player

Former Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has been officially unveiled as a new signing for Real Madrid after joining on a free transfer. The France international has played once for his new club since arriving for pre-season this summer, playing 45 minutes in their last friendly against Schalke 04.

Konate reached an agreement to join the Spanish giants after his contract with the Reds expired at the end of the 2025-26 season. He played 51 times for the club across all competitions in his final season, more than he played in any of his four previous campaigns for them. He represented the club on 187 occasions, winning every domestic honour available in England.

Ibrahima Konate has taken the number 16 shirt at the Bernabeu and has signed a four-year contract until 2030. He joins Dean Huijsen, Eder Militao, Antonio Rudiger, and Raul Asencio as the senior centre-back options available for Jose Mourinho in the 2026-27 season.