Ocean Protect Stadium will play host to Sunday’s
Round 5 NRL game between Cronulla Sharks and
New Zealand Warriors. The game kicks off at 2:00 pm with Cronulla Sharks heading into the game as favourites with the bookmakers. Continue reading for our in-depth preview of the Cronulla Sharks vs.
New Zealand Warriors
game and give you our free tips and bets.

When: Sunday April 5, 2026 at 2:00 pm

Where: Ocean Protect Stadium

Bet 💰: Bet On This Match HERE

Cronulla Sharks vs New Zealand Warriors Odds

Cronulla Sharks vs New Zealand Warriors Preview

The Warriors will be eager to respond after being caught off guard in their previous outing. Their physicality and forward dominance remain strengths, but improved discipline and execution will be required. Their opponents bring structure and will look to control possession. Expect a hard-fought contest, with territory and completion rates playing a key role. This match offers the Warriors an opportunity to reassert their identity and return to form.

Super Bowl champion Stephon Gilmore announced on Thursday he was retiring from the NFL after 13 seasons in the league.

Gilmore, 35, made the announcement in a post on Instagram. He shared several highlights of his career from his days in college and through the NFL.

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Minnesota Vikings cornerback Stephon Gilmore defends against the Los Angeles Rams during an NFC wild card game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 13, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)

“As a young, scrappy kid from Rock Hill, South Carolina with humble beginnings, the eldest of 6 – you gave me focus, opportunity, strength, and friends to last a lifetime,” he captioned the collage.

“From my first game with Finley Road Falcons to two Super Bowls, multiple Pro Bowls, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award, you taught me the invaluable lesson of working hard and believing in myself.”

He thanked his family and coaches for their support throughout his career.

NFL QUARTERBACK CHRIS STREVELER RETIRES AT 31

New England Patriots defensive back Stephon Gilmore stands on the field before a game against the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass., on Aug. 9, 2018. (Bob DeChiara/USA TODAY Sports)

“And to the fans—thank you for your support. I have had an incredible 13 years in the League, and I cannot wait to see what this next chapter holds,” he added.

The Buffalo Bills selected Gilmore with the No. 10 overall pick of the 2012 draft out of South Carolina. He played five seasons with the Bills and earned his first Pro Bow election in his final year there in 2016.

Gilmore emerged as a superstar defensive back with the New England Patriots. In 2018, he was in the secondary when the Patriots won the Super Bowl. He led the NFL with six interceptions in 2019 as he won the Defensive Player of the Year Award.

He then played for the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings in the final four years of his career. He didn’t play in 2025.

Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore defends against the New England Patriots at New Era Field in Orchard Park, N.Y., on Oct. 30, 2016. (Timothy T. Ludwig/USA TODAY Sports)

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He finishes his career with 617 tackles, 32 interceptions and two interceptions returned for a touchdown. He was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro selection.

Uncapped striker Cora Chambers has been included in new Northern Ireland boss Michael McArdle’s first squad for their April World Cup qualifying double-header against Malta.

The 22-year-old was involved in Kenny Shiels’ full-time panel ahead of Euro 2022, but did not go to the tournament and has not been involved with the senior side since.

The Linfield forward netted 20 league goals for the Blues last year and has scored 39 goals in 47 appearances since making the move to the club from Sion Swifts in 2024.

She is included in one of two changes from the squad which lost both games in Kris Lindsay’s interim spell as manager against Switzerland and Turkey.

Hearts midfield Joely Andrews also returns to the 23-strong squad after missing last month’s games through injury.

Experienced defender Sarah McFadden drops to the standby list while Glentoran midfielder Mia Moore, who made her first start in the defeat against Turkey, will instead be part of the under-19 squad competing in Euro qualifiers this month.

McArdle, who was the Scottish FA’s head of elite women’s football and former interim head coach of Scotland, was appointed as Tanya Oxtoby’s permanent successor in March.

His first game as NI manager will take place at Mourneview Park against Malta on Tuesday, 14 April.

His side will then travel to Malta for the second of April’s double-header on Saturday, 18 April as they look to pick up their first win in qualifying.

/ @lockedoncollegefootball  

While the UConn Huskies have a trip back to the national championship at stake, it’s hard not to keep thinking about the insane ending against Duke, when a halftime court shot sealed victory in a way fit for March Madness.

But head coach Dan Hurley credited his wife, Andrea, who he called a “Jersey boss lady,” for making sure the Huskies didn’t do anything they’d regret after that 3-pointer gave them a 73-72 lead, securing them a spot in the Final Four.

Hurley, making an appearance on Barstool Sports’ “Pardon My Take,” agreed with Dan “Big Cat” Katz when he mentioned how “incredible” Andrea was in making sure all the players and staff went back to the bench after the shot was hit.

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Head coach Dan Hurley of the Connecticut Huskies reacts in the first half of a quarterfinal game against the Villanova Wildcats during the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden March 13, 2025, in New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

With 0.3 seconds still left on the clock, the Huskies may have gotten a technical foul, which would have resulted in free throws for Duke.

“Yeah, she’s a boss. She’s the Jersey boss lady. And her language is colorful, too. I mean, she was grabbing people around the back of their warmups. And she doesn’t know anything about basketball, you know?” Hurley said.

ILLINOIS KNOCKS OFF IOWA TO REACH FINAL FOUR AFTER BUZZER MALFUNCTION DELAY

Hurley revealed the conversation he had with his wife after the Final Four spot was secured.

“I said to her on the plane, ‘This is wild. Three out of four years, you’re going to the Final Four. Do you ever imagine this with your life,’” Hurley said.

“And she’s like, ‘I didn’t even know Final Four existed until four years ago.”

Four years ago, Hurley made his first trip to the Final Four, and the result was exactly what he had hoped for — a national title.

Andrea Hurley, wife of UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley, watches a Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame exhibition game between UConn and Boston College at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Oct. 13, 2025. (Erica Denhoff/Icon Sportswire)

The Huskies successfully defended that title in 2024, maintaining their No. 1 overall seed throughout the year. But after losing in the second round to Florida in last year’s NCAA Tournament, the Huskies came in looking for redemption.

They got as high as No. 2 in the AP rankings, and they are a No. 2 seed about to face No. 3 Illinois with a chance to return to the national championship next Monday.  

But that wouldn’t have been the case if his players didn’t intercept a pass by Duke star Cam Boozer, the son of Duke and NBA great Carlos Boozer, and Braylon Mullins drilled a 3-pointer almost at the buzzer in a bizarre finish to their Elite Eight matchup.

UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley watches from the sideline as his team takes on the Columbia Lions at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion in Storrs, Conn., Nov. 10, 2025. (David Butler II/Imagn Images)

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UConn had come back from a 19-point deficit to shock the Blue Devils and earn a trip to Lucas Oil Stadium, where they will take on Illinois, the top-ranked offense in the country this year, for a spot in the final.

The teams will tip off in Indianapolis at 6:09 p.m. ET Saturday.

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Neymar Jr., a football icon in Brazil, finds different ways to remain in the headlines. Despite the fact that the former Barcelona forward is no longer playing for an elite European club, he has remained in the spotlight for global media publications. Off-field controversies are not new for Neymar, and this time, he is being called out on social media for making a sexist comment regarding referee Savio Pereira Sampaio. Neymar called the referee ‘Chico’ after the conclusion of a match between his team, Santos, and Remo in the Brazilian league.

Although Santos won the match comfortably 2-0, Neymar was unhappy to be given a yellow card. During the post-match chat with Canal Premiere, the 34-year-old made a casual sexist remark about Sampaio.

“This card is unfair. I was on the receiving end of a dangerous, unnecessary tackle at the end of the match. It wasn’t the first, but the third or fourth. I went to protest and received a yellow card,” Neymar fumed at the end of the match in an interview with Canal Premiere.

“That’s Savio for you; he woke up like ‘Chico’ [in a bad mood] and came onto the pitch in that state. He wants to be the star of the match, he’s incredibly disrespectful to the players, he doesn’t talk, he doesn’t discuss anything, he’s the kind of guy who dictates the game, who wants to control everything. He needs to learn to manage that. It’s disrespectful.”

The controversial part of the comment was, “Acordou de chico e veio assim pro jogo,” which translates to “woke up like ‘Chico’ and came to the game in that state.”

Why is the word ‘Chico’ controversial?

While the word “Chico” might sound like a name, in Brazilian slang, “estar de Chico” is a common, albeit quite old and often viewed as sexist, way to say a woman is on her period. Neymar seemed to have suggested that the referee was in a “bad mood” or acting “irrationally” because he was menstruating.

Mariana Pereira, a Brazilian journalist, slammed Neymar for the sexist comment. She said: “”Woke up on his period and came to the game like that” – how easy it is to replicate sexist and prejudiced expressions. For years, women have been shamed for menstruating. A simple BIOLOGICAL process viewed as something dirty, with hormonal fluctuations and physical pain invalidated. There are still those who defend it.”

“Acordou de chico e veio assim pro jogo” – como é fácil replicar expressões sexistas e preconceituosas. Por anos as mulheres foram constrangidas por menstruarem. Um simples processo BIOLÓGICO visto como algo sujo, flutuações hormonais e dores físicas invalidadas. Há quem defenda. pic.twitter.com/HWubLWGOJ7

— Mariana Pereira (@maripereira_j) April 3, 2026

While Neymar remains relevant on the field, at least in Brazil, he continues to find himself involved in off-field controversies. Against Remo, he had a hand in both of his side’s goals but was constantly fouled and jostled by the opponents. He lost his cool after finally being provoked into an aggressive stance following a confrontation with Diego Hernandez in the second half, prompting the referee to issue a yellow card.

Due to the booking, Neymar will miss Santos’ high-profile fixture against Flamengo at the Maracana on Sunday.

Arsenal are preparing for their most important run of fixtures in over 20 years – but Mikel Arteta is facing a growing injury list as a host of his star players have withdrawn from international duty over the last week.

The Gunners may have lost the Carabao Cup final to title rivals Manchester City but they remain alive in their three most important trophies this season, with a nine-point lead over City in the Premier League and through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League and FA Cup.

But Arteta is potentially facing a selection crisis ahead of the start of a pivotal week, kicking off with the FA Cup quarter-final against Southampton and the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final at Sporting Lisbon, while a potential title decider against Pep Guardiola’s side looms large as well.

Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Noni Madueke all withdrew from England’s squad to face Japan at Wembley on Tuesday – and there are now 10 withdrawals in total from various international squads.

Eberechi Eze – England

Withdraw date – Sunday 22 March

What was said: The midfielder missed the Carabao Cup final due to a calf injury and is reportedly facing several weeks out. England only said that Eze had been ruled from the friendlies against Uruguay and Japan “through injury”. Arteta said before the final that Arsenal had “tried everything” to get the midfielder ready.

William Saliba – France

Withdraw date – Monday 23 March

What was said: France confirmed Saliba had withdrawn from their squad to play Brazil and Colombia due to a “left ankle injury”. The centre-back had played 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester City.

Gabriel Magalhaes – Brazil

Withdraw date – Monday 23 March

What was said: Saliba’s centre-back partner also played 90 minutes in the Carabao Cup final defeat at Wembley. “After the game… [Gabriel] complained of pain in his right knee,” a statement from Brazil said ahead of the games against France and Croatia in the United States. “Imaging tests have confirmed he is not fit to play.”

Jurrien Timber – Netherlands

Withdraw date – Monday 23 March

What was said: With the right back forced off during the first half of the win against Everton and missing both the Bayer Leverkusen second leg and the Carabao Cup final, the Netherlands confirmed Timber “has not yet sufficiently recovered from an injury” ahead of the friendlies against Norway and Ecuador.

Leandro Trossard – Belgium

Withdraw date – Monday 23 March

What was said: Trossard played 82 minutes of Arsenal’s defeat in the Carabao Cup final but Belgium said the winger was not fit enough for the friendlies against the United States and Mexico. “This decision will allow [Trossard] to continue [his] rehabilitation under optimal conditions,” Belgium said.

Declan Rice – England

Withdraw date – Saturday 28 March

What was said: Rice was given a rest from England’s friendly against Uruguay and only joined up with Thomas Tuchel’s squad on Friday. However, a statement from England a day later confirmed he had returned to Arsenal for “medical assessment”.

Bukayo Saka – England

Withdraw date – Saturday 28 March

What was said: The winger, like Rice, had been offered a break during the first week of the international break. But he also withdrew from England’s squad a day after reporting to the camp. England said he had also returned for “medical assessment”.

Noni Madueke – England

Withdraw date – Saturday 28 March

What was said: Madueke was forced off during the first half of England’s 1-1 draw with Uruguay, and was later seen walking out of Wembley with his left knee in a brace. “I’m worried, of course, because I think he was a difference-maker today,” Tuchel said. “[I’m] very sad and upset and hopefully it’s not a big injury.”

Piero Hincapie – Ecuador

Withdraw date – Sunday 29 March

What was said: The defender played 72 minutes of Ecuador’s friendly against Morocco in Madrid, before pulling out of the squad to face the Netherlands on Tuesday. A statement from Ecuador reported that Hincapie “underwent medical and imaging tests” and “based on the evaluation” was sent back to Arsenal to “begin the recovery process”.

Martin Zubimendi – Spain

Withdraw date – Sunday 29 March

What was said: The midfielder came off the bench to replace Manchester City’s Rodri for the final 13 minutes of Spain’s 3-0 win over Serbia on Friday, but it was announced by Spain that he had withdrawn “due to discomfort in his right knee”. The statement added: “To avoid any risk and to protect the player’s health, he has been removed from the squad.”

Did anyone still play this week?

Sweden’s Viktor Gyokeres, Italy’s Riccardo Calafiori and Denmark’s Christian Norgaard all featured in decisive World Cup qualifiers on Tuesday, with the latter two left heartbroken in penalty shootout defeats to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Czech Republic respectively – but Graham Potter’s Sweden saw off Poland.

Ben White, ironically, is left as the only Arsenal player in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad, after the right back ended his four-year absence from the national team. He scored, gave away a penalty, and was booed in the 1-1 draw with Uruguay, and played for 59 minutes in the 1-0 loss to Japan, while teenager Max Dowman and Myles Lewis-Skelly were involved for England’s Under-19s and Under-21s, respectively.

Defender Cristhian Mosquera made his Spain debut last week, and he and goalkeeper David Raya started against Egypt, while Kai Havertz played in Germany’s friendly against Ghana on Monday night. Gabriel Martinelli was the last one back as he scored a late third in Brazil’s 3-1 friendly win over Croatia on Wednesday.

Arsenal were already without Norway’s Martin Odegaard, who has been sidelined since the win over Tottenham on February 22, and Spain’s Mikel Merino, with knee and foot problems respectively.

Arsenal’s upcoming games

Arsenal will return from the international break for their FA Cup quarter-final away to Championship side Southampton on Saturday 4 April, kick-off 8pm. It will be followed by the away trip to Sporting Lisbon in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday 7 April.

The Gunners will then return to Premier League duty and will kick off the title race run-in with a home test against Bournemouth on Saturday 11 April, kick-off 12:30, followed by the return leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Sporting on Wednesday 15 April.

Then, it’s the blockbuster trip to Manchester City on Sunday 19 April, kick-off 4:30pm.