Locker Room: Canberra Raiders cross paths with NFL superstar Zach Ertz

They'll run head first into blokes built like brick outhouses in front of thousands, so what is it that leaves the Canberra Raiders giggling like a bunch of schoolkids?

That would be Super Bowl-winning tight end Zach Ertz.

The Arizona Cardinal, who reached the NFL's summit with the Philadelphia Eagles, crossed paths with the Raiders in Auckland this week.

Ertz is in New Zealand to support his wife Julie Ertz - a two-time FIFA Women's World Cup winner with the United States. Some sporting power couple, that.

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Raiders players - who could soon trade their ageing venue at Bruce for the site of a Super Bowl should Canberra be picked to take part in the NRL's Las Vegas season opener next year - stopped for photos with Ertz as they prepare to face the New Zealand Warriors at Mt Smart Stadium on Friday night

Matt Timoko and Hudson Young were among those pinching themselves after getting a photo and labelling Ertz a "beast". Now their attention turns to holding their place in the top four.

Forget that for a moment. The Raiders' points differential of -55 is the worst among the top 12 teams in the competition.

But the biggest currency at the table is two competition points, and Canberra's run home looks like this: Warriors away [the Warriors are running fifth], Newcastle at home [10th], Wests Tigers at home [17th], Melbourne away [third], Canterbury at home [15th], Brisbane at home [second], Cronulla away [sixth].

The Raiders could become just the second team to finish in the top half of the eight with a negative points differential in NRL history.

The only other team to achieve the feat was the North Queensland Cowboys in 2007, who finished third with a differential of -71.

One was the backbone of the Queanbeyan Blues who epitomised toughness. One was the loveable larrikin who played above his weight in an uncompromising era.

Both were gone too soon.

The Queanbeyan Blues will pay tribute to former players Jay Lasscock and Michael Keech when the club hosts its old boys day at Seiffert Oval on Saturday.

Lasscock captained the Blues and was a staple in representative sides. His death in 2012, aged 25, sent shockwaves around the rugby league community. Keech lost his battle with depression earlier this year, long after the playmaker enjoyed stints with the Blues and Woden Valley Rams.

Past players will come from far and wide to honour two of the club's favourite sons before watching this year's team face the Rams in the Canberra Raiders Cup.

The round 14 clash marks the Blues' first since they were forced to forfeit a first grade game a fortnight ago as club officials try to salvage the club's on-field future.

Injuries, suspensions and a band of youngsters away on representative duties left the Blues with the bare bones of their playing roster, leading coach Simon Woolford to make the agonising call to forfeit a first grade game.

Already granted an exemption to play first grade without fielding a reserve grade team, the forfeit marks a low point in the club's proud 95-year history, but officials are adamant they can rebuild the club's reputation as a competition powerhouse.

If you ever spot Queanbeyan Blues or Eden Tigers jerseys roaming around Papua New Guinea, you can thank Terry Campese.

The former Australian Kangaroos five-eighth led the Terry Campese Foundation's youth mentor program on a walk of the Kokoda Track and donated piles of Blues and Tigers gear to locals.

An emerging ACT lock has packed his bags and flown to Japan with Jack Wright joining the Top League's Shizuoka Blue Revs as rivals hunt another towering Brumby.

The 23-year-old made his Super Rugby debut this year and went on to make three appearances for the Brumbies.

But Wright took the chance to move overseas given the Brumbies are already stocked up on Test-capped locks with Nick Frost, Cadeyrn Neville and Darcy Swain on the books.

There are whispers rival clubs like the Western Force are now sniffing around Swain, who returned to the John I Dent Cup with Tuggeranong last weekend after falling out of favour with Wallabies selectors.

The biggest fight in boxing right now isn't Tim Tszyu and whoever he can get his hands on. Not Canelo-Charlo, Crawford-Spence, and certainly not Fury-Ngannou.

It's the fight to keep boxing in the Olympic Games.

Boxing Australia has walked away from the International Boxing Association with plans to apply to join World Boxing, in a sign of the country's commitment to the Olympic movement.

Paris 2024 has been feared to be the end of the line for boxing at the Olympics, after the International Olympic Committee demanded a reform of the IBA amid concerns over bout manipulation, officiating and financial transparency.

World Boxing has been set up by officials from around the world to salvage the sport's Olympic future.

Boxing Australia president Phillip Goodes says the expulsion of the IBA means "the future of boxing as an Olympic sport is much clearer with the IOC confirming boxing will be on the programme for Paris 2024 and Los Angeles 2028".

"Clearly, we believe World Boxing, which was established in April this year, can provide a credible and sustainable governing body for our sport globally," Goodes said.

The largest handball tournament in Australia will descend on Canberra next week with the best players in the country vying to book a ticket to Saudi Arabia for the IHF Super Golbe.

The Australian handball club championship begins on July 26 and the men's tournament will serve as the qualifying event for this year's Saudi Arabian event, with the winner to represent Australia and Oceania on the global stage among the world's best club teams.

Australian national team coach Taip Ramadani - a former Olympian, Canberra club coach and founder - is the organiser of the nationwide tournament.

Former Olympian Sasa Sestic will play alongside his son Aleks, who has been training in the Balkans, while a couple who have been playing since they were teenagers in the national French league will also be on show.

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