Your Sports Week & Weekend Preview: Serena Williams Makes Her Comeback, FozBall Locked In & BBL's Melbourne Shake-Up

One of the biggest stories in tennis in years — Serena Williams is back. The 23-time Grand Slam champion has accepted a wildcard for the doubles competition at Queen's Club in London at 44 years of age. The tournament is a Wimbledon precursor and Serena's return is the story the entire sporting world is talking about.Kieran Foran — dubbed FozBall by rugby league fans this season — has signed with the Manly Sea Eagles until the end of 2029. Nine weeks ago he was the assistant coach with Manly sitting at 0 wins from 3. He has since led them to 7 wins from 9 games and is already one of the most exciting coaching stories of 2026. Daniel explains why this signing changes everything for Manly's future.The BBL franchise landscape in Melbourne is shifting significantly — Daniel breaks down what the proposed merger means for the competition and what it could mean for cricket fans in Victoria. Freddie Flintoff has been confirmed as Sydney Thunder Head Coach in one of the most surprising appointments of the Australian cricket off-season.Australia's Rugby Sevens teams produced a historic double — both the men's and women's sides winning the tournament in Spain for the first time since 2018. The women's side now lead the World Championship series heading into the final weekend in Bordeaux. Connor Watson signs with the Dragons and PNG Chiefs. Katie McCabe makes a shock move from Arsenal to Chelsea. And Helen Housby has been ruled out of the Commonwealth Games with a stress fracture — heartbreaking timing as all Super Netball contracts expire at season's end.This weekend — Manly host the Rabbitohs Thursday night, the Melbourne Derby in Super Netball on Sunday, Collingwood vs Melbourne on Monday and the Bulldogs face the Eels in what shapes as a crucial NRL clash.Episode 10 of The Sports Playbook Thursday Preview. New episodes every Monday and Thursday.Follow The Sports Playbook on Instagram and TikTok, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.