Friday Headlines: 

• Trump welcomes Xi to White House for AI talks
• Albanese disappointed in OpenAI after Medicare breach
• White House lifts press ban after judge order
• Two children die in NSW following separate tragedies
• Rate hike almost certain next week despite jobs data
• Lachie Neale wins appeal as Lions and Freo take unchanged sides into tomorrow's AFL Grand Final

Deep Dive: Kylie Minogue headlines the AFL grand final this weekend.   

A week later, the NRL will kick off its decider without a star act. The league says it would rather put the money into junior footy than pay a performer $90,000 a minute. Its broadcaster reportedly isn't happy, all the while plenty of fans are shrugging.  

So are these pre-game spectacles worth the millions, or just a tradition nobody has thought to question?  

In this episode of The Briefing, Chris Spyrou is joined by Dr Hunter Fujak, senior lecturer in sport management at Deakin University. They unpack who these shows are really for, how they’ve changed over time and why the NRL’s move could completely change the game moving forward. 

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