Aaron Finch has nominated England as World Cup favourites but the Australian captain is confident his side is building momentum at the right time.

Tournament preparations intensify on Saturday when England host Australia in a warm-up clash in Southampton.

The Australians had a strong win over the West Indies on Wednesday but this latest clash will be a step up in intensity, for the host nation has emerged as the team to beat.

Under captain Eoin Morgan, England have embraced a high-tempo game plan, built around scoring at seven runs or more an over.

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In a recent 4-0 series win over Pakistan, they became the first side to have four consecutive scores of 340 or more, while their 1424 overall runs were the most by any team in an one-day international series where they played a maximum of four innings.

In Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Jos Buttler and Morgan, they will look to intimidate bowlers, something they did during a 5-0 thrashing of Australia last year.

But this is a different Australian squad, and with David Warner and Steve Smith back in the fold, the defending Cup champions also boast a strong batting line-up.

"It's a good question, I think, England have been in great form over the last couple of years and along with India, they've probably been the standout performers. So you'd have to say England are definitely the favourites," Finch said.

"I think it's important that some of our guys have got that World Cup experience and having, I think, six players who have been a part of a winning World Cup will hold us in good stead going forward, hopefully.

"But it's a different tournament and, once you get out and start playing, the pressure takes over. So it'll be a great tournament."

Speaking at the captain's day in London, Finch said the Australians were prepared for any abuse spectators were preparing for Smith and Warner, who have returned from suspension for their roles in the ball-tampering scandal.

The Australians have been told not to bait crowds. The Ageas Bowl is expected to have a near capacity of 15,000 on hand.

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"They have come back into the set-up for the last couple of weeks and been fantastic and they have contributed as much as they can," Finch said.

"Once it gets underway, particularly against England, and further on for the Ashes, the crowd will play a part but that is expected everywhere in the world.

"We have plans in place for that, and their squad input and output in terms of the runs they have been making has been fantastic."

Morgan stressed there was no side that was "head and shoulders above everybody else" in the 12th edition of the World Cup, which has been reduced from 14 to 10 nations, but Indian captain Virat Kohli backed Finch in deeming England favourites.

"I have to agree with Aaron, I think England is probably – in their conditions – the most strong side in this tournament but I also agree with 'Morgs', that all 10 teams are so well balanced and so strong and the fact that this is a tournament where we have to play everyone once, makes it all the more challenging," Kohli said.

"I think that's going to be the best thing about this tournament, I see this as probably one of the most competitive World Cups that people are going to see."

Morgan, though, warned that past form clearly offers no guarantees of World Cup glory.

"It is going to be very difficult," he said.

"Expectations do not come out of thin air. We have scored some quite high scores, especially at home, and that has brought a lot of confidence.

"The World Cup is a different kettle of fish. Everything we have done does contribute, but you still have to produce the goods.

"These are the 10 best teams in the world, so it is going to be extraordinarily competitive."

Since the last World Cup in 2015, England have passed 400 four times, setting the two highest scores in international history and nine of the 10 highest totals ever by England sides.

With Reuters

With so many entertainment options, it's easy to miss brilliant TV shows, movies and documentaries. Here are the ones to hit play on, or skip.

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The Spanish Princess
Stan*

It's well known that Catherine of Aragon was the first wife of Henry VIII. But was Henry Catherine's first husband? Go to the top of the class if you remember that Catherine actually left her beloved Spain to marry Henry's older brother, Arthur. But it's best not to get all your history from The Spanish Princess.

No sooner have we met young Catherine (Charlotte Hope, who played Ramsay Bolton's beastly girlfriend Myranda in Game of Thrones) in the year 1501 than we're told that her mum, Queen Isabella (Alicia Borrachero), had just overthrown "a thousand years of Muslim rule".

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That would have been a neat trick, considering that Muslims had been there less than 800 years.

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However accurate the rest of it is, it's certainly exciting. Escorting Catherine down to the docks, Isabella finds herself confronted by a small army of Muslim rebels, so she rides into battle in a crowned helmet, laying about her with a great big sword before returning to her daughter triumphantly spattered in blood.

It's all a bit Game of Thrones-y, and the resemblances keep piling up once Catherine lands in England.

Arthur (Angus Imrie) proves a damp squib who's scared of girls, and it turns out the letters from him that had got Catherine so steamed up were in fact a catfishing exercise by the dastardly Henry (Ruairi O'Connor) – who, with his tousled red hair and devilish good looks, styles himself as "Prince Harry".

Where Game of Thrones' Margaery Tyrell came from far away to marry first the monstrous Joffrey and then his gentle, gormless brother, Tommen, it looks as though Catherine is going to do things the other way around.

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But, as in Game of Thrones, it's the older women who are the best value. Harriet Walter is an absolute treat as Henry's pompous grandmother, Margaret Beaufort, a woman appalled to learn that Catherine takes daily baths rather than weekly ones. Henry's mother, Queen Elizabeth (Alexandra Moen), reveals a Cersei-like ruthless streak while Henry VII (Elliot Cowan) frets about the threat posed by France and Scotland.

The major figures are attended by good-looking minor ones, most of whom seem rather keen to drop trouser and lift petticoat.

Like The White Princess and The White Queen (which are also on Stan), it's well cast, handsomely produced and based on novels by Philippa Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl). Good popcorn-munching fun.

Time Traveling Bong
comedycentral.com.au

Ilana Glazer is in fine, filthy form in this all-too-brief, oh-so-wrong comedy series she created with her Broad City producer-director Lucia Aniello and castmate Paul W. Downs.

Dirtbag cousins Sharee and Jeff (Glazer and Downs) come into possession of a high-tech bong that transports the user to random places in the past and future.

In terms of sheer madness it's hard to get a struck match between Sharee's embrace of caveman sex culture and her attempt to save 1960s Michael Jackson from his monstrous father.

Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile
Netflix

Director Joe Berlinger made his name with documentaries revealing miscarriages of American justice. This drama, based on the memoir of Elizabeth Kendall, the unwitting girlfriend of serial killer Ted Bundy, reveals the kind of bizarre circus American justice can become.

Zac Efron is suitably creepy as the manipulative Bundy, and the estimable Lily Collins hugely sympathetic as Kendall. But it's Bundy's televised trial in Florida – with John Malkovich as the idiosyncratic presiding judge – that will leave the most lasting impression.

Loading Docs 2018
Docplay, loadingdocs.net

The latest crop of three-minute documentaries from New Zealand offers intriguing and often frustratingly brief glimpses of interesting people and scenes across the Tasman.

From a deaf MP working to help other people with disabilities take part in politics to a scientist turning invasive algae into biodegradable plastic, a nomadic barber starting conversations about mental health, and a program that helps troubled Maori youth engage with their cultural heritage, there's a lot going on. Both Docplay and loadingdocs.net have earlier seasons as well.

Fleabag
Amazon Prime Video

If the first season of Phoebe Waller-Bridge's sticky, tar-black comedy was a bit of a masterpiece, the second elevates its creator, writer and star to greatness.

Exquisitely crafted in every line and shot, it's unflinchingly mordant in its heightened depiction of everyday awfulness, but it retains at its core a vulnerable, longing sweetness you mightn't think capable of coexisting. It is, perhaps, a bit like chocolate and sea salt, or one of those other trendy combinations that sound repulsive but are evidently sublime.

Similarly impressive is the sight of the eponymous character (Waller-Bridge) trying in earnest to become a better person in circumstances largely unconducive. With her emotionally unavailable father (Bill Paterson) and slightly monstrous godmother (Olivia Colman) planning to marry, Fleabag finds herself unexpectedly falling for the "cool, sweary priest" who will conduct the ceremony.

Waller-Bridge delivers a virtuoso double performance as Fleabag rapidly, seamlessly transitions back and forth between interacting with her fellow characters and with the audience down the barrel of the camera. The meta situation that arises from this makes it doubly priceless. Sheer magic.

Remastered: Devil at the Crossroads
Netflix

The latest instalment of Netflix's fine music documentary series has the likes of Keith Richards and Taj Mahal queueing up to pay tribute to Robert Johnson, the Mississippi bluesman whose slim but extraordinary body of work has been an inspiration to blues and rock musicians for more than 80 years.

What's more interesting is the way that historians and academics here are able to illuminate some of Johnson's oblique, haunting lyrics in the context of contemporary belief in hoodoo and terror of lynching.

*Stan is owned by Nine, the publisher of this website.

The smoke haze that choked Sydney earlier in the week has returned, again shrouding the city in a thick fog even though the NSW Rural Fire Service halted hazard reduction burns on Wednesday due to the poor air quality.

Weatherzone meteorologist Brett Dutschke said the combination of very light winds and a temperature inversion caused by a high pressure system was trapping smoke over the city.

"That high pressure is trapping the smoke close to the ground. It's not allowing it to dissipate," he said.

Even without new hazard reduction burns, the drop in wind and stronger pressure overnight on Thursday trapped more smoke following a brief reprieve.

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"Yesterday and the day before, the wind picked up a little bit during the afternoons, and that helped dissipate any of the smoke that was about," Mr Dutschke said.

"But last night we had a slightly stronger temperature inversion, so that's effectively high pressure compressing the air back down to the ground again, allowing that smoke to settle down again."

The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage's air quality index recorded a "hazardous" particle reading in Sydney's north-west on Friday morning, including at Richmond, while visibility is "poor" at North Parramatta, Macquarie Park, and Rozelle.

NSW Health advises residents to cut back significantly on outdoor exercise when air quality is "hazardous", while those with heart and lung conditions should avoid it entirely.

During the day on Friday, winds may pick up slightly – but unlikely enough to lift the smoke, Mr Dutschke said.

"It's going to be a day of really quite gentle winds. So the smell of smoke could be in the air well into the day, mainly in the north-west," he said.

"There could be a bit of smoke about tomorrow as well. Winds look similarly calm for much of the day."

On Friday morning, the RFS tweeted that some of the smoke was rising from the hazard reduction burn carried out in the Blue Mountains on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. The fire is still burning, and expected to continue for a number of days.

However, no additional burns have been lit in the past 48 hours, and no further burns are planned in the Sydney area for Friday.

RFS Inspector Ben Shepherd said authorities had been meeting twice a day to determine a course of action appropriate to weather conditions, and it was "unlikely" that burns scheduled for this weekend would go ahead.

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"We're evaluating everything, even small burns, as small as five to 10 hectares. Anything that could add to this is not going ahead," he said.

"This high pressure system is still sitting over us, so while it's giving us nice warm days it's not letting the smoke clear."

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The wind is not expected to pick up significantly enough to shift the smoke hanging over the city until Sunday, he said.

On Wednesday, following three days of poor air quality in the Sydney area, the RFS tweeted it would suspend hazard reduction burns for at least 24 hours to allow smoke from burns conducted over the weekend to dissipate.

Some of the burns set to be carried out this weekend had already been postponed to avoid clashing with outdoor sporting events including the Sydney Half Marathon last Sunday, Inspector Shepherd said.

Weatherzone is owned by the publisher of this website.

When David McAllister became the artistic director of the Australian Ballet in 2001 he made a pact to "never outstay my welcome" and to make sure he had "a nice departure".

Some of his predecessors had been shown the door, but time after time McAllister's contracts were extended – until he made the big decision, announced today, that two decades at the helm would be enough.

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With his exit set for the end of 2020, McAllister will be the longest-serving artistic director in the history of the Australian Ballet. He was also the first Australian Ballet director to step straight from the role of principal dancer to become the man who had to manage and nurture the dancers who were his peers.

After his last performance as Albrecht in Giselle in 2001, we met in his backstage dressing room. On one side of the table was his stage makeup. On the other side was a stack of business papers. Would he miss the smell of the makeup, the daily class and the curtain calls?

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"It's not the dancing I'll miss," he said, "but the performance."

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McAllister's first challenge as a director was the company's 40th anniversary gala, called Beyond 40. His first commission was Graeme Murphy's Swan Lake. Designed by Kristian Fredrikson, it became a signature ballet for the company after its premiere in 2002.

McAllister continued to commission Murphy over the next 18 years, and has worked with the support of Steven Heathcote, who became the Australian Ballet's ballet master after 20 years as a principal dancer at the company.

From the start, McAllister was seen as a safe choice; a man who would not rock the boat. He soon became an eloquent speaker, brought a sense of stability to the company and was a director who was not hidden away in his office, but out in the dance community in Australia and abroad.

His repertoire choices are balanced between audience-pleasers of the past and new works by resident choreographers, his own production of The Sleeping Beauty, the works of acclaimed international choreographers – among them Alexei Ratmansky – co-productions with American Ballet Theatre's Harlequinade and Joffrey Ballet's Anna Karenina next year, and the introduction of Storytime Ballet for young children.

McAllister may continue to be a guest character dancer with the company, and he will always be remembered as a true man of the theatre.

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Health authorities are urging NSW families to get young children vaccinated against the potentially deadly influenza, with the infection killing 37 people in NSW so far this year.

Three children have died of flu in Victoria and children are also among the 25 flu-related deaths, sparking concerns that children in NSW – especially under-five-year-olds – could also be vulnerable amid the spread of the viruses across the state.

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A total of 37 people have died of flu-related illnesses in NSW since January: 30 people aged 65 and older, and seven aged 20 to 64, NSW Health’s analysis of flu notification and Births, Deaths and Marriages data shows.

The number of flu cases in NSW is also rising. There were 1320 new confirmed cases in the week ending 19 May, higher than the 979 confirmed cases the previous week.

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The latest cases brings the total number of confirmed cases so far this year to 13,888, and the true prevalence is likely higher.

The high rates of flu during the warmer months and the early start to the flu season has triggered the highest number of flu cases in Australia ahead of winter in two decades. The vast majority of cases are Influenza A strains.

NSW Health’s Director of Communicable Diseases, Dr Vicky Sheppeard said children are particularly susceptible to flu, and urged parents and carers to visit their GPs to receive the free flu vaccine for children aged six months to five years old.

Two children under five years, and four five- to 19 year-olds died of flu in 2017 in NSW. Another two children under five died in 2018.

"The best weapon against flu is vaccination and right now is the best time to have it as the flu season is already here," Dr Sheppeard said.

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"It’s important to get your flu shots now as it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to provide full protection and children under nine years of age having the shot for the first time require two doses, one month apart," she said.

In 2018 – the first year of the NSW Government's free vaccination program for six month to five-year-olds – one in four children in this age group were recorded on the Australian Immunisation Register as having received an influenza vaccine.

Flu shots are also free under the National Immunisation Program, for pregnant women, people over 65 years of age, Aboriginal people and those with medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes and heart problems.

As of 19 May, 1.96 million flu vaccine doses had been distributed in NSW.

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Wests Tigers are entertaining the prospect of a player swap in their attempt to lure Dallin Watene-Zelezniak away from the Panthers.

Watene-Zelezniak was this week granted permission by Penrith to speak to other clubs after being dropped by coach Ivan Cleary and being made unavailable for Canterbury Cup duties.

The New Zealand international may no longer be wanted at the foot of the mountains but the Eels, Tigers, Cowboys and Bulldogs have all expressed interest in the 23-year-old.

With both the Panthers and Tigers short on salary cap space, the Herald understands part of the Tigers' ploy is to include a player in any potential deal.

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It's understood Russell Packer is a leading candidate to be involved in the swap despite being miffed by Cleary's controversial departure at the end of last year.

Elijah Taylor's name has also been raised as a potential trade candidate.

Both players signed long-term deals with Cleary at the helm but have fallen out of favour since coach Michael Maguire took the reins at the start of this season.

There are a handful of other players that Cleary brought to the Tigers who could also feature in a trade.

Packer has not played first grade since the club's humiliating 51-6 loss to Parramatta on opening day at Bankwest Stadium in round six.

Taylor has not featured in Maguire's best 17 since the 30-14 win over the Titans in round seven.

"The one thing about Madge (Maguire) is he is very honest. He doesn’t beat around the bush," Taylor said of his omission earlier this month.

“He has the CV with the premierships. He knows what he is doing and exactly what he wants from his forwards. He was very clear in what I needed to do."

While no deal has been done and Watene-Zelezniak's manager remains overseas, Penrith have already played their hand by declaring the Kiwi captain a free agent despite having 18 months to run on a lucrative contract.

"Earlier this week, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s management sought permission from Panthers to speak with other NRL clubs regarding Dallin’s immediate and future playing career," the club said in a statement on Wednesday.

"This permission was granted following discussions by the club’s retention and recruitment committee.

"Out of respect for all parties, the club will be making no further comment at this time."

After scraping past the Eels on Thursday night, recalled winger Josh Mansour weighed in on the situation.

"Dal is my mate, he's a great teammate of mine. I can't help the way he's feeling, but I can support him in any way possible," Mansour said.

"At the end of the day, if that is his decision (to leave), then that's his decision.

"It's on his shoulders and we have to accept his decision. If he's to leave to find happiness, then that's up to him."

While Watene-Zelezniak has fallen out of favour in Penrith, his sub-par form this season has not deterred Tigers and Kiwis coach Maguire.

Even if he does not find a new club before the June 30 deadline, the Herald understands Maguire will pick him for the Kiwis' Test against Tonga on June 22 in Auckland.

If the Tigers are able to get a deal done, Maguire is understood to be considering playing Watene-Zelezniak in the centres, rather than his preferred position of fullback.

The Tigers' chief competitors for Watene-Zelezniak's services, Parramatta, are understood to be eager to play the New Zealand international in the centres, too.

He was initially considered a fallback at fullback if negotiations with Clint Gutherson fell over but after he put pen to paper, a move to the centres is on the cards.

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Harvey Weinstein and his former studio's board members have reached a tentative $US44 million deal ($63.9 million) to resolve lawsuits by women who accused him of sexual misconduct and the New York state attorney general, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Under the proposed terms, about $US30 million would go to a pool of plaintiffs including alleged victims, creditors of Weinstein's former studio and some former employees, according to the people briefed on the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the agreement was private.

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The balance would go to legal fees for associates of Weinstein, including board members named as defendants in lawsuits.

Insurance policies would cover the $US44 million if the deal is finalised. The Wall Street Journal was first to report the tentative deal, which must be approved by advisers in charge of the former Weinstein Co.'s bankruptcy proceedings.

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Harvey Weinstein did not return calls for comment. A spokeswoman for the office of the New York state attorney general declined to comment.

Lawyers for women who say they were victims of Weinstein have been in mediation since last year with representatives for the former studio mogul.

Also involved in the talks were lawyers for the former board members and the New York attorney general's office, which last year sued Weinstein and his brother and business partner, Bob Weinstein, for violating state and city laws barring gender discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual abuse and coercion.

The goal was to reach a settlement that would cover all of the suits pending against the former Hollywood mogul, his now-defunct movie studio and associates.

Harvey Weinstein also faces criminal charges in New York and has pleaded not guilty. The indictment against Weinstein, 67, charges him with raping one woman at a Manhattan hotel in 2013 and forcing another to let him perform oral sex on her at his town house in 2006.

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Weinstein, released on $1 million bail, has said the encounters were consensual.

The Weinstein Co., the Hollywood studio founded by Weinstein and his brother, filed for bankruptcy in March 2018 after dozens of women publicly accused Weinstein, its former chief executive, of sexual misconduct and assault dating back decades.

The movie and television studio, once known for Oscar-winning films like The King's Speech and The Artist, had less than $500,000 in cash at the time and was facing a mountain of debt and a swelling number of lawsuits, including the one by New York's attorney general.

The New York Times

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Even by the standards of oft-volatile Tesla shares, Thursday morning will go down as one of the more memorable rollercoaster rides.

Another bearish bit of analyst commentary about the Model 3 maker facing demand woes sent the stock tumbling as much as 5.6 per cent in early trading.

Within an hour and five minutes, shares were up 3.6 per cent after a bullish internal email surfaced on a Chinese social media forum that Elon Musk had supposedly sent to employees.

It looked as though the rally would be shortlived. The shares again went negative until several media outlets, including Bloomberg, confirmed the authenticity of the email with sources who asked not to be identified. The shares rebounded again, ending the trading session 1.4 per cent higher.

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Musk's memo countered days of escalating doubt that Tesla will hit its vehicle delivery targets this quarter, with the chief executive officer writing that the company had a "good chance" of exceeding the record 90,700 deliveries achieved in the last three months of 2018.

He also said the company had received more than 50,000 net new orders this quarter.

Musk's memo contradicted multiple analysts who have cast doubt on Tesla's ability to deliver at least 90,000 electric vehicles this quarter and 360,000 this year.

Gene Munster, a managing partner of venture capital firm Loup Ventures, became the latest to cast doubt on the company reaching those numbers, telling Bloomberg Television late on Wednesday that 2019 is "going to be a difficult year."

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In a note on Thursday, Munster trimmed his estimate for how many vehicles Tesla will deliver this year by about 10 per cent to 310,000, short of the minimum 360,000-unit forecast by Musk.

Munster lowered his expectation to factor in the risk that China will slap Teslas with tariffs and that consumers in the world's largest electric-vehicle market may boycott the brand as the trade war with the US intensifies.

"It's been difficult for analysts and investors to guess what demand is for this year," Munster told Bloomberg TV in a follow-up interview Thursday.

The rollercoaster in Tesla's shares follows a 25 per cent plunge in market value over the course of just 12 trading days, with the shares finishing lower in all but one of those sessions. At least six analysts have cut their price target since the stretch began, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

For Musk, 47, it's the second time in a week that an email he's sent to employees leaked to the media.

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Tesla shares closed at the lowest level in almost 2 1/2 years on May 17 after the CEO wrote that the company would be conducting a "hardcore" review of expenses to protect the carmaker's cash.

Before the latest deliveries email surfaced, Munster said that Musk needed to be "more judicious" when setting expectations for what Tesla will achieve.

It's "unlikely that we're going to get that anytime soon, so whatever he says, dial it back by 40 per cent and that's probably the right answer," Munster said of Musk.

Musk has been pulled up by the US Securities and Exchange Commission in the past for disclosing Tesla's production outlook on Twitter. Under a deal with market regulator, he had agreed to get some of his statements reviewed by Tesla's legal counsel before publication, including financial statements and unreported production and delivery numbers.

It was not immediately clear if his email to employees detailing crucial delivery and production numbers violated the agreement with the SEC.

The regulator could not be immediately reached for comment, while a Tesla representative did not respond to requests for comment.

Bloomberg, with Reuters

There is a picture of Greg Inglis hanging in the Art Gallery of NSW right now.

The artwork is one of the finalists in this year’s Archibald Prize and depicts the South Sydney icon in a familiar pose: ball clutched in left hand with his imposing right stretched out and ready to swat away whoever comes near.

Much like Roger Federer's backhand, Inglis’ right-hand fend was so perfect during his 14 seasons in the NRL they could've framed it and hung it as well.

“But there’s far more to Greg Inglis than being an elite Indigenous athlete,” artist Imants Tillers explains in the explanatory note to his Archibald entry. “He’s a hero and role model to Indigenous communities all around Australia, and a community leader of enormous influence. His great act of grace is to engage with these communities. He teaches children and adolescents how to avoid drugs, alcohol and violence and how to adapt to the many other challenges that these disadvantaged children and adolescents face. Every human being is the greatest work of art ever created.”

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This is the picture of Greg Inglis everyone has wanted him to be: strong, unbreakable, forever dominant. In some ways, he has been. He is. He's certainly tried his best.

In reality, there’s been a fragility about Inglis since he was first fed into the rugby league machine as a 13-year-old on a scholarship at Hunter Sports High.

The news on Friday that Inglis had been admitted to an undisclosed rehab facility confirmed the game's worst kept secret since he went missing on an alcohol-fuelled bender during Magic Round in Brisbane two weeks ago — less than a month after he had retired after 14 seasons.

Souths have been discreetly and patiently working out the best course of action for their former captain since then.

Doubtless, fans will be shocked to learn that Inglis has struggled so soon after announcing he had played his final match.

He fronted Channel Nine’s post-match panel following the Rabbitohs’ big win over the Broncos, in which his former teammates celebrated tries by mimicking the “Goanna” in his honour.

He flashed his 1000-watt smile. He looked at ease with his momentous decision. He’s bravely discussed in the past his issues with mental illness but, on this night, he looked like he was going to be OK.

Those who know him best were still deeply concerned despite Souths giving him an ambassadorial and coaching job.

In the month leading up to the retirement announcement, people both inside and outside Souths had been increasingly concerned about his off-field behaviour.

Indeed, many wondered if Inglis retiring from football, with the best part of two seasons still to run on his $1 million-a-year contract, was the best thing for him.

I was one of them. A year ago, I sat down with Inglis a week after his cranky performance — and thundering tackle on Nathan Cleary — as Queensland captain in the Origin I loss to NSW at the MCG.

He revealed how the first thing he did the morning after the game was call his therapist.

“Footy has taken over again lately and, when I was given the captaincy of Queensland, it just kept going,” he said that day. “It was a snowball effect and then, on Thursday, the day after the game, I came down. I really came down hard. I had to call my therapist and have a good, long chat over the phone. I still have good chats with him to make sure everything is in check.”

Then he offered this: “I was so young when I moved away from home. I never had any life skills. Life is easier for me on the field. Footy’s my thing. I know what to do. It’s my job. It’s where I go to escape everything from the outside world.”

Like so many players, Inglis has been trapped in a profession that is brutal on the body but gives the mind structure and routine.

Because the game's other worst kept secret is that Inglis had, in recent seasons, been humming along on prescription medication, such was the pressure to stay on the field while carrying a score of injuries.

That changed when coach Wayne Bennett arrived at Redfern in December. He refused to let Inglis play through the pain of knee and shoulder injuries with the assistance of painkillers.

Were they career-ending injuries, though? It’s understood Inglis’ shoulder complaint was bad but no worse than that of other 32-year-old players who had played more than 250 NRL matches.

Souths have bristled at suggestions they cajoled their damaged captain into retirement so they could free up more than $1 million in their salary cap.

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It’s an ugly accusation. The level of self-interest in rugby league is matched only by the suspicion of others. Officials are Redfern have done a lot to keep Inglis on track over the years. More than most people will ever know.

But there’s no dispute that their football side has been an enormous beneficiary from his sudden retirement. Interestingly, Inglis’ long-time manager, Allan Gainey, has in recent months been distanced from the major decisions in Inglis’ life.

When NRL salary cap auditor Richard Gardham held a one-on-one meeting with Inglis to discuss him finishing his career, Inglis assured him that the decision was completely his.

The NRL said on Friday it had no plans to look into the Inglis’ deal while he is in rehab.

Inglis remains an inspiration for many but for all the portrayal, positioning and painting of him as an indestructible figure, the reality is he is far from it, and especially so now.

Perhaps the giveaway came last October when he fronted a media conference after he was charged with mid-range drinking driving and speeding offences — hours after being named Australian captain.

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“Greg … are you OK?” one reporter asked.

Souths officials were cranky at the question. They believed it was inflammatory, with the reporter looking for a cheap sound-byte.

“Me?” Inglis replied. “Yeah, this has got nothing to do with my mental health. This has everything to do with me making one of those silly mistakes."

A mistake that was a portent of something far deeper.

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The Australian sharemarket closed the week higher, despite slipping away from its post-election 11-year high as trade war concerns were mounting.

The S&P/ASX 200 Index rose 90.7 points, or 1.4 per cent, to 6456 this week, while the broader All Ordinaries Index added 85.4 points, or 1.3 per cent, to close at 6545.6.

"The week started with a bang as the Morrison miracle and an almost unanimous vote of confidence from traders on rate cuts from the RBA gave the market a shot in the arm," said Saxo Capital Markets Australia market strategist Eleanor Creagh.

"But escalating trade tensions and stalled negotiations caught up to the ASX by week end", she said, pointing to US President Donald Trump's persistent threats against China, and China's vows to retaliate.

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The big four banks led the market gains, rallying on Monday on the back of the election result before adding to those gains after APRA planned to scrap a key home loan rule, which will increase the amount of money people can borrow. Westpac closed the week 10.7 per cent higher at $28.12, Commonwealth Bank added 7.3 per cent to end at $78.18, ANZ rose 7.7 per cent to $27.84 and NAB advanced 7.9 per cent to $25.81.

Private health providers were also buoyed by the election result. Medibank Private climbed 12.2 per cent to $3.23, NIB Holdings ended the week 14.1 per cent higher at $6.72 and Ramsay Health Care advanced 8.3 per cent to $70.25.

Companies exposed to the building sector also jumped during the week. Building products producer CSR added 20 per cent to end the week's trade at $4.14, Boral climbed 11.5 per cent to $5.23, GWA Group advanced 15.8 per cent to $3.60, Adelaide Brighton closed 13.4 per cent higher at $4.24 and developer Stockland rose 13.2 per cent to $4.45.

Retailers also welcomed the Coalition's election. Super Retail Group climbed 13 per cent to $9.23, JB Hi-Fi added 8.7 per cent to close at $27.81 and Harvey Norman rose 9.4 per cent to $4.19.

The price of oil slumped in the back end of the week as concerns about the global economy mounted in the face of the escalating trade war, pushing the energy sector lower. Woodside Petroleum fell 4 per cent to $35.70, Origin Energy declined 4.8 per cent to $7.51 and Santos dropped 4.3 per cent to $6.98.

The information technology sector was the worst performer on the market this week, as trade war jitters led investors to sell out of riskier assets. Technology One fell 22.9 per cent to $7.17 after its results fell short of the market's lofty expectations and Computershare declined 6.5 per cent to $16.62 after reaffirming its guidance, also disappointing investors.

Stock watch

Aristocrat Leisure

Morgans increased its price target on Aristocrat Leisure following its strong first-half result, saying its North American division was a standout. The broker said even with the result benefiting from a lower exchange rate and tax rate, the result was still ahead of its expectations and consensus. "Aristocrat continues to retain a dominant position in the North American market and witnessed strong growth in outright platform sales and installed gaming operations," said analyst James Lawrence. "Importantly the company has a significant opportunity in adjacent markets in North America with the moves into the Washington CDS and Video Lottery Terminal markets showing good early signs."

What moved the market

US dollar and trade

A firmer US dollar could undermine global trade, according to Morgan Stanley analysts, who point to the historical trend between the greenback's strength and movements in world goods exports. "This relationship suggests that robust trade growth and a strong US dollar are unlikely to coexist for long," the analysts noted. "Weak corporate balance sheet quality only exacerbates this. The stronger the US dollar is, the slower global trade and manufacturing activity may become. From this perspective, euro weakness may not be as positive for European manufacturers like Germany as one might think."

Crude oil

Oil prices fell heavily on Thursday as the trade war tensions racheted higher, adding fears that demand would dry up and combine with soaring supplies in the US. On Wednesday, the US Energy Information Administration reported US crude inventories rose to their highest level since mid-2017, pushing prices slightly lower. On Thursday, fears the trade war would be more protracted pushed the price ever lower, with crude prices record their steepest intraday decline since December 24. Crude oil prices still remain firmly elevated for the year-to-date.

Aussie dollar

The Australian dollar firmed against the US dollar on Thursday, rising back above US69¢, even as the trade war tensions between the US and China escalated. "The usual pattern when such events occur is for the US dollar to rise and Australian dollar to fall. The opposite occurred [on Thursday night]," said CBA chief currency strategist Richard Grace. "Making the Aussie's lift even more impressive was [that] the lift came despite a large drop in crude oil prices because of increased supply and inventory. Australia’s LNG export prices are tied to the price of crude oil."

Rate cuts

Interest rate futures indicated an increased likelihood the cash rate would be at 0.75 per cent on Friday after Westpac chief economist Bill Evans said he expected the RBA to cut the cash rate three times before the end of the year. "Westpac is now forecasting three cuts in 2019 in June; August and November to push the cash rate from 1.5 per cent to 0.75 per cent and to hold at that level through 2020," he said on Friday.

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