Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield’s predictions in sport in 2018

PHIL ‘Buzz’ Rothfield checks his crystal ball to foresee the highs and the lows of the new year.

Buzz's 2018 predictions

SPORT never fails to deliver the headlines and action throughout the year. Whether it’s with on-field excitement or off-field drama.

Daily Telegraph sports editor-at-large, Phil Rothfield, goes through what he sees as being the talking points for 2018.

CALL TO ACTION: Sharks fan Louie Mould needs your help

Fly away, John

John Grant finally quits independent commission for his new gig as chairman of the international rugby league board. With trips to Tonga, Perth, PNG, London, Paris, Auckland, Fiji the U.S. and any other country that has the slightest interest in rugby league, he breaks Hazem El Masri’s all-time points record (as a frequent flyer).

The Boo Birds

The NRL misses a huge opportunity for Jarryd Hayne to get a start in the Guinness Book of records for the world’s loudest booing because they haven’t scheduled a Parramatta Eels-Gold Coast Titans game at CBUS Stadium. They play only once, in round 21 at ANZ Stadium.

And on the subject of heckling players, Cronulla fans will no doubt give Jack Bird plenty in round 15 when he returns home to Shark Park in July.

‘Mitch Maloney’

Buy of the year — Mitchell Pearce. Remember when the Roosters let Jimmy Maloney go and were dreading the decision a couple of months later as he set about steering the Cronulla Sharks to the title. Will Pearce be the same? Pearce will thrive on getting a fresh start and the Roosters players will miss their most popular old teammate, despite the fact bookies have installed them as $5 title favourites.

Buzz's 2018 predictions

SHORT & SHARP

• Timmy Cahill to be our leading goal scorer at the soccer World Cup in Russia.
• Todd Greenberg to reveal expansion plans into Perth and a second team in Brisbane.
• And the Dally M coach of the year is …. Nathan Brown
• Legendary commentator Ray Warren retires from Channel Nine.
• Graham Arnold to take the Socceroos to Russia.
• Jarryd Hayne is squeezed out of star-studded Eels backline, and turns out for Wentworthville Magpies.
• Quade Cooper gets sick of playing park footy and signs with an NRL club.
• An Aussie sports star creates a huge drama by refusing to stand for the national anthem.
• Sally Pearson provides the moment of the Commonwealth Games when she wins gold in the 100m hurdles.
• Tiger Woods turns back the clock with a top three finish at the US Masters.

Galloping ahead

The Sydney racing industry to keep on surging ahead of its competition in 2018. The Everest, The Championships and Inglis’ new world-class Riverside Stables complex at Warwick Farm will ensure the sport of kings has another record year in the greatest city of them all.

Ride ’em Cowboys

The Cowboys to win the comp. Add Johnathan Thurston, Matt Scott and Jordan McLean to the team that made the grand final and they’ll be awfully hard to beat. Thurston will be even more valuable to the club now he’s retired from representative football.

Who will go first?

Cleary’s medal

On these pages last year we tipped Matt Moylan to win the 2017 Dally M Medal. He proceeded to have his worst and most forgettable season. Without wanting to put the mock on Nathan Cleary, I’m tipping a Panthers player for the second year running. The kid is a freakish talent.

Freddy ready

It wasn’t the only one I got wrong in my 2017 predictions. I also wrote that NSW would beat Queensland in Origin. (If only Hayne had passed to Morris...) I’m tipping Freddy can do it this year. No Cronk, No Thurston, no chance Queensland.

Api Origin days

New coach and new players in the Blues Origin side. By round three the journos will be writing about Origin bolters. Sea Eagles hooker Apisai Koroisau will play at number nine and replace Nathan Peats. Blake Ferguson, Josh Dugan and Jarryd Hayne will miss out.

Salmon’s recipe

Our early prediction for Dally M rookie-of-the-year is boom Parramatta Eels five-eighth Jaeman Salmon. This kid can play. He joined the Eels from Cronulla after playing NSW Under 18s last year. He turns 19 this month and has trained the house down in the off-season. Salmon will start from the bench but is likely to be in the starting side by the end of the season. He’s big and strong with beautiful ball skills.

ABC Radio turn-off

We can only hope and pray 2018 will be the year ABC radio does something about its appalling cricket coverage. Outside of the two Poms, Johnathan Agnew and Alison Mitchell, they have nothing. Their best ball by ball commentator, Andrew Moore, can’t get a start. And don’t start me on Chris Rogers and Dirk Nannes. Bring back Henry Lawson. At least he has an opinion.

NRL 2018 LADDER

TOP 8: Cowboys, Storm, Roosters, Sharks, Panthers, Eels, Knights, Dragons.

BOTTOM 8: Broncos, Sea Eagles, Bulldogs, Raiders, Rabbitohs, Wests Tigers, Titans, Warriors.

SPOTTED

I: Josh Dugan in Northies sports bar

II: Gus Gould at Blues Origin training

III: Aaron Woods at Just Cuts Revesby

IV: John Grant in the Qantas first class lounge

V: Peter V’Landys at NRL headquarters

No Moore talk

Another year of controversy over the $2.3 billion investment into Sydney’s stadiums. Surely commonsense will prevail and ANZ Stadium will be the priority to ensure Sydney keeps major events such as Origin, grand finals, the Socceroos, Man United, Liverpool, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, and Adele. We don’t need another 45,000-seat rectangular stadium in Moore Park. Instead the money should go towards upgrading the Sydney Cricket Ground which is falling behind the cricket and AFL venues in Perth, Adelaide and Melbourne.

What’s the Voss

Fox Sports have signed commentator Andrew Voss on a new deal and he’s doing a pilot for a new show heavily slanted towards the fans. It was a brave call to give Voss another contract because he’s off with a few influential media types including Messrs Gyngell and Hadley. Look out for a lot more of Cooper Cronk on the pay TV network now that he’s living in Sydney and Sterlo is gone. Head of Television Steve Crawley also has plans to use more of Danny Buderus and Brett Finch.

Simmons set to soar.

Big Ben the biggest

Make no mistake, Ben Simmons will be THE biggest Australian name in world sport over the next decade. The kid who grew up on Newcastle’s beaches is a chance to make his All Star debut in his rookie year — something LeBron James couldn’t even achieve. Australia’s army of basketball fans have been waiting for a talent like this to come along for decades, and his impact on the game here could be similar to Greg Norman’s a generation ago.

Lyon in fine voice

When Mr Cricket Mike Hussey retired from Tests in December 2012 and handed over team song leadership duties to Nathan Lyon, we wondered why. The job has previously gone to players entrenched in the team — Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Ian Healy, David Boon, Allan Border and Rod Marsh. Lyon is now an automatic selection in the side and probably the best off-spinner we’ve ever produced. 2018 will be another boom year for the country’s most popular player.

Serena highness

Serena Williams’ comeback will be one of THE sports story of the year — particularly if, as expected, she makes her return in the Australian Open next month. It would be just four months after giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia Othanian Jr. Williams won her 23rd singles title at Melbourne Park in January, but if she can return next month it will rank as one of her greatest achievements. Williams or not, the women’s draw will be an absolute cracker, with Ash Barty’s inspiring comeback providing Aussie fans with plenty to cheer for and Maria Sharapova’s return to Australian another fascinating yarn.

Proteas the test

So how good is this Australian cricket team? It’s hard to tell because the Poms have been so disappointing in this Ashes series. We’ll get a better idea in March when Steve Smith takes the Aussies to South Africa for what is sure to be a much tougher assignment.

What next for Jeff Horn? Pic: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images

Sounding Horn

So what’s next for Jeff Horn? The big career fight is against the freakishly talented Terrence Crawford in Las Vegas. Promoter Bob Arum has reserved T Mobile Arena for April 7. But there’s also Anthony Mundine, a money fight that would be massive on pay per view in this country and earn Horn double what he got from previous fights. Mundine says it would be bigger than even his Danny Green fights.

Carty on move?

Shortly before Christmas there was a rumour the Penrith Panthers were shopping boom local junior Bryce Cartwright to an out-of-town club. That he needed to get out of Penrith to get his off-field issues sorted. We spoke to Gus Gould and he confirmed they’d had talks with Cartwright but insisted he was going nowhere. It’s a big year for the five-eighth/edge-forward. He either heads down the path of becoming a great player or falls by the wayside.

Dragons bailout

Billionaire Bruce Gordon will buy St George Illawarra. He’ll not only bail them out of financial trouble but reveal plans to play more matches in Wollongong. Expect some major managerial changes starting with veteran chief executive Peter Doust.

Don’t hold your breath.

Who’d be a coach

Another year of coaching instability in the NRL. Last season we lost Dessie Hasler, Jason Taylor, Madge Maguire and Neil Henry. It’s an occupation where contracts mean nothing. Anthony Griffin has a new three-year deal at the Panthers but desperately needs to win footy games or Gus will be looking elsewhere for someone to deliver his eight-year plan.

Even old Wayne Bennett at the Broncos can’t afford to miss the top eight. That’s why they’ve signed Kevvy Walters. The New Zealand Warriors have been in the comp for 22 years and Stephen Kearney is their 11th coach. So going by the law of averages, he’s due to get the punt at the end of the season. This club has been a massive disappointment in recent years.

Signing Brian Smith as assistant coach is hardly going to help. I’m tipping they’ll run last. And that Jimmy Doyle will be looking for a new coach midway through the season.

Kasey shows way

Now that Tony Archer is gone (and we say good riddance) Kasey Badger will create rugby league history by becoming the first female to referee an NRL game. Expect to see a lot more of Belinda Sleeman too. And hopefully no claims of nepotism with Bernard Sutton involved in appointments involving his brother Gerard.

Two to go. Pic: AAP

Winx and miss her

Winx to break Black Caviar’s record of 25 straight wins. The mighty mare needs just two more victories to equal the champion sprinter. Will she come back and do the impossible by winning a fourth straight Cox Plate? Or will she show her talents to the world at Royal Ascot?

Anxiety over Angus

A coach is often judged on his recruitment record as much as his win tally. That boom forward Angus Crichton has quit the South Sydney Rabbitohs is not a good sign for new coach Anthony Seibold. Crichton was a huge fan of previous coach Madge Maguire. All eyes will be on his performances for the Rabbitohs this year now it has been revealed he is off to archrivals the Roosters for 2019.

HOLIDAY READING

Unbreakable: The horribly disturbing Jelena Dokic story revealing years of beatings and bullying from her despised father Damir, told in incredible detail by Jess Halloran.

Big League Annual: No season is complete until rugby league guru David Middleton produces his annual magazine, this time with all World Cup details and a poster featuring every country.

The Hornet: Jeff Horn’s remarkable rise to boxing fame, beautifully written by Hall of Fame journo Grantlee Kieza.

Originally published as Phil ‘Buzz’ Rothfield’s predictions in sport in 2018