2024 bold sporting predictions: Winners, losers and controversial calls for the new year
From NRL expansion to emotional retirements, redemption stories to rough decisions, and heroics and heartbreak on the world stage, we look into our Crystal Ball for the 2024 year in sport.
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What lies ahead in the sporting world in 2024? In a year whose calendar includes the NRL’s historic Las Vegas season launch, the Paris Olympic Games and some major decisions across a number of codes, Brent Read and Michael Carayannis peer into their crystal ball for some fearless predictions for the coming 12 months.
BUY OF THE YEAR
Luke Brooks. He will frustrate the Wests Tigers, who will watch as Brooks runs with freedom and is unshackled by not having to organise a team.
Playing outside Daly Cherry-Evans will help Brooks produce the best season of his career and he will guide Manly back into the top eight and qualify for the first finals campaign of his career.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Emerging superstar Sua Fa’alogo gave us a taste of how good he is going to be scoring two tries on debut for the Storm. He also performed well for Samoa.
The only thing stopping Fa’alogo from being the favourite to claim rookie of the year honours is how much game time he gets in a star-studded Melbourne backline. But he should force his way into the side somewhere.
Young Tigers half Latu Fainu will also come into discussions. With six first grade games to his name, Deine Mariner doesn’t qualify as a rookie, but the young Bronco will also be one to watch.
Most-Watched Tries of 2023 - #7 (Sua Fa'alogo) pic.twitter.com/yCQfmXJTb2
— NRL (@NRL) December 25, 2023
NRL 2024 LADDER CRYSTAL BALL
EXPANSION
PNG will be given the green light as a stand-alone team at some stage in 2024. They will be based in Cairns but play the majority of their matches in Port Moresby.
Justin Holbrook is the frontrunner to coach the side but don’t discount a play for Craig Bellamy.
The NRL could announce the introduction of two teams but with a staggered timeline. The 19th team will be Perth with a potential alignment to the Newtown Jets. Team 20 will be a hybrid. A second team in New Zealand with a Pacific flavour which could incorporate North Sydney.
Perth Jets and Pasifika Bears sounds good to us.
DALLY M MEDAL WINNER
It will be a shootout between two players who are due some luck; Ryan Papenhuyzen and Tom Trbojevic. The pair will trade blows after finding their feet about six weeks into the season with one of them walking away with the Dally M award.
BENNY IN DEMAND
Wayne Bennett celebrates his 74th birthday on New Year’s Day. And the super coach – who is in his last year of his deal at the Dolphins – will still be in demand come 2025.
At least one club will reach out to Bennett for a short stint to try and turn them into a premiership threat. Bennett doesn’t seem like the retiring type to us.
If he doesn’t land somewhere expect him to play some part in a new expansion team.
HUNT STAYS
While the rumblings will continue, Ben Hunt will enjoy life under new coach Shane Flanagan who will convince him to see out the final year of his deal. Flanagan will land a couple of big signings and it will be enough to keep Hunt’s restless feet on the ground for now.
The Dragons will be the big improvers … in 2025.
COACH WATCH
Brad Arthur and Jason Demetriou will start the season under the most pressure. Both their team’s struggled in 2023 and despite enjoying success in 2022, another failed season will bring extra scrutiny.
Canterbury’s Cameron Ciraldo also needs to make significant improvements, although his job is safe.
MADGE JUGGLING ACT
Incoming NSW coach Michael Maguire will have his hands full. There are some big decisions to be made, none bigger than the future of captain James Tedesco.
Madge needs to find a way to balance the need to win with respect for those who have honoured the Blues jersey.
He has to nail it straight away because as his predecessor Brad Fittler found out, when you get it wrong in game one, your job becomes infinitely more difficult.
FAREWELL SOME LEGENDS
The class of 2024 is shaping up to be an impressive one. From pin-up boys to grand final winners.
The likes of Shaun Johnson, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Marty Taupau, Jesse Bromwich, Dane Gagai and Daniel Tupou are entering the final year of their contracts. Most are expected to retire.
Some could move to the Super League while others may squeeze out another season.
POMMIE RAID
Australian clubs are set to raid the best of the Super League. The rise of the salary cap in Australia means the competitions have never had such a wide pay gap.
Expect the likes of Lewis Dodd and Harry Smith to be at the top of the wishlist of a host of NRL clubs.
By all reports, Newcastle import Kai Pearce-Paul is the real deal.
IMMORTAL
It is about time the NRL inducted some new Immortals, having not done so since 2018.
Will they go modern day? Or look back at some of the game’s past greats?
Johnathan Thurston, Darren Lockyer and Billy Slater will have to be added at some stage. Cameron Smith has not yet been retired for five years so he is ineligible.
Former greats Peter Sterling, Brett Kenny and Ron Coote are others who have been overlooked previously.
COWBOYS’ BIG CALL
The Cowboys should be having an awkward conversation with Jason Taumalolo.
Once the game’s most destructive forward, he is now eating a huge chunk of their salary cap with four more years left on his contract worth almost $4 million.
The Cowboys have arguably the best young forwards in the competition. Taumalolo still has plenty to offer – just not at that price tag.
BORN IN THE USA
Rugby league will dip its toe into the US market first, followed by the Twenty20 World Cup in June.
The NRL will have moderate success in the first year but the concept after having a bit more time will grow and become a worthwhile event.
FORWARD BLUNDER
The NRL will finally introduce forward pass technology ahead of the 2025 season, after a massive blunder costs a team victory.
BELLAMY BYE BYE
Craig Bellamy has kept everyone guessing in recent years but this time around he will finally call it quits.
Expect Bellamy to pull the pin before the season begins, lead the Storm back to the grand final and then hand over the reins to his successor, Jason Ryles.
Bellamy will step back into a role as a coaching consultant.
JUMPING FOR JOY
Australia is blessed to have two of the best high jumpers in the world in Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers. They have driven each other to new heights and you can expect the pair to be right in the mix come the Paris Olympics. There’s every chance they could go head-to-head for the gold medal.
MOLLIE MAGIC
The pool always provides rivers of gold for Australia at the Olympics and Paris will be no different. Ariarne Titmus will be well in the mix again, as will Emma McKeon and Kaylee McKeown. But Mollie O’Callaghan will be the standout as she dominates on her way to multiple gold medals. A new star will be born.
BROWNING BREAKS 10 SEC
The Flying Mullet was shunted out in the semis in Tokyo but expect Rohan Browning to go one better in Paris and qualify for the final of the 100m. He‘ll narrowly miss out on a medal but smash the 10-second barrier.
FLYING FOX
Jess Fox is one of our most beloved and revered Olympians and she will add to her legendary status by grabbing another gold in Paris in the women’s C1 canoe final. What a champion.
TSZYU TIME
Tim Tszyu is getting better with every fight. Expect 2024 to be a year to remember as he unifies the light middleweight division. He won’t be the only Tszyu with a belt around his waist by the end of the year as brother Nikita continues to demolish his opponents on his way to a title.
JAI MOVING UP
While the Tszyus get all the attention, Jai Opetaia is the best fighter in Australia. After proving himself the king of the cruiserweight division, expect him to flirt with a move to heavyweight as the year goes on. He and Australian champion Justis Huni could be headed for a showdown.
SMITH’S SWEET SWING
Cameron Smith will lock up his place in the Australian Olympic team by winning the Masters in April. The Queenslander has been sliding down the rankings but a win at the first major of the year will secure his place for Paris and the first of many green jackets.
LEGENDARY LEES
Min Woo Lee was the star of the Australian summer and he will carry that form into the start of the US PGA Tour. When Jason Day pulls himself out of Olympic contention, Lee will play alongside sister Minjee in Paris where they will both win medals.
SOCCEROOS HEARTBREAK
After the success of the Matildas at the World Cup, the Socceroos pick up where they left off by cruising through their group at the Asian Cup. They make it all the way to the final but suffer heartbreak as they are beaten in the final by Japan.
RIVALS AT IT AGAIN
Indian cricket supporters were in a flap when Australia beat them at the World Cup.
So prepare for them to be up in arms again later in the year when Australia eliminate them from the T20 World Cup.
The Aussies will make the final but lose to New Zealand. Ouch!
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