Hottest sport ahead: Check out these brave predictions

Sports fanatic tips the teams he expects to feature in major action in coming months.

The Queensland Reds are looking to capitalise on their terrific 2020 season this year. Picture: Tom Mitchell/QRU

BOMBER’S BLAST

Anthony Breeze

WELCOME back to my first column for 2021.

I hope everyone had a great break over Christmas and with many sports played over this period, you had the chance to witness some great action.

While some sports are in their late stages, several are in pre-season training and are about to hit their grounds for trial game action.

I have listed some of my sporting predictions for the year ahead.

Rugby league: Of course I see the Parramatta Eels winning the NRL but will face some tough opposition from the South Sydney Bunnies for the title.

Rugby union: The Queensland Reds will go one better and win the Super Rugby title with last year’s Pilecki Medal winner Taniela Tupou stepping up another level.

Aussie rules: The Brisbane Lions will make the grand final but will lose to the all-conquering Richmond Tigers, who will make it a three-peat.

Basketball: The Brisbane Bullets will make the semi finals but Melboune United will claim the crown. The NBA will crown a new champion and that team will be the Brooklyn Nets who will defeat the LA Lakers.

Soccer: The Brisbane Roar will be semi-final bound with Melbourne City lifting the trophy.

In the English Premier League, Manchester City will return to the top of the pile after a great second half of the season.

Cricket: The Brisbane Heat will win a few more games but the Sydney Sixers will claim the title.

The Aussie cricket team will tour South Africa and come away with a series victory with

Dave Warner, Steve Smith and co returning to form.

NFL: The Kansas City Chiefs are favourites to win Superbowl but you can never underestimate any team with Tom Brady in it and that’s why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will win.

Baseball: The World Series is an open affair but I am jumping on the New York Yankees. Darts: The Premier League Darts looks like a battle in three. My money is on the champ Michael van Gerwen.

Golf: I like the current form of Brooks Koepka and can see him winning a major or two this year.

Aussie tennis player Alex de Minaur. Picture: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Tennis: The Aussie Open is about to start and look out for a super showing from our

number one Alex de Minaur who I see making at least the quarterfinals.

Ice hockey: A tough year to try and tip a winner but I like the Vegas

Golden Knights.

Motor racing: Max Verstappen will have another good year but it won’t be enough to catch superstar Lewis Hamilton.

Closer to home, Shane van Gisbergen will get the job done in the Supercars Series. SNOOKER: Aussie star Neil Robertson will go close to winning the World Championship but fall a little short with Judd Trump claiming the title.

Quick thoughts

WINNERS: 1. Queensland and Heat fast bowler Mark Steketee who has been named in

the Test squad to tour South Africa. His performances this season have been great and his selection is richly deserved.

2. The Purga Wagtails who travelled to Rockhampton to play in the knockout tournament and came away with the winners trophy. Raymond “Chooky” Thompson does a great job with this team.

3. The Brisbane Bullets dethroned the Kings last weekend and recorded their first victory for the season. Hopefully they can now get on a roll and work their way up the ladder.

4. The form of Ipswich Logan Hornets Anthony Wilson, who blasted a magnificent century last weekend. If he keeps firing then the Hornets can go deep into the finals.

Losers: 1. The tennis stars who are whinging against the strict quarantine rules that are in place to keep us safe. If other countries had taken better actions to stop the spread then the rules would have been a lot easier on them.

2. The keyboard warriors who are attacking the greatest female tennis player of all time.

Margaret Court is a champion that has an opinion like we all do but apparently people feel they have the right to voice their opinion and bully her.

Sporting birthdays

1. 1951: Andy Roberts - One part of the West Indies pace bowling barrage that rule Test cricket. Roberts went on to take 202 Test wickets.

2. 1960: Greg Louganis - Regarded as one of the greatest divers of all time. Louganis won gold medals in the 3m and 10m at the 1984/88 Olympics.

3. 1988: Stephanie Gilmore - Champion Australian surfer who won the surfing world title on seven occasions - 2007/8/9/10, 2012, 2014 and 2018.

On this day

1. 1924: The first Winter Olympics are held in Chamonix France where 16 nations competed in nine disciplines.

2. 1958: Aussie tennis player Ashley Cooper wins the Australian Open for a second successive year defeating Malcolm Anderson 7/5 6/3 6/4.

3. 1995: Manchester United Star Eric Cantona is fined and suspended for attacking a fan in the grandstand.

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