What’s the Buzz: Phil Rothfield reveals his 2022 sport awards

Rugby league will never be the same after one of its most iconic figures hung up the boots - or microphone - for the last time. PHIL ROTHFIELD reveals his 2022 sport awards.

What’s the Buzz 2022 Awards.

It started with an immigration battle on our borders and ended with the Socceroos doing us proud in front of the world in Qatar.

These are moments that defined the year in sport.

And so without further ado, the winners from this sporting year are …

Sports star of the year

Ash Barty becomes the first Aussie woman to win the Australian Open singles women’s title in 44 years, downing American Danielle Collins 6-3, 7-6 – and promptly retires from tennis. What a champion.

Male team of the year

Graham Arnold’s Socceroos make it to the last 16 at the World Cup for only the second time, rallying the nation like no other sporting team has for years. To beat Tunisia and Denmark after a first-up loss to France shows Aussie grit at its best. Argentina ended our tournament with a 2-1 victory.

Female team of the year

The mighty Jillaroos winning rugby league’s World Cup final, destroying New Zealand, 54-4, at Old Trafford.

Josh Addo-Carr wins Buzz’s comeback of the year award. Picture: Boo Bailey

The Kangaroos and Jillaroos were crowned World Champions. Picture: Oli Scarff/AFP

Gold rush

Our wonderful swimmers brought home 65 medals – 25 gold, 21 silver and 19 bronze – from the Common­wealth Games in Birmingham.

International moment of the year

The stunning breakaway goal by Mathew Leckie to beat Denmark and book our place in the World Cup knockout stages will live in history as one of our great sporting moments.

Local moment of the year

Lance Franklin kicks his 1000th goal against Geelong at the SCG, leading fans to storm the ground and delay the game for 30 minutes. He finishes the year in fifth place on the AFL all-time goal kicking list (1047 goals).

Sydney's Lance Franklin celebrates kicking his 1000th AFL career goal. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Late cricket greats Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds.

We will never forget them

It is a heartbreaking year for Australian cricket and Australian sport as we lose legends Rod Marsh, Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds in the space of two months. It’s still hard to comprehend.

A heavy heart

Paul Green’s loss rocks the rugby league world. He was a classy player and great character, and will always be remembered for coaching the Cowboys to their first premiership in 2015. Champion bloke.

Pot, kettle, black

Tigers skipper James Tamou is sent off for telling referee Ben Cummins “you are f---ing incompetent”. The Tigers lose the match 72-6 to the Roosters at the SCG, so we wonder what he says to his own players.

Collective arguing

Peter V’landys and Andrew Abdo fall out with the players and the clubs in a furious row over the salary cap and club funding. It broke friendships that may never be repaired.

NRL players went to war with Andrew Abdo and Peter V’landys. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

Magnificent Mal

How anyone can bring together players who disliked each other so intensely from the Roosters and the Rabbitohs and the Maroons and the Blues to win the World Cup is great rugby league coaching. Kudos, Mal Meninga.

Best comeback

Winger Josh Addo-Carr, snubbed by Freddy and Brandy for the Blues’ Origin team, has a sensational World Cup. The Fox was the Kangaroos’ best player on tour.

We fight them on the beaches

Steph Gilmore wins her eighth world surfing title in California, surpassing Layne Beachley’s record and putting our surfers back on top of the world.

On the prowl

The Penrith Panthers cement their legacy with back-to-back premierships. Dylan Edwards is supreme in the grand final against arch-rivals Parramatta.

Solo try of the year

NSW fullback Jada Taylor burns Queensland in the Under-19s women’s Origin game, scoring a 109-metre classic at Leichhardt Oval.

Coach killer

Tyson Gamble declares Adam Reynolds the mastermind at the Broncos, not coach Kevin Walters, as they fall in a heap to miss the finals. Gamble’s end-of-season report card: “Needs to work on his support play”.

No shows

In a shocking snub, only three players turn up to St George Illawarra’s presentation night.

Blue Cheese

Storm forward Brandon Smith is sin-binned for calling referee Adam Gee a “cheating bastard” in the Storm’s loss to the Sharks.

Where there’s smoke, there’s ire

Gold Coast Titans sack captain Kevin Proctor after he is caught vaping during a game against the Bulldogs.

Kevin Proctor’s career went up in smoke.

Chunder Down Under

Garth Tander is left to carry the can in a live TV interview after main driver Shane van Gisbergen exits stage left to vomit after a night celebrating their Bathurst 1000 win.

Swan dive

Oh dear. Sydney Swans are destroyed by Geelong, going down by 81 points in the GF.

Strokes of genius

Alyssa Healy breaks the record for top score in a cricket World Cup final – man or woman – smashing 170 versus England off 138 balls. Follows her 129 in the semi against the West Indies.

Homecoming king

Opening batsman Usman Khawaja returns to the country of his birth, scoring 97, 160, 91 and 104 in the three-Test series against Pakistan.

Soft-shoe scuffle

Broncos pair Payne Haas and Albert Kelly have a stoush outside the team hotel after a win against the Bulldogs. A tired and emotional Kelly decides it’s a good idea to dirty up Payne’s shiny new shoes.

Eyes on the tries

It’s a historic year for Rabbitohs flyer Alex Johnston, who becomes the first man to score 30-plus tries in consecutive seasons and breaks Nathan Merritt’s all-time mark for the foundation club.

Royal flush

Newcastle’s $5 million man Kalyn Ponga and teammate Kurt Mann are caught in a cubicle at a local pub. They escape sanction, but eyebrows were certainly raised about what’s happening at the Knights.

Play of the year

Cowboys winger Murray Taulagi throws a pass from what seems like the first row of Suncorp Stadium for Scott Drinkwater to score against Wests Tigers. He was being driven metres touch in-goal by Jackson Hastings and is about to hit the ground but flung the ball back in play. Did we mention it was Magic Round?

This Magic Round moment was simply ... magic. Picture: NRL Media

Advantage ScoMo

Then PM Scott Morrison aces Novak Djokovic, who has his visa cancelled and is deported before the Australian Open over the Covid vaccine.

Game, set and match

Djokovic gets his revenge on Australia when he ends Nick Kyrgios’ fairytale run at the Wimbledon final, the Serb winning 4-6 6-3 6-4 7-6.

Gould-plated guarantee

Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould declares Trent Barrett will be the Dogs coach long after he’s left Belmore … two weeks later, Barrett quits – or is sacked.

Heir of the Dog

Penrith assistant Cameron Ciraldo signs a five-year deal to take over as Bulldogs head coach. Cue the five-year plan, Gus.

Ashes to Ashes

Not even a stunning Test series victory against the Poms is enough to save cricket coach Justin Langer, who exits after rumours persist that he is too intense.

Justin Langer’s exit turned Australian cricket on its head. Picture: Quinn Rooney CA/Getty

Greek Tragedy in two parts

Our Spartan warrior George Kambosos Jr loses his world lightweight title to American Devin Haney and comes up short in the rematch.

All class

Jai Opetaia inflicts only the second defeat on superstar Mairis Briedis to win the IBF cruiserweight title. He did it after breaking his jaw in the second round and continuing to absorb huge punches from the Latvian.

All ass

A magistrate delivers a straight right to Opetaia after he is aggressive towards police and urinates in his cell following his arrest for refusing to leave Darling Harbour following a run-in with security.

The ex-files

A mid-season review results in premiership-winning coach Michael Maguire getting dumped by the Tigers.

Old fellas

Tigers delve into the past to find their future, bringing back 72-year-old Tim Sheens as coach and Benji Marshall as his apprentice.

Can this ‘dream team’ save their beloved Wests Tigers. Picture: David Swift

Best in snow

Jakara Anthony becomes the sixth Aussie to win a Winter Olympic gold medal after her stunning victory in the women’s moguls.

Red handed

Blues squad member Victor Radley is caught simulating a lewd act on teammate Joseph Suaalii in the NSW dressing room. New twist on Victor the Inflictor.

Those damn Cane Toads

Queensland lose Cameron Munster and Murray Taulagi to Covid before the Origin decider and Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins to head knocks early. Yet the Maroons beat NSW 22-12 to win the series – and lecture us again about their Origin spirit.

French tries

Former Eels flyer Bevan French sets the Super League record for most tries in game with seven meat pies for Wigan against Hull.

Pride before the fall

Manly players Josh Aloiai, Jason Saab, Christian Tuipulotu, Josh Schuster, Haumole Olakau’atu, Tolu Koula and Toafofoa Sipley refuse to wear the rainbow pride jersey and sit

out the round 20 game against the Roosters – they lose 20-10 and fail to win another game.

The fallout from Manly’s Pride jersey fiasco sent the club into a tailspine.

Edge of Destruction

Manly terminate coach Des Hasler – a club legend – at the end of the season, bringing in Anthony Seibold for 2023.

Raider Rage

Raiders coach Ricky Stuart stuns the NRL when he calls Penrith Panthers utility Jaeman Salmon “a weak-gutted dog” during his post-match press conference for kicking out at Canberra hooker Tom Starling.

Game – or shame – of the year

The extra-time final between the Cowboys and Sharks is a beauty, featuring brilliant attacking footy and a thrilling finish, with Valentine Holmes’ 45-metre field goal in golden point to seal a 32-30 win for North Queensland.

Shame of the year

The final between bitter rivals Souths and the Roosters is an embarrassment for rugby league, with a record seven sin-bins – Taane Milne twice. Souths win 30-14, despite being down to 11 men on two separate occasions.

Taane Milne is sent to the bin in the wildest NRL clash of the year. Picture: Mark Kolbe/Getty

Worst post-try celebration

Saints centre Zac Lomax jumps on Knights backrower Tyson Frizell after Jack Bird scores for the Dragons.

Time bandit

Wallabies find another way to lose a Bledisloe Test to the All Blacks. French referee Mathieu Raynal overturns a penalty to Australia because Bernard Foley is time wasting with Australia leading 37-34. The All Blacks get a scrum and Jordie Barrett scores for a heartbreaking 39-37 win.

Mic drop

The legend Ray ‘Rabbits’ Warren officially retires from commentary, ending 45 years as the voice of rugby league. He finishes with 45 grand final calls, 99 Origins and a million tales. Onya, Rabs.

Originally published as What’s the Buzz: Phil Rothfield reveals his 2022 sport awards