10 predictions for the sporting year ahead

There's good reason to feel confident that David Tua will continue to deliver in 2010. Photo / Dean Purcell

Herald sport columnist Chris Rattue makes his predictions for sport in 2010.

1: Phil Mickelson returns as America's golden boy of golf

Meets all the requirements - Big Phil has a lovely wife who he loyally stood by when she had a health crisis, and he's not bad at golf either if that counts.

The 2010 season will be rife with rumours about when Tiger Woods might return, and it won't be at the Accenture-sponsored tournament. In his absence, Mickelson will have to do his best to fill Tiger's shoes. He might be a bit of a 'prick' as Tiger's caddy put it, but the man can really play - and, anyway, who's the most famous prick now?

In the age of monster drivers and aerospace balls, Mickelson's forte is still magical shotmaking around the greens. On his day, he's better than anyone to watch playing this infuriating game.

Mickelson can also carry on that marvellous PGA tradition whereby the winners kiss their nearest and dearest on the final green. Tiger can't contribute here because publicly slurping on porn stars just wouldn't be a good look.

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2: The Warriors collect the wooden spoon

We confidently predicted the Warriors would make the 2009 grand final. Ouch. Can the curse of the Herald work in reverse? We're prepared to have a go. Yet how on Earth can this mob extricate themselves from the listless performances which engulfed their 2009 season.

One thing in their favour is the rest key players got during the end of the year test series. The elevation of Simon Mannering to the captaincy is a puzzler though. Putting Steve Price's armband out to pasture while he is still galloping about makes little sense from this distance, and Mannering has always come across as a loyal troop rather than natural leader.

The bright spot prediction is that Kevin Locke will become one of the NRL's stars, but the Warriors are slipping and sliding yet again so the crystal ball says it will be Ivan Cleary's final year in charge with his new assistant Tony Iro the favourite to take over.

The dark horse NRL contender is South Sydney. If the Warriors aren't the cellar dwellers, it'll be Newcastle.

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3: David Tua comes out swinging

Boxing is a notoriously difficult sport for making predictions and recent events prove this, with doubts already about whether the Tuaman will get to hit anyone in 2010 or end up munching snacks on the couch instead.

If he does get to put the gloves on, the result might not be pretty for someone. Tua was in a mean mood against Shane Cameron, and has the scent of blood in the nostrils again.

The promoters behind the Hamilton punch fest did very well, so there is good reason to feel confident that something will eventuate. Tua versus Evander Holyfield in New Zealand - think on that. Neither are in their prime, but that is a minor matter in boxing promotions. I'm picking the fight would be billed as 'The Holy War - David versus Goliath'.

And how wonderful if Tua does get another shot at a world heavyweight title. The country would really get behind an opportunity for Tua to lay to rest the ghost of the limp challenge against Lennox Lewis. A world title shot isn't likely in 2010, but you just never know in boxing.

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4: America's Cup remains in the doldrums

Quick, pass me a bucket as they say in Team New Zealand. The America's Cup used to be a lot of fun when it was owned by the Yanks and they kept making the rules up. At least we knew where we stood then. Ted Turner, Dennis Conner and all those guys - they were buccaneers and characters.

Okay, so Auckland's waterfront was mildly exciting for a while but let's face the truth, the rest of the world has stuffed this thing up.

We can confidently predict that come February, Alinghi will rip Oracle to shreds in a one-on-one battle in Valencia that will be about as exciting as watching barnacles grow on the Onehunga wharf. After that, Oracle will allege all sorts of things about how the Swiss have wrecked the America's Cup and it will be off to court we go yet again.

Personally, I think the bloke who smashed the cup up in Auckland had a very good point.

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5: Shahid Afridi smacks real cricket for six

The Pakistani master blaster is in line to be a star of the Twenty20 World Cup being held in the Caribbean, which is a damn shame if you like cricket in the more sedate form.

There's plenty of life in the 20-over format yet, which has brought all sorts of dire predictions about our finest players snubbing the Black Caps for the lure of overseas funds.

Oh for the days when we went oooh and aaah over John Wright grimly batting all day for about 50 bucks and a free sweater. Not really of course, because cricket is played in a much more interesting way now, but the effects of Twenty20 are a worry.

A reasonable prediction is that Twenty20 will continue to take hold next year, being still shiny and new. Those who abstain from this abomination will do their darndest to keep the flame of real cricket going, but they face an uphill battle unfortunately.

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6: Tour de France scandal

A sitting joke in sport - this chemically enhanced spectacular will produce the usual weird stories of what the hotel cleaners found.

We may of course be entering an era where genetic engineering emerges as the new booster of choice for desperate sportspeople, but there's not enough room to discuss that here. Tour de France scandals are becoming passe anyway and just don't rate compared to what other sports served up in 2009.

League held the yellow jersey for most of the year, apart from wee dabs by a foul-mouthed Serena Williams and cheating Thierry Henry, before Tiger Woods came hurtling around the pack in the home stretch. Try as I might, it's hard to think of any scandal that could out-do what we witnessed - and no doubt enjoyed - in 2009.

The soccer World Cup might throw up something interesting: a gun-toting Maradona on the juice has potential. But Tiger and his bevy of beauties are unlikely to be trumped.

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7: Roger Federer rides again

Impeccable. That's the Fed. He plays great tennis, and has been involved in great matches.

Between Rafael Nadal and Andy Roddick, he should conjure up at least one more marvel of a final in 2010, although injury is a bit of a problem in Roddick's case. A safe bet would be to say that Nadal rediscovers his winning ways in the French Open.

In reaction to Tiger Woods' dalliances, the world's media will be hellbent on writing up all that is good and nourishing in sport and that's where the Fed will step in. Look out for a few features along those lines.

Serena Williams should be more serene - after abusing a US Open lineswoman she has learnt her lesson. Who knows, the ruckus may even galvanise her to make an even larger mark in the tennis history books having seen how easy a reputation can be lost.

Williams may not have taken tennis to new heights of elegance, the way Federer has, but she remains the outstanding attraction in a dodgy field.

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8: Robbie Deans does it tough

Oh, for a couple of thorns in my side, Wallaby coach Robbie Deans must think - as in Brad Thorn and Reuben Thorne. But instead of those dependable souls from his Crusaders days, he's surrounded by a load of flaky Aussies in the Wallaby squad.

This is not a total lost cause - but Deans' best hope now is to get his mis-firing team peaking by World Cup time. Apart from the odd exception, the Wallabies had a rotten year in 2009 and it's very hard to see how their fortunes will improve in 2010.

Deans hasn't said as much, but he's probably thinking that this job is proving a lot harder than it looked. Having left a world where his word was law, he's entered another where one of his blokes has a sideline in breaking and entering. 'Quade, I said you need to get in better nick you fool.'

Prediction: The Aussies haven't got a hope of getting the Bledisloe Cup off John Key.

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9: Wayne Rooney gets an x-ray before the World Cup

Sound familiar ... someone's metawhatsit is going to snap and the world will see x-rays to prove it. Nations will hold their breath while surgeons glue the superstars back together.

The tournament itself might be a cracker if the spirit of Africa - the way the continent's teams like to play the game - can take a hold. Let's be optimistic, and predict that flamboyant soccer will survive past the group stages.

A winner? I'm taking a well-worn path and saying Brazil. Why? Because it's sensible to pick Brazil if you can't see a decent gamble elsewhere. No neutrals will want boring old Germany or tired Italy to win, and England always strike a catastrophe. (England's downfall? Inevitably a penalty shootout.)

Football romantics will hope that an African team, most likely the Ivory Coast, win the tournament, but they probably don't have enough overall class. Spain are Brazil's major threat. As for the All Whites, a point against Slovakia is their best hope.

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10: Ali Williams makes a fabulous return

The long-lost lock has demanded a more positive attitude from New Zealand's media, and we'd hate to disappoint.

Our major prediction is that the All Blacks will once again lift the Bledisloe Cup - if they can wrest it away from the Prime Minister that is. Otherwise, we predict that John Key will lift the Bledisloe Cup, and the team will look proudly on.

The pressure might start bearing down on coaches to produce rugby worth watching, because the lawmakers are probably running out of steam. You can only fiddle with the rules without any return for so long - in the end the game's ability to rediscover a joi de verve is in the hands of the coaches and players.

A rugby highlight of the year could turn out to be the sevens at the Commonwealth Games in India. Some poor sod will have to write yet another story entitled: 'What's Wrong With The Blues'.

Final prediction: Crusaders - need I say any more.