From the form of the Warriors to Liam Lawson’s F1 grid debut for Red Bull, Chris Rattue makes his sporting predictions for the year ahead.
Caitlin Clark becomes even bigger news
The Indiana Fever basketball sensation – Time’s 2024 Athlete of the Year – easily met expectations as a WNBArookie, and over-performed in her effect on sport and society. She is having a rest before the new season starts in May, and looks perfectly poised to take the world by an even greater storm in 2025.
Liam Lawson makes a podium, and that’s not all
It’s been a long time between (frothing champagne) drinks. Fifty years have passed since a Kiwi won an F1 race. Denny Hulme’s victory in Buenos Aires was also the last Kiwi F1 podium finish.
The podium drought will be broken in 2025. The Red Bull team’s expectations and expertise combined with Lawson’s aggression will do the job.
Lawson’s competitive instincts will see him go toe-to-toe with teammate Max Verstappen, whose grip on the F1 title faces more threats this year. In other words, Liam Lawson is going to be major world sports news.
Liam Lawson at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Photo / Getty Images
Every prediction list needs at least one absolute certainty. England have a well-honed way of playing their power game and a deep squad. Given their dominance and amazing strides for women’s rugby, they deserve the title. No one will get close to them.
Lydia Ko wins a fourth major title
She is on top of her game once again. Ko has won three of the five women’s majors, with the US Open and PGA her misses.
Ko’s amazing 2024 means certain pressures will be off, allowing her to really aim for those titles. The US Open in Wisconsin is surely her big aim.
The Warriors keep slipping and sliding
Too many things don’t add up for an NRL club that has failed to build on the 2023 buzz.
They don’t have a squad good enough to go the distance so will need a fast start to make the playoffs. Yet they go into the season with uncertainty over their halves combination, three players in contention for fullback, while dummy half Wayde Egan is an injury magnet. Sneaking into the top eight is the best hope, but this is not a title-contending club.
The Liverpool wonder is the best player to watch in world football right now. If Liverpool can win the EPL and Champions League, he will be duly recognised as the actual best player.
The All Blacks win the Grand Slam
The tour is not totally confirmed, but very likely. It will be a tough year for Scott Robertson again. But by the year’s end, the All Blacks will be in good enough shape to get past England, Scotland and Ireland. And, no matter what shape they are in, they will deal to Wales.
Scott Robertson and Scott Barrett after the win over Ireland last year. Photo / Photosport
Virtual sport takes an even greater hold
The revolution is here. Who needs real sport when you can make it up?
The 2024 years was full of signposts.
Influencer Jake Paul and decrepit Mike Tyson put on the biggest boxing show. Power golfer Bryson DeChambeau created an internet sensation by hitting balls over his house.
Most significantly, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy pressed go on a hybrid golf competition that starts this month. Teams of top golfers will hit into a screen, and play a real-ish short game at a bespoke Florida venue.
It’s not going to stop there.
Basketball superstar LeBron James retires
He’s still a fine player, but fine isn’t good enough when you are a 40-year-old legend and one of the two best players of all time.
James fulfilled his dream of playing alongside his son in 2024, the LA Lakers don’t seem like contenders, and James will decide to call time before his game slides even further.
The tennis drug scandal blows up
It needs to. Top players are testing positive but tennis is somehow diluting the negativity. A WADA appeal over the Jannik Sinner case could change that.
The Wallabies beat the Lions
Just got a feeling the Aussies will sneak home, backed by big crowds in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
This series will be the rugby highlight of the year, with the Lions heavily favoured by most.
But age is taking a toll in a couple of positions for the British and Irish combination, most notably at tighthead prop where the great Tadhg Furlong looks to be fading. There are also a lot of questions at No. 10.
Their backs will have a lot of power, but not all that much class.
They will hit Australia with mighty locks and loose forwards though, an area where Australia struggles for muscle.
But the rise of Rob Valetini and re-integration of Will Skelton is going some way to sorting that out for the Wallabies.
I’m picking Australia 2-1 … hopefully the series is still alive for the final test so we get a cliffhanger.
