Aussies “rate themselves”: Sinfield
Roar Guru Even Kevin Sinfield was surprised to win rugby league’s unofficial prize for the world’s best player – the Golden Boot.
However, the Leeds champion dismissed his Australian critics who believe NRL stars like Melbourne’s Cameron Smith and Canterbury’s Dally M Medallist Ben Barba were better placed to win the award with Sinfield claiming Aussies “rate themselves very highly”.
Sinfield, 32, looked set to go a long way to silencing the cynics when he led English Super League champions Leeds out against a star-studded Melbourne Storm in the upcoming World Club Challenge.
But the backlash over the England captain ousting the stars of the NRL does not look like going away soon after the Englishman’s response.
“The Australians probably think the NRL competition is far superior to Super League,” he told BBC Sport.
“Whether they rate me or not I am not sure, but with a lot of the Australians they rate themselves very highly.
“I am not bothered or interested in what they say. If they want to have a crack then they can fire away.”
Sinfield became the fourth Englishman to claim the Golden Boot, and the first since Andy Farrell in 2004.
“I am surprised to win it and I feel very fortunate,” Sinfield told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“I don’t pick the award. Like everything, people have an opinion.
“When do you ever have a 100 per cent winner?”
Back in pre-season training with Leeds, Sinfield will no doubt be looking to get the last laugh in the World Club Challenge (WCC) at home ground Headingley on February 22.
Sinfield led Leeds to a 26-12 triumph over Manly at last year’s WCC, sparking a big year for the 10-year Rhinos skipper.
He overcame a head knock to lead the Rhinos to their sixth Super League title in nine years while also collecting the man of the match award.
He also took Leeds to the Challenge Cup final at Wembley which they lost to Warrington.
However, eyebrows were raised over Sinfield’s international efforts last year which only featured Tests against France and Wales.
“If people are not happy about it, it is not my problem,” Sinfield said.
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- Kevin Sinfield, NRL, Rugby League
January 11th 2013 @ 3:45am
AndyMack said | January 11th 2013 @ 3:45am | Report comment
Quality player. So hard to judge across competitions. One thing i can say is the poms watch the nrl much more than the nrl judges watch the super league, so it sounds a fair judgement.
January 11th 2013 @ 7:54am
Patrick D said | January 11th 2013 @ 7:54am | Report comment
Sam Burgess was interviewed about the award and had some interesting things to say about the comparison between NRL and superleague. He indicated that while the top teams from both are of a very good standard the difference with the NRL is that all games are tough, whereas in Superleague there are definitely some weaker teams. Across 26 rounds this really takes it toll and makes champions all the more impressive
January 11th 2013 @ 4:41am
peeeko said | January 11th 2013 @ 4:41am | Report comment
why isnt the world club challenge ever played in Australia? trust me the English would never win if that was the case. Australians probably have a right to rate themselves after holding the Ashes for the last 43 years
January 11th 2013 @ 8:09am
Godfrey said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:09am | Report comment
The last time it was played in Australia was 1997 when Wigan beat the Broncos 20 to 14. The top British sides are always competitive with ours and that’s why they are beating us by nearly 2 to 1 in the World Club Challenge. Souths made the finals in 2007 and then played a trial against Leeds in the US for the first game of 2008. Leeds flogged them. Super League lacks depth, not quality at the top.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:15am
peeeko said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:15am | Report comment
97 was the same year where the aussie comp was split in 2 and super league played a world club challenge tournament
these were the qrtr final results
Auckland Warriors def. Bradford Bulls 62-14 Ericsson Stadium Auckland 9,553
Hunter Mariners def. Wigan Warriors 22-18 Central Park Wigan 9,553
Brisbane Broncos def. St Helens 66-12 ANZ Stadium Brisbane 6,438
Cronulla Sharks def. London Broncos 40-16 The Stoop London 6,239
January 11th 2013 @ 10:32am
Boris said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:32am | Report comment
That world club challenge featured all Aussie super league sides and all the English. If I remember correctly the Aussie teams won all but 5 of the 65 competition games. Even Adelaide Rams were dishing out punishment.
For me it was great to demolish the English sides when half of our best players were not even involved as they were in the ARL comp.
January 13th 2013 @ 1:07pm
KSI said | January 13th 2013 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
Wigan beat Brisbane in 1994. It was a Wednesday night game in Brisbane. Brisbane played weekend before and after.
1997 the Broncos won the extended WCC and I think the put 90 points on one English team.
January 11th 2013 @ 6:55am
Matt said | January 11th 2013 @ 6:55am | Report comment
One team has a home game, the other has to fly from the bottom of the world to the top to an opposite timezone and season. Gee, I wonder if one team has an advantage. Much as I don’t like manly, they would have won easily all things being equal. It’s also pointless having it first game of the season, like the trials lots of teams have new players, and trying new combos etc; can’t read into the results much.
January 11th 2013 @ 8:07am
Andy said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:07am | Report comment
Manly may have won if it was played at brookvale. However, at the time they did not beat cronulla in the trial preceding the game, and they had lost their coach.
January 11th 2013 @ 7:51am
Robert said | January 11th 2013 @ 7:51am | Report comment
Sinfield is spot on.The Aussie’s do have inflated egos in regards to how they rate themselves and the NRL.It maybe the best League comp in the world,but lets be a bit humble about it.I even heard Laurie Daley emphatically say one day that the NRL is the best comp of any sport in the world.His opinion,but sounds very American or Mundine
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January 11th 2013 @ 8:21am
Damn Straight said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:21am | Report comment
^
“The Australians probably think the NRL competition is far superior to Super League,” he told BBC Sport.
If you don’t see it that way Kevin, you are seriously deluded. Be humble? This has nothing to do with ego, it’s just an objective observation. I’m not some cock-eyed patriot, who has rose coloured glasses on and thinks that just because it is Australian, it is superior to anything else the world has to offer. The English Premier League is the best domestic football comp in the world, the NBA is the best basketball comp in the world(for example).
These awards(including RLW immortals) are a farcical wank. Kevin Sinfield is a great player and ambassador for the game, but this is bullsh*t. It is akin to Besart Berisha winning the ballon d’or.
January 14th 2013 @ 10:52am
Renegade said | January 14th 2013 @ 10:52am | Report comment
Did you watch any games involving Kevin Sinfield this year?
January 15th 2013 @ 7:16am
Big Time said | January 15th 2013 @ 7:16am | Report comment
I did, I have seen plenty of him playing over the years too. As I said a good player, and apparently a top bloke. Definately not the best player in the world, or in England for that matter.
January 11th 2013 @ 8:30am
oikee said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:30am | Report comment
I know one thing, if the Broncos had Seinfield in the halves instead of Norman, we be lifting the Trophy and have it nicely tucked away right now. Sam Tomkins is another world class player who would look good in a Bronco jersey.
Cant wait to see four Burgess brothers on the paddock at the same time this year. bom.
I really cant see the Storm beating the Rhino’s, across the park they should be too strong for the Storm.
January 11th 2013 @ 11:27am
Big Time said | January 11th 2013 @ 11:27am | Report comment
You think he would play in the halves hey. I was thinking more wing or possibly fullback.
Newman would add some size to the pack.
George a hard working Lock Forward,
Kramer a livewire crazy 2nd Rower. He may be a bit too loose for the modern game. Maybe back in the 80′s would have been his time.
Elaine in the cheergirl outfit you think?
January 11th 2013 @ 3:25pm
DubbleBubble said | January 11th 2013 @ 3:25pm | Report comment
“Crazy” Joe Divola to be the firebrand a la Mark Geyer.
February 16th 2013 @ 1:24pm
johnno8721 said | February 16th 2013 @ 1:24pm | Report comment
I wouldn’t be so sure of that. My team Wigan went there last season with a really depleted squad and put 50 past them (at headingley). I have a sneaky feeling that Melbourne could do the same. Leeds have were pretty poor for the majority of last season and even last week they lost in round 2 of Super League to Castleford (who are a team who normally finish near the bottom of SL).
Here is the highlights of the game I was talking about when Wigan put 50 past them
Also watch out for some of the plays Sam Tomkins did in this game, Awesome!
January 11th 2013 @ 8:32am
sledgeross said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:32am | Report comment
Actually, Sinfield did have a great year, he performed under pressure and guided his team to glory. He kicks goals, plays different positions when needed and delivers when the Rhino’s need him to. In that respect, he was probably along with Cam Smith, the best club player in all comps this season past.
Damn Straight, your opinion points out the problem. Is the EPL the best football comp, or is it the Spanish League? Also dont agree with the Berisha analogy. Sinfield winning this award is probably more akin to Steve Gerrard winning the ballon d’or.
January 11th 2013 @ 8:55am
Damn Straight said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:55am | Report comment
Sledgey, I’m not ragging on Sinfield. As I said, he’s a great ambassador for rugby league and a great player to boot. What I am ragging on, is these wanky awards.
I thoroughly disagree with your assessment of my EPL analogy. Take Real Madrid and Barcelona out of La Liga and where is the competition? At least in the EPL the talent is distributed a little more evenly. I know Man U, Chelsea and Man City are the dominant teams, but you see upsets on a regular basis.
I used Berisha as an example, because he was one of the better players in a sub-standard league. Gerard is a great player in a great league, so your assessment is a little obtuse.
However, you nailed it when you said “your opinion”. Because that’s all these forums and threads are…opinions.
Here’s an interesting article, that touches on our little mini-debate about La Liga v EPL Sledgeross.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1479188-la-liga-vs-epl-what-if-league-xis-played-each-other-instead-of-national-teams
January 11th 2013 @ 1:17pm
mike said | January 11th 2013 @ 1:17pm | Report comment
Damn straight, I agree with your analogy re: EPL & La liga but even though the EPL is the best league, La Liga has the best player in Messi. Likewise you could make an argument the NRL is the best comp but the worlds best player Sinfield is in Superleague.
I think this award is thoroughly deserved as KS is an unbelievalbe player & great leader of men (IMO). Good luck to him
January 11th 2013 @ 2:06pm
Damn Straight said | January 11th 2013 @ 2:06pm | Report comment
Good points Mike, but Sinfield is no Lionel Messi. Messi is like Billy Slater, Cooper Cronk and Thurston all rolled into one.
January 11th 2013 @ 2:08pm
Big Time said | January 11th 2013 @ 2:08pm | Report comment
Regardless of the fact he is not even the best player in England. Surely the best player in the world would also have the honour of recieving the Super League player of the year??
This award is not for being a good bloke, a bloke that tries his best, this award is for being the Best Player in the World, which he is clearly not.
January 11th 2013 @ 8:39am
Pot Stirrer said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:39am | Report comment
Remeber when there was a competition with the poms sending alot of teams to Australia and every single one of them was getting beaten by 40 points.
January 11th 2013 @ 10:36am
Boris said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:36am | Report comment
Remember it fondly PS. And that was with half our best players not involved cause of the super league split.
January 11th 2013 @ 8:51am
josh said | January 11th 2013 @ 8:51am | Report comment
I reckon the Super League might have at best 3 teams that would challenge for a top 8 spot in the NRL.
January 11th 2013 @ 4:11pm
matt h said | January 11th 2013 @ 4:11pm | Report comment
I actually think they would win a fair few in the first weeks and tail off. Be lucky if one made the eight. similar to the Brincos back in the late 80′s where their team full of origin stars looked the goods each year and ran out of steam as they were not sufficiently battle hardened across 24 rounds.
January 11th 2013 @ 9:23am
Big Time said | January 11th 2013 @ 9:23am | Report comment
Sinfield is a quality player, but far from the best player in the world. He did not even win any of the top gongs in Super League and did not win Leeds top award.
Leeds RL player of the year – Ryan Hall
Superleague XIII Loose Forward 2012 – Sean O’loughlan
Superleague XIII stand off 2012 – Brett Finch
Superleague Man of Steel 2012 – Sam Tomkins (interestingly it is voted by the players and Sinfield didn’t even make the shortlist).
International XIII Loose Forward 2012 – Paul Gallen
International XIII Stand Off 2012 – Jonathon Thurston
Sinfield should be surprised, because he did not deserve it. It has nothing to do with any ego’s. NRL is a better competition then Super League. Sinfield getting it was no more then a PR excercise to try and build up the World Cup and has only made a mockery of the award. In the World Cup, O’Loughlan will be lock, so Sinfield will probably be selected at Five-Eight, meaning Widdop will miss out. Widdop has won a premiership in the toughest League competition in the world as a five-eight, and you would think would be a walk up start in a side that generally struggles on the big stage. He will get an opportunity in the World Club challenge to prove himself. But is it an opportunity? Melbourne will have the big picture, the NRL premiership, on their mind. Leeds would have already played a couple of competitive games prior to this game. The World Club Challenge is a joke. Dragons took the game serious in 2011 and won, but I believe it was detrimental to their NRL season, where they dropped away towards the end and looked tired.
I love how Poms always fire back with the old Aussies have big ego’s. Maybe it is because Pom’s continuously try and stick the boot in and shout the house down as soon as they win anything (I mean anything, marbles, hop scotch you name it), and still think of themselves a a little more superior then us convicts. Maybe we do have an ego, because lets face it, we are better at most things then the Poms. We can even whinge better then them if required, something they are gold medallists at on any stage.
“Back in the late 1700′s the English Monarch sent the low life convicts to the barren land down under. Don’t you wish your great great great grandfather stole a loaf of bread!!!!” I seen this on a Fanatics T-Shirt and thought how true. Maybe they should have added that they also sent all their sportsman out as well!!!
January 11th 2013 @ 10:54am
jdubya said | January 11th 2013 @ 10:54am | Report comment
Brett Finch?
Oh, you have got to be kidding me. There goes any shred of credibility that Super League and Kevin Sinfeild may have had