How could the NH dominate the Player of the Year awards?

Award was judged on tests since the WC final, so the QF is irrelevant.

I dont mean to harp on someone like Soialo, he is a great player, but is he made to look to better because of the team he is in? If Parisse was in the All Blacks and not Italy, how much better woudl he look? I know there are a lot of 'ifs', but its another way to look at things. McCaw did have quite a year, but if you take it as a year from 12 months ago, you would nearly have to include losing a RWC quater final...no? hehe... ;-p Doesnt make the year quite as glossy...

Hi Davo I wasn't being mean towards Shane, I'd pick him in a heartbeat as well. The reason I said he would "challenge for a spot" and not walk into a side is because I don't pick the teams. I believe Robbie would pick him without thinking twice about it, but NZ don't like picking small wingers and SA is under pressure to pick a certain number of non-white players, which leaves little room on the wing. So, even though I think they would be wrong not to, I don't think Graeme Henry or Peter Div will automatically pick him. Like I said, I believe he desrves his award.

McCaw had a hell of a year. Won the Super 14, Air NZ Cup and Tri-Nations, retained the Bledisloe, claimed a Grand Slam and won every single Test match he played in.

There's no Northern Hemisphere bias in this award, it just has the same flaws as the Brownlow Medal. Look at Adam Cooney, he was something like the 7th favourite to win the 2008 Brownlow, and won. He won because Gary Ablett Jr (the best footballer in the AFL) had votes stolen from him by great players. McCaw was never going to win because he missed a few tests. And he and Carter are opposition against each other and can steal votes off one another. But I'm happy with Shane Williams winning it. He's my favourite player in the world to watch and to me, the closest thing a modern player has come to Campo. He was exhillerating during 6N, and in South Africa I was disappointed Wales didn't look to use him more, because when he did touch the ball some pretty special things happened. For mine he's one of the five best players in the world right now. But like the Brownlow, obviously the best players don't always win and I think it's pretty obvious McCaw and Carter are by far the two best players in the world. I'd give McCaw the nudge and say he's the best. If I took the last four weeks form into account only, Stephen Moore's in the top five as well.

Jones gets a few ups for his performance last night against the Wallabies. I was hugely impressed with him on that 2005 Lions tour but consensus from those who have seen him more then me since then suggest he's lost form of late. Someone like Sergio Parisse cant help it if he's the standout player in his team, and frankly I am happy if a dominant player in a generally losing side polls more points than someone like say So'ialio who is surrounded by stars. Who would I pick in my team at no 8....maybe Soialo....but then that's not the point of this award. I think the author is being a bit mean suggesting that Williams is good....."good enough to challenge for a starting spot in one of the Tri nations squads".....come on, you would have second thoughts picking him ahead of Ioane, Mitchell, Hynes, JP Petersen, even Rococoko ?? Not me...I'd have him there in a second. I'd almost play him at fly half for the Wallabies...

It's not really a prestigious award for mine, but it would be interesting to see a full breakdown of the voting. Here's an interview with Eales about the nominees -- http://www.irb.com/history/awards/newsid=2026976.html#eales+five+best

Guy, Ryan Jones played very well on the 2005 Lions tour to NZ, he was by far and away their best player on that tour. Unfortunately it looks like that all Ryan has done since coming back from the tour is drink and eat a shitload, he does not look fit at all.

Any match Ryan Jones has played in that I've watched he has been anonymous, I have never understood the fuss. On the rare times I notice him he seems quiet and lazy and without a shred of aggression Mike Blair and Parisse are both excellent players that would slip into the world's top 20-30 but not top 5. Williams deserves his award fully I still don't understand how such a small man can create so much space and opportunity. Beautiful game. Ian I believe it was Ireland that swung the crucial vote in NZs direction for the 2011 RWC. Disgraceful politicking but that's the nature of the beast and as a consequence we now have a world cup in a country without proper infrastructure to do it justice. Japan was the go lets hope they get 2015. It could possibly be like Germany getting the 2006 football World Cup hosting rights when it was all but promised to South Africa until Blatter rigged the vote - after the backlash now SA have it for 2010.

I agree with the point Sluggy makes. That if a team like Italy and Scotland hypothetically only have one decent player, and the judges have to elect three standout players from the match, usually they choose two from the winning team and one from the losing team (strong emphasis on the word usually), which more often than not the star player will get. If they play 6 or 7 tests in the window, thats a possible 15 odd points (i'm not sure how many points Williams polled, so i'm not really sure on my maths there...!). The judges can't be blamed for the system, and there is no point slagging off the players who are busting their guts week in week out for their struggling sides. I guess a system overhaul is in order? Maybe have the same judges elect 3-2-1 points for every player in the match (not just 3 players), with the requirement they have to have played more than forty minutes. This would avoid great teams in the top three from stealing each others points, like the West Indies example...

Have you ever thought that the likes of Blair and Parisse are outstanding players in poor sides. When Scotland played New Zealand, you all saw for your own eyes what a quality player Blair, despite the incompetence of the majority of the other players. Parisse is similar-an awesome player in a poor side. I agree about Ryan Jones, he has been useless since the six nations, for both club and country. He goes missing in games and for a back-row forward-that's not good enough. Remember, the player of the year award (with the emphasis on PLAYER) is for the best players over the season, where as the TEAM of the year was given to the best team, rightly to New Zealand. We all know that the SH have better teams than the NH, but certain players like Blair (the best scrum-half in the world last season) and Parisse (the best number 8 in the world last year)-do you see where I'm coming from.

Spiro I think you should address your comment to John Eales who chaired the nomination committee. The nomination committee to my mind looks fairly balanced. By the way the reason NZ got RWC2008 was because of the SH block vote with the some in the NH, from memory Wales and Scotland. The RFU and others voted for Japan, now look at the financial mess the IRB is in and the missed opportunity in spreading rugby to new audiences following on from the success of RWC2007.

OJ, thats the sort of system where a star player in an ordinary team will get the points all the time. Hugo Porta (or dare I say it Russell Fairfax) would win at a canter. Its a bit like the great West Indian pace attacks of the early/mid 80s - they never got many '5 fors' because they were all taking wickets.

Hang on a second. The nominees were selected by an independent panel of judges -- Tana Umaga, Raphaël Ibanez, Will Greenwood, Francois Pienaar, Agustin Pichot, Gavin Hastings, Scott Quinnell, Paul Wallace and convenor John Eales. A NH voting block? The awards cover 35 Tests (Six Nations, Tri-Nations and the June/July Tests.) Each member voted on a 3-2-1 basis for all the Test matches and that's how the five finalists were decided.

I have no gripe about Shane Williams winning the IRB Player of the Year Award. He was brilliant for Wales in the Six Nations, and on Wales' tour of South Africa. The other NH nominees were ludicrous and reflect the NH tendency to over-rate their players and under-estimate SH stars. Look at the band-waggon driving the merits of Daniel Cipriani when it was obvious to any one with an inkling of understanding that he has some talent but major faults, including defensive weaknesses and a mind-set that allowed him to think he was a more brilliant player than he really is. The point about the NH tending to vote in a bloc is correct. The SH powers should do this too on IRB matters and form a strategic alliance with France, the power in Europe that balances the power of the RFU. If Dani

NH hemisphere always vote in blocks. Its a bias that comes out in everything the IRB does. Not surprised and not really bothered. They can have the "best" players and we'll continue to have the best teams........

"No Tri Nations team has lost a test against a Six Nations team this year as far as I know." Ja, but we are talking about individual players, not teams. It is possible for an individual to shine and play superbly even if his team mates are not up to scratch.