With a little over a week to go before the big dance, I present to you the superstars, the shining lights of 2014 in the National Rugby League.
1. Fullback – Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels)
Top tryscorer of the year, vital to an Eels revival, and crucial in this year’s State of Origin drought breaker, Jarryd Hayne has done it all.
A Kangaroos fullback spot awaits him as well as classic duel with Thurston for the prestigious Dally M Medal and the Golden Boot.
Highlight game: Round 20 versus Titans (2 tries, 13 tackle breaks, 3 line breaks)
Just missed out: Greg Inglis and Matt Moylan
2. Wing – Josh Mansour (Penrith Panthers)
A tackle-breaking machine, Mansour linked up perfectly with half and centre in Jamie Soward and Jamal Idris to become Penrith’s point of attack.
He made 150 tackle breaks this season and surely is a Kangaroos bolter.
Highlight game: Round 12 versus Eels (2 tries, 12 tackle breaks, 270 metres gained)
Just missed out: Daniel Tupou/Brett Morris/Alex Johsnton
3. Centre – Dylan Walker (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
This guy know how to speed through the opposition line. An U20s Blues revelation whose pairing with new speedster Alex Johnston is to become not only half of the Blues three-quarter line but the Kangaroos’.
Highlight game: Round 9 versus Titans (4 tries, 2 line breaks, 5 tackle breaks)
Just missed out: Jarrod Croker/Michael Jennings
4. Centre – Tim Lafai (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
A true stepper, and with Dylan Walker could form a formidable Blues centre combination for the years to come.
His beautiful work on the outside of Josh Reynolds and Trent Hodkinson complements his try-scoring rate.
Highlight game: Round 24 versus Wests Tigers (2 tries, 15 tackle breaks, 2 line breaks)
Just missed out: Konrad Hurrell/Jamal Idris
5. Wing – Semi Radradra (Parramatta Eels)
Semi was a revelation this year for Parramatta. A decent work rate and a massive ‘don’t argue’ accounts for his high try-scoring rate.
His imposing size gives fear to the opposition speedster when they take on the ‘Semi-Trailer’.
Highlight game: Round 1 versus Warriors (3 tries, 1 try saver, 7 tackle breaks)
Just missed out: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck/Jason Nightingale
6. Five-eighth – Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
Just controls the play, finds the smallest hole on the field and runs the ball to the line. His unexpected dummy has led him to the white line on a few occasions but his 4 field goals, 30 try assists and 26 line break assists is phenomenal, gaining him the point-scorer of the year award by 1 point over James Maloney.
He has every aspect of a halves game, and may cap it off with the Dally M and Golden Boot.
Highlight game: Round 1 versus Raiders (1 try, 2 Try assists, 5 line-break assists)
Just missed out: Jamie Soward
7. Halfback – Ben Hunt (Brisbane Broncos)
Was very unlucky to miss an Origin spot when Cooper Cronk got injured and Daly Cherry-Evans had left the utility role, a role that Hunt has played for years, wide open for him until they decided to go with four forwards.
His ‘show-n-go’ is definitely the best of the year. He dummies and scores, pretty simple. The back-up kicker when Corey Parker is taking a break, overall has had an amazing, breakout year and is an underdog for the Dally M.
Highlight game: Round 6 versus Titans (1 try, 620 kick metres, 8 tackle breaks)
Just missed out: Trent Hodkinson/Mitchell Pearce
8. Prop – James Graham (Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs)
An aggressive Pom, Graham challenges Sam Burgess and Sam Tomkins for the best Englishman Down Under.
He gains metres and there were only two occasions where he didn’t run for over 100 metres (he got 99m and 98m). Led the Doggies in metres gained and hit-ups.
Highlight game: Round 26 versus Titans (1 try, 49 tackles, 139 metres gained)
Just missed out: Matt Scott
9. Hooker – James Segeyaro (Penrith Panthers)
This guy and Jake Friend are creating a new style of dummy-half play that Robbie Farah, Cameron Smith and Michael Ennis should be jealous of.
He makes huge metres for a dummy-half and backs that up with the tackles he makes. Now out of the shadow of Kevin Kingston, Segeyaro has linked up with Peter Wallace, Soward, Mansour and Idris to make some unbelievable Panthers magic. Led the Panthers in tackles.
Highlight game: Round 13 versus Titans (1 try, 51 tackles, 110 metres gained)
Just missed out: Jake Friend
10. Prop – Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne Storm)
Made the Storm’s ‘Big 3’ into the ‘Big 4’, leading the team in hit-ups, offloads and metres gained.
Was the amazing crash-ball runner that led to a good amount of Storm tries, and forms a formidable combination with Sam Moa in the Kiwis side.
Highlight Game: Round 23 versus Sharks (1 try, 6 offloads, 207 metres gained)
Just missed out: Sam Moa/Ashton Sims
11. Second row – Aidan Guerra (Sydney Roosters)
Despite playing lock for most of the season, Guerra pips his teammate Boyd Cordner for the #11 jersey. The most consistent Roosters forward in regards to hit-ups and tackles, he has a lot of flair.
He’s been sent through plenty of gaps this year and will become a dominant figure in the Maroon’s State of Origin squad in years to come.
Highlight game: Round 20 versus Knights (47 tackles, 114 metres gained, 1 tackle break)
Just missed out: Boyd Cordner/Josh Jackson
12. Second row – Jason Taumololo (North Queensland Cowboys)
Busting metres and breaking tackles, he froms a dangerous edge for the Cowboys. He led the hit-ups for the Cowboys.
Highlight game: Round 25 versus Sharks (2 tries, 108 metres gained, 30 tackles)
13. Lock – Sam Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
One of the best forwards in the game, Burgess led the Rabbits in tackles, metres gained and hit-ups and is a brick wall you don’t want to run into.
He is the important link in the spine of the Rabbits and with Graham will form the Great Wall of England in this year’s Four Nations.
Highlight game: Round 19 versus Eels (2 tries, 32 tackles, 204 metres gained)
Dally M inspired interchange
14. Rookie of the Year – Alex Johnston (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
A strike rate better than any in his debut season.
Highlight game: Round 21 versus Knights (3 tries, 3 line breaks, 188 metres gained)
Just missed out: Luke Brooks/Man’u Mau
15. Rep player of the tear – Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sharks)
Even though Big Gal can’t win the award on the night due to ASADA bans, he wore his heart on his sleeve when playing for NSW and for the Anzac Test and it reflects through his brutal, aggressive playing style. All this despite playing nine NRL games for the season.
Highlight game: Round 16 versus Broncos (1 try, 223 metres gained, 41 tackles)
Just missed out: Matt Scott/Brett Morris/Josh Morris
16. Captain of the year – Anthony Minichiello (Sydney Roosters)
The true definition of a captain, like Gallen wears his heart on his sleeve every time he plays and is a good bloke both on and off the field. His captaincy efforts led the Roosters to top of the table.
Highlight game: Round 2 versus Eels (3 tries, 219 metres gained, 5 tackle breaks)
Just missed out: Paul Gallen/Johnathan Thurston
17. Martin Taupau (Wests Tigers)
Come off the bench and acts like he is a leader of the pack, the menacing, imposing size of Taupau has earned him a spot in the Kiwis and a future of rugby league at the Wests Tigers.
Highlight game: Round 7 versus Eels (19 tackles, 8 tackle breaks, 108 metres gained)
So there you have it folks, my NRL team of the year. If my bench was not Dally-M inspired, I would have gone with Cordner, Friend, Greg Inglis and Soward as the next best players.
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