When the Rugby League International Federation awarded Englishman Tommy Makinson the Golden Boot this week, there was plenty of weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Brad Fittler led the outcry, branding Makinson’s achievement “ridiculous”.
“It belittles the award,” Fittler told NSWRL.
“I can’t believe the best player in the world is a person I’ve never seen play.”
A damning assessment from the man who took out the top gong in 2000. Except instead of questioning “Who’s Tommy Makinson”, perhaps Freddy should have been asking “What’s the Golden Boot?”
Because Freddy didn’t win the same award that Makinson won. Not really.
While it’s still the most prestigious trophy they hand out, the RLIF recently changed the eligibility for the Golden Boot.
No longer is it awarded to the player deemed to have been the best in the world for the past 12 months – as it was for most of its lifetime.
Instead, according to the RLIF, this year’s Boot “recognises the very best performances in international rugby league in the period including and from the final of RLWC2017 up to the recent second international game between England and New Zealand.”
So it doesn’t go to the best player in the world, but rather to the player who turned out the best performances in Test matches during the eligibility period.
Still, doesn’t that mean it automatically goes to James Tedesco? Due respect to the other three, but he runs circles around them as a player – as evidenced by the fact he was an out-and-out star in teams that won an Origin series and a grand final this year.
And it was the Blues’ custodian’s snubbing that prompted Fittler’s outburst, the NSW coach calling Tedesco “a standout”.
(Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images)
“James Tedesco was a bit unlucky. He won the Origin, he was the best player in Origin. Oh no, he wasn’t, Billy Slater was,” Fittler joked.
Ah, you laugh Brad, but were Teddy to have taken out the Golden Boot, there would have been plenty of ammunition for those who wish you’d shut up about Slater being declared man of the series for Origin 2018.
Because during the Golden Boot eligibility period, Tedesco played a grand total of two games and lost one of them.
Despite his superstar status, Teddy has spent most of his international rep career playing for Italy, because that same Billy Slater had a well-earned mortgage on the Kangaroos’ No.1 jersey.
As a result, the former Tiger made his Australian debut last month, as he and his teammates went down to a resurgent New Zealand. Teddy did himself proud that night, scoring a late try to help threaten an unlikely comeback, but he wasn’t the story of the evening against the dominant Kiwis.
The following week, against the Mate Ma’a, Tedesco was the headline story – well, apart from the amazing Tongan crowd – as he was named man of the match.
But isn’t that kinda, sorta exactly how Slater’s Origin series played out – a great game in a losing effort, brilliant performance in a consolation win?
More to the point, to be named the best international player in the world over a period of time that took in four games for most teams, and ended in early November, doesn’t logic suggest you’d feature in more than two matches – and for the first of them to have occurred earlier than mid-October?
For his part, Makinson featured in three games, all against the world No.2 Kiwis – a team that, again, the World Champion Aussies couldn’t defeat this year.
As for the Pommy winger’s performances? Well, I’ll defer to the RLIF, who said: “Makinson has produced three excellent displays, scoring tries in Denver and Liverpool, creating tries at Hull and throughout he has been immense in defence.”
Is it so crazy to suggest that maybe, in winning three games, Makinson made more of an impression than Tedesco did in two games in which he had a 50 per cent rate of victory?
You’ll notice I didn’t give my own two cents on Makinson’s efforts, because I didn’t really see them beyond the highlights. Sort of compromises my credibility to have an opinion, I’ll admit.
But then, Freddy didn’t watch them either.
“I watched the highlights of the England game yesterday and just saw him score a couple of tries,” Fittler said this week.
“That’s all I’ve ever seen of him and he’s the best player in the world? I find it ridiculous.”
Look, it’s not an unreasonable misunderstanding on Freddy’s part, as the change in eligibility took effect for this year. But surely a student of the game would have worked out that something wasn’t the same when the four players nominated for the shortlist were Makinson, Tedesco, Elliott Whitehead and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
None of those players featured in the top five of this year’s Dally M Awards, or the top three of the Super League’s Man of Steel.
And, while I’d gladly have him in my team’s pack, you can probably work out it’s not an award for the best player in the world if Whitehead makes the top four.
Ultimately, a panel of independent judges – including The Roar’s very own Steve Mascord – made the decision. And while I’m sure none of them would claim to know half as much as Brad Fittler when it comes to rugby league, the fact they actually watched all the eligible games puts them in a better position than the legendary five-eighth to make a call on who deserved the award.
And I’m willing to suggest they made the right call.
HazzaPoint
Roar Rookie
Right or wrong, I've always considered the Golden Boot to be presented to the best League player in the world. looking at the majority of past winners, not many can argue with that. Why then change the rules for the Golden Boot? If it is for the Internationals only, call it the 'International' player of the year and maintain the Golden Boot as the best overall player based on each game they play throughout a 12 month period......
The Barry
Roar Guru
The award has been immensely devalued. Not because a Pom won it but because a winger did...
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
That's a fair call.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
A weak international scene? On the professional level we've just had an excellent Test series featuring England and New Zealand. Tonga finally got to play matches this year. On the amateur and semi-pro level, the France just won the European Cup. Wales and France just qualified for the next World Cup. Scotland bit the bullet and went with domestic players and unearthed a couple of decent semi-pro potential talents. The Americas are competing to qualify for the same World Cup soon. Chile is one of those competing nations who had to go through their own qualifying matches to reach this stage. The RLIF have been working hard with the limited resources they have to create a credible international scene. That scene has grown immensely over the last decade. For a number of reasons, the previous decades don't actually count except in the minds of those who want to think that international league is what it was 50 years ago. The RLIF may be an incompetent rabble but on their $1.50 an hour budget they have done a huge amount of positive work for the future of the code. Imagine if Australia and the NRL worked with them... but no, it's the outside world that is always wrong. Glebe? Yeah, I remember them.
Sammy
Guest
Why not ... to avoid confusion, to avoid devaluing the previous awards. The RLIF is actually the global governing body for the sport of rugby league and is responsible the development, organisation and governance of the sport including the Laws of the Game. The previous awards handed out by the RLIF reflected their role. The latest award handed out by the RLIF makes them appear as an events management company responsible for organising a few international matches between sovereign nations.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
Also, Sleiman, I’d be interested to know what is disingenuous about wanting a name change for an award, where the criteria has been amended significantly? Let’s look at the Dally M award as an example. Let’s say that the criteria for the Dally M is no longer judged over an entire season but rather on the Origin series only. Should it still be called the Dally M, and have the recipients sit alongside players who have excelled over an entire 26 rounds? With the Golden Boot we now have a situation where, let’s say Ata Hingano can have 2 blinders for Tonga and quite rightly win the award. As he was the best international player for that year. But should a guy who struggles to nail down a first grade spot, sit alongside guys who were named the best in the world, due to their excellence over an entire domestic season, representative season and international season?? As was the case with previous Golden Boot winners? It doesn’t make sense.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
I’m glad you know the RLIFs business, cause from afar it looks like they don’t really know what they are doing. Unless having a weak international scene, one that hasn’t grown in 5 decades, is a positive? Of course they aren’t in the business of propping up domestic leagues and tournaments. That’s because it’s the job of the domestic leagues and tournaments to prop up the international game. Flippping that dynamic would do wonders for the RLIF. But I wouldn’t hold my breath. They are an incompetent rabble. With their only fan being one Sleiman Azizi. Go Glebe!
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
As far as I am aware, the award is the property of the RLIF and they can do with it what they like. Given that their remit is international rugby league, why shouldn't they change the criteria of the award to reflect that?
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
The RLIF should have waited until the end of the third Test - to say nothing of the World Cup qualifying matches by lower-tiered nations coming up.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
If Australia can't find a way to play more Test per year, then we shouldn't worry about the award? The reward is clearly rewarding those who do play. If Australia can't or won’t play then too bad for them.
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I take disingenuous arguments to heart. The RLIF have every right to change what they have the rights to. They aren't in the business of propping up domestic leagues and tournaments. My only concern for the award is that the players from lower-tiered nations - who also play Test football - should also get a look in.
Cadfael
Roar Guru
They get changed all the time. Remember they changed the eligibility criteria for becoming an Immortal.
Big Daddy
Guest
Be interesting to see if they had a man of the series considering the award was made before the third test and the first two were fairly close.
Sammy
Guest
Surely the award for "Best International Player of the Calendar Year" should not have the same name as the award previously considered to be the "World's Best Player". In any case, some fine players have won the award in the past: 1984 Wally Lewis 1985 Brett Kenny 1986 Garry Jack 1987 Hugh McGahan & Peter Sterling 1988 Ellery Hanley 1989 Mal Meninga 1992 Garry Schofield 1999 Andrew Johns 2000 Brad Fittler 2001 Andrew Johns (2) 2002 Stacey Jones 2003 Darren Lockyer 2004 Andrew Farrell 2005 Anthony Minichiello 2006 Darren Lockyer (2) 2007 Cameron Smith 2008 Billy Slater 2009 Greg Inglis 2010 Benji Marshall 2011 Johnathan Thurston 2012 Kevin Sinfield 2013 Johnathan Thurston (2) 2014 Shaun Johnson 2015 Johnathan Thurston (3) 2016 Cooper Cronk 2017 Cameron Smith (2)
Big Daddy
Guest
Do you really think anyone outside of Australia, NZ and England would be considered for this award. Australia had to have their arm twisted to play Tonga. Outside of world cup we only play NZ once a year. There are probly 100 players better than makinson . If Freddie has a problem it should be with the NRL to play more matches. Australia's reluctance to play means the 8 ball. At the end of the day its only a trophy. Got better things to worry about than that.
eagleJack
Roar Guru
No, he deserves the award based on the criteria. Where playing 3 good games, from 3 Tests, gets you an award. Laughable but, hey, that’s international league where the Test calendar is extremely bear. But seeing as the criteria has completely changed, then the name Golden Boot must also be changed. That name is synonymous with the best player in the world, over multiple games, at multiple levels. In other words over a greater sample size than 3. I know you take any slight criticism of international league to heart, and I love your passion, but surely you can see the difference?
souvalis
Roar Rookie
If Freddie goes to Wikipedia he will see it has been updated with Tommy’s inclusion...and he will also laugh to read the recipient is judged as ‘best in the world ‘..
Sleiman Azizi
Roar Guru
I disagree. The RLIF's remit is international rugby league, not domestic leagues or tournaments.
Steve Franklin
Roar Rookie
Fittler only reads comic books or newspaper reading's of himself probably wouldn't even know what wikipedia was, so don't try and put too much into his brain at once or it might explode.
BA Sports
Roar Guru
Agree. It was the same as the Origin man of the series award - all though at least that is two teams playing each other. At the end of the day, the sample size is too small when we are talking about teams who are not all going head to head. A ridiculous decision to change the criteria of the award as it will now be diminished in prestige. Not because Johny Makin (or whatever hs name is) won it, but because it will now be judged on less than a handful of games compared to the traditional winners of the award who were judged on performance over 30+ games.