For those who don’t read Rugby League Week, Jarryd Hayne was voted the best player in the competition by fellow players in the competition.
Gaining 30% of the vote, Hayne beat Jonathan Thurston (21%) and Greg Inglis (18%) to the annual award.
Given Hayne’s brilliant performances for Parramatta this season, and his unforgettable efforts in Origin One and Two, it’s easy to see why the Eels custodian was the main man.
Hayne now sits just the one try behind fellow Eel Semi Radradra in the top try scoring charts, with 15, despite missing club games due to Origin.
The Eels number one’s genius also shines through in that he leads the competition in line breaks with 19, two ahead of his closest challenge, once again even tho he missed games due to the successful Blues campaign.
I can’t argue with the decision, and although some will, the Cowboy’s slow start to the season probably hurt Thurston’s polling numbers, as did Inglis’s mid season drop in form.
The only surprise in the poll was that the Manly halves pairing only attracted 7% of the votes. There’s a very real chance that in a few years, teammates DCE and Foran may be battling it out for the prize.
Players Back Carney
78% of the players polled said they wanted to see Todd Carney back in the game despite being sacked from three NRL clubs.
To be honest I don’t really have an opinion whether or not the Sharks got it wrong by terminating Carney’s contract earlier this year, although I do feel they had little choice.
Would I like to see him back in the NRL? Sure, but just not at the Sharks. Time to move on.
Laurie Talks To Pearce
Reports indicate Laurie Dailey has reached out to the man he overlooked for Origin duty this year to talk re holding onto the shield next season.
Pearce’s Origin record has been spoken about in great depth, and I find it a little weird that despite winning the series, including a series opener in Brisbane, that Daley is publicly speaking to a player who was not in the victorious halves combination from 2014.
Unless they are horribly out of form, surely the current Bulldog’s halves deserve a chance to defend the Shield they helped win.
The man who took over the number seven from Pearce scored the all important try in Origin Two, then took the ball back and calmly slotted the biggest conversion of his entire life without a care in the world.
There’s a lot of water to pass under the bridge before Origin next season, however I wonder how Hodkinson is feeling hearing Dailey is in talks with Pearce re next year’s series.
1 vs 2 at the SCG
As if tonight’s top of the table blockbuster didn’t have enough of a big game feel, the fact it will be played the SCG will only add to the occasion.
Anyone who has been to an NRL game at the cricket ground will tell you that there is a special atmosphere at the former home of Rugby League.
I’d be surprised if there weren’t a few neutral fans at the game, just to take in the occasion. It should be a brilliant game.
Manly in a close one for mine.
Broncos Clear Books For Boyd
If reports that the Broncos will shred up to a million dollars from their cap to make room for Bennett favourite Darius Boyd turn out to be true, it will be a big risk by those up North.
Boyd is without a doubt a star player, and has played under Bennett his entire career but his form in 2014 was not all that great.
Rumours that they may sacrifice youngster Dale Copley to bring the former Bronco back home would be outrageous if true.
Bennett knows what he is doing, but there will be a fair few nervous Broncos players, and fans in coming weeks and months.
One thing that looks for certain is that either Josh Hoffman or Ben Barba will be leaving the club.
Both have been linked to Canberra, however I doubt either will find it all that hard to find a new club should Bennett rule either, or both, surplus to requirements.
