The 2013 season was one that seemed to go on forever. It had its fair share of controversy and a number of awe inspiring moment that will be remembered for a very long time.
As a World Cup year 2013 carried more weight than other seasons. The opportunity to be crowned World Champions is something that doesn’t come around every day. While the King Of Rugby League Awards takes into account every single game played at every level through the entire year, performing on the world stage is a big factor in who wins the award.
The beauty of the King Of Rugby League Awards is that there are no politics at play here. No one has been awarded for PR purposes. Votes can’t be bought to sell a few more tickets. Winners are not named because it helps magazine sales.
Here are the winners of the 2013 King Of Rugby League Awards:
Biggest Story: The ASADA Investigation
It rocked the game in 2013. The ramifications for the ASADA investigation will be felt for many years to come. We have already seen the fallout start with one player banned, more to follow, and the Cronulla Sharks facing a huge fine. I tend to think things will get a lot worse before they start to get better.
Either way, this was a wake up call the game needed.
Rookie Of The Year: George Burgess
While he did have a few moments of controversy to overcome, you can’t overlook the impact that George Burgess had in his first season. Forwards normally get better as they get older but Burgess always makes an impact off the bench with his uncompromising running style. Close to the line he is almost unstoppable.
Team Of The Year: Australian Kangaroo’s
Unbeaten all year in a World Cup year. That is an unbelievable achievement. The Kangaroo’s saved their best for last with one of the most dominant performances in the 2013 World Cup final I have ever seen. It wasn’t as though New Zealand played poorly. They tried hard for the full 80 minutes. However Australia were so good in defense that they just stifled the Kiwi’s and ran away with the World Cup title.
Representative Player Of The Year: Cameron Smith
Captained Queensland to State Of Origin success, then captained Australia to World Cup success. By the time Cameron Smith retires his list of accolades will be up there with many of the games all time greatest players.
The 2013 King Of Rugby League Award: Greg Inglis
When I watch Greg Inglis play the game he looks like he is on a completely different level to the players around him.
Whether it is in attack or defense, Inglis has a massive effect on the game. We have seen him pull off some huge tackles this season as well as some try savers. One memorable moment this year was watching Keiran Foran break the South Sydney line and immediately look for Inglis knowing that if he was blind sided, he was in trouble.
In winning the 2013 King Of Rugby League Award Greg Inglis joins Andrew Johns and Billy Slater as the only players to have won the award in back-to-back seasons. He also becomes one of just four players to have won the award twice.
To view previous award winners click here: The King Of Rugby League Awards
