Halfpenny gets IRB player of the year

I would just like to congratulate Leigh Halfpenny for receiving the IRB player of the year award. Player of the 6 nations, player of the lions and now this, not bad for a guy released from the Ospreys a few seasons ago for being to small!

Thoroughly deserved. what a professional.

I think you've misread it, it wasn't the IRB player of the year reward he received this evening.

What you mean Saint?

Why would they announce IRB player of the year just as the Autumn Internationals are just Starting????

TIGGER017 wrote:What you mean Saint?

Welcome to the forum tigger.

Leigh Halfpenny won International Player of the Year at the Midi Olympique Rugby Oscars this evening in Paris, which isn't IRB player of the year (the one everyone cares about). I'm not even sure what this award at the Oscars is about.

Sorry lads! I just read the tweets from the Cardiff Blues ect! I haven't heard of the rugby Oscars either Saint!

he ll prob win it tiger . i doubt you get good odds

In terms of consistency of performance I think there are 3 clear above the rest...1/2p, Ben Smith and K Read. If the method of selecting is still the way it used to be the- the panel of greatness award points for every test played, two NZ guys will cancel each other out where 1/2p stands out like a lighthouse in the NH and was probably edging the other two anyway. So I'd say he has it in the bag already.

Sure Mike Brown will be player of the year now?

GloriousEmpire wrote:Sure Mike Brown will be player of the year now?

Owen Farrell.

10 posts before it got recycled back into the gutter...well done...

Halfpenny was good yes but Ben Smith has been extraordinary as the NH will find out this autumn . Would be suprised if they gave it to Halfpenny though . Kieran Read has been another phenomenal player this year and should really be the winner

It was predicted by many that halfpenny would get the IRB player of the year award.

Lions tour, biggest event of the calendar year. He made the difference.

Halfpenny I think is one of the best players in the world. I feel pretty comfortable mentioning him in the same breath as Carter, McCaw et al.

I cannot remember the last time I saw him have a poor game in an international test match.

TIGGER017 wrote:I would just like to congratulate Leigh Halfpenny for receiving the IRB player of the year award. Player of the 6 nations, player of the lions and now this, not bad for a guy released from the Ospreys a few seasons ago for being to small!

This comment though is symptomatic of Welsh rugby. It's the same reason that Scott Williams can't shift Roberts at 12.

An over emphasis seems to be placed on physicality rather than guile.

Bullsbok wrote:Halfpenny was good yes but Ben Smith has been extraordinary as the NH will find out this autumn . Would be suprised if they gave it to Halfpenny though . Kieran Read has been another phenomenal player this year and should really be the winner

I dont think the "NH" need to wait to November to understand how good Ben Smith has been. His strike rate this year has been crazy good.

Too bad for Ben Smith he's now struggling at centre. For me its Keiran Read. McCaw move on we have our new captain.

Kieran Read would be my player of the year, despite what Halfpenny has achieved.

I can't look past Ben Smith myself, everything he has touched this season has turned to gold, it's been one of those seasons where he could literally do no wrong, the AB's even want to test his metal by shipping him to 13.

Read has been good, hard to see anything North has done wrong, Le Roux and Du Plessis have been awesome too.

I thuink 1/2p gets a huge amount of credit for his goal kicking, which is awesome, but lions 3rd test aside his infeild play hasn't been that great that i've seen, he has knocked himself out a few times because his heart is bigger than his brain, but ball in hand he hasn't been great.

For me Smith takes the lot, followed by 1/2p's superb kicking displays.

butterfingers wrote:I can't look past Ben Smith myself, everything he has touched this season has turned to gold, it's been one of those seasons where he could literally do no wrong, the AB's even want to test his metal by shipping him to 13.

Read has been good, hard to see anything North has done wrong, Le Roux and Du Plessis have been awesome too.

I thuink 1/2p gets a huge amount of credit for his goal kicking, which is awesome, but lions 3rd test aside his infeild play hasn't been that great that i've seen, he has knocked himself out a few times because his heart is bigger than his brain, but ball in hand he hasn't been great.

For me Smith takes the lot, followed by 1/2p's superb kicking displays.

I think it would be a massive kick in the teeth if 1/2p were to get it purely for his kicking displays tbh . Morne steyn kicked 42 in a row in that super season in 2009 and didnt even get nominated . If theres a Welsh player to get it , should be George North

butterfingers wrote:I can't look past Ben Smith myself, everything he has touched this season has turned to gold, it's been one of those seasons where he could literally do no wrong, the AB's even want to test his metal by shipping him to 13.

Read has been good, hard to see anything North has done wrong, Le Roux and Du Plessis have been awesome too.

I thuink 1/2p gets a huge amount of credit for his goal kicking, which is awesome, but lions 3rd test aside his infeild play hasn't been that great that i've seen, he has knocked himself out a few times because his heart is bigger than his brain, but ball in hand he hasn't been great.

For me Smith takes the lot, followed by 1/2p's superb kicking displays.

You could argue the same reasoning that Ben Smith is recognised because of his try scoring record at the moment. Halfpenny on the other hand has been consistently good for both Wales and the Blues and he contributed a lot towards the Lions series win.

I still think Read should win because he has just been outstanding this season.

The player of the year award is subjective.

I have never really paid much attention to it.

I think he's in 2nd place after Ben Smith myself... all depends on performances this series by all concerned.

IronMike wrote:

butterfingers wrote:I can't look past Ben Smith myself, everything he has touched this season has turned to gold, it's been one of those seasons where he could literally do no wrong, the AB's even want to test his metal by shipping him to 13.

Read has been good, hard to see anything North has done wrong, Le Roux and Du Plessis have been awesome too.

I thuink 1/2p gets a huge amount of credit for his goal kicking, which is awesome, but lions 3rd test aside his infeild play hasn't been that great that i've seen, he has knocked himself out a few times because his heart is bigger than his brain, but ball in hand he hasn't been great.

For me Smith takes the lot, followed by 1/2p's superb kicking displays.

You could argue the same reasoning that Ben Smith is recognised because of his try scoring record at the moment. Halfpenny on the other hand has been consistently good for both Wales and the Blues and he contributed a lot towards the Lions series win.

I still think Read should win because he has just been outstanding this season.

Thats actually a really good point I hadn't considered, Maybe I'm starting to reconsider.

Little point I'd like to put out there, last AI Wales were to play without Adam Jones, and struggled throughout, he has become probably the stand out tight head on the planet, contributing to all 3 tests on the lions, Wales 6N win etc... I dislike that players like this don't sometimes get the credit they deserve. If Wales have a good AI and Adam demolishes scrums as he has been doing for the last few seasons does he not deserve to be named on the list?

Bravo

How can a full back or winger be the best player in the world when their when they have less input on games compared to back row forwards, scrum halfs, fly halfs and centres. I also feel front row and second row forwards never get the credit in awards that they deserve. Ben Smith is world class but to be fair he's in the long list of wingers in new Zealand who given the chance could finish like him and halfpenny is a really good kicker but so is dan bigger and dan carter so for me K Reid or Adam Jones deserve this the most