SBW in line for accolade

[Guest]

Rugby League International Federation International Player of the Year and 2013 Jack Gibson Medal winner Sonny Bill Williams has been nominated for the 2013 Golden Boot Award, presented by the Rugby League World magazine.

SBW is one of six nominees for the game's most sought-after prize alongside Australia trio Cooper Cronk, Cam Smith and Johnathan Thurston, with Egnlish and Rabbitohs forward Sam Burgess and English Super League Man of Steel Danny Brough.

"It's the one award that every player wants to win and one of the biggest in the world," Roosters coach Trent Robinson said.

"The fact he's been acknowledged with all of these nominations and also the wins he's already had is a great reflection of just how big an impact he's had in his first season back in rugby league."

"It's a great group of nominees and all of us here at the Roosters wish him the best."

Last year's winner Kevin Sinfield missed out on being nominated for the prize judged by international rugby league media on a five, three and one point basis.

Good stuff SBW..

[Guest]

From all the nominees based on this seasons form which it is actually based off, SBW should win comfortably.

[Guest]

"Judged by international media" you can guarantee smh won't be voting for him hahaha

[Hawkeye]

These Golden Boot awards have a habit of going to poms. Don't be surprised if Sammy Squirrel gets the award ...he did play well in the WC, so that would be fresh in the minds of the judges !

[Guest]

I think JT made a pretty good case for himself over in the UK. What was it , 4 mom awards . As great as Sonny is, JT is right up there

[ism22]

These Golden Boot awards have a habit of going to poms. Don't be surprised if Sammy Squirrel gets the award ...he did play well in the WC, so that would be fresh in the minds of the judges !

If it did, would this be the first year that Dally M, international player of the year and Golden Boot went to different people?

I reckon some QLD wanka will get it... although none of them contributed enoughto make a GF.

The media don't seem to consider that even with their favourite sons around (Burgess brothers, GI, Gronk, Smith, Slater, JT, Tate, Thaiday, Boyd...etc) we STILL won with what they'd consider an inferior team of outcasts and unknowns. Set aside the fact you NEED Bellamy/Wayne to win a premiership.

We've been dudded by the awards but everybody knows the only award that's worth anything is the premiership rings.

[Parkway_Drive]

Yeah.... Sonny should get it but I think JT will win the award.

Interesting point raised by ISM.. I was speaking with Jake this morning at the BBQ and said to him I personally thought he should have been awarded the CCM in the GF. He said the boys won the big prize and he got the one that counts being the Premiers Ring.

[SConcierge]

Based on breaking games open leading a team to winning games over an entire season and taking a team as far as it can go, it has to be SBW but it wont.

[Tommy Smith]

Why would Thurston win it?

He hasn't been capable of taking his Cowboys team to a GF in 8 years. And they've only made the finals about 50% of the time. Pretty average for someone the media disgustingly like to pump up as a future immortal.

In my mind he's not even close, NOT EVEN CLOSE, to Freddy Fittler and yet the tireless media dick sucking of the QLD golden boys and how they're all future Immortals makes me want to vomit. Along the same line I expect him to win the Golden Boot.

[Guest]

Why would Thurston win it?

He hasn't been capable of taking his Cowboys team to a GF in 8 years. And they've only made the finals about 50% of the time. Pretty average for someone the media disgustingly like to pump up as a future immortal.

In my mind he's not even close, NOT EVEN CLOSE, to Freddy Fittler and yet the tireless media dick sucking of the QLD golden boys and how they're all future Immortals makes me want to vomit. Along the same line I expect him to win the Golden Boot.

Luckily good rugby league judges look at more than how many GF's someone has won. For the record Thurston won SOO, World Cup (which he was arguably the best player at) and his team, with half the quality roster of ours, went well into the finals.

I won't argue if SBW or JT get it but to say he (Thurston) doesn't deserve it is ridiculous. And I am sorry to say he is easily up there with Lockyer and Fittler.

The anti Qld sentiment makes me laugh... It's the same sentiment we crave from other fans of clubs we have success. How good it is to be a Chook and a Qlder.

[Tommy Smith]

Well into the finals???????????

Easily up there with Fittler? Aside from goalkicking, name me one thing he does on the same level as Freddy. JT has never lifted his team to much success at club level ... at Origin level surrounded by greats and not facing Johns, Freddy and co, well that's easy pickings for a truly world class player.

But he isn't in Freddy's league. Just picturing our team from 96-04 with Thurtson instead of Freddy. Not even close to the same level of consistency and dominance for long periods.

Johns, Freddy and to a slightly lesser degree Lockyer were true titans because they took their club teams deep into the finals every year. Whereas JT, with a quality team (the Aussie front row anyone?) hasn't even made a dent since 2005. Fittler's team didn't miss the finals. JT has been happy to make them half the time.

So again, name me one thing he does even close to Freddy's level. I'll give a short kicking game. That's it. Passing, running, defence, leadership ... not even a contest.

[Tommy Smith]

Moral of the story, if I have to read another article stating how Inglis, Slater, Smith and Thurston are ALL certain future Immortals ... really? Well then welcome to Immortal status Freddy, Sterlo, Kenny, Daley, Alfie, Lockyer just to name a recent few greats.

People place far too much credence on the gimmick that is SOO. Club football is 100x more important. Players earn their paychecks at club level. I would take 1 Premiership over an infinite number of Origin series. And yet people could care less about JTs lack of dominance at club level because he plays well against a dogshit NSW team 3 games a year.

Hilarious.

[Guest]

Well into the finals???????????

Easily up there with Fittler? Aside from goalkicking, name me one thing he does on the same level as Freddy. JT has never lifted his team to much success at club level ... at Origin level surrounded by greats and not facing Johns, Freddy and co, well that's easy pickings for a truly world class player.

But he isn't in Freddy's league. Just picturing our team from 96-04 with Thurtson instead of Freddy. Not even close to the same level of consistency and dominance for long periods.

Johns, Freddy and to a slightly lesser degree Lockyer were true titans because they took their club teams deep into the finals every year. Whereas JT, with a quality team (the Aussie front row anyone?) hasn't even made a dent since 2005. Fittler's team didn't miss the finals. JT has been happy to make them half the time.

So again, name me one thing he does even close to Freddy's level. I'll give a short kicking game. That's it. Passing, running, defence, leadership ... not even a contest.

All the skills of the game JT is pretty much there with Freddy. Freddy gets him in defence obviously and the backrow style running Freddy was capable of. JT can finesse better than Freddy ie short kicking and some aspects of ball playing. Totally different players but skills wise they're both there and there abouts, and on their day as great as each other.. And yes I would have Freddy any day of the week but to say JT is nowhere near his league is way off the mark.

How can you compare club history, on the basis of JT playing with Australian front rowers? I am not going to go into the whole comparing rosters things, but surely you can't compare what JT has played with to those Freddy played with, or Lockyer for that matter? Throw in NQ having to win in Sydney, you can't expect JT to do with his teams what Freddy or Lockyer did with their teams. JT has never had a rep half as his partner (Lam, Wing and Finch), he's never had a backrow of Fletcher, Fitzgibbon and Ricketson. He's had Bowen and the last two years AUSSIE front rowers... He played this year with 5 different regular hookers, 3 different regular halfbacks at club. Those reasons you can never compare their club history of Freddy in 2000's with Thurston.

Same for Origin. You say the QLD guys never played best NSW teams, well Freddy never played best QLD team either. It's irrelevant trying to compare them over totally different periods.

Facts are facts, what JT did on field whether it be with QLD, NQ or Australia THIS YEAR he is just as deserving as SBW. Which was the original response I made to you saying those two players were worlds apart this year.

[Guest]

Moral of the story, if I have to read another article stating how Inglis, Slater, Smith and Thurston are ALL certain future Immortals ... really? Well then welcome to Immortal status Freddy, Sterlo, Kenny, Daley, Alfie, Lockyer just to name a recent few greats.

People place far too much credence on the gimmick that is SOO. Club football is 100x more important. Players earn their paychecks at club level. I would take 1 Premiership over an infinite number of Origin series. And yet people could care less about JTs lack of dominance at club level because he plays well against a dogshit NSW team 3 games a year.

Hilarious.

Stop reading the DT then mate... It's crap if you hadn't heard. Same with 9 commentators trying to dress up their product. Face value...

[Guest]

I think he deserves all the accolades.

There is no one in the game that carries the profile he does, Sam Burgess sort of does but not to the degree of SBW & as far as Im concerned SBW has showed everyone that he has the goods & turns up to play pretty much every game, he thoroughly deserves it.

He should get the Golden boot player of the year. The guy was under enormous pressure to succeed back in League & he fully delivered.