ENGLAND PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Geoff parling,Tom Youngs and Joe launchbury have been nominated for the inaugural award.
The winner will be announced 23rd may.

From a neutral then thats a good list, all 3 impressed me during the 6 Nations, Parling and Launchbury especially.

If I had a vote then Launchbury would get mine.

No Robshaw? He's been outstanding....his moral is going to be shot...not shortlisted and no lion's...

No backs either,that tells its own story!!!

Think Parling for me. Thought he was going to be very much second fiddle to Launchbury but he's shown his experience and surpassed him this year. One of the only players to come out of Wales with his reputation enhanced and fully deserves his Lions tour.

Wendy

Yup, it does...hopefully Lancs latest interview highlighting Wade May, Eastmond etc is a sign that the penny has dropped with him that we need an attack aswell...

We live in hope and expectation.

No 7&1/2 wrote:Think Parling for me. Thought he was going to be very much second fiddle to Launchbury but he's shown his experience and surpassed him this year. One of the only players to come out of Wales with his reputation enhanced and fully deserves his Lions tour.

Agreed I think he may well rise to the top of the pile and be a key figure in the tests

GeordieFalcon wrote:No Robshaw? He's been outstanding....his moral is going to be shot...not shortlisted and no lion's...

I agree. He should be on the list and should have made the Lions. Hopefully the disapointment will make him more hungry as he is a good role model for the game.

Joe launchbury won player of the year.

sickofwendy wrote:Joe launchbury won player of the year.

Best awards you can get, those voted for by your peers.

Parling has been the most consistent this year with the other 2 showing great promise in some games before fading badly in other matches.

Parling is the lineout captain and he gets loads of accolades but England's lineout has never seemed dominant with him and in fact they had the worst success rate of any team in the 6N.

When Leicester played Toulon in the HC QF Croft ruled the roost... when he went off injured Parling couldn't keep up the standard and they lost dominance and the game thereafter.

Frak hell it's been a kick in the teeth end of season for Robshaw, gives England his all gets multiple MoM awards and never ever stops working even in our worst games and for that he get's no Lion tour, no summer tour, no public recognition and not a single mention at the end of year awards. What a way to treat your captain and one of your best players.

Agree Yappy, cant work it out...should have won it at a canter...

Yes I agree with that too Yappy. Robshaw should have had some recognition - they must have looked after him at club end of season.

You could have given Launchbury an england break through season award.

For the 7's Dan Norton won - but thought that he was injured for a large part of it - definately makes an impact when he plays though.

Womens 7's - Emily Scarrett. Fair enough, but thought that big ginger lass is the main strike weapon for England (in 15's too) Jo Watmore.

I don't mind him not winning, but not even making the short list is a joke, especially when the players there aren't exactly world beaters and all have had their dodgy games.

Do you really think he cares about an RPA award?? If it does affect his confidence I would be seriously worried about whether he has the mental aptitude to captain England. The Lions is understandable but the view that Robshaw will be licking his wounds because of not being nominated is a joke.

the straw that breaks the camels back perhaps.... he takes a lot of grief from pundits. Gets MOTM awards aplenty yet doesn't get recognition... so much so with some good AI performances I would expect him to get on the shortlist for the IRB world player of the year awards.

I myself have often queried his selection before he became part of the England set up and started to put in those massive performances. Gatland will one day regret not taking him in my opinion.

No one is immune to bad press.

Not being nominated for an award is barely bad press.....

This really should not be considered as a knock back, I agree that he has played equally well to all the nominees but its barely kicking a man while he's down. The coaches always wax lyrical about Robshaw and the fact he is captain of the side surely must put to bed any doubts that he isnt appreciated, if that doesnt what will?

The lions selection I understand but there is still a chance he will get on the tour and if any flankers do unfortunately go down injured he looks likely to be the first man to get a call. Look down the years at the likes of Martin Corry in '01 for example injury call ups can go on to make the test team and have their reputations enhanced massively.

The accumulation of being snubbed might affect Robshaw but the award itself certainly won't. The fact that he's captain is moot, the fact that Lancaster has given his captaincy, whilst he is (probably rightly, though it kills his likelihood of being called up as Lions cover IMO) rested, to the man he wanted to give it to before Robshaw will be worrying for him. Wood goes well on tour with Chris unable to play himself back into form as he is rested combined with Croft having a good Lions Tour will likely see Wood the new captain and 7 and Robshaw dropped in the Autumn. So he will rightly have doubts in that area.

However, when he has been snubbed before his reaction has been to sulk for a week or so then to be the best player in the Premiership and when he has been criticised he has shown up his critics with a big performance so it won't affect his confidence. He won't go as a replacement for the Lions though, I think

Pre the Wales game both Farell and Robshaw mustve been odds on favourites!!!

Parling nicks it for me, Youngs has had an explosive entry to test rugby, allbeit mediocre one for me, Launchbury has been excellent, and is the true quality of the lock pairings but Parlings form and determination has been unrivalled. I as well as everyone else thought Launchbury was going to be the star of the England pack this season (as I think Lindsay will be soon) but Parlings ability to mix his game up has been incredible, he isn't the most brutal, talented or wanted locks, but he has had the type of season where he hasn't made a mistake and everything he touches turns to gold!

Thing is Robshaw didn't have that bad a game against Wales, certainly no more than the other England forwards, even had a decent first half, so that can't have swayed things! His club form since (well, the 2 matches he played) might but they were not for England (possibly swayed Gatland though, and mixed with injury, fair enough)

ChequeredJersey wrote:Thing is Robshaw didn't have that bad a game against Wales, certainly no more than the other England forwards, even had a decent first half, so that can't have swayed things! His club form since (well, the 2 matches he played) might but they were not for England (possibly swayed Gatland though, and mixed with injury, fair enough)

I actually think he Cole an Parling were very good first half V Wales and decent 2nd half when a lot of the pack fell to peices!

I think Gatland was more swayed by the thought of not taking the other 3 captains rather than performances, before the Wales game I had Robshaw as man of the tournament!

You think he thought too many captains would spoil the broth?

ChequeredJersey wrote:You think he thought too many captains would spoil the broth?

Maybe, it is a bit of a coincidence that he selects a very young captain who has led a very Wales heavy tour, then leaves out the other 3 captains, of which were all huge shocks not to travel and IMHO all were in prime position for the test spots!

But then with the likes of POC, BOD, Jenkins, Hartley, AWJ, Heaslip etc who have all captained their clubs why would selecting the other 3 be an issue? I honestly couldn't provide you with an answer.

Isn't Heaslip the Irish captain and touring though?

ChequeredJersey wrote:Isn't Heaslip the Irish captain and touring though?

Behind POC, BOD and Best captained Heaslip this year didn't he? Either way I think all 3 of Best, Robshaw and Brown have suffered through the odd mistake and the idea of 'harder grounds'