Official RBS Player of the Championship

So the official shortlist has been released and its a public vote, which will close on Wednesday night. Presumably with the winner being announced later in the week. The question is, will BODs adoring public vote him player of the tournament despite not even being the best Irish player this year out of those on the list? I will add a poll to this with the nominees so 606v2 can vote their player of the Six Nations.

http://www.rbs6nations.com/RBSPlayerOfTheChampionship

I would have voted for POM, but since he isn't there. It has to go to Mike Brown

Yeah it's strange that O'Mahony didn't make the cut. My only thought is because it's based on statistical analysis and he didn't make as many yards and carries as some other backrows.

Luther Burrell should have been in with a shout too!

tigertattie wrote:Luther Burrell should have been in with a shout too!

Agreed.

It's surprising to me too that Heaslip is in there ahead of POM. Heaslip's form was a bit up and down throughout the tournament, which is in great contrast to both of his consistently good back-row parters. It'll realistically be between Care, Brown, Sexton and BOD.

I've gone for Care but it's a tough call. Brown has been highly visible and outstandingly good but Danny has been at the heart of everything consistently all tournament and edges it for me.
Ther's a few on that list that have been outstanding.

It would be a travesty if Brown does not win.

From that list it would be Brown first, daylight second. Healy, Sexton, Trimble and Huget in the running for the minor places in my book.

Of the England players, I'd have liked to see more recognition of Lawes, Launchbury and Wood, who were all excellent throughout, but I guess there can only be a certain number of nominees and you have to get someone from each nation. I guess though they are too unglamourous (same for POC, who was his usual effective and combative self). Can't though argue with Care or Robshaw being shortlisted, and Farrell probably just made it to the list courtesy of his excellence in Rome.

Interesting to see 3 nominations for #8, which is a position I think most of us considered to not be outstanding this time. Indeed, the best performance from an 8 was probably Billy V in Paris - pity he broke down, although Morgan proved himself a good replacement.

dummy_half, its really weird to me that there are no second rows or tight heads on the list. In fact there are only 2 tight five forwards on the list, a ball-carrying loose head and a hooker!

If you've no tight head or a poor second row you're nowhere in this tournament so thats really disappointing for me.

Looks like there is a Scot and Italian just to make sure they don't feel left out.  

Lawes and Burrell were unlucky to get no recognition in my opinion.

Notch wrote:dummy_half, its really weird to me that there are no second rows or tight heads on the list. In fact there are only 2 tight five forwards on the list, a ball-carrying loose head and a hooker!

If you've no tight head or a poor second row you're nowhere in this tournament so thats really disappointing for me.

It's the glamour thing though isn't it? Backs and some back rows do lots of visible things whereas Mike Ross (for example) doesn't show up when he is doing his job well (which he most certainly did). Ireland's success was built on solid foundations in the set piece and maul ('choke' tackle), so the guys keeping the scrum together, lifting properly in the lineout and usually to be found at the heart of the mauls are a key element in the success. You only start to notice them when things are going wrong.

I would say Brown, Sexton, Launchbury in that order.

Much as I would love to vote for Andrew Trimble, it really has to be Mike Brown.

there doesnt seem to be a limit on the number of times you can vote...

Flip I voted for Sexton when I meant Trimble....anyways Mike Brown will get it so it doesn't matter.

Where`s Priestland!  

Torn between Brown and Sexton- maybe Sexton just edges it...

Four tries in the tournament from an OH is pretty special.

Only Irish OH to win the 6 nations, Heineken cup multiple times and Lions series. Very few players have done this. Stellar career and still only 28.

Mike Brown for me.

I am very surprise that it has not been given to Brian O'Driscol to be honest.

No Halfpenny? ridiculous.

It should go to BOD and you can be sure an Englishman will come 2nd.

Well Trimble was the best player on the best team - Brown was the best player in the second best but with the biggest voting population. It's a no brainer.

Found it really tough to pick between Brown and Care but I chose Care. It was his control of the England backs that had defending sides guessing and that sort of freed Brown up somewhat.

I would say that Brown will get it but for me it was Care's great return to form that balanced out the English team and made them a very potent attacking force.

Sexton was brilliant in open play but his goal kicking let him down.

Brown for me, Sextons kicking from the floor was at times poor. I don't think there was an area of Browns game that wasn't top notch.

Feckless Rogue wrote:Sexton was brilliant in open play but his goal kicking let him down.

His goal kicking in oressure games is becoming an issue. He missed vital kicks on the weekend, same as what he did against New Zealand.

Does Ireland have any other good kickers?

Ian Madigan of Leinster and JJ Hanrahan of Munster (one to watch) have excellent success rates but haven't really done it on the big stage yet.

Sexton's not a world-class kicker but 80% (for the 6N) isn't dreadful, and the kicking-orientated nature of the Top 14 might be a blessing in this regard.

Ireland has the problem that right now Madigan is our best kicker, but only our third best out half- kind of mercurial and unreliable. Sexton and Jackson are great players but their kicking can let them down.

McFadden is a good kicker but its hard to see him as a definite starter by any means.

The problem for Ireland is the knock out matches in the RWC next year, when it comes to knock out matches, goal kicking becomes vital, and Sexton seems to struggle in those important matches.

Think Sexton the kicker is prone to lapse in big games... which is pretty much what the last few comments have summarised. On monumental, historical occasions for Ireland (playing to beat the All Blacks; winning a rare 6N title) his posture indicates that he's all too self-conscious about the role he's expected to play.

Are there any other starters that can kick? (other than the 10 spot)

No, just McFadden. McFadden won't let us down at all whether he plays centre or wing but I think there are better options- certainly I'd be having McFadden on the Bench as an additional kicker to come in if necessary.

Back when Leinster won their first ERC I remember Sexton being excellent kicker. Is that my failing memory or has he faltered or was he in the zone for that period?

Perhaps it's just a confidence thing that will come back with a few more games with Ireland. At times it looked like he was taking an age to take the kick.

Yeah, he was and he has done it before. I wouldn't write him off based on this quite yet, its something he can work on.

Is there really a need for a shortlist if Priestland oops sorry Brown doesn't win it then there is no justice at all.

I don't really get the point of it being an open vote. When someone could with the aid of an ip switcher vote for there fav player 10000 times.

The world and there dog knows it's brown.

The players or a panel should vote.

mystiroakey wrote:I don't really get the point of it being an open vote. When someone could with the aid of an ip switcher vote for there fav player 10000 times.

The world and there dog knows it's brown.

The players or a panel should vote.

Correct. Although I'd like to just get shot of the tainted RBS as a suitable tournament sponsor.

But in sincerity, a players' player vote would probably be a more satisfying prize for the winner.
The host broadcaster's MoM awards have become cruelly exposed as a joke.

Lol. I am on my phone at the moment waiting for one of my Irish engineers to wash padies day out of his system and get in my car. So I tested the site and was able to vote twice for brown.

Joke of an award under this system

By the way my top 4.

Care, Trimble ,brown and Sexton

Not in that order. Brown top. The rest equal second.

I have gone for Care for two reasons
1) he made a huge difference to England play speeding things up nicely
2) he reminded us what a real SH does

Care is huge to england . Hopefully youngs can either come close replicating it if we need a replacement or we need to find someone else fast..

I can't disagree with anyone picking care. But brown was just immense .he turns the territory over like no other allowing care to play in more forward positions.

Both scored tries as well. Great lines in attack

Not sure about brown. It was, after all, his defensive lapse that cost England the tournament and a grandslam.

Yohan Huget for me.

Mike Brown hands down stood head and shoulders above any other player this year, a vast contrast on last years showing, on improvement alone this kid deserves all the acolades he gets, lets just hope he is not spoiled by any media attention ala Henson, or built up to be the next saviour like Twelvetrees was.

Brown by quite a distance really. Other players had good or great tournaments but Brown was on another level.

Its a toss up between Brown, Sexton, Huget and BOD. Huget was probably the best player, Brown the most improved and Sexton & BOD the most influential on winning the tournament so it could go to any of them really.

You're still not seeing why people rate Brown then Guns? BOD has been a legend but he hasn't been the best centre let alone player.

LordDowlais wrote:Mike Brown hands down stood head and shoulders above any other player this year, a vast contrast on last years showing, on improvement alone this kid deserves all the acolades he gets, lets just hope he is not spoiled by any media attention ala Henson, or built up to be the next saviour like Twelvetrees was.

I think the diff is that Brown took an age to get there. The guy was written off by everyone including myself for years. I doubt anyone cares about him outside of rugby mind.  Still he's not a sponsorship dream....  not exactly Trevor Brennan in the looks department is he!!!

If BOD even got in team of the tournament it would be for sentimental reasons only.  Even worse would be for player of the year award.