The Following are finalists for player of the year:
Willem Alberts, Keegan Daniel, Bismarck du Plessis, Jannie du Plessis, Eben Etzebeth, Bryan Habana, Elton Jantjies, Siya Kolisi, Pat Lambie and JP Pietersen.
Jannie Du Plessis really? Jantjes? Daniel? Not a good advert for SA rugby! Anyway, my money is on Habana who seems to have found himself again, and looks to be the same player he was in 2007.
So much for all those clowns who keep telling me Jantjies is poor - keep banging that ignorant drum!!!
i would say ezebeth or habana, both had fantastic spXV seasons and both have preformed on the international stage give or take a few games for both, but habana was responsible for letting in a try or two, while ezebeth is as strong as an ox and about half as smart given the easy provocation from sharpie, so i would sign with habana too. habanas ar real game changer and without his individual brilliance in many occassions, Boks and stormers would have been worse of then they are/were.
bluebok
That list of nominees are really a bad reflection on SA Rugby standards. I would say the list should only cater for four names - namely JP Pietersen - Habana - Bismark Du Plessis and Etzebeth. The rest of the nominees are really not up to standard and the nominee of Jantjies was a joke perpretrated by Gavin Rich.
With Bismarck missing the end of the international campaign through injury and Pietersen in a similar situation - I would go for Habana in this case. Etxebeth should to my mind the newbie of the year.
@saffex,
i rate janties a lot, but theres no way anyone can say his SA player of the year award is based on merit, poor spXV season, a promising Bok start, but hardly groundbreaking and an average CC performance.
Surely Keegan Daniel gets it...It must be based on form throughout the year, not just for the Boks...
Saff your defence of Jantjes is doing nothing but klapping yourself in the face with a plank! Boklogic, Daniel has been good in both Super Rugby and in the Currie Cup, but as a Springbok he was out of his league. The player of the year has to perform well at the highest level, or else we could have the best school boy/ vodacom cup/varsity cup rugby player being nominated...you see where I am going with this. This is the BEST player in the country for the year, had Daniels performed well for the Boks, I would back him, but he didn't. I am with Clevermike here: Pietersen, Habana, Bizzie and Etzebeth....the rest are just making up the numbers.
Mike an dBluebok I think you are spot on. There are really only 4 contenders - Bissie, Etzebeth, JP and Habana.
Unfortunaltely a brilliant season cut short both JP and Bissie. I also think overall Habana should get it and Etzebeth some other award. Goosen was going great guns until the Super 5 injury.
I feel most for JP who was playing the rugby of his lfe and if not injured could well have won it.
"Daniel has been good in both Super Rugby and in the Currie Cup, but as a Springbok he was out of his league."
Thats rubbish. U dont rate a player on just 1 performance & Daniel was much better then that useless JacPot idiot who replaced him......... but even if u were right, is the award called "SA player of the year" or is it called "Springbok of the year"?
Habana should undoubtedly be SA player of the year, huge improvement this past year, back to 2007 form again. Not sure what people are smoking but Lambie should'nt be there at all, he has nothing done at international level when given the time to indicate whether he can play and hasn't delivered what is required at that level, Jantjies on the other hand is much more vibrant player and understands the game more on a broader extent. Stormers will defitnitely use him as a key player in the backline to operate. 2013 watch the space you lot!
Jalopy, check out my previous post, it is the best player in the country for the year....if the best player is not good enough to play for the Boks....then the logic is, he is not the best player in the country...pretty straight forward really.
No its not the best player in the country its the player who has "achieved most in the 2012 South African rugby season"
Not quite the same thing.
Who should win the SA Rugby Player of the Year award?
A Keo poll has rflected the fllowing
Unlikely results are Keegan and Kolisi. When you have flopped at internationa level it is hardly a recommendation for player of the year. Kolisi started well but faded out and then was injured.
No its between the top for we mentioned and Habana being the most likely winner.
My point exactly Beans. Habana has excelled at all levels of the game....Daniel, for example, has not!
To be fair to Keegan, the man is enormous for the Sharks but how can he be great for the Boks when he gets patches of game time. He knows he is always playing under a cloud when he puts the green jersey on because people are expecting him to fail due to his size.
He should be given 3 test matches in his preferred position and see how he goes. Not this 10 min here and a 1 off start there. How do you expect him to have confidence?
At the end of the day, the Boks do need to have some bigger guys there due to the game plan they adopt but I am just saying, we will never know Daniel's full potential as he is a yoyo to the bok selectors. Leave him with the Sharks rather.
Maar nou? Wat van Pierre?
On a serious note... you can't look further than Habanero and bigBen Etzebeth.
Boklogic Keegan started in a test match against England at Twicks. He made zero impression. I dont think Keegan, for all his heart, can cut it against class packs. The only possibility is as an impact player? He should have been a scrummie - would have been world class.
Anyhow I cant think Keegan has an chance of winning player of the year.
Daniel, like Schalk Brits was dealt below the belt blows by their Bok coaches. Daniel was played out of position at 8 for the Boks and was no worse than the rest of the Bok forwards that day.
To blow him out after one test was pathetic by Meyer. If Meyer had any brains he would be looking at Daniel as an impact player off the bench, much like average Jake should have done with Schalk Brits.
Deon Fourie springs to mind as another possible impact player. This notion that a 100kg forward is too small is just bullshit, especially as an impact player
snapster you seem to be getting a glimmer these days on small flankers. As an impact player perhaps a 100kg flanker could do job. As I have said - the best small flanker by the proverbial mile is Deon Fourie. He puts Brussouw and daniels and kolisi in the shade. Remember who first told you this? Remember the hoots of derision. Hahahahhahahaha
Frankly nobody deserves this trophy this year. Habana is the obvious candidate, but even he had a poor second half against NZ and a number of other spotty showings. Etzebeth was promising but hardly dominant. And wee Daniels is not for test rugby. Perhaps we should give it to Taute purely on the basis of an extraordinary accomplishment. Not since Wynand Olivier has a Bok centre contributed to three opposition tries.
If Etzebeth was not dominant then which international lock has been. I recall you telling us that good old Retalick (was his name mentioned once in that test) was better than Etzebeth in that last NZ test, for you told us that not even Etzebeth dominated his opposite number.........what a laugh that was, much like you telling us that Sharpe got the better of Etzebeth as well.
The obvious choice is Etzebeth as Habana was damn poor at stages of the season, so much so that many including myself, asked for his head. He has recently found form againt but for that last test
IT is a toss up between Habana and Etzebeth, but Saff, I don't agree with your last comment. Habana HAS had a good season, he wasn't only good in the last test. Don't get me wrong, he did have his fair share of below par games, but on the whole he has regained that X-factor that has allowed him to create magic out of nothing. I'd say Etzebeth is in much the same boat, he has been very good, but has also had a few bad games. Counting in his favour is the fact that he is young and has performed exceptionally well for a player his age, which in a way may have made him look better than he is. Still, a very strong contender.
Bryan or Eben - but they should just get half a cup! Both were outstanding AT TIMES but both had their moments as well. Habana lifted himself and was once agian a threat, but man this intercept thing drives me crazy. Everytime he does that he leaves a gaping hole in the defense. It is cool if it works, but it fails more than it works. Eben needs to trim the aggro just a little bit. His stunt with Sharpe could mark him and make referees look more closely at his play. As for the other players....maybe next time.
Clevermike i would agree with the 4 you said. I was a bit late to start voting but to there is only one player who gave 100 % every game and was probably the best fullback this year..Louis Ludik !
Guys on player of the year please explain to me how Jannie and "Earl" even got mentioned never mind selected to the list.
Daniels has put his life on the line in each and every game he has been involved in....to a lesser extent so has Habana. Two great players and individuals.
Daniels is one of the most underrated players in SA rugby...
No need to comment S..... we know your player of the year already.
In that game Etzebeth was no better than Retalick, who was the highest rated NZ tight forward:
4-Brodie Retalick - 7/10
Previously unseen brutish defence, with one such tackle lucky to avoid scrutiny. Second cab off the rank for the lineout but otherwise another assured match.
Nobody is saying he is a better prospect than Eben, but in that game Etzebeth was well contained. Etzebeth is one of those players who draws inflated marks. He looks the part, has a nice rugger player's demeanor and is the new thing. The fact is though, he got little change out of his more experienced Rugby Championship opponents.
At this stage he is no Bakkies.
