BHQ RL Poll Results - Players

[Ari Gold]

Who is the best centre in the game? (Please base only on performances since 2013)

32 votes for this one and it was actually a majority victory for our winner, which was slightly surprising.

Jamie Lyon (18 votes) does his best Brett Stewart impersonation.

Other Votes
Justin Hodges - 6
Copley, Josh Morris - 2
Tate, Walker, Matai, Chambers - 1

My Verdict: I voted for Lyon. I think he's been the best in the game the past couple of years but at the same time I think that title is about to be passed over to someone like Dylan Walker or Konrad Hurrell.

My WTF Moment: Will Chambers and Dale Copley and Josh Morris and Brent Tate. I mean, really? Even Hodges is a bit of a stretch given criteria, but he at least has the reputation to explain it. Copley a pretty shocking choice but at least bias can explain it. How do you justify Chambers?

 

[Big Pete]

Lyon has been the best centre of the past two years but I voted Walker due to my 2014 exclusive bias.

Don't hate the Tate, Ari.

 

[Ari Gold]

If Brent Tate is the best centre of any year in any format of the game I'll stop loving Anna Kendrick.

 

[Big Pete]

He's certainly been in the conversation and I could make a case for 2006.



Annie are you okay?

 

[Ari Gold]

The thing that sets Lyon apart from virtually every other centre in the game is that he knows how to set up his winger and it is actually his preferred choice rather than going himself all the time. This is a syndrome I see in way too many centres, including Hodges and especially Tate and Copley.

It's why I think Dylan Walker is likely going to take over, because he has that same instinct. I mentioned Hurrell's name because he improved a lot in that regard this year. He's an absolutely devastating ball runner but he's learnt to set up his winger. Fisiiahi scored 4 tries in a game earlier this year and I'm fairly sure Hurrell threw the final pass in 3 of them.

 

[Ari Gold]

Who is the best player in the game? (Please base only on performances since 2013)

25 votes for this one, with our winner taking 9 votes. Much like the recent NRL.com rankings, our #1 was:

Cameron Smith, who is clearly ecstatic with this honour.

Other Votes
Thurston - 6
Inglis - 5
Hayne - 4
DCE - 1

My verdict: I went Smith too. He's just the complete footballer and an amazing leader to boot. Couldn't really argue with the other votes though... well, except one.

My WTF moment: DCE. Best in the game? Maybe one day, but today, just no.

Best Fullback and Best Halfback results to come. Though with the way the votes went in this poll, perhaps we already know the results?

 

[Ari Gold]

Still fullback and halfback to go but thought I'd get a quick one out of the way tonight.

Who is the fastest player in the game?

25 votes here, but the one that everyone was quick to vote for was...


James Roberts - 14 votes

Other Votes
Jake Mamo - 3
Marika Koroibete, Shaun Johnson - 2
Slater, Fisiiahi, Tedesco, Hayne - 1

My Verdict: Only Usain Bolt could catch James Roberts.

My WTF Vote: Billy Slater. Hasn't been fast for a number of years now. I wouldn't even say he has game breaking speed, let alone be the fastest in the game.

 

[Mr Fourex]

So he's pretty fast. What else is wrong with him?

He's been at 3 clubs now and tbh....late this season is the first I'd heard of him.

 

[Ari Gold]

So he's pretty fast. What else is wrong with him?

He's been at 3 clubs now and tbh....late this season is the first I'd heard of him.

Surprised he's new to you. He's amazingly fast, probably the fastest I've ever seen in the game.

His issue is not talent, it's alcohol. Pretty sure Souths let him go because of it and Penrith definitely did. Has Origin level talent if he can get his head on right, though being at the Titans certainly won't help. Would have had a stellar year IMO had he remained with Penrith.

 

[Big Pete]

This may sound like a strange comparison but Roberts reminds me of Taumalolo in the sense that it feels like he's been on the scene for ages but realistically he's only 21 years old and has plenty of years left in him.

When I was putting the Titans team-list together he was the one player who I thought could make a huge difference. As far as speed goes - the Titans must rank up there with Gordon, Mead, Roberts & Kelly on their books.

 

[ningnangnong]

Still fullback and halfback to go but thought I'd get a quick one out of the way tonight.

GOOD ONE, ARI.

 

[Ari Gold]

Been a bit slack with this but will finish it off before 4N

Who is the best fullback in the game?

34 votes for this one, with 3 #1's polling votes. But the #1 that claimed the most votes to be the #1 #1 in the game is:

Greg Inglis (19 votes)

Other Votes
Jarryd Hayne - 14
Billy Slater - 1

My Verdict: I voted Hayne here. Inglis is a more damaging runner but as all round player I think Hayne has the edge. He also seemed over the last 2 years that he's been more consistent than GI, who is amazing at his best but not at his best as often as Hayne has been. Either way you voted, Hayne's a big loss.

 

[Ari Gold]

Who is the Most Under-rated Player in the Game?

21 votes for this one, with a large number of players earning votes. As it was quite tight, we'd do this one as a countdown.


Players with 1 vote
Andrew McCullough
Brent Tate
Corey Norman
Dean Whare
Issac De Gois
Jacob Lillyman
Jamie Soward
Jason Nightingale
Josh McGuire
Matt Ballin
Peta Hiku
Sam Moa

My WTF vote #1: Andrew McCullough. Did the voter get confused with over-rated?


My WTF vote #2: Corey Norman? Did you mean to type Corey Parker and get dyslexic?


My WTF vote #3: Issac De Gois? Perhaps the voter was being technical and thought because he's total and utter crap but was able to play in multiple NRL seasons he's somehow under-rated.



Players with 2 votes
Ben Hunt
Corey Parker
Michael Morgan



But with 3 votes, including mine, the most under-rated player in the game is...

Shaun Fensom, who is pictured here shortly after being reminded that he plays for the Canberra Raiders.

My Verdict: Can't argue with Hunt and Parker not getting as many wraps as their southern counterparts, but for me Fensom is more robbed of acclaim. He's very Corey Parker like in that he makes a shitload of tackles and has a great offload and never, ever stops trying. Parker at least gets QLD and Australian jerseys, whereas Fensom can't even get a game in City Country.

 

[Alec]

Agreed that Fensom is the most underrated. Canberra seems like one of those sides that's never on CH9, so the selectors never get the chance to see them play. I doubt most of them really analyse games either.

As for fullback, I guess Inglis wins by default now. :p

Assuming Hayne never left, his ball playing from fullback was unmatched, and his running game was deadly too. Meanwhile Inglis' running game is even better than Hayne's, but his ball playing is only servicable. Hayne is the more complete player, but the better fullback depends on your halves, with guys like Thurston and Cronk, Inglis is the better option IMO.

 

[Big Pete]

I voted for Moa on the basis that he's been a key part of the Roosters pack but can't get a word in edgewise because SBW and JWH happen to play for the Chooks.

At this point, enough people whinge about Fensom's omission that I've almost pulled a 180 on him. Didn't have the best season this year.

I'd say some of those WTF votes are based on a similar rationale.