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By Iain Payten, Christian Nicolussi The Daily Telegraph September 01, 2011 8:24AM
Will Genia will vie with Kurtley Beale to be crowned as John Eales medallist on Thursday night - but former Test skipper and halfback Nick Farr-Jones believes the Wallabies No.9 stands alone as the player Australia need to have on deck if they are to win the World Cup.
However, the Queenslander faces fierce competition to be recognised as the Wallabies' most valuable player over the past season with voting for rugby's top honour set to be tight.
After both enjoying spectacular Test seasons, Beale and Genia are the hot tips within the Wallabies' team room but 2010 winner David Pocock, Stephen Moore, Quade Cooper, James Horwill and Digby Ioane are also all expected to poll strongly for the player-voted award.
Regardless of the John Eales Medal result, Farr-Jones believes Genia will one day be mentioned in the same breath as another Wallabies Hall of Fame legend, Ken Catchpole.
"We won't know how good Genia will be for five years but I suspect we will rate him on the same level as Ken Catchpole, who is always considered our best scrum half," said Farr-Jones, referring to the Australia skipper who dominated through the 1960s.
Watch the John Eales Medal Live on Fox Sports at 8:30pm Thursday! You can also catch the Gold Carpet arrivals in foxsports.com.au's Live Stream from 6pm (EST)!
"People look at your passing game, kicking and organisation of defence - but at the end of the day, the thing that sets (a halfback) apart is your lateral vision.
"You need lateral vision to make those good judgments 90 per cent of the time. Genia has that in spades."
After steering Queensland Reds to a Super Rugby title and starring in the Tri Nations triumph, Genia has become so pivotal to the Wallabies' World Cup hopes that Farr-Jones doesn't believe a third win is possible without him.
Farr-Jones declared: "He's got the New Zealanders - both their squad and the public - pooing themselves.
Catch all the action from the Rugby World Cup Live and Uninterrupted on Fox Sports. Watch every minute of every game on your home of rugby!
"Will Genia - along with Dan Carter - are the most valuable players leading into this World Cup. No disrespect to (Nick) Phipps and (Luke) Burgess, but if I woke up and found out that Genia had a tournament-ending injury, I'd almost give up on the Wallabies' hopes.
"He is that good and that valuable; I rate him highly and without a doubt he's the best scrum half in the world."
Farr-Jones, who hoisted the Webb Ellis Cup high after the Wallabies' 1991 triumph over England at Twickenham, rated Saturday's win over New Zealand the best he had seen in a decade.
With voting for the 2011 John Eales medal going back to last year's Spring Tour, Beale will likely poll strongly early but Genia will storm home.
"Some of the big games last year, Kurtley was outstanding - and he's carried through into this year," Moore said.
"And obviously Will as well. He's been outstanding as well."
Rugby tragic Shannon Noll is ready to rock the John Eales Medal. Noll will perform his new hit single Switch Me On in front of 2,000 Wallabies fans at Luna Park, firing up the crown before the 2011 medallist is crowned!
http://www.foxsports.com.au/rugby/wa...-1226126996109