Brumbies flanker George Smith named Super 14 Player of the Year

[travelling_gerry]

May 21, 2009

Australia and Brumbies flanker George Smith has won a fourth successive award for Australian Player of the Year in the Super 14.

Smith last year matched the three-peat record of former Queensland Reds fullback Chris Latham and has now created a further milestone by carrying off the prize for a fourth consecutive year.

It did however take a late surge for Smith to secure the 2009 award.

Journalists from around the country decided weekly on the top three Australian players from each Super 14 match involving the Waratahs, Reds, Western Force and Brumbies.

Their votes led to a 3-2-1 points allocation for each game.

Smith claimed full points for the Brumbies' final three matches of the 2009 season, enabling him to overhaul the previous frontrunner, Waratahs and Wallabies prop Benn Robinson.

Smith edged him out in the final round to finish with 18 points. Robinson was second on 16 points, followed in equal third position on 14 points by the Western Forces teenage utility back James O'Connor and Queensland Reds centre/winger Digby Ioane.

The 2009 Rookie of the Year award went to Queensland Reds prop Laurie Weeks.

Coach of the Series was awarded to Chris Hickey from the Waratahs, the side finishing fifth in the competition and highest of the four Australian teams.

Stuart Dickinson won the referee's award while Try of the Series went to Queensland Reds utility back Quade Cooper for his effort against the Highlanders in Week 9.

AAP
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,...002381,00.html

[travelling_gerry]

Journalists from around the country

That about sums it up.


Congrats to George.


But seriously? Hickey as Coach of the Year??

Sounds like a collective tug from the journo's.

[James]

I reckon Friend would've deserved it over Hickey. Hickey too a team in the final to a team not in the finals. Friend at least had the Brumbies up a few ladder spots on last year.

[mudskipper]

Did Hickey get for being the most bashed Coach in the scribes columns this year?

[sandgroperrugby]

George is still the man and hopefully will be for years to come.

Hickey Coach of the Year beer went down the wrong way last night when that was annouced. Friend would have been my pick

[oxleymoron]

Stuart Dickinson won what had to be the tightest fought award for the night - he was the proverbial country mile ahead of Leckie, Goddard and co.

[force addict]

Smith has set the standard and continues to improve on it.

[AndyS]

Was it just me, or did Smith look distracted and like he'd rather have been anywhere else during the interview?

[prop53]

Keep it all in the East, we beat all Australin teams we were beaten by Ref Jonker to stop us getting into the finals so why not Mitchell as Coach of the year oh yeah thats right he is from the WEST. Silly me

[TOCC]

Keep it all in the East, we beat all Australin teams we were beaten by Ref Jonker to stop us getting into the finals so why not Mitchell as Coach of the year oh yeah thats right he is from the WEST. Silly me

ah, maybe because the force still lost over half there games

[mudskipper]

Was it just me, or did Smith look distracted and like he'd rather have been anywhere else during the interview?

He'd likely been sitting in a cold Canberra studio which fox hired freezing for the last hour before the cross... That awards presentation was extremely amateur, shame on Foxsports... its was crap do better or don't do it....

[prop53]

Or TOCC as i said if we had the game Jonker lost for us we still would have finished higher then the Tahs or i still stand by my first statement we are from the West

[TOCC]

Or TOCC as i said if we had the game Jonker lost for us we still would have finished higher then the Tahs or i still stand by my first statement we are from the West

oh gee, you think the force are the only team to be on the wrong end of a decision?

if a few of the refs decisions had gone the Tahs way they could have finished higher as well....

[lara93]

gits wasnt in the top 5
bam bam was 5th and o'connor i think was 3rd
well done smith!!
but well done our force boys!