IRFU Player of the Season Poll

Does what it says on the tin! Voting is on facebook;

https://www.facebook.com/questions/391035297621070/

The nominees are Rory Best, Stephen Ferris, Cian Healy, Rob Kearney, Brian O'Driscoll, Donnacha Ryan and Jonathon Sexton. Kearney is winning by a fair stretch right now but I've gone for Rory Best.

I just feel Best has been an ever present in many ways but more than anything, he's been incredibly consistent regardless of how the team has performed as a whole. He's a tough guy who's made himself indispensable. Hopefully Sean Cronin will displace Strauss at Leinster and really turn up the heat on him for his place the way he pressurised Flannery for years but after Flannery had to retire we really needed a massive season from Best and we got it.

Anyway, I'll do a 606v2 version. Give us some justifications.

What, no SOB.

Apparently not. I wouldn't have had him necessarily but he's done more to be there than BOD or Donnacha Ryan. These are the players put forward by the IRFU mind you, not me personally.

Kearney for me.

I'd have Donnacha Ryan simply for the reason that he had massive boots to fill with relatively few caps to his name when POC got injured and he really stepped up to the plate.

I thought Healy was fantastic as well. He is really turning into some player.

If neutrals are allowed to vote then for me it has to be Kearney.

Yep Kearney is the stand out.

Healy for me. Been an absolute monster this year. Just keeps getting better

I went for Rory Best as well. I think as a leader he has excelled and the respect he has gained over the past two seasons has been phenomenal.

I think our best player was definitely Kearney but I think a player of the year award has to include a great deal more, so all round Rory for me.

Golden, Healy has been a monster player. I think we will see him become the best in the world in his position in the next couple of seasons.

I could see Rory Best as a potential captain after POC and BOD leave. He leads by example.

I went Healy.

I think he is already one of our best players and is on the highest rate of improvement. If the guy can stay fit I could see him being one of the most capped players in Ireland.

His scrummaging has come on hugely, taking on Clermont and Ulster in huge games. His carrying and athleticism for a prop is outstanding. His defensive work rate and work at the breakdown is also very, very impressive.

I would have Ryan as my runner up I think he was simply brilliant in NZ and is the way forward in Munster and Ireland too.

I've gone for Cian Healy, has had some bad days at the office for club and country but this season he was savage. Arguably the best loosehead in the world now, at 24, when he's 30 just think what he'll be like...

Everyone on that list has had an incredible season, bar O’Driscoll who had a handful of very good games and a couple of poor ones.

Kearney seems like the peoples choice in the 'official' facebook poll too. A worthy winner. He's some player.

Mickado wrote:Everyone on that list has had an incredible season, bar O’Driscoll who had a handful of very good games and a couple of poor ones.

I don't disagree with this but if these guys have all had good seasons yet Ireland have been so poor who are the guys who haven't had good seasons?
Bowe?
Heaslip?
Earls?
Murray?
Ross?
Darcy?

pete (buachaill on eirne) wrote:

Mickado wrote:Everyone on that list has had an incredible season, bar O’Driscoll who had a handful of very good games and a couple of poor ones.

I don't disagree with this but if these guys have all had good seasons yet Ireland have been so poor who are the guys who haven't had good seasons?
Bowe?
Heaslip?
Earls?
Murray?
Ross?
Darcy?

Trimble for one

Think we have a team full of very talented individuals who have performed well. That doesn't mean we've played well as a team.

Every time we go out there we look less than the sum of our parts.

Also Pete, I'd say Darcy had a good season for Leinster, very bad for Ireland (1 test aside).

Kerney by a country mile.

Kearney for me, but Healy has really impressed too.

Mick and Notch-

I'd agree with both of those comments. Very disappointing year for Irish international rugby

Without any shadow of a doubt in my opinion, Cian Healy.

He was not only the best Irish player on tour, but the best loose head prop by some big margin in the summer tours.

Going on just the tour Healy. Between 6N and tour probably Kearney. Going all year, toss up between Best and Kearney. But because he was so good I went for Healy.