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2010 MofS


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Richards could not do more than he has done - he turns up and performs every week - taking the ball up, saving tries, kicking and running the ball mile after mile. To be top try scorer and kicker and also be consistently one of the best players in the league's top team he has done everything which any winger can have done. Whether a winger can ever be "steely" enough to win this is a different matter. If it is who would win in a fight then it probably wouldn't be Pat (it would be McIllorum out of Wigan's squad).

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Incidentally, Pat was clear winner of the RLWA player of the year award. Morley was second. This is tribute to a great man and a great player. It is worth bearing in mind that he had not kicked goals before coming here, and that the jury was very much out on him in his first year with Wigan (in those dark days of yore). His dedication to the Irish cause also deserves respect. I was lucky enough to be at Parra when he helped Ireland to victory over Samoa. I was sitting with the Parra directors and when his name came up the one to my left said "A wonderful man - we would have him back tomorrow", which was the only good thing he said about any non Parra player all evening.

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I think the name of the award "Man of Steel" seems to have a sense of toughness and power in it as opposed to player of the year. That can be the only reason that anybody could grumble at Pat Richards picking up this award (if he does). As a Warrington fan I can see the effect that Morley has on our team and he too is a worthy candidate for the honour. But I think that Pat Richards consistency in his goal kicking and the taking of the chances that have come his way are some of the main reasons that Wigan have finished top of the pile. His effect on that team is immense. In the close games (and I know there haven't been many) he has been the reason the team won (22-20 against us, 18-10 against Saints).

Having said all that I cannot see why Cunningham is even being mentioned as a potential winner!

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Richards could not do more than he has done - he turns up and performs every week - taking the ball up, saving tries, kicking and running the ball mile after mile. To be top try scorer and kicker and also be consistently one of the best players in the league's top team he has done everything which any winger can have done. Whether a winger can ever be "steely" enough to win this is a different matter. If it is who would win in a fight then it probably wouldn't be Pat (it would be McIllorum out of Wigan's squad).
I agree, and completely disagree with other people on the whole 'steely' thing - it is nonsense.

Personally, I couldn't say whether I would vote for Richards, as I haven't seen enough of him, but plenty of neutrals have and if they vote for him, then that's good enough for me.

I remember Jonathan Davies winning it back in 1993/4 (?) and he certainly wasn't 'steely'.

From my team, I know Morley came second in the RLPW award, but personally feel Westwood has been better than Morley this year (although that clearly is no slur on Morley!).

I just don't buy that it is a one-horse race (although it may turn out like that in the voting) as there have been many great performances throughout the year.

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I agree, and completely disagree with other people on the whole 'steely' thing - it is nonsense.

Personally, I couldn't say whether I would vote for Richards, as I haven't seen enough of him, but plenty of neutrals have and if they vote for him, then that's good enough for me.

I remember Jonathan Davies winning it back in 1993/4 (?) and he certainly wasn't 'steely'.

From my team, I know Morley came second in the RLPW award, but personally feel Westwood has been better than Morley this year (although that clearly is no slur on Morley!).

I just don't buy that it is a one-horse race (although it may turn out like that in the voting) as there have been many great performances throughout the year.

DaveT I think you may be right about Westwood in the last couple of months but over the season as a whole I think Morley pips him! But Benny has come on leaps and bounds this season so long may it continue!

This award is voted for by the players as opposed to the press so they may view things in a completely different light. They would certainly see notice more than your average joe and probably appreciate more the work done overall which maybe doesn't grab all the headlines but certainly helps the team.

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DaveT I think you may be right about Westwood in the last couple of months but over the season as a whole I think Morley pips him! But Benny has come on leaps and bounds this season so long may it continue!
Anyone who knows me on here knows how highly I rate Morley, so as I say it is no slur on him to be rated only behind Westwood for us. I think Westwood has come on leaps and bounds during the past three years tbh, his first appearance in the Dream Team was 2008, and he has been exceptional since then.

I certainly won't complain about Morley getting more votes than Westwood, as it is simply opinion, as they have both been excellent IMHO.

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Richards is only the second person in British RL to top the try scoring list, goalkicking list and points list in the same season (Len Kileen for St. Helens in 1965/66 was the other). For such a rare feat (including now co-holding the SL single season points record with Andy Farrell) I fail to see how there is any other candidate, particularly given that he also played in the League Leading side, was third overall in metres gained (behind Graham and Roby only from a lot less carries), seventh in tackle busts (again ahead of Morley), most try assists of any winger (11) and equal first overall in clean breaks (with McGuire and David Hodgson).

No other player in the league can touch his season from a statistical perspective, which is all the more startling given he is a winger.

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Richards is only the second person in British RL to top the try scoring list, goalkicking list and points list in the same season (Len Kileen for St. Helens in 1965/66 was the other). For such a rare feat I fail to see how there is any other candidate, particularly given that he also played in the League Leading side, was third overall in metres gained (behind Graham and Roby only from a lot less carries), seventh in tackle busts (again ahead of Morley), most try assists of any winger (11) and equal first overall in clean breaks (with McGuire and David Hodgson).

I do agree with this - it's not any indictment of the likes of Graham, Westwood etc that Richards should win; the Wigan man has had a freakish season in the side that topped the table.

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Dont know the stats but when did a player from the west side of the penines last win MOS? Leeds have one the last 3 grand finals but been nowhere near with the individual awards. Sinfield has for that period played at a consistantly high standard (club rugby not internationals as they are very different things) but never gets a mention in MOS. However Roby was the most bizarre choice. Fine player but the best in the league? Peacock turns in very damaging performances week in week out for both club and country but nothing in MOS for Leeds and 3 grand final rings. A pal of mine says they are biased against Yorkshie clubs and I'm finding it hard to disagree. :angry:

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I'm afraid that the Roby joke ruined the MoS for me, I couldn't really give a $h!t who wins it.

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Ben Westwood has deservedly been mentioned. Transformed from a penalty machine and a bit of a carthorse to a workaholic goal kicking second rower twho can go the whole 80 minutes every week has been a huge part of Warrington making the step up. Can't think of anyone who has stepped up this season as much as Westwood. Thoroughly deserves the award.

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Richards is only the second person in British RL to top the try scoring list, goalkicking list and points list in the same season (Len Kileen for St. Helens in 1965/66 was the other). For such a rare feat (including now co-holding the SL single season points record with Andy Farrell) I fail to see how there is any other candidate, particularly given that he also played in the League Leading side, was third overall in metres gained (behind Graham and Roby only from a lot less carries), seventh in tackle busts (again ahead of Morley), most try assists of any winger (11) and equal first overall in clean breaks (with McGuire and David Hodgson).

No other player in the league can touch his season from a statistical perspective, which is all the more startling given he is a winger.

I don't agree with Richards, simply because he is on the end of what happens. Wingers get the glory in terms of points on the board, but the tries aren't made on the wing. He has kicked as impressively as anyone since Botica at Wigan, but there again penalties aren't usually won out wide. Points wise he looks good, but wouldn't be my choice.

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But even if you look at who makes the most breaks and metres and consider week in and week out consistency Richards scores very highly. HAnd he is never spelled or rested. The stats confirm the evidence of the eye - Richards has been phenomenal this year.

I would not cry if Morley or Westwood won, as they have been exceptional this year, and ironically Roby has looked abetter player this year than when he was mysteriously given the award a few years ago.

It has been the best year in SL for a long time iun terms of top class talent across the board and there are many worthy candidates. Richards would get my vote but there are other worthy causes.

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Ben Westwood has deservedly been mentioned. Transformed from a penalty machine and a bit of a carthorse to a workaholic goal kicking second rower twho can go the whole 80 minutes every week has been a huge part of Warrington making the step up. Can't think of anyone who has stepped up this season as much as Westwood. Thoroughly deserves the award.

Whilst this has definitely been his best season, I feel you are overstating the step-up he has made. He made his name really in 2008 when he made the Dream Team and the England Team in the WC, working his way to being a starter by the time of the semis. He was one of the few to come away with credit.

He was also very good last year, I just feel he has done a few things in big games (Wigan away, and Saints at home) which has got him a few more headlines.

Ever since he moved into the pack you could always see he was going to make it there.

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I don't agree with Richards, simply because he is on the end of what happens. Wingers get the glory in terms of points on the board, but the tries aren't made on the wing. He has kicked as impressively as anyone since Botica at Wigan, but there again penalties aren't usually won out wide. Points wise he looks good, but wouldn't be my choice.

Did you miss the rest of my post beyond the points issue? :huh:

As for your point about penalties, surely that is negated by the fact that of Wigan's 161 tries this season, 77 were scored by players who primarily play on the wing (Richards, Roberts, Goulding and Pryce) and therefore it could be presumed that a high proportion of conversion attempts were from out wide.

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it's not all about points scored, the players pick the winner and sometimes just being a decent bloke can tip the scales, richards is a fair, hard working player who never moans and just gets on with his job.

i think RL players will note this and vote for him.

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I can barely define the shape of this moment in time(roger waters)

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