Chris hickey - greatest coach of 2010 (and other awards)

[Henry]

Yeah on the rugby club they pretty pointedly pointed out that it went automatically to the coach of the highest placed Aussie team. They even seemed a little embarrassed when they announced it, as did Hickey...

 

[JJJ]

That must be the youngest ever top 4.

 

[Ash]

Is the complete list of votes about somewhere? I'm honestly shocked that Benn Robinson appears nowhere on this player of the year list.

Why? Robinson struggled for top form a lot of the S14 season. He's been in great form for the previous two years and was probably due for some bad form. Hopefully he'll come back to top form quickly when he recovers from his fractured arm.

I think that people are still thinking of Robinson's wonderful play last year when saying he should be up there as a top player this year. The way I see it he can hopefully peak for next year (with the World Cup).

Not that this mistake is uncommon - for example Horne was excellent in 2008, and pretty much complete pants in 2009 (for the brief period he was actually on the field), and excellent again in 2010.

 

[Sagerian]

Why? Robinson struggled for top form a lot of the S14 season.

Really? Injuries aside I still rated him better than any other Australian props on form this year.

-EDIT-

I always freely admit my bias, so if I'm wrong I can accept that.

 

[Ash]

I thought Robinson's play around the park was well down on previous years. Taking scrummaging out of the equation, and I'd say that Alexander was one of the best props around the park. Daley, Weeks were also handy in that area. All three of them, though, had issues at times with their scrummaging.

I saw a stat somewhere that said that Alexander (and Ma'afu?) had just about the highest collapsed scrum stat in the S14. That I can believe - Alexander tends to "hinge" and pack too low at loosehead. Anyway, I digresss...back to the point, I think that Robinson was outplayed around the park by the three mentioned, and he wasn't as destructive in his scrummaging this year compared to previous years. I wonder just how long was actually carrying an injury for.

Despite his collapses, my pick would probably be Alexander - especially considering his disgracefully high number of tries this year.

 

[Aussie D]

I thought Robinson's play around the park was well down on previous years. Taking scrummaging out of the equation, and I'd say that Alexander was one of the best props around the park.

Spoken like a true back. Scrummaging is everything when it comes to picking prop forwards, work around the park is a bonus. If a prop can dominate the scrum he can sap energy off his opposite number and if the team scrummages well they can force the opposition to waste energy in the scrums.

 

[Ash]

Spoken like a true back. Scrummaging is everything when it comes to picking prop forwards, work around the park is a bonus. If a prop can dominate the scrum he can sap energy off his opposite number and if the team scrummages well they can force the opposition to waste energy in the scrums.

The sad part is that I'm not a back.

If your scrum is destroyed, then so matter how good your props are around the park they are a waste of time, so I agree there. But the Brumbies scrum wasn't destroyed (well, rarely), and the Waratahs scrum wasn't as dominant over other scrums as in previous years, which I put down to Robinson not being in top shape. I guess therefore Alexander's work around the park is the discriminator between him and the other props.

The Brumbies scrum was probably better over the season than the Force and Reds scrums as well, but the Reds scrum really struggled whenever they lost Weeks and tried Kennedy. In the end, the Brumbies' high number of collapses didn't hurt them, but if it continues across years as a trend you'd think refs would target them.

 

[fatprop]

The word is that Robinson has been playing wounded for a while, I think a number of Tahs had finished their season playing wounded.

Still, a wounded Robinson is the best LHP in the country.

 

[waratahjesus]

If the Waratahs had won the competition we'd all (well maybe not quite all) be eating humble pie and toasting Chris Hickey as coach of the season. The Waratahs did improve this year, but not by as much as the Reds,

how could the waratahs improve as much as the reds? surely the higher up you are the better you are?


love the reaction, its been highest place team for a while, hickey two years in a row, can he go for three!
i rank him over mckensie anyway, he is the only one of the two not to get fired from somewhere in the last year.

 

[cheezel]

i rank him over mckensie anyway, he is the only one of the two not to get fired from somewhere in the last year.

You wrote below only 10 days ago.

you had the best coach (who quite a few qld fans who now rejoice in him were against i might ad) in australia at the moment

I'm with you in regards to Hickey getting coach of the year, as the Tahs performed better in the season. But you seem to have changed your tune.

 

[#1 Tah]

may, link didnt recruit or anything, he just did his best with otherpeoples parts, not fussed about that.

douglas not getting rookie of the year, thats a shocker.

+1

I know.

 

[#1 Tah]

Cliffy Palu for try of the series! (you know the one i am talking about!)

 

[waratahjesus]

i rank him over mckensie anyway, he is the only one of the two not to get fired from somewhere in the last year.

You wrote below only 10 days ago.

you had the best coach (who quite a few qld fans who now rejoice in him were against i might ad) in australia at the moment

I'm with you in regards to Hickey getting coach of the year, as the Tahs performed better in the season. But you seem to have changed your tune.

havnt changed my tune at all, i went fishing and got a responce. the award is for the best team, in that regard it was nsw, when the coaches went head to head, hickey was better.