^^^ You would still have the Eurovision effect of bloc voting if this was opened up to the public.
We just need to accept that everything IRB is always going to be politics driven.
How the Shortlist can be 2 players from the #1 rank team, 0 players from the 2nd and 3rd rank teams, 1 player from the 4th rank team, and 1 player from the #5 rank team who is not even the run on player in his position beggers belief and credibility?
"He displayed good form in the 6N tournament". Zippedy Doo Dah - So what? A tournament between IRB ranks 4 (Les Frogges), 5 (Soap Dodgers), 6 (Spud Bashers), 7 (Leek Eaters), 10 (Pasta Power) and 12 (Single Malts).
Is a standout star player in the Sydney Juniors Under 16C competition going to be a better player than a battler in the Under 16A competition?
It is certainly a lot easier for our U16C star to stand out against lesser skilled players in the easier graded competiton than it is for a kid in the U16A division to to get any MOM points.
Our Mob have been pretty ordinary at times this year, and so have the Saffas, but we are ranked 2 and 3 and have been made to look "ordinary" because we have been playing against some very tough A grade opponents.
If I was ruling the world, at the very least, there would have been at least one Saffa and a one Wob on the shortlist, and possibly a third Darknesser. There would be no way that a bloke who isn't run on for his National team make it.