Fifteen different players received top votes from the G&GR voters though the 
result came down to just three of them. Remarkably for the first time since 2011, we have a tie for top spot. Even more remarkably is that, for the first time ever, we have a three way tie.
I think most people would agree that Michael Hooper, Tevita Kuridrani and James Slipper were the three best performed Wallabies this year. Accordingly they were the three to finish on top of the G&GR ladder with 14 points each.
Before declaring a winner, the strength of the finish to Kuridrani’s season should be noted. He didn’t poll a vote in the first five Tests of the season before snagging four Man of the Match awards in the next five Tests.
To declare a winner we used the tie-breaker format used in the 2011 season, which goes to the player who polled points in the most matches. Hooper and Kuridrani both scored points in five games. Slipper, however, was in the top three for an amazing eight games, an amazing strike rate over the 14 games of the season.
So there it is. James Slipper is the official Green and Gold Rugby Wallaby Player of 2014 and the first tight forward to win the award.
We presented James with his trophy on a typically hot and muggy Brisbane morning following a rugged and draining set piece training session with his forward brethren. For a man who took home the 2014 Stan Pilecki Medal for the Reds Player of the Year as well as the RUPA Player of the Year, the Green and Gold Rugby Wallaby Player of the Year is yet another example of not only Slipper’s quality, but his consistency.
“Consistency was a big focus for me in 2014. I was aware that in previous years I was guilty of having one good game and then perhaps not backing up the next match, so to get recognition for that in these rewards is great” Slipper explained.
For contributors to G&GR, there were clearly a number of areas of play that impressed them in Slipper’s arsenal.
1) The set piece – “We (the Wallabies) probably copped some flack for the scrum of the end of season tour, and there’s no doubt we struggled through injuries to the likes of Steve Moore and Tatafu Polota-Nau, but I think we showed signs of improvement through the season”.
2) Work rate – “You just have to get up and keep going. Pull yourself off the ground and get back involved with the game.”
3) Attitude – “I just love winning. It’s what drives me each and every moment and keeps me motivated during the challenging times. I just want to win.”
4) Attack – “I definitely seem to be getting my hands on the ball more. I think it’s just my team mates finally having a bit more confidence in my abilities and just finding me more in attack.”
James was extremely appreciative of the award bestowed by Green and Gold Rugby and is looking forward to a massive 2015 which includes some Reds Rugby redemption and, of course, the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
If either challenge is going to achieve success, then we will need Slipper to reproduce another 2014 up front. Something he’s already preparing himself to do.
