With 20 sleeps to go, we close in on the end of yet another Friday night without our Friday Night Footy fix, but these times are soon coming to an end! With the Charity Shield on Friday the 22nd, that means we only have to endure one more Friday evening without a game before the NRL begins. On that positive note, let's move on to number 20 in my list of the top 30 players in the NRL, with the first Englishman to enter the fray
#20 Sam Burgess
Big Sam is another young bloke who it feels like has been on the scene for 10 years. At just 24, he enters his fourth year in the NRL, after spending four years in the UK Super League for Bradford where he made his début in 2006. Burgess is only a fresh 24 year old at that, celebrating his birthday a little over two months ago in December of last year, by the time he celebrates his 25th birthday, he'll have four years of Super League and four years of NRL footy under his belt. Throw in an international career for the UK and England that began all the way back in 2007 and a spot in the NRL All Star game before he even played a game in the NRL and you've got a phenomenal resume for someone of such a young age.
19 year old Burgess obliterates Kiwi powerhouse Fuifui Moimoi
It didn't take very long for the 196cm, 116kg man-child to prove that his monstrous style of play was going to translate to the NRL. Capable of playing anywhere in the forward pack, Burgess spent the majority of his first season at the Rabbitohs in the second row, his second year was decimated by injury restricting him to only four games, his third season saw him transition into predominantly a front rower. His approach to the game however, regardless of the number on his back, remains the same, he does it all. With his huge frame and great strength, he carries the ball ferociously, he was 18th in the NRL in runs with 329 despite missing 6 games. He's also a fantastic offloader, 9th in the NRL, again despite missing a handful of games. He racks up tackles and minutes like they are going out of fashion, he's almost Gallen like in the way he can go out and play a complete forwards game seemingly without need for rest, which has seen him become a huge hit with Dream Team and Supercoach players. Worst of all for opposition teams, he hits like an absolute truck, earning the nickname "The Hitman"...
The hardest hitting Englishman since Ricky Hatton
What's left now for Burgess is to obtain a championship or two, something that has eluded him throughout his career so far. But at only 24, it seems just a matter of time until he finds premiership success, his Rabbitohs outfit certainly made a strong crack at it in 2012. Burgess has also been hampered injury wise so will no doubt be hoping to put forth a complete season in terms of the number of games he can be on the pitch for, and one can only imagine what kind of damage he can do if his body doesn't slow him down. There's really nothing more for this guy to work on, he's the complete package, he's got plenty of years left in him, he's going to be one of the elite players in the competition for years to come. Along with being an exceptional player on the field, he seems to be a complete stand up character off the field also, and he's proved a great hit on the Footy Show
Check back in tomorrow as we break into the teens, at least the Super Rugby has started right? give me a tweet if you have any comments @WellsNorthShore
Just 21 sleeps to go now until March 7th and the beginning of NRL 2013, persisting on with the countdown we come to number 21 in my list of the 30 best players in the NRL. Spoiler warning, this guy is the only Warriors player on my list. I think this may be one of the more debatable selections I've made so far, but I think he's more than deserving...
#21 Feleti Mateo
The Warriors began the 2012 with a lot of expectations, after their young team made it to the Grand Final in 2011, most assumed there would be greater things to come from the boys in New Zealand. Instead, the Warriors unravelled into a 14th place finish, a coach shown the exit, and a lot of question marks. It seemed Mateo was playing musical chairs at times with his selection, one week he'd be named at lock then end up coming off the bench, then he'd be named on the bench and start in the second row, trying to turn him into a Michael Luck like tackle machine, trying to use him as an impact player after 20 minutes, everyone was left guessing. Despite this, on a team that often seemed very disinterested, Mateo was one of the few who consistently seemed to be putting the effort in. With a coach that seemed to have no idea how to maximize his talents, not getting the minutes he wanted, no consistency in his role, no consistency from his teammates, Mateo tried in earnest to do what he could to right the ship but it proved a lost cause.
Fast forward a few minutes unless you like reminiscing about how bad videos looked in 2008
At 194cm and 108kg, 27 year old Mateo is a pretty big unit, yet if you watched his footwork you'd think you were watching a fullback. He's incredibly agile for a guy his size, and incredibly talented. So much so that he's actually played several games in his NRL career at five-eighth, for a stretch back in 2008-2009 at the Eels it was his primary position. Bundling the skill to play in the halves at a first grade level into a guy the size of Mateo spells trouble for opposition defences. Then add in the fact that Mateo is the unquestioned king of the offload in the NRL. 2012 saw Mateo with 65, offloads, 13 clear of number 2 on the list. Nobody can pop a offload like Mateo can, but these aren't just willy nilly toss the ball out to anyone offloads, Feleti has the mental game to read a defense, to see the holes and put someone through them, and often he'll do that by drawing a defender or two on to him before springing his teammate. His combination with a hard and fast running James Maloney proved a thing of beauty time and time again, there's a great living to be made in running off this guy. He's one of the elite attacking players in the comp who can really create something out of nothing, he's got the "x factor", the ability to break a game wide open, and it's primarily for that reason that I rate him so highly.
The Eels selection policies proved troubling during his time at Parramatta
Despite being renowned more for his attacking exploits, Mateo is no mug on defense. He'll rack up the tackles at need be, though it's a difficult balance to find between piling up the tackle count and injecting yourself into the attacking game, but with his size, strength and mobility he's more than capable on defense. Often overlooked also is the toughness that Mateo brings to the field, people see all of the flashy stuff and often the toughness flies under the radar. Mateo isn't the type to stay down if he takes a big hit, as seen most recently in the All Star game after he was absolutely smoked by Greg Inglis, but Mateo shook it off and got back to business. At times he can get a real physical edge to his game, if he gets a bit roughed up, he's happy to go looking for revenge and light up someone on the opposition to give a little something back. While his greatest skills are more finesse in nature, he won't shy away from some good old fashioned mongrel footy if need be, he's no pushover, he's not someone who is going to be rattled.
BRING BACK THE BIFF
Unfortunately for Mateo, his exploits on the field have not been rewarded with the representative honours he so keenly desires. He's turned out internationally for Tonga and made a couple of appearances for NSW City and the NRL All Stars, but it's the illusive blue Origin jersey that the New South Wales born Mateo so eagerly craves. Entering 2013 after a happy marriage, a commitment to playing out the season alcohol free, a change in coaching staff, and reportedly being in fantastic shape throughout off season training, and auditioning for a new contract, all signs point to a big year for Mateo, with any luck this may be the year that he breaks through to the Origin level and gets to put his skills to the ultimate test. For now, Mateo remains one of the most dangerous attacking threats in the NRL which is why Mateo breaks into my list despite not having quite the resume of some of the other blokes in the competition.
This is my serious face
Check back in tomorrow for number 20, then on forth into the teens as we march ever close to 2013 kick off. Do you agree or disagree with any of my selections? how would your list look? let me know in the comments section or throw me a tweet @WellsNorthShore
On we go to number 22 in my countdown of the top 30 players in the NRL with one of the several big names who will be turning out in a new jumper for 2013
#22 Luke Lewis
2012 was a turbulent year for Lewis both on and off the field. On the field, the Panthers finished up 15th on the ladder, Lewis tasted NRL victory only 4 times in his 13 appearances on the year. He found success however starting at lock for Australia in their Anzac Test victory over New Zealand, and despite his teams rancid run of form, he once again earned rep honours with NSW, turning out in all three Origins for the first time since 2004. Off the field, the 2012 year saw Lewis stripped of the captaincy of his beloved Panthers by new coach Ivan Cleary awarding the position to Kevin Kingston for the Origin period, much to the dismay of himself and many others. Once the Origin stretch came to a close, Cleary elected to persisted with Kingston as captain. Lewis was granted release from his contract 2 years early and signed on with Cronulla for the 2013 season, ending a relationship that began in 2001 and spanned 208 games including a Premiership in 2003. To cap off the year, Lewis had surgery as a result of being diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Much to the relief of everyone in the League community, the surgery was a success and Lewis was quickly back on the training paddock. Unfortunately, after the surgery, Lewis was unable to see out the last rounds of the season, robbing the long time Penrith soldier the chance to say goodbye to his legions of loyal fans.
Lewis is just one of many finding a new home at the Shire
At 29 and with over 200 games, Lewis has gone around the track and back in the NRL. In 2010 he was recognized as both the Dally M Lock of the Year and the RLIF Lock of the Year. He's turned out 12 times for Australia, starting in his last 10 tests. Lewis has made 5 appearances for NSW City, along with 11 for NSW and 1 game for the NRL All Stars. The Origin career of Luke Lewis is an interesting one, beginning in 2004 where he played all three games, 2 on the wing and 1 at centre, he didn't return back to the Origin arena until 2009 where he featured on the bench. Since then, Lewis has for the most part remained an interchange forward for NSW with a couple of starts in the second row. Despite playing most of his footy at lock or in the second row nowadays, Lewis is amongst the most versatile players in the competition. At some time or another, he's played 1st grade in every position on the field, he's started games for either NSW or Australia at wing, centre, lock and second row. He's also picked up Man of the Match honours playing both at halfback and five-eighth. The NRL features plenty of "versatile" players who can shift back and forth between the centres and the second row, but Lewis is a true Rugby League player, he can do absolutely everything.
This compilation really shows the rounded skill set he possess
As touched on, Lewis has fulfilled every role you could be asked to fill on the field. To do this, you need a pretty expansive and well rounded skill set, and that's exactly what Lewis has, a true jack of all trades. Nowadays, settled in at lock, it's his fantastic defense and strong off loading that stands out, but his other abilities often shine through. Not quite as fast as he once was when gallivanting on the wing where he was a reasonably prolific try scorer, he still has a lot of pace for a forward, and he's deceptively agile and shifty and has the strength to shake off defenders. He can be very dangerous with the ball in hand in the oppositions end where his playmaking instincts seem to take control and he'll often make the play to put a team mate through a gap, or take on the line himself and draw multiple defenders to him before popping out the offload. When he gets a bit of space, he isn't shy about pinning his ears back and showing a few glimpses of why he once played in the backs.
The load will likely be lighter for Lewis in Cronulla
For all of the good things to be said about Lewis's versatility, the modern incarnation of Lewis for me is most defined by the heart on his sleeve approach he displays on the field. This guy is a leader through and through, a great captain who has worked tirelessly for years on some pretty average Penrith outfits. Despite winning a Premiership in 2003, Lewis has appeared in only 5 NRL finals matches in his extensive career, and it says a lot about Lewis that a guy with his talent continued to persevere for his club rather than head for greener pastures, he always seemed destined to be a one club player until the tribulations of the 2012 season. He's a 'blood, sweat and tears" type of guy who will always give you everything he's got whether you are up by 20 or down by 20, he'll put his body on the line, he'll get smoked and get back up, he'll head to the sideline with blood gushing out and minutes later be heading back on to the field. He's the perfect fit for any team and a guy who can really serve as an inspiration to his team.
Check back in tomorrow for number 21 in the countdown. Lewis was another who didn't seem to have many highlight clips, funny how the backs get all the glory eh? if you have any comments, criticism, feedback, or just want some banter about league, give me a tweet @WellsNorthShore.
Moving on to 23 more sleeps now until NRL 2013 and thus we reach 23 in my countdown of the 30 best players in the NRL...
#23 Brett Stewart
I've always been a huge fan of this bloke and that has never changed, he's one of my favourite players. Around 05-08, this guy had a legit claim to being possibly the best fullback in the competition as well as being maybe the fastest guy in the comp. But come 2009, the rocketing career of Brett Stewart came tumbling down. Initially set to prominently feature in the NRL's main ad campaigns for the year, the ads were halted after Stewart was charged with two counts of sexual assault on a teenage girl. Despite eventually having the charges cleared, the NRL suspended Stewart for the first four games of the season. He'd go on to play only 5 games in 2009 after injury ravaged the rest of his year, yet still he amassed a staggering 6 tries in those 5 games. 2010 brought even worse fortune as Stewart was only able to play 1 game. Stewart's career had degenerated from one of the games brightest stars to being decimated by injuries as well as having his image smeared through the media and of course the fans were quick to jump all over him, regardless of what the courts may have decided, Brett was a "rapist",
Everyone loves a good negative story
But in 2011 the man known as "Snake" came slithering back, putting up 15 tries in 20 games as part of a dominant Manly outfit that won 17 of the 20 games he appeared in en route to the second Grand Final win of his career. Still, many people seemed to sleep on the Snake's return, either they weren't paying enough attention, or they simply didn't want to give him the respect he deserved. So in 2012, the Snake was once again up to his old tricks, 21 games, 14 tries, and all three Origin's for New South Wales, finally getting back his number 1 blue jumper for the first time since 2008. He may have lost a little bit of his speed, but he's still bloody quick, and he's back. If you jumped on the Stewart hating bandwagon, it's time to jump off and respect one of the greatest players in the game.
One of the most brilliant plays of the last couple of seasons
As I said earlier, I've always been a fan of this guy, but I really do believe that the injuries and the legal issues have lead to Stewart not getting anywhere near the recognition he deserves. Stewart isn't just one of the best try scorers in the competition, he's one of the greatest try scorers in the history of the sport. Let's break down his try scoring exploits
Over 159 career NRL games, he's amassed 127 tries, that's a strike rate of 80% which is simply amazing.
In 16 finals appearances, he's scored 13 tries, a strike rate of 81%
In 8 Origin appearances for NSW, he's scored 5 tries, 62%
and, although the sample size makes it fairly redundant, in his 1 game for Australia, he scored, 100%.
For comparisons sake, let's check out some of the other elite try scorers in the game today and see how they stack up
Ben Barba, 62 tries in 80 NRL games, 77%
Akuila Uate, 70 tries in 90 NRL games, 77%
Billy Slater, 140 tries in 224 NRL games, 62%
Manu Vatuvei, 102 tries in 152 NRL games, 67%
Nathan Merritt, 137 tries in 200 NRL games, 68%
Long story short, none of these guys can touch the strike rate of the Snake, many of them aren't even particularly close.
I always found it kind of odd that Snake's don't even have legs
Stewart has achieved all of this, not only battling injury and legal issues, but also while battling diabetes, taking five insulin injections daily and up to 20 sugar tests on playing days. Stewart has to inject insulin before all three meals, as well as before sleeping. Stewart's outstanding performances serve as a great inspiration to others with diabetes and he has done his part to help raise diabetes awareness. Another of the many hurdles that Stewart has had to overcome in his career.
Manly had special Snake jerseys designed to help promote Diabetes awareness
Stewart's most impressive trait is his blinding speed. While injuries have slowed him down, he's still one of the fastest players around. He's quick off the mark, but when you see him chew up a large portion of the field is when his speed truly shines, he's produced many highlight reel worthy try savers off opponents interceptions. So often interceptions result in an aimless chase right down the other end of the field, but if you make an intercept against a team with Brett Stewart, don't be too surprised when he mows you down. Like the best fullbacks, he's fearless and more than willing to put his body on the line, such as when he was knocked out in the 2007 final against Melbourne. He'll leap up for the high ball without concern and he'll willingly get in front of the biggest blokes to defend his try line. Perhaps the most underrated aspect of Stewart's game however is his playmaking ability. For as great of a try scorer as he is, he's also a fantastic player when it comes to involving himself in the back line as a distributor, and it may surprise many to learn that his 14 tries in 2012 were actually surpassed by the number of assists he had on the year with 15, that's as many as his Manly halfback team mate Daly Cherry-Evans. When you combine his incredible speed, courage on the field, playmaking, experience including multiple Origin's and Grand Finals, along with the mental strength to overcome multiple severe injuries, extended legal issues, and juggling his diabetes, you've got one hell of a player.
Still about as fast as they come
Check back in tomorrow for number 22, not long to go now until we break through the 20 mark. Don't let the drug scandal bring your excitement for the season down, bring on NRL 2013
Well I still haven't come up with a more imaginative title for my posts, but here we are with 24 sleeps to go until NRL 2013 and moving on to number 24 in my countdown. To add to your excitement, it's only 10 more sleeps until the Charity Shield on the 22nd and the World Club Challenge, so the sun is really starting to break through the clouds now. On with the countdown...
#24 Josh Morris
SPOILER ALERT: Josh Morris is the only Morris brother in my top 30. There will be no cliché grouping the twins right next to each other in the rankings type business here. No slight to Brett Morris who is a fantastic player in his own right and had a very strong 2012 season looking dangerous when moved into the number 1 jumper, but to me the performance of Josh in 2012 has, for now moved him slightly ahead of his brother.
Brother Brett's exclusion will no doubt be a heart breaker.
The 2012 year was a phenomenal one for the 26 year old centre, as was the case for many of his Dogs team mates. A Grand Final appearance, playing in all three Origins for New South Wales, tied for 4th in the NRL in tries, tied for 6th in line breaks, 11th in tackle busts, wrapping it up with winning the Dally M Centre of the Year award for the second time. The 184 cm, 94 kg speedster has now amassed 81 tries in his 133 NRL appearances, 3 tries in his 2 appearances for Australia, and 3 tries in his 5 appearances for New South Wales. He has graduated into being one of the clear cut elite centres in the game.
Sorry Lote mate, maybe ten years ago.
The try Morris scores in this video is a perfect example of the incredible threat that he is on attack. His great strength and ability to bust through the line on display as he completely steam rolls the poor bloke who was unfortunate enough to get in his way, then once he makes it over the speed bump, he's off. It seems Josh is often overlooked when it comes to discussions of the fastest guys in the game, but he's certainly up there, his legs are almost a blur as he chews down the metres of the field. He's not the least bit shy in exploiting his speed either, so often the ball is spread out to his side, and then it's go time. He'll put on a little move, a slight hesitation to get his defender questioning him, you have to be prepared for the chance he might come straight at you, but then he takes you outside and he's off up the sideline and you're turning around trying to give chase while his winger has cut back inside waiting for Josh to draw in the fullback. Or maybe he just busts straight through the line, hitting the ball at pace from an offload of one of the many hulking Bulldogs forwards, he pierces the line with such speed and strength and once he gets through, you aren't running him down.
This seems as good a point as any to put this photo in
As dangerous as Josh can be taking on the line with the ball in hand, perhaps his greatest trait is his play in support. While some guys have a "nose for the line" Josh seems to have a "nose for the play that will lead to a try". Of course, on the Bulldogs plenty of these opportunities develop, but Morris is an absolute master of being in the right place at the right time, keeping up with the ball, keeping up with the play. That isn't to say that he simply roams the field leeching tries, he keeps with the play when few others can, he's the guy that can catch up and support a team mate who has made a surprise break, he's the guy who will chase down the kick you've stabbed through. Doing a good job in support may sound simple, but it's easier said than done, you need the smarts to understand when and how plays are going to develop, as well as the physical ability to be able to get up with the play on the fly, especially if you are playing with this guy...
OK Josh, I guess you can have this one
You can see Morris in this video as soon as he sees Barba take off, he turns on the jets to get up with him, waiting, trying to maintain his pace but not overrunning the potential pass, waiting until boom, Barba gives him the ball and he's away to the races. So much of the spotlight shone on Ben Barba for all of the Bulldogs amazing exploits in 2012, and rightfully so, but for so many of Barba's breaks, Josh Morris was there in support to finish them off. Despite being recognized as the centre of the year, it felt like Morris's performances flew under the radar because Barba was busy wowing us every week. Make no mistake about it however, Morris was an extremely important part of what made the Bulldogs the offensive dynamos that they were.
Just know that I will be leading the comp in tries
Fortunately, video highlight supplies of Josh Morris were much more bountiful than Aaron Woods. Check back in tomorrow as we march on to 23 more sleeps to NRL 2013 and single digit sleeps until the Charity Shield! RT's, comments, criticisms, general jibber jabber, feel free to hit up the comment sections or get at me on Twitter @WellsNorthShore
One more night down after we were drip fed a little bit of league action last night with the Indigenous side running rampant over the NRL All Stars. So many of our favourites were back in action, the magic aura surrounding Ben Barba doesn't seem to have gone anywhere, Inglis as monstrous as ever, Hayne looked ready for a big year, but most impressive of all to me was the play of Johnathan Thurston. He was the man pulling all the strings behind that great Indigenous side performance, the finishing from Barba and Ferguson was excellent, but it was Thurston who was the conductor, he was simply brilliant. So with that little tease aside, we move on to 25 sleeps left, and on to player number 25 in the countdown to NRL 2013
#25 Aaron Woods
Some may think I'm jumping the gun a little here by already ranking the 21 year old, 194 cm, 109 kg Tigers prop so highly. He hasn't played Origin yet, he hasn't played a test, he's only been in the competition two years, props mature later than backs do. But take a look at what this guy did in 2012
Tied for 5th most runs in the competition with 377
4th most metres in the competition with 3455
15th most tackles in the competition with 808
Woods is the only player in the competition to feature in the top 15 in all three of these categories, his work rate is simply unparalleled. Dream Team players will testify, the way Woods logged huge minutes every week saw him rack up the fantasy points.
Photos with less than three guys tackling him proved difficult to find
We've seen plenty of young backs enter the competition and take to the water fairly quickly. But prop has remained very much a position of the elder statesmen. Tamou is young himself, but he's got three years on Woods, Matthew Scott is 6 years older, Ben Hannant is 7 years older. This may sound like I'm making excuses for Woods, but far from it, Woods is playing at the level of these guys, and yet he's still just a pup. How good will this guy be when he's 26, 27? he looks like he could play 80 minutes every week if you asked him to
Woods highlight videos proved difficult to locate also
At 21, he's already answered all the questions about his ability at the NRL level, all that is left is to prove himself at the next level. He's had a showing for the City Origin side where many felt he was the best prop on the field, he made the Prime Minister's XIII and he was on standby for NSW in Origin 2 and 3. It will be a tremendous shock if, injury permitting, Woods doesn't make the NSW side this season, and I suspect this will only make him even better. He was a finalist for Dally M Prop of the Year last year, and yes I'm aware I am ranking him higher than the guy who actually won the award, but to me the body of work he puts out every week deserves it.
He carries the ball all game like a prop, he tackles all game like a second rower. Furthermore, his team in 2012 was one of the biggest disappointments in the NRL. Through no fault of his own, the Tigers were one of the favourites with the bookies to take our the title, instead, they were terribly inconsistent and failed to even make the top eight. Despite a team that on paper appeared to be so loaded with talent, it was the 21 year old who was one of the few guys they could depend on. The Tigers seemed to change their stripes every week, but not Woods, with Woods you knew every week you were getting a guy whose legs didn't stop pumping, who wouldn't stop tackling unless you yanked him off the field, not to mention being a very adept offloader. There's really nothing bad you can say about this guy, he's entered the competition in fantastic fashion and is one of the true rising stars of the game. He's going to be amongst the elite props in the competition for a long time to come.
There's literally more videos of my pet Lorikeet on YouTube than there are of Aaron Woods
If you weren't already well aware of this blokes prowess, I suspect by the end of the end of 2013 you certainly will be. In 2012 Woods played like one of the top props in the game, 2013 will be the year where he is treated like one.
Mateo was evidently very impressed with Woods ability
Check back in tomorrow as we move on to #24, get at me on Twitter @WellsNorthShore if you have any criticisms or comments or you just want to have a blab about sport. With any luck #24 will have some more videos, someone needs to get on to uploading a bit more of Woods in action!
Just 26 sleeps to go now until NRL 2013 and, at the very least, writing these each day has helped pass the time for me, the days are just flying by! So before settling in for the All Star game this evening, it's time to reveal number 26 in my best players in the NRL countdown,
#26 Akuila Uate
He goes by many names, Choc, Aku, Akuila the Thriller, The Fijian Flyer, that fast Fijian dude, the guy that scores all the tries for Newcastle, or simply the best winger in the NRL. At 25, the 187cm 96kg rocket from Votua Fiji, as monopolized the Dally M Winger of the year award in recent times. In what some referred to as a "down season" Uate for the third consecutive year picked up the award, becoming only the second player in history (after St George great Nathan Blacklock) to achieve the three peat. In fact no other player has even won the award in back to back years, and no player has ever won the award more than three times. At his age, it's quite conceivable that Uate will be in contention for the award for a few years to come and he'd be the odds on favourite to pick it up in 2013. The down year for the Thriller consisted of having the 7th most runs of all backs in the competition, 3rd in tries and 6th in tackle busts, it says a lot about Akuila that being the best in the competition in your position and scoring the 3rd most tries in the comp isn't quite up to standard.
In Fiji, this is considered a brisk walk
Akuila is the prototypical Fijian winger, very reminiscent of former Fijian Rugby international Rupeni Caucaunibuca without the whole cashing in in the UK then turning fat and lazy thing. He's lightning quick and packs a very solid frame which sees him bump out of tackles with ease, Andrew Johns described him as having "a backside you could sit a drink on" and I'm sure Joey is an expert on sturdy support structures to plant your beverage. At 17, Uate ran a 10.9 100 metre time, and while piling on the additional muscle likely has restricted Uate's speed from what it could truly be, he's still quite possibly the faster bloke in the NRL, Johns wasn't just impressed with his behind "In all my years in rugby league I've never seen a better athlete than this bloke". To cap off his fantastic athletic exploits, Uate is just a joy to watch, his great speed is coupled with a beautiful step, and he smiles more than Manu Vatuvei. The huge smile across his face has become the trademark of his personality, he seems to so genuinely enjoy himself and his spirit is infectious, he's one of the most popular players in the league, he's charismatic, he's an entertainer. Do you know anyone who doesn't like Uate? if so, they're probably a horrible person.
It takes heaps of muscles to frown but smiling is easy as
The awards list grows by the year, and he has a growing list of representative honours to go along with them. As it stands, Akuila has played 4 tests for his native Fiji, 5 tests for Australia, 5 Origin's for New South Wales and 1 game for NSW country as well as an All Star game appearance. In a time where it seems every team has an amazing fullback and the rep teams are cramming fullbacks on to the wings to fit all these talented guys in, Akuila stands tall as one of the true star wingers in the game, capable of keeping all of these wing spot stealing fullbacks at bay.
But once I found out Fiji was actually in New South Wales I said I'm in!
It was however on the grand stage of Origin that Uate's performances attracted many of the detractors in 2012. After starting all three Origin's for NSW in 2011 and the first two in 2012, Uate was dropped for the deciding third match after some less than stellar performances. Questionable under the high ball, hands that couldn't be trusted, suspect on defence, certainly not the type of description you want to make of someone on leagues most intimidating stage. What Uate can do with the ball in hand was never to be questioned, but despite his threatening influence on attack, the potential to exploit him on defence was a negative that was deemed to outweigh the positives. But by all accounts, Akuila took it in stride, harboured no resentment, and was texting his NSW team mates messages of support moments after learning of his fate. It's that kind of approach that leads me to believe that he will bounce back from this just fine, for a player with the right attitude, being dropped in the long run can be a good thing and besides, despite his poor 2012 Origin exhibition, generally the traffic is flowing more swiftly in Akuila's direction...
The short lived 1 point per try rule proved largely ineffective
Uate won't be the most well rounded player on this list, far from it, and he may be a guy with several things to work on, but what he brings to the table is a phenomenal athlete unparalleled in this competition. At the end of the day to win in this competition you need to score tries and prevent tries being scored. Akuila and his 70 tries in 90 appearances makes a stronger contribution to most when it comes to the former. The rest can be worked on, certainly with Bennett continuing to be on the scene at Newcastle he'll be doing all he can to help smooth the edges of his raw talent and Akuila is a good enough bloke between the ears to be willing to learn. Uate brings the things that you can't teach, whether you're Bellamy or Bennett or Gus Gould, you can't teach a guy to be that fast and that strong, guys that can score tries at this rate don't just spring up out of nowhere. When you think about the best players in the game, it's the halves, the hookers, the back rowers that often most quickly spring to mind, and certainly they often have more impact than the wings do, but guys with the try scoring ability of Uate don't just grow on trees. As a winger, he's the best in the world at what he does, and that demands recognition.
What if, instead of kicking it to them, we just kicked it to ourselves?
Hopefully everyone enjoys the All Star game tonight and check out tomorrow when we move on to number 25. Any comments or suggestions, feel free, I'm on Twitter @WellsNorthShore and always keen for a yarn about the greatest game of all.
