Ireland's Top 50 2011

siltirocker

Ireland's top 50

Tuesday May 31 2011

WITH the season concluding on a high, it is now all about the World Cup and whether the latest crop of players can finally produce a productive campaign for the national side in rugby's marquee competition.

And the indications are favourable. The season had its share of low points -- Munster's European woes and Ireland's early Six Nations difficulties chief among them -- but with the continued excellence of veteran performers such as Brian O'Driscoll, Ronan O'Gara, Rory Best, Shane Horgan, David Wallace, Donncha O'Callaghan and Gordon D'Arcy, allied to the emergence of fresh talents like Conor Murray and Nevin Spence, the prognosis is positive looking down the road.

<BOARDS.IE SNIP - folks, you can't just copy and paste from other websites without linking, proper attribution and permission. Had to snip this post under a legal request. Darragh>

thomond2006

Donners at number 13?? :rolleyes:

boy is it nice to have two #10s that can steer the ship.

Why have #25 if he's going to play for England btw?

Delighted to see Dominic Ryan up there tbh, he really has had a great season at Leinster, for a lad who was on an academy contract at this stage 12 months ago.

iHumph had one of his best seasons ever at Ulster too, wish Ferris would stick some backbone into him Wolverine style and let him hit some tackles. His running game is outstanding, his frailties are overwhelming on an international front though.

Thought Gilroy deserved a mention in the initial (circle jerk) list tbh, what an incredible try rate for a first season.

Richarz

To be honest I'd have Horgan above both McFadden and Earls and really don't think Earls deserves to be 15 he had a very quiet season. I'd also have Dominic Ryan ahead of Murray, hes younger, played more games and even bagged tries in the Heineken Cup. I would also not have John Hayes on the list and as for ones for the future, Jack McGrath definitely deserves to be there, he didnt play much but at 21 when he came up against international props the scrum held and was even dominant.

Richarz

Also Wallace ahead of Heaslip????? Shocking

RE: Earls - Standout performer across the entire 6N, deserves his spot up there for certain

CatFromHue

i dont understand the point of this. why is it a top 50 and not a top 15?

PhatPiggins

Richarz wrote: »

Also Wallace ahead of Heaslip????? Shocking

Clearly its only based on the season just past

Richarz

Deleted User wrote: »

RE: Earls - Standout performer across the entire 6N, deserves his spot up there for certain

I'm pretty sure Earls only had one good game and got no tries? Even McFadden in one game got more tries. He was also very quiet in the Magners and Heineken Cup. Horgan was the form wing in Ireland I really don't know how Earls got ahead of him.

CatFromHue

CatFromHue wrote: »

i dont understand the point of this. why is it a top 50 and not a top 15?

so everyone can feel great!


We all stand in a circle, and then turn left, and pat each other on the back.

Lovely

Richarz

PhatPiggins wrote: »

Clearly its only based on the season just past

You mean the same season where Heaslip made the Magners dream team and was nominated for ERC player of the year?

Richarz

Richarz wrote: »

You mean the same season where Heaslip made the Magners dream team and was nominated for ERC player of the year?

this was a joke tbh. He played a handful of ML games.

Richarz

And was excellent.

Still the guy was included in a list of 4 other players for the ERC player of the year and was incredible in the highest comp and somehow Wallace gets ahead of him. The same Wallace who made something like 4 tackles against Italy and has been ordinary all season? Very weird. Even getting MOTM against Leinster for one turnover where players like Jennings, Mafi and Jones deserved it more, it seems because hes such a legend people are simply unable to actually be objective as to his performances anymore!

porterbelly

Faloon ahead of Johnny O'Connor. O'Connor was sensational this season and Faloon was dropped for very big game ?

Great to see Mike McCarthy at 10, I'm glad someone has given the recognition he so greatly deserves.

jacothelad

I don't think they are in a ranking order. (That would be pointless and if he has done it, he is wrong many times over.)

CIARAN_BOYLE

CatFromHue wrote: »

i dont understand the point of this. why is it a top 50 and not a top 15?

Because Kidney has to name a 50 man squad early in June which he will select his 30 man WC squad from so someone in the paper thought he would figure out who the best 50 players of the season was.