You pick the IRUPA Young Player of the Year

opinionatedfan

Young Player of the Year is contested this year by Connacht fullback Rob Henshaw, Leinster’s outhalf Ian Madigan and Ulster inside centre Luke Marshall.

Who deserves it in your opinion?

thomond2006

Henshaw, great season for a young player in his first professional season.

AngeGal

Green tinted glasses on but considering Henshaw was playing Connacht schools a year ago he's had a pretty extraordinary first season.

Podge_irl

I went with Henshaw given just how young of a young player he really is. I think having Madigan in the young player category is a bit wrong - I'd happily have him nominated for just player of the year to be honest.

Fireball07

Went for Madigan here.

opinionatedfan

Was surprised to see Madigan in this category. He is 24, Marshall 22 and Henshaw 19.

ScissorPaperRock

Marshall for me. Really stepped up at the international level.

MolBee

Would have went for Hendo. Barely into his first full senior season and he earns his first cap against SA and doesn't look out of place, unbelievable strength and skills for his age, one of the most naturally gifted players we've seen in a while I think. Has went relatively undetected in the media which has surprised me.

I haven't seen a lot of Henshaw/Connacht it has to be said. Marshall hasn't been able to get a decent run of games this season to really blow me away, so Madigan would be my pick of the actual nominees, having impressed every time I've seen him. Until what age can a player be classified young though?

bilston

Iain Henderson for me but heisn't an option so out of those three given the amount of games he has played in and played well in Henshaw.

Glass Prison 1214

Ye I also think that it should be going to Henderson, weird that he isn't nominated. Madigan seems very old to be up for young player of the year

Mahatma Geansai

Ridiculous that Madigan (24) is going for the young player award, while Zebo (23) and Healy (25) are contesting the full award. Madigan is the best player on the list, but he shouldn't be involved. Crazy that Henderson isn't nominated.

jamiedav2011

What constitutes a 'young player'? Is this more about breakthrough or actually being under a certain age I wonder, because Madigan is hardly 'young'.

Glass Prison 1214

jamiedav2011 wrote: »

What constitutes a 'young player'? Is this more about breakthrough or actually being under a certain age I wonder, because Madigan is hardly 'young'.

This is also hardly his breakthrough year, he has been heavily involved for a couple of years and last year was his first year looking like a class player in the making. I really don't think Madigan should be up for this award

Hype710

Iain Henderson obviously but out of those three Henshaw, Madigan there is just silly, he's 24 and has 80 professional appearances.

Healy for the main award for his consistent excellence but not many stand outs.

irishbucsfan

I'd vote for Madigan just because he's had the best season of those three imo.

It might be mad to have him there in the first place, but I'm just voting for the guy who I think has had the best season of those three.

shuffol

Henderson gets robbed of another award, how he didnt at least get nominated for junior IRB player of the year last year was baffling.

Burgo

Yeah would have thought madigan would have been in for the player of the year and someone like henderson been the other choice for the youngsters.

totallegend

I think Madigan has been the best of the nominees, but I think 24 is a bit old to be considered for Young Player.

TBH, Connacht have been on TV so little this season that I can't really judge Henshaw.

shuffol

Who won it last year?

totallegend

shuffol wrote: »

Who won it last year?

Peter O'Mahony

Buer

From that list, I'd go with Marshall but I'm not a fan of the list at all. Madigan is too old to be included. Henshaw deserves to be there probably but I wouldn't go for him. We've a habit of declaring any very young player in this country to be the second coming. He has impressed and done well but he's very raw and has some big gaps in his game whenever I've seen him. I think he's nominated because of his age more than his actual performances.

Marshall has been the most complete and impressive player for me out of the 3 and no surprise he was rewarded with starting in the 6N.

Craig Gilroy was 21 making his Ireland debut. Ian Henderson was 20. POM is 23. All would have been deserving nominees.

shuffol

Buer wrote: »

From that list, I'd go with Marshall but I'm not a fan of the list at all. Madigan is too old to be included. Henshaw deserves to be there probably but I wouldn't go for him. We've a habit of declaring any very young player in this country to be the second coming. He has impressed and done well but he's very raw and has some big gaps in his game whenever I've seen him. I think he's nominated because of his age more than his actual performances.

Marshall has been the most complete and impressive player for me out of the 3 and no surprise he was rewarded with starting in the 6N.

Craig Gilroy was 21 making his Ireland debut. Ian Henderson was 20. POM is 23. All would have been deserving nominees.

Even with Marshall there are gaps, he's played very little for Ulster all season, one HEC start which was the QF where he struggled, had a great game against Fiji in November and a great half against Scotland in the 6N. France game passed all the Irish outside backs by and he went off early against Italy.

.ak

Who makes the shortlist?

Grimebox

Has to be Marshall for me. Simply because he seamlessly fit into the Irish set up and made some amazing breaks on his debut. I feel he will be the true successor to Darcy

bilston

shuffol wrote: »

Even with Marshall there are gaps, he's played very little for Ulster all season, one HEC start which was the QF where he struggled, had a great game against Fiji in November and a great half against Scotland in the 6N. France game passed all the Irish outside backs by and he went off early against Italy.

I said on another thread that as big a fan as I am of Marshall's Olding has impressed me a lot more, obviously he hasn't been tested at test level, but even the 15 mins he was on in the HEC Q/F he managed to set up a try in a game where Luke didn't really do anything. In saying that Marshall probably shouldn't have been playing in that game.

Just one thing in defence of Marshall against France he was immense in defence.

But as for the award of those nominated yes it should go to Henshaw IMO as he's played all season and done well, played for the Wolfhounds and trained with the senior squad all as an 18/19 year old. as good a season as he has had Marshall has just missed too much of the season through injury IMO. Madigan clearly has been impressive but and I don't mind a 24 year old being up for the award, (although Zebo who is up for the main award is 2 years younger than Madigan!) but given Henshaw has achieved all that he has a teenager he gets the nod from me.

Tox56

shuffol wrote: »

Even with Marshall there are gaps, he's played very little for Ulster all season, one HEC start which was the QF where he struggled, had a great game against Fiji in November and a great half against Scotland in the 6N. France game passed all the Irish outside backs by and he went off early against Italy.

In fairness he kept Fofana quiet in that French game

shuffol

Tox56 wrote: »

In fairness he kept Fofana quiet in that French game

He did in a way but I think the French tactics and conditions did more to keep Fofana quiet.

shuffol

bilston wrote: »

I said on another thread that as big a fan as I am of Marshall's Olding has impressed me a lot more, obviously he hasn't been tested at test level, but even the 15 mins he was on in the HEC Q/F he managed to set up a try in a game where Luke didn't really do anything. In saying that Marshall probably shouldn't have been playing in that game.

Just one thing in defence of Marshall against France he was immense in defence.

But as for the award of those nominated yes it should go to Henshaw IMO as he's played all season and done well, played for the Wolfhounds and trained with the senior squad all as an 18/19 year old. as good a season as he has had Marshall has just missed too much of the season through injury IMO. Madigan clearly has been impressive but and I don't mind a 24 year old being up for the award, (although Zebo who is up for the main award is 2 years younger than Madigan!) but given Henshaw has achieved all that he has a teenager he gets the nod from me.

It was only about 5 mins I think but he was brilliant. In the last 2 mins of the game he beats 5 defenders, makes one lovely offload and passes to Henderson for his try. In one run in particular he made a couple of Saracens defenders look very silly.

Hagz

Had to be Henderson. How did he not make the list?!

its_phil

shuffol wrote: »

Henderson gets robbed of another award, how he didnt at least get nominated for junior IRB player of the year last year was baffling.

Because it seemed to have been based on the JWC alone and Hanrahan was definitely the best player for Ireland in SA.

But yes I would agree Henderson should have been in there (and won it) with Madigan for Healy in the POTY category.

shuffol

its_phil wrote: »

Because it seemed to have been based on the JWC alone and Hanrahan was definitely the best player for Ireland in SA.

But yes I would agree Henderson should have been in there (and won it) with Madigan for Healy in the POTY category.

Disagree, Hanrahan had some real eye catching moments but was very error prone too. Henderson played every minute, in the 2nd row and at 6, scored 2 tries including the winner against S.A. and was probably in the top 3 performers in every game he played. For him not to be nominated at least was very surprising.