Which Irish player had the best 2013 season?

JagerScout

Who do you think?

Think the main contenders are Murray, Heaslip.
With Sexton, O'Connell, Healy and Bowe the next level but missed too much of the season due to injury.

Podge_irl

No one.

Murray didn't have a good season, he had an excellent Lions tour, an up and down 6N and a poor start of the year.
Heaslip was excellent since the 6N but very quiet during it.
Sexton was Sexton - I think he was probably the most consistent but he wasn't exactly pulling up trees in the 6N either.

Ultimately, everyone was pretty **** in the 6N which puts a bit of a dampener on the whole thing.

CastingCouch

Mike McCarthy had a real good season imo.

Maybe not the best though?

Rozza Best.

Podge_irl

CastingCouch wrote: »

Mike McCarthy had a real good season imo.

Maybe not the best though?

His handling was absolutely infuriating all season. So many dropped balls.

Good shout though, I thought he really got stuck in.

Coleridge

Agreed,nobody really. Perhaps Henderson and Gilroy as breakthroughs. none of the established players had a vintage session by any means.

CastingCouch

Podge_irl wrote: »

His handling was absolutely infuriating all season. So many dropped balls.

Good shout though, I thought he really got stuck in.

Yeah against England especially (although everyone was at it).

He really stepped it up though I thought.

LowOdour

What about Zebo? Played pretty well in his first season in the 6N, ok in the HC and got a call up to the lions, where he did well when he played

its_phil

Based on consistency throughout the season I'd probably say POM. But it wasn't a great year for individual players. Anyone who looked very good at times kind of fell off the radar through form or injury.

Healy or Madigan with honorable shouts too.

JagerScout

POM was not consistent, had 1 good game during the 6N.

Podge_irl

Madigan and Zebo both benefit from not having much involvement in that abomination of a 6N!

Hagz

Candidates for me are Ian Madigan, Stuart Olding and Tommy Bowe.

Ian Madigan acquitted himself well at full-back and put in some stand out performances at out-half, not to mention winning the golden boot in the Pro 12. For me he should have seen more game-time for Ireland ahead of Paddy Jackson in my opinion.

Stuart Olding emerged more in the tail end of the season but for a 19 year old he put in some really impressive performances with Ulster and earned himself a call up to the Irish team.

Tommy Bowe was constantly battling through injury this season, but still managed to hold onto form both at club level and test level and finished it off with a Lions victory.

.ak

Podge_irl wrote: »

Sexton was Sexton - I think he was probably the most consistent but he wasn't exactly pulling up trees in the 6N either.

Hard to do that in a cast all right!

.ak

Also I'm shocked we've gone 13 posts without SOB being mentioned. My player of the year, if only because he was the ONLY consistently good Irish player through the 6N.

Podge_irl

.ak wrote: »

Hard to do that in a cast all right!

I've actually managed to erase the 6N enough from my memory that I forgot he was injured.

Thanks for ****ing ruining that you bastard.

Artful_Badger

Thought Heaslip had a good season.

matthew8

Has to be SOB. Only consistent 6N performer, and only good player who could stay healthy all the way through the season and Lions series.

Seanbass

would have said Madigan myself, really stepped up his game when Sexton leaving was announced.

honorable mentions to the usuals, P O'C, Healy, S O'B etc, McFadden was his usual Workhorse self too

Bassfish

Tommy O' Donnell had a great season for Munster

jamiedav2011

Between TOD, Madigan, Murray for me.

Hard to remember the whole way back to August though!

Swiwi.

My €0.02. I would give it to Murray. Went from being a 50/50 call to start for Ireland to arguably the form scrumhalf on the B&I Lions tour. Given neither Italy nor France have particularly compelling 9 options at present, maybe only Kahn Fotualii is a better scrumhalf in Europe at the moment.

No Irish player seemed on form all season (but then who is), I guess SOB came closest.

JagerScout

Le vieux renard wrote: »

No Irish player seemed on form all season (but then who is), I guess SOB came closest.

but you pick murray

Swiwi.

JagerScout wrote: »

but you pick murray

Well, your Q is which player had the best 2013 season? Not which player was the most consistent. I'd say Murray would be very content as he heads off to the beach for a few weeks. He was never that poor either, but has improved ++. It's only an opinion, don't get too hung up about it...

Hottowel

.ak wrote: »

Also I'm shocked we've gone 13 posts without SOB being mentioned. My player of the year, if only because he was the ONLY consistently good Irish player through the 6N.

That's true. He doesn't ever seem to get much recognition. Thought himself and Tipuric were the standout backrow players of the tour and it was amazing they only featured in the last test. Granted backrow was competitve but they were the two best players in the back row.

JagerScout

Le vieux renard wrote: »

Well, your Q is which player had the best 2013 season? Not which player was the most consistent. I'd say Murray would be very content as he heads off to the beach for a few weeks. He was never that poor either, but has improved ++. It's only an opinion, don't get too hung up about it...

Murray wasn't poor you must have missed the group stages of the Heineken cup.

But i'd agree he had a pretty good season, just needs to stay consistent and retain his form shown during the Lions.

phog

As it seems anyone who featured in the 6Ns is ruled out due to the disaster that turned out to be I'd go for TOD, it was a great season for him.

jm08

Just seen this on the twitter machine:

OptaJonny ‏@OptaJonny 7h
5 - Scrum-half @ConorMurray_9 weighed in with more try assists (five) than any other player on the 2013 #Lions tour.

phog

jm08 wrote: »

Just seen this on the twitter machine:

OptaJonny ‏@OptaJonny 7h
5 - Scrum-half @ConorMurray_9 weighed in with more try assists (five) than any other player on the 2013 #Lions tour.

I assume that's midweek games too, still he had a great tour. Delighted for him, grabbed his opportunity when he got it.

bilston

Clearly the answer to the thread is Paddy Jackson.

Sean O'Brien bring a close second.

jm08

Sean O'Brien missed the first half of the season with Leinster and the AIs for Ireland.

bilston

jm08 wrote: »

Sean O'Brien missed the first half of the season with Leinster and the AIs for Ireland.

Well it's hard to think of too many others who played consistently well across the whole season. Maybe Heaslip or possibly Murray but its really only been since the new year that Murray has come to the fire.

thebaz

some strange selections here - madigan, o'donnell , murray , zebo for me

anyway , the players need a long rest before the new season -

ps I think the rugby unions are killing the game with the length of the season , the new pro game should follow American football , where players get a serious time to rest up - rest is nearly as important as fitness , to stay healthy and fresh

19543261

Unfortunately it sometimes seems like players get their due rest through eventual injury.

matthew8

Longer seasons make more money and the players can get paid more. Nfl players are all earning millions anyway so they don't have to play as much. Rugby salaries are small enough already without a shortened season reducing them more.

thebaz

matthew8 wrote: »

Longer seasons make more money and the players can get paid more. Rugby salaries are small enough already without a shortened season reducing them more.

the NFL is around long eneogh , to know the value of rest - sure , why stop at all then , just play 12 months a year , and risk chronic arthitis & burnout all for a few extra euros - in 10 years time, people will understand the value of rest

matthew8

thebaz wrote: »

the NFL is around long eneogh , to know the value of rest - sure , why stop at all then , just play 12 months a year , and risk chronic arthitis & burnout all for a few extra euros - in 10 years time, people will understand the value of rest

The NFL is a far far more dangerous sport. Even though they play far less there are tons of injuries. They never played long seasons and have only ever increased season length. We're already 10 years into professional rugby with long seasons so I don't think another 10 will change anything in terms of injuries.

thebaz

matthew8 wrote: »

We're already 10 years into professional rugby with long seasons so I don't think another 10 will change anything in terms of injuries.

completly disagree, 10 years is nothing , you want long seasons , I don't for players welfare (8 months max). Crippling arthitis is very slow to creep up, but believe me it is wretched , I have some myself , from various physical pursuits.

desertcircus

Think Madigan and Henderson are the strongest contenders. Madigan has taken just two years to go from third choice for Leinster to being second choice for Ireland, and Leinster fans aren't nearly as worried as they could be about Sexton's departure. Henderson has been pulled up through the ranks at an unbelievable speed and has performed credibly at every stage. I can't think of anyone who comes close to those two.

.ak

I thought we were talking about Irish internationals. If not, then Madigan for me.

conf101

.ak wrote: »

I thought we were talking about Irish internationals. If not, then Madigan for me.

But Madigan is an international

P.Walnuts

If we are including everyone just not internationals then

Madigan, TOD, Zebo, POM, Healy, SOB, Heanderson

Out of the internationals i'd say POM has had a standout season, as in where he is now compared to where he was at the start. SOB and Healy have been excellent too, but we are used to that at this stage!

phog

Actually thinking about it again, James Coughlan can't have been too unhappy with his season after he got over his injury in the early part of the season.

Zzippy

Madigan for me, in terms of how much he contributed whenever he played - very consistent and made a huge impact all year long. Only drawback is playing behind a pack that's going backwards, he needs to improve his game control in those circumstances...

.ak

conf101 wrote: »

But Madigan is an international

As much as Henderson is. I thought the OP meant established lads.

Larbre34

Certainly Madigan from my patch, honourable mention to Craig Gilroy, big Tommy O'D

padser

Le vieux renard wrote: »

I would give it to Murray. Went from being a 50/50 call to start for Ireland to arguably the form scrumhalf on the B&I Lions tour. Given neither Italy nor France have particularly compelling 9 options at present, maybe only Kahn Fotualii is a better scrumhalf in Europe at the moment.
.

Murray had a reasonably good Lions your (I guess he played about 50 minutes in the tests?) Im delighted as we need a form 9 for Irelad.

But lets not go overboard

There is a guy up at Ulster who is in a different league.

There are also at least 2 French scrumhalves that are better than Murray.

After that I'd agree he is in the next pack but Id struggle to agree he is the clear leader there.

.ak

padser wrote: »

Murray had a reasonably good Lions your (I guess he played about 50 minutes in the tests?) Im delighted as we need a form 9 for Irelad.

But lets not go overboard

There is a guy up at Ulster who is in a different league.

There are also at least 2 French scrumhalves that are better than Murray.

After that I'd agree he is in the next pack but Id struggle to agree he is the clear leader there.

France have never had an issue developing great SH, so not exactly fair comparison there. Who in Ulster is better? I'm a fan of Marshall's tempo and all that but he has more weak points that Murray does now.

I'll be the first to say I was one of Murray's critics, but I'll admit I was being unfair as Ireland made him look slow and poor in the same way it made Sexton look bad.

dtpc191991

.ak wrote: »

France have never had an issue developing great SH, so not exactly fair comparison there. Who in Ulster is better? I'm a fan of Marshall's tempo and all that but he has more weak points that Murray does now.

I'll be the first to say I was one of Murray's critics, but I'll admit I was being unfair as Ireland made him look slow and poor in the same way it made Sexton look bad.

I think he means Piennar.

.ak

dtpc191991 wrote: »

I think he means Piennar.

Ha, he's only a show pony!

Swiwi.

dtpc191991 wrote: »

I think he means Piennar.

Not a Piennar fan myself (at international level). Maybe it's the SA coaches, but he is ever so predictable for the Boks. There are much better scrumhalves playing in the SA franchises eg Sarel Pretorius.

dingoberry

Healy, POM, Murray, TOD, Madigan, Coughlan, Zebo and Sexton all had generally excellent seasons. I still can't believe Coughlan will never get capped.

Honourable mentions to Henderson, Best, Donnacha Ryan, Darcy, Henshaw, Gilroy, Marshall, Bowe, POC, Heaslip (at the end of the season) and Jackson.

In terms of making a real splash at international level and/or week in, week out performing: Zebo, TOD, Madigan, Murray shone.

Picking one: TOD - he was just outstanding almost every minute of every game.