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Then it must be Richie... Won 2 world cups in 2011 and 2015.Of those (all great players) only Sexton, Read and Retallick genuinely had decade spanning careers. I'd be leaning towards Sexton or Read.
Could go either way but I think I'd give it to Read, I love Johnny but 2 world cups and being a key player in what was consitently the decade's best team is hard to argue with. PsDT is too new.
Carter didn't play enough, Retallick was amazing at his height but had that massive injury and didn't get back for me.
Richie had a case as well but I'd lean towards Read because he went on a bit longer. Issue with player of the decade is that it favours players whose careers start roughly around a certain time.Then it must be Richie... Won 2 world cups in 2011 and 2015.
And he also became a chopper pilot... Which is very fitting to him, as he always enters from the side...
I was surprised to learn when I Googled that PSDT won his first cap in 2013, so played in 7 seasons of the decade versus McCaw and Carter's 6 (both quit in 2015). That said, it's only relatively recently that PSDT has been winning these kinds of plaudits.Man, I'm leaning towards Richie or Dan. PSDT is a bit early on the list to be in contention.
Just have 'last ten years' and do it every year?These "of the decade" things always strike me as a bit daft given that it heavily favours players whose careers happened to start at the beginning of the decade. It's between Read, Retallick and Barrett for me. I'd go for Read on the basis that (subjectively) he's spent more of the decade as a world class player than the others. Barrett spent a chunk of the decade as a bit part player and Retallick's form has fallen off a cliff, although I may well be guilty of polarising my opinion with what's happening right now and am struggling to remember when his form started to dip.
Carter was an all time great so if he did not win the previous player of the decade award then I would give it to him just based on his achievement in the game, don't need to be to pedantic over the timeframes. If not Carter then McCaw
Good to see a Kiwi perspective given that it seems like the answer is an AB (although I note a surprising amount of Sexton love). As I said, I was struggling to remember when Retallick's form started to dip. Maybe it's a confirmation bias, but it always struck me how much he was missed when he wasn't playing, possibly more so than any other player (ignoring ending up with Stephen Donald at 10 in a World Cup final!). Given how hard it is to show up as a star performer in the second row versus say, being a number eight hanging about on the wing, that's a strong argument for him IMO.I think brodies form slipped only in the last two years. And I've been very critical of him. But that still leaves 7 years of pretty darn awesomeness.
thank you! i thought i was the only one, im not even sure last year was the good, i think Read had one awesome season three or four years ago and has been riding ever sinceRead for me for most of his career has been criminally overrated. Last year was his best year for the all blacks by far, the four or five previous years were not that good. That included bad errors, defensively and bad passes, at critical times in games causing us to lose. Vermeulen was better last decade.
Actually what about Ben Smith, or Aaron Smith?
To me when Julian Savea bumped off Read and injured him in super rugby he wasnt the same after that lost that x factor that made him special.Just have 'last ten years' and do it every year?
I think brodies form slipped only in the last two years. And I've been very critical of him. But that still leaves 7 years of pretty darn awesomeness.
Read for me for most of his career has been criminally overrated. Last year was his best year for the all blacks by far, the four or five previous years were not that good. That included bad errors, defensively and bad passes, at critical times in games causing us to lose. Vermeulen was better last decade.
Mcaw pretty great, but mostly as a captain at the end of his career.
Psdt didn't play enough in the decade.
Carter, nah. What about others who retired at the same time? Nonu and Smith, they were better than Carter last decade.
Sexton, my memory fails me there. I can remember times when he was great and when he was awful but I don't have a sense if what the average looked like. Don't want to base it on a few bad performances just because that is what's in my memory, but nor do I want to assume it was only a few if I can't really remember. My sense is he was reasonably consistent so I think he's close, but not the safe bet
So out of those available, I'll go with retallick.
Actually what about Ben Smith, or Aaron Smith?