Hibernia College IRUPA Players' Player of the Year award

[blockhead]

http://www.independent.ie/sport/rugby/o ... 55001.html

HIBERNIA COLLEGE IRUPA PLAYERS' PLAYER OF YEAR

Winner: A Trimble (Ulster). Nominations: P O'Mahony (Munster), D Toner ( Leinster ), A Trimble (Ulster).

NEVIN SPENCE YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Winner: R Henshaw (Connacht). Nominations: R Henshaw (Connacht), J McGrath (Leinster), J Murphy (Leinster).

VOLKSWAGEN TRY OF YEAR 2014

Winner: R Kearney (Ireland v New Zealand, Autumn Series).

Nominations: JJ Hanrahan (Perpignan v Munster, Heineken Cup), R Kearney (Ireland v New Zealand, Autumn Series), J Sexton, (France v Ireland, 6 Nations).

HIBERNIA COLLEGE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE

Winner: S Jennings (Leinster). Nominations: S Jennings (Leinster), R Loughney (Connacht), D O'Callaghan, (Munster).

BNY MELLON IRUPA HALL OF FAME

Inducted: S Best (Ulster).

O2 UNSUNG HERO

Winner: J Coughlan (Munster). Nominations: J Coughlan (Munster), M Swift (Connacht), R Wilson (Ulster).

NEWSTALK106-108FM SUPPORTERS' PLAYER OF YEAR

Winner: D Toner (Leinster).

[blockhead]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAwd1Lk2YRc

Arguably the two worst interviewers ever.

[offshorerules]

Pleased for Trimble though.

[suisse]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAwd1Lk2YRc

Arguably the two worst interviewers ever.

You mean the "and, em" twins?

One of the girls asked Andrew Trimble was he based in Belfast. Cutting edge reporting again.

[ceemec]

Worst selection of best tries ever?

[AwayTheWell]

Is James Coughlan in the running for the most sung about "unsung" hero. Thought he progressed well beyond that category in the last two years at least.

[simonokeeffe]

Is James Coughlan in the running for the most sung about "unsung" hero. Thought he progressed well beyond that category in the last two years at least.

it was very nearly called the John Hayes award for John Hayes at one point

Swifty is owed it

[LeRouxIsPHat]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAwd1Lk2YRc

Arguably the two worst interviewers ever.

You mean the "and, em" twins?

One of the girls asked Andrew Trimble was he based in Belfast. Cutting edge reporting again.

That was the one that got me!

I really can't stand Trimble. He's just far too handsome and nice, it's not fair.

[jezzer]

What is Simon Best doing in the Hall of Fame? Great guy and tragic injury, but you'd hardly recall him in the pantheon of great Irish players....

[offshorerules]

He was a fine player. Cruel injury cost hi his career.

[ceemec]

What is Simon Best doing in the Hall of Fame? Great guy and tragic injury, but you'd hardly recall him in the pantheon of great Irish players....

As much to do with how his career ended as his actual career, I would think.

There are some genuinely great servants to the national team who haven't been inducted: Maggs, Flannery, Corrigan, Murphy, Easterby, Wallace (seriously, how has Wally not been inducted?)

[blockhead]

What is Simon Best doing in the Hall of Fame? Great guy and tragic injury, but you'd hardly recall him in the pantheon of great Irish players....

As much to do with how his career ended as his actual career, I would think.

There are some genuinely great servants to the national team who haven't been inducted: Maggs, Flannery, Corrigan, Murphy, Easterby, Wallace (seriously, how has Wally not been inducted?)

FFS Paddy Wallace only retired last weekend!

[jezzer]

He was a fine player. Cruel injury cost hi his career.

Don't doubt it, as I said in my post. But a Hall of Fame for me should be where the great players of the sport are honoured, not the nice ones or the unfortunate ones. I would question if Simon Best was ever a "great" in the HOF sense and I think his presence (however genuinely intended to reflect his awful injury) lessens the stature of the Hall of Fame.

[ceemec]

FFS Paddy Wallace only retired last weekend!

Where's his parade, man?

[blockhead]

FFS Paddy Wallace only retired last weekend!

Where's his parade, man?

Seriously though, there should be a moratorium on such awards. 10 years is a nice round number. Let the dust settle on a players career and not so long that it has to be given posthumously.

[ceemec]

Well, I suppose IRUPA is a relatively new notion so they couldn't suggest players from 10 years ago who had nothing to do with it. I do think there should be some sort of time period allowed to elapse, however.

Mick Galwey was given the award in his final season! Admittedly, he had played his final game by that point in the season but still a bit bizarre.