With Kevin Sinfield lucky enough in some peoples eyes to receive a nomination to this top award will Sean O'Loughlin go one step further and actually win the thing?

All that Kevin Sinfield has done to deserve this award is lead Leeds Rhinos to a third consecutive (Sean O'Loughlin is capable of better) grand final win and a top of the table finish. Not to mention all the individual awards he’s won this season including man of the match (If Sean O'Loughlin wasn’t injured he would of got that) aweard against the kiwis and the Harry Sunderland (something Sean O'Loughlin should of got these last three years if it wasn’t for losing against Kevin Sinfield’s Leeds twice and saints once in the semi's) at Old Trafford

What You Think?

I think you need to get over the fact that some people think SOL is a good player.

I think your going fishing again, but Sinfield has played most of his International footy this series at 9, not at 13.

I accept he’s a good player. But he’s no where near Kevin Sinfield at the moment. However there’s always room for improvement

Sinfield has been playing well this series while at dummy half..........

what do you base your judgement on?

Sinfield could single handedly score 7 tries on saturday and beat the aussies and people would still go ''eh! sinfield? what did he do'' when he won MOM.

I have never been a fan of Sinfield, especially as I am a Cas fan. But I have to admit he was absolutely brilliant for us on Saturday. Mr Sinfield I doff my cap to you sir!

Actually a great deal of people were praising Sinfield, including plenty people who previously felt he was overrated. Seems like you'd need a fairly big chip on your shoulder to off the back of that come and have a sly dig at Sean. Mind you it is Damo

At all angles.

Sinfield has been the best 13 at club level for the past three years in super league as shown by the points he’s amassed and winning the big award. He’s also been instrumental in the international set up - not always I will admit that.

Sean O'Loughlin in comparison has just looked good in a few super league regular round games and you might want to chuck in a few challenge cup games and maybe the odd (not that anything really stands out) international.

Sinfield is an all round class act for both county and club level at the moment just like the Melbourne Storm lads who’ve been nominated rightly for the golden boot. Anyone who thinks Sean O'Loughlin is a better player I respect they opinion but they over glorifying him into something he’s not.

Different players.
This for me is the first time i've seen Sinfield stand up and be counted on the international stage and as someone pointed out, from 9.
It's been a masterstroke from Smith to play him there as he's better than Diskin or Moore in the position.
He's never going to give you the workrate O'Lockers gives you though.

Both very good clubmen, i'd take either at wire

And so he should be praised.

Maybe this is a sly dig at Sean but I’m waiting for those Sean fans to come out of the clockworks and give me a reasonable debate why O'Loughlin is better than Sinfield. Wigan fans throughout this season have gone on how much better he is.

If you ignore Greg Bird.



Nonsense.



The thing is, you have no idea how SoL would have performed this series. He might well have played as well as, if not better, than Sinfield.

To use Sinfield playing well as a platform to have a pop at a player who is devastated to be missing a series through injury just proves you're more bothered about Leeds players in the England team than the England team itself.

Congrats to Sinfield on his performances, I am as delighted for him as I am disappointed for SoL for missing out on the chance of playing international RL again.

I’m as disappointed as yourself.

After all SoL was instrumental in the 2007 series - it would have been great if we had him of that form in this series as well. As far as I’m concerned the more good players in the England international set up the better regardless of what club they come from. I’ve probably tripped myself up arguing in SoL corner but I still stand by my point that Sinfield is the better player.

Both are cr4p.

Get lost.
Who was it Morgan was calling for international honours again

Sinfield's workrate is outstanding.

Sinfield has finally started to do what Sean O'Loughlin has been doing for a number of years(when available) and thats play well at international level.

It's about time tbh but nobody can take away how well he's played in this series. He was pretty poor for the main against France but has stepped upto the plate when it's really counted in the big games.

I'm happy for him because he seems a decent bloke.

It's good but I bet O'loughin makes more meters, has a better tackling engine and I cant really recall Sinfield making many breaks.
I'd rather have Sinfield but if you've got a creative 6 + 7 with good kciking games, something nearly every team in the SL lacks you shouldnt need a ball playing loose

For me sinfield is a far better organiser, but SOL is a far better defender (he is a tackling machine) and makes more yards going forwards. Differant sorts of loose forwards for me.

Sean O'Brotherinlaw has come on a lot since the days when I thought he wasn't even averagely good, I've got to admit that.

He's a plain, honest-to-goodness, no-frills player.
Nothing wrong with that.

Golden Boot?
If he ever gets within loudhailer distance of it, there's something strange going on.

Not sure what sort of fish Damo was angling for, but I'll say the following -
A couple of years back I didn't rate O'Loughlin. However, in the 2007 series he showed he could transfer his game to the international scene well. Since then I've taken extra interest in his game and been very impressed with his physical defence and all round forward's game.

I have always respected Sinfield's contribution for Leeds, and the past 3 years have seen him acheive an awful lot. However, in my yearning to match the aussies consistantly, I bemoan the fact that our international side requires a 3rd player after the half backs to take charge of the distribution and kicking game.

Sinfield (when he's not been dipping in at hooker) has been asked to do for England a similar role that he does for Leeds, and he's done it well, there's also no question in my mind over his heart, commitment or workrate
BUT
If Eastmond and Tomkins are our future halfbacks then they have the talent and ability to to the kicking, distribution and organising between them, which would mean that a playmaking 13 like Sinfield would be less needed and I would go for a more physical 13 - SoL would be my first choice.

Thing is O'Loughlin isnt a bad distributer either, he's got a fantastic cut out pass but Sinfields kicking game is top notch.
As you say though, that's the 6 and 7's job, Aus dont use Hindmarsh or Gallen et al to do it

I've always rated both players but my concern was Sinfields size in the back row. Smith has found his best position now at international level and should use him as the regular #9.

O'Loughlin is another who IMO has copped undue flak purely because he was Farrels bro in law. I mean WTF.

O'Loughlin is a good hardworking 13 who can dish it a bit and as has been said earlier, if your half backs give you the flair then your 13 can do the graft.

If tackling anything that runs in your direction is all it takes to make you an international forward, then Malcolm Alker must be the unluckiest player on the planet not to have 20 international caps by now.

Unfortunately for players like both O'Loughlin and Alker, you need to have something a little bit extra to make it at international level.