The Golden Boot is based on performances from January 2012 to December 2012.

Over that period of time, it's hard to think of a player who has been more successful or more influential than Kevin Sinfield.

Three major finals, two wins, man of the match in one of them. Captained his country three times, three wins.

Had the Man Of Steel vote taken place now rather than towards the end of the domestic season, I suspect you would see a different winner on that trophy too.

Cameron Smith led his club to a top 2 finish and won the GF, he also captained his country to 2 victories over New Zealand (a proper international team not France and Wales who are little better than amateurs), and led Queensland to another record breaking series win over NSW in the toughtest RL competition on earth. I would say that just edges it.

Also, why would he win MOS if it was voted for now? Does 1 game in a GF and a nothing 3 game "international" series if you can call it that make up for the rest of the season. MOS is voted for by the players of SL and who they think has been the best over the year, so if they thought he had been the best of the season from playing with/against him I am sure he would have been nominated

Kevin Sinfield plays in the UK because he's British, I imagine. If he excels over here and that's recognised by the Aussie press what's wrong with that? It's quite frankly puerile to assert that you don't merit an award like this unless you play in the NRL. That sort of thinking concludes with closing down the game everywhere but Australia.

a well deserved award. its also entirely predictable that he should be put down on a thread like this by people who are obviously much more knowledgeable than the panel who decided it. he's won this for his ability as an insprational captain - someone who can get the best out of arguably a set of players who on paper are nowhere near the best in the british game. its down to him largely that leeds have twice won the league from fifth 2 years in a row. cam smith might be the obvious choice but his team were outright favourites for the title and he's surrounded by much better players.

now all he has to do is lift the England team in similar circumstances in the 2013 WC!

The Man Of Steel votes were cast before the playoff series IIRC, in which Sinfield produced a series of outstanding individual performances culminating in winning Man of the Match in the Grand Final.

If you don't think that might have swayed the voting, then you're as well informed as the chump in your avatar.

While I can't argue that Sinfield isn't a great captain/leader with a magnificent kicking game, he's not a player who I get excited about watching, in fact I only notice him when he's kicking. I never expect him to produce a burst of individual skill that completely turns a game on its head, and for me, that's what I look for in a player worthy of such an accolade. It's all personal preference.

Which is all well and good, but I'd argue that Sinfield's greatest asset is the fact that when he controls the game it's entirely down to the opposition and whether they can provide that moment of individual skill to turn the game Leeds are dominating on it's head. Mission Impossible is much more exciting, but Citizen Kane is an infinitely superior film.

Lets get things into prospective, Kevin is a good player and plays well for Leeds but Best player in the world


He's not even the best player in Superleague that was Sam Tomkins, Roby, Dureau, Westwood, Oloughlin

So [ithat[/i award was handed out correctly was it? Right, sorry, failed to spot the distinction. Some might argue that captaining and leading your team to both finals, winning the GF and WCC and leading your country to four wins out of four, having a 100% post season kicking record and largely dictating the play in the crunch games was a bigger achievement than scoring a lot of tries from great support and broken field play but fluffing your lines in the big games and only finishing with a LLS, but they're idiots aren't they?

Once again, for the cheap seats, MOST SPECTACULAR DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN BEST

He's not even the best player in the Leeds team, Rob Burrow is.

Well deserved. You don't have to be a Leeds fan to see he has outstanding all round quality.

Yeah this just confims rugby league is a joke sport

Lets look at what he's done

Top 3 for man of steel? NO
In his main position for England v nothing teams? NO

Oh sorry he got mom in the gf thats all he kicked goals to take them there with boring rugby

If Sam Tomkins won it i'd be mad Ben Baba has been nothing short of a sicko this season plus the likes of Englis,Kronk even big Dave T would be in it before him

The English game has gone to the pots in recent years and it's down to sky and the rfl the only thing they come up with what has come off is Catalan and thats not 100% cause their away support is shocking but understandable

London Broncos what a waste of money this set up is the club is nothing but a joke attendances are shocking the only one what beats this is the light bulb idea of Crusaders which took off didn't it



Bradford and Salford both in the last 6 months near bust (Salford still are?) it wasn't so long ago Bradford was cleaning up the trophies, Salford get a brand new ground let Sale rent it then change their own fixture you cant make it up

The cap in Australia is going on 5.5m ours is what 1.7m? And the argument they come up with is the cap is small to let the smaller teams get a shot and make it a level playing field wtf whats changed?

Small clubs selling players to pay debts off? No still going on
Bigger clubs getting stars from smaller ones? Still going on

The more money what the game brings in the bigger sponsers we will get

Thoroughly deserved IMO.

He dragged his team through the playoffs by the scuffs of their necks. I can't remember a player alone having such an impact in the playoffs as he did, even in the NRL. He was fantastic.

It's a pity that the small minded fans of other SL clubs can't see beyond club bias.

Have you posted this on the wrong thread, or are you just mental?

Actually your post shows that our sport has joke supporters.

An Englishman wins a top award and yet a large selection of so called supporters just play this down and even ridicule it. Sinfield winning this award is a good thing for our sport in this country.

Listen i can name 10 players from over here who would be before this clown

How is it good for our game?
Will it make the game more competitive? NO
Will fans think 'oh that Sinfield the best player in the world is playing lets go watch him? NO

You get around 5 good decent close games over here a season you get the same over there in bad games

Having 3-4 good games makes you best player in the world?

Put the glue pot down

Yep, you're mental.

Yup. Petty jealousy and nothing more. Sinfield deserves every accolade coming his way. He's not only a great rugby league player, but a fantastic ambassador for the sport.

Oh....And yet the people deciding this award couldn't?

Forgive me for suggesting this but could it perhaps be because you are slightly biased in your opinion of one of the most successful and influential player of the modern game??

Why am i biased?

If your thinking i thought Sam should have won it your wrong

Leading try scorer in the NRL.
One of the best defensive fullbacks in the NRL.
Creates trys from nothing with his breaks.
When he gets the ball you expect something brilliant to happen, has the X factor.
Dally M winner, best player in the best comp in the world last year.

Saw Barba play live 20 times last year, Barba and Smith were the 2 standout players in the comp. Seen most of Sinfield career in superleague, but whilst he has been consistent, he has never been the best/standout player in the competition.

Wow. When did our fans become so lacking in knowledge that they place scoring lots of tries in a higher bracket of importance than being the lynch pin around which the entire team revolves?

Barba is a very impressive player, undoubtedly exciting to watch and dangerous wherever he is on the pitch, I don't think anyone disputes that. If, however, you asked him to take charge of kicking goals from the touchline or take the team by the scruff of the neck, lead them around the field and make all the important decisions that dictate the pace of the game he'd probably struggle.

Barba is wonderful and a delight to watch, and the kind of player who wins you matches, Sinfield is equally wonderful in a less spectacular way, and the kind of player who wins you championships.