Samuel Burgess will not necessarily be in for sure precisely because he did not play in the current Four Nations. That should also disqualify Johnathan Thurston and Jarryd Hayne.

You also underestimate the extent to which some people dislike traitors.

Depends if they include players who've left the game like Sam Burgess and Hayne.

If they have Hayne's the top fullback IMO. Inglis second.
Wings I think Hall and Brett Morris are up there, Radradra had an amazing start to the season but faded a bit like the Eels
Think Jennings and Whare will be up there in the centres.
Thurston is the stand out stand off
Think Johnson will shade it at scrum half.
Props will be Graham and George Burgess or Matt Scott. Jessie Bromwich too.
Backrow is a bit of a difficult one. Think Taumalolo will figure strongly.

Samoan? Have Brough's exploits in leading Scotland to next years' 4N entirely passed you by?

Hayne/Inglis
Morris
Whare
Inglis/D Walker
Hall
Thurston
DCE/Soward(Penrith)/Reynolds(NSW)
Graham
Smith/Segeyaro
G.Burgess
Taumalolo
B.Scott/Mannering
S.Burgess

Dylan Walker? Are you serious?

Dylan Walker is not only not in the class off Gregory Inglis, he is not even in the class of Michael Jennings, whom you have not even considered.

Do you actually watch the regular NRL games? Dylan Walker has been outstanding for the champions South Sydney Rabbitohs. Not only has he been a standout at centre possessing great speed and aggression he has also killed it at FB when Inglis has gone off with injuries. Why did he make the Aus squad/team if he's so poor?

Correct me if I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure GI played FB all year? Even at International level?

Jennings has been indifferent the majority of the year like his team, that's why despite possessing what many believed was the best playing roster in the NRL they didn't even make it to the final.

I do watch the NRL -- every week in fact. I didn't say Dylan Walker was poor, just not as good as Michael Jennings. But when he played full back in Four Nations game 1 against NZ, he dropped the high ball more than once. So he has tarnished his reputation. By contrast Jennings has played very well in the internationals, better than Walker. Jennings and Whare have been the stand out centres, followed by Sarginson.



Correct



Indifferent is a bit harsh. Jennings has played OK all year, otherwise he would not have made the Kangaroo team.

Moreover Jennings' form is not the reason that his club team, the Roosters, did not make the Grand Final. There were a number of factors. I would rate Anthony Minichiello's mistakes in the game against Penrith, in week 1 of the playoffs, which led to Penrith narrowly beating the Roosters, as a much more important factor. Had the Roosters beaten Penrith in that first playoff game they would then have had a week off, and played Canterbury in the preliminary final (while Souths would have played Nth Queensland). That would probably have led to a Sydney Roosters vs Souths Grand Final.

Cherry Evans over Cronk? Laughable.
Origin and these Tests have shown DCE's not in the same class at rep level as JT, Cronk or Johnson.

I completely forgot about Shaun Johnson! He is possibly making a genuine bid for the Golden Boot award with his performance in the Final today.

At this rate, he may overtake Danny Brough in the heart(s) and mind(s) of the Brighouse-based adjudicator(s).

Matty Smith over Johnson.

Nah.

Matty Smith is way too vegetarian.

If Smith is vegetarian I will start eating meat again, if that's what it does to your body.

Shaun Johnson just overtook Gregory Inglis and James Graham.

Once again, how right you are!

Johnson was definately player of the tournament, he is one fantastic half back.

Golden Boot shortlist just announced:

Samuel Burgess

Unavailable for the Four Nations following his switch to rugby union, he is included because of his huge impact on the NRL season in 2014 as South Sydney ended their long title drought. His performance in the Grand Final, after fracturing his eye socket and cheekbone in the first tackle, will live long in the memory.


James Graham

The workaholic, flamed-haired front rower led the Canterbury Bulldogs pack all the way to the 2014 NRL Grand Final. Then stepped up as England captain for the opening Four Nations game in the absence of Sean O’Loughlin, and was his side’s best forward for the whole tournament, getting through a mountain of work, most notably against Australia.


Johnathan Thurston

Missed the Four Nations through injury, but had already left his mark on the international scene by winning the man of the match in the ANZAC Test win over New Zealand. Domestically he was again outstanding, jointly winning the prestigious Dally M award with Jarryd Hayne after another terrific campaign with North Queensland Cowboys.


Jesse Bromwich

Statistically the prop was the best forward in the Four Nations, not least in the final where his 23 carries yielded an outstanding 150 metres. His form both for club Melbourne Storm and New Zealand recently led ex-Australian test front rower Robbie Kearns to publicly state Bromwich could become a better player than respected former Kangaroo Glenn Lazarus.


Shaun Johnson

Was instrumental in New Zealand Warriors’ midseason recovery in the NRL, but it was during the Four Nations that he really burst into life. Has matured into a halfback that can control a game as well as provide the spectacular plays, but showed his breathtaking pace in a man of the match performance in the final, including a brilliant try.


Gregory Inglis

Another key figure in Souths’ NRL title win, providing a huge presence from fullback and scoring some of the most spectacular tries of recent years, most noticeably at Brisbane. With several other established players missing for Australia in the Four Nations he stepped up and scored in all three group games.



Burgess and eventual winner Thurston were also among the six nominees last year.

The same 13-man panel that chose Thurston will again vote for the winner and the World XIII, which will both be revealed in next month’s Rugby League World, out on Friday, December 19.

The panel is assembled from both sides of the world, and includes representatives from Australia, England, France and New Zealand. Among them is former Golden Boot winner Garry Schofield, ex-Great Britain coach Brian Noble and past Kiwi internationals Robert Hunter-Paul and Daryl Halligan.

They are joined by leading journalists David Hadfield, Martyn Sadler, David Woods, Bradley Walter, Louis Bonnery, Malcolm Andrews, Mitchell Dale, Andrew Voss and Steven Mascord. The votes will be submitted during the first week in December.

Out of that lot expect Hadfield,Schofield,Woods,Noble,Sadler and possibly Hunter-Paul to go with Burgess or Graham.

TBH i would say either would be a worthy winner along with Shaun Johnson on the back of his excellent 4 nations.Those 3 are a shade ahead of the others IMO.

The omission of Daniel Brough from the shortlist is a surprise.

Anyone know the makeup of the assembled panel of judges in 2012 when Kevin Sinfield was awarded the Golden Boot?

The same group I heard, except for Aussie Steven Mascord and Frenchman Louis Bonnery, who were replaced by Gary Hetherington and Katherine Hetherington

Gareth.

The Ausies will fix it so that Inglis wins just to help them retain some semblance of credibility after being dethroned as the worlds best Rugby Nation and Exposed as the Worlds best cheats

Rimmel

Gareth Schofield



Robert Rawiri Hunter-Paul



Gareth Hetherington

A sure sign of madness talking to yourself. Especially on the internet.

People who vote on the X factor and vote for UKIP

?