Slater medal debate a bore
A hundred bucks for anyone who can, without the use of the internet, rattle off the last 10 Wally Lewis Medal winners. Or even knows when it was first presented.
How about the last 10 State of Origin series’? Anyone know who’s won those?
Chances are most folk are going to know Queensland have won eight of the last 10. Or at least that the Maroons were the dominant side in that decade. But the medal, for player of the series? That’s less likely and for a good reason. It’s not important.
Winning’s the thing and whether Cameron Smith, Johnathan Thurston, Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater – or whoever – was judged to be Queensland’s best in those series’, doesn’t matter. And yet here we are, being bombarded with complaints and conspiracy theories about why Slater was adjudged to be the player of a 2018 series in which New South Wales were 2-1 victors. The judging system is corrupt, heads must roll, Slater wasn’t even the best player on his own team. On and on it goes.
Two of the three judges, Mal Meninga and Laurie Daley – the third, Darren Lockyer has yet to pipe up – felt compelled to defend
themselves and Slater has come in for criticism.
It was only a few months back that All Blacks first five-eighth Beauden Barrett found himself in a similar situation. An esteemed group of judges – if there is such a thing – decided he was World Rugby player of the year. Barrett didn’t enter himself, didn’t vote for himself and didn’t lobby for anyone to vote on his behalf and yet it was almost open season on him.
All because some people thought
this meaningless ‘‘honour’’ ought to have been bestowed upon someone else. After all, their opinion carries more weight than that of some panel assembled by World Rugby.
The problem here isn’t Slater or Barrett. It’s not Meninga and Daley or World Rugby. The issue is unnecessary, subjective trinkets. Plus the fact that, once upon a time, people might’ve been indifferent to these things. Perhaps nonplussed. Now everyone has to be outraged.
How about just shrugging our shoulders now and then?
New South Wales coach Brad Fittler hasn’t. He opted to have a moan instead, saying Slater’s won enough things in his time and questioning the credibility of the judges.
If anyone should appreciate that a trophy always trumps a medal, it’s Fittler and his Origin assistant Greg Alexander.
Alexander was captain, and Fittler the star turn, when Penrith won their first NRL title, in 1991. Hooker Royce Simmons, playing his final game before retirement, scored two tries and promised to have a beer with every Panthers supporter.
The fact that Canberra’s Bradley Clyde won the Clive Churchill Medal, as man of the match, is utterly immaterial and doesn’t diminish Penrith’s achievement in any way.
And so it is with the 2018 Blues. History will recall the rookie coach who made sweeping personnel changes and inspired a young side to just their second series win since 2005.
Slater will hardly rate a mention.
FOR THE RECORD
The Wally Lewis Medal was first presented in 2004. Since 2009 Cameron Smith has won it three times, Billy Slater twice and Greg Inglis, Nate Myles, Paul Gallen, Corey Parker and Dane Gagai once each.