KEY POINTS:
Jeremy Smith must rate as the leading candidate for the Kiwis' Player of the Year award to be announced at the NZRL awards function today.
With voting focusing on the Kiwis' World Cup campaign, it's hard to go past his contribution, especially in the final.
Not only did
he score the try which put the Kiwis on the board after they trailed 10-0 after only 15 minutes but he also pulled off a desperate try-saving ankle tap on Johnathan Thurston in the 72nd minute when Australia threatened a late comeback.
Smith is not a flashy player. He's strong, a great defender and has a good engine on him and he epitomised in that tackle the Kiwis' efforts in their stunning 34-20 upset of Australia in the World Cup final.
He should have been a candidate for man of the match but this was controversially awarded to Australian captain Darren Lockyer instead.
The 28-year-old heads to the Dragons this season to team up with Kiwis assistant Wayne Bennett and he might well take the Player of the Year trophy with him.
Smith is one of six finalists, along with Warriors Nathan Fien, Lance Hohaia, Manu Vatuvei and Simon Mannering, as well as skipper Nathan Cayless.
Fien was a revelation at halfback after initially starting the tournament at hooker, Hohaia slipped into the fullback's role admirably in the absence of the injured Brent Webb, Vatuvei scored four tries in the crucial win against England, Mannering was his usual efficient self and Cayless led the team from the front.
Voting was conducted by 16 people, including coaches and media with the coaches' votes from Stephen Kearney and Bennett carrying added weight.
Among other awards to be announced will be the International Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and NZRL Personality of the Year.
The World Cup-winning Kiwis gathered in Auckland yesterday for two days to celebrate their famous victory.
As well as the awards function, the Kiwis will be at Henham Park in Otahuhu today to launch the NZRL's Kids 2 Kiwis programme before a civic reception tomorrow at the Louis Vuitton village in the Viaduct Harbour, which is open to the public from 12pm-1pm.
The NZRL were keen to have Bennett in town to contribute to their World Cup debrief but he was conspicuously absent because of his commitments to the Dragons.
Bennett has not yet recommitted to the Kiwis for 2009. The NZRL were hopeful his absence did not overshadow the weekend's celebrations and emphasised that nothing should be read into it in terms of his future with the Kiwis.
