Ma'a Nonu, Israel Folau, Sam Cane, Nemani Nadolo, and Aaron Smith. Photos / Getty Images
Ma'a Nonu, Israel Folau, Sam Cane, Nemani Nadolo, and Aaron Smith. Photos / Getty Images
The best team in Super Rugby will be crowned tomorrow night - but what about the best player?
A total of 554 players took the field for 15 franchises this season and, in the absence of an official award elevating one player above his peers, all are essentially judged as equals.
That just won't do. After all, virtually every other club- or franchise-based competition in the world recognises their finest player - the NRL has the Dally M medal, the English Premier League selects a PFA player of the year, every American league names an MVP.
But Super Rugby has never honoured its best, and for that it is remiss. Choosing the most valuable player creates debate among fans, pundits, coaches and even players, adding an extra layer of intrigue to every campaign. That intrigue has been absent from Super Rugby ... until now.
Because in 2015, after a panel of 21 journalists, broadcasters and former players were tallied for their votes, Highlanders halfback Aaron Smith has been named the first annual Herald MVP.
With every member of the 21-strong voting bloc asked to rank the regular season's top three players in a 3-2-1 format, Smith received six first-placed votes to tally 28 points overall and take the inaugural title.
The All Black finished five points ahead of an opponent and a teammate in tomorrow night's final, with Ma'a Nonu and Waisake Naholo tallying 22 points each, a tie broken by virtue of Nonu's five first-place votes compared with Naholo's four.
The MVP Rankings
Aaron Smith is the Herald's 2015 Super Rugby MVP. Photo / Getty Images
While the veteran Nonu and the rookie Naholo were both influential in securing playoff places for their respective sides, it's difficult to argue with Smith's singular value.
Most halfbacks are tasked with leading on the field, sparking the attack and marshalling the pack. But Smith took that leadership to another level for a team that featured a total of 85 All Blacks caps, by far the fewest of the five Kiwi sides.
Under the guidance of their nuggety No9, the Highlanders topped 10 wins for the first time in franchise history and finished with their second-best points differential. Smith recorded a combined 13 tries and assists - third among all halfbacks - but numbers alone struggled to assess his full impact.
No statistic would capture the success Smith enjoyed sniping around the edges, forcing opponents into poor options or costly errors, while no measure would judge his speed to the breakdown or the accuracy of his pass, setting up attack after electric attack.
Smith, Nonu and Naholo were well clear of the chasing pack, a group of 16 that was unsurprisingly dominated by Hurricanes and Highlanders. Even with playoff performances removed from consideration, the table-toppers saw six players receive votes while the southern side earned five nominations.
The field featured a heavy Kiwi hue - with only Israel Folau, Warren Whiteley and Boom Prinsloo representing Australia and South Africa - but such a result was hardly unfair, given that three New Zealand teams were among the top four in terms of competition points accrued after 16 round-robin games.
Arguments about an MVP award generally centre on the exact definition of that middle initial - that is, whether a player can be deemed valuable if he fails to take his team to the playoffs. And the Herald panel certainly suggested a post-season berth was a must, with only three men receiving votes after experiencing luckless campaigns.
Sam Cane was the only Chief to get a nod, while Nemani Nadolo took that honour for the Crusaders. And sorry, Blues fans, the hits keep coming - nary a vote was cast for the cellar-dwellers' underperforming squad.
The panel
Brian Ashby (Radio Sport), Campbell Burnes (NZ Herald), Dylan Cleaver (NZ Herald), Christian Cullen (former All Black), Martin Devlin (Radio Sport), Wynne Gray (NZ Herald), Guy Heveldt (Radio Sport), Richard Loe (former All Black), Patrick McKendry (NZ Herald), Justin Marshall (former All Black), Andrew Mulligan (Radio Sport / Sky Sport), Gregor Paul (NZ Herald), Keith Quinn (commentator), Chris Rattue (NZ Herald), Daniel Richardson (NZ Herald), Kris Shannon (NZ Herald), Elliott Smith (Radio Sport), Dr Stats (statistician), Scotty Stevenson (Sky Sport), Rikki Swannell (Radio Sport), Nigel Yalden (Radio Sport).
