Sinfield wins Golden Boot

[cpwigan]

There has always been a Lancashire/Yorkshire bias whatever period you read upon... it's quite funny actually that nothing has changed since the late 1800s. I dont think a Lancastrian-based rugby rag would have a place in the market, shame... but one can only hope of neutrality one day

A&L I think until it merged The Rugby Leaguer as it was then called was St Helens based. Open Rugby was founded by Cumbrian Harry Edgar who was fantastic. RL was far far better when Edgar and the likes of Peter Deakin RIP were at the fore. Nationally, RL writer have dwindled big time.

[josie andrews]

England's golden boy puts boot into his critics Down Under

EVEN Kevin Sinfield was surprised to win the unofficial prize for the world's best player - the Golden Boot.

However, the Leeds Rhinos champion dismissed his Australian critics who believe NRL stars such as Melbourne's Cameron Smith and Canterbury's Dally M medallist Ben Barba were better placed to win the award, with Sinfield claiming Aussies ''rate themselves very highly''.

Sinfield, 32, will be hoping to silence the cynics when he leads English Super League champions Leeds against a star-studded Melbourne Storm in next month's World Club Challenge.

But the backlash over the England captain beating the stars of the NRL to the Golden Boot does not look like going away after Sinfield's response. ''The Australians probably think the NRL competition is far superior to Super League,'' he told BBC Sport. ''Whether they rate me or not, I am not sure, but with a lot of the Australians they rate themselves very highly.

''I am not bothered or interested in what they say. If they want to have a crack then they can fire away.''

Sinfield became the fourth Englishman to claim the Golden Boot, and the first since Andy Farrell in 2004.
''I am surprised to win it, and I feel very fortunate,'' Sinfield told the Yorkshire Evening Post. ''I don't pick the award. Like everything, people have an opinion. When do you ever have a 100 per cent winner?''

Back in pre-season training with Leeds, Sinfield will be looking to get the last laugh in the World Club Challenge at home ground, Headingley, on February 22.

Sinfield led Leeds to a 26-12 triumph over Manly in last year's contest, sparking a big year for the 10-year Rhinos skipper.

He overcame a head knock to lead the Rhinos to their sixth Super League title in nine years and was named man of the match.

He also took Leeds to the Challenge Cup final at Wembley which they lost to Warrington.

■ Paul Wood took one for the team when he suffered a ruptured testicle playing in the Super League grand final for Warrington last season, but the prop said his misfortune had proved a publicity windfall. The 31-year-old hard man played on to the full-time whistle, having suffered the injury at the start of the second half.
Wood was rushed to hospital where one of his prized possessions was surgically removed. ''The reaction was absolutely unbelievable. Everyone wanted to talk to me,'' he said.

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/lea ... z2Herb7KA9

[josie andrews]

Seems he is not embarrassed & thinks of himself as a worthy winner compared to other players, even in SL there were better players than him IMO!