JJ up for young player of the year.

[BOK]

JJ Hanrahan has been nominated for the IRB young player of the year award and it`s down to a public vote on facebook. Fair play to him he has shown his class during the U20 World Championships and look forward to seeing what he can achieve in the years to come for Munster and Ireland.


Vote now!
https://www.facebook.com/irbjuniorworldrugby

[FORWARD....]

He's well ahead in the voting at the moment. No thanks to me although I'd like to add to the votes. I can't find the poll!! Or do you have to log in to facebook to vote?

[BOK]

Just click the little bubble before his name on the left. Not sure if you must be signed in to facebook or not though, i`d sign in just to be sure, as i was signed in when i voted and my vote was cast.

[blackwarrior]

I have voted for JJ, and hopefully this will not the only time in this young man's career. TBH, I have never seen him play, so I was somewhat sceptical when I read the regular glowing comments on this forum, because I wasn't sure what evidence they were actually based on. Well I was dead impressed by his performances in the U20s, so maybe this forum isn't too far off the mark after all. Good for Kerry too.

Now hopefully DOC2/beta/babydoc - or whatever he ends up getting called - will also start to justify the praise he is getting around here. I have seen him play, and he looks a big, promising lad.

[JoeyFantastic]

Ah, but does anyone know what the "JJ" stands for?

[Cowboy]

Ah, but does anyone know what the "JJ" stands for?

Jesus Junior? Being the messiah and all that!

[shk7619]

[hellovating]

it's not just down to the fb poll.

"The results of the public poll will be considered, along with the original votes, when finalising the winner."

John Joseph, I believe.

[Malley]

Ah, but does anyone know what the "JJ" stands for?

Jaggery Jack-knife

[major wavin]

Jiminy Jillickers

[Ruckuss]

If the highlights are anything to go by then we have a serious talent on our hands,
Heaslip would be the last Irish player to be nominated in the year that Kaino won it I think?

[MrsMcGahan]

Hanrahan in frame for top junior player award

By Alan Good

Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Ireland’s JJ Hanrahan has been shortlisted for the IRB Junior Player of the Year Award at the U20 World Cup in South Africa.
Hanrahan, the tournament’s joint second-highest points scorer, is the first Irish player to be in contention for the accolade.

more:

[MrsMcGahan]

Hanrahan's development is very very timely imo if he becomes a 10. Like to be proved wrong but unless he makes a big step forward Keatley is not good enough for Munster. And 10 was shaping up to be the most difficult piece of the jigsaw for Penney to solve. If JJ goes on 2013/14 could be interesting.

[MunsterLux]

JJ definitely deserves it based on that video. Skill vs brute force. That chip and gather at 0:35 beats anything shown by the other 2. But saying that, he's up against 2 Saffers in a tournament held in South Africa…

[mtcmolloy]

JJ definitely deserves it based on that video. Skill vs brute force. That chip and gather at 0:35 beats anything shown by the other 2. But saying that, he's up against 2 Saffers in a tournament held in South Africa…

I thought serfontain looked decent. That no. 6 looks like a gowl with his antics.

[dropkick]

Good to see him getting nominated. It'll do wonders for his confidence but also he has been nominated while playing at 10. Thats his best position. He would make a very good 12 too but his talents are a bit wasted there.

Serfontain is a highly rated SA. They're comparing him to Danie Gerber and even BOD. Adendorff is on the small side for a SA forward but looks a decent player. I remember Iain Henderson picking him up and running backwards with him in the first JWC game, like Ferris did to Genia!

[Aussiedub]

The big question is how quickly he becomes the starting 10 for Munster now...

[DONC]

The big question is how quickly he becomes the starting 10 for Munster now...

And then takes Munster's rightful place at 10 for Ireland

[Old Dog]

And then takes Munster's rightful place at 10 for Ireland

And then the whining at the Irish management for taking "our" players away from us or making them sit out Rabo games can begin!

[he man rugger pints]

The guy looks to be pure class. This has to be the best crop of 20's since the 2007 season. While nothing is certain, you could see a good five or more getting caps and becoming important players for their (or other) provinces. Furlong, Scannell, Henderson, Conan, Coghlan, Gilsenan, McGrath, Marmian, Hanrahan, Farrell and Nelson all have buckets of potential... and that's before you factor in Paddy Jackson who didn't tour but already has a HEC final under his belt. Hanrahan and Henderson look like the two gems this year though, hopefully injury will be kind to them.

JJ actually reminds me of a young Contepomi in the way he plays. Now I know Munster could never have someone like that playing for them so hopefully Leinster will do the honourable thing sooner rather than later and offer him a contract.

[slatterg]

i would like to see munster starting with hanarahan at 12 net season and have him learning from o gara and still playing, and then once it has become o gara's time to move on move him in to 10 ala' Merthens and Carter.

but then again that is also just my rugby philosophy because i think the idea of a second 5/8ths is better than a pure first centre

[ormond lad]

Id prefer to see JJ playing as a 12, and dont see how his talents are wasted there, so a backline of ours could look like
9 murray
10 keatley
11 zebo
12 jj
13 earls
14 barnes
15 jones

[Colliniho]

I don't like the idea of JJ playing outside ROG next year personally. Although there is a point that he could learn from ROG and toughen up at 12, the team are too lateral as it is and this wouldn't help.

We need someone like Earls who can either tie in defenders and create space outside or Downey who will get over the gainline at 12 next year

[he man rugger pints]

I don't like the idea of JJ playing outside ROG next year personally. Although there is a point that he could learn from ROG and toughen up at 12, the team are too lateral as it is and this wouldn't help.

We need someone like Earls who can either tie in defenders and create space outside or Downey who will get over the gainline at 12 next year

He certainly doesn't seem like the player who just ships the ball on though, he's shown a great ability to attack and break the gameline (albeit from 10) over the last few weeks. I think he'd do a great job at 12 eventually if needed, whether he's ready for HEC next season is another thing but we'll have to wait and see.

[the plastic paddy]

The guy looks to be pure class. This has to be the best crop of 20's since the 2007 season. While nothing is certain, you could see a good five or more getting caps and becoming important players for their (or other) provinces. Furlong, Scannell, Henderson, Conan, Coghlan, Gilsenan, McGrath, Marmian, Hanrahan, Farrell and Nelson all have buckets of potential... and that's before you factor in Paddy Jackson who didn't tour but already has a HEC final under his belt. Hanrahan and Henderson look like the two gems this year though, hopefully injury will be kind to them.

JJ actually reminds me of a young Contepomi in the way he plays. Now I know Munster could never have someone like that playing for them so hopefully Leinster will do the honourable thing sooner rather than later and offer him a contract.

Thanks for the comment about Contepomi, just fired coffee out of my nose.

[MrsMcGahan]

Serves you right for loading it up there.

[Cowboy]

He certainly doesn't seem like the player who just ships the ball on though, he's shown a great ability to attack and break the gameline (albeit from 10) over the last few weeks. I think he'd do a great job at 12 eventually if needed, whether he's ready for HEC next season is another thing but we'll have to wait and see.

Would love to see him start at 10 with a fairly full strength side around him. We need a 10 long term more than we need a 12 (all great teams are constructed around a great outhalf, not all great teams are constructed around a great 12)

[Dowlinz]

I don't like the idea of JJ playing outside ROG next year personally. Although there is a point that he could learn from ROG and toughen up at 12, the team are too lateral as it is and this wouldn't help.

We need someone like Earls who can either tie in defenders and create space outside or Downey who will get over the gainline at 12 next year

Perhaps not for hec games but at rabo level I certainly think JJ has more to gain playing with ROG then at 10 by himself.

[dropkick]

Id prefer to see JJ playing as a 12, and dont see how his talents are wasted there, so a backline of ours could look like
9 murray
10 keatley
11 zebo
12 jj
13 earls
14 barnes
15 jones

At 10 he will be able to call the shots and he has a range of attacking options that keeps defenses guessing as well as the ability to spot weakness in defenses. I'd try Keatley at 12 if they were on the same team.

I wouldn't mind seeing him at 12 for a season or 2 but in the long term 10 is where he should play.

[Colliniho]

Perhaps not for hec games but at rabo level I certainly think JJ has more to gain playing with ROG then at 10 by himself.

I reckon this season is Keatley and especially Deasy's last chance to show that they can run our backline at H-Cup level. If they don't step up and if JJ continues to mature then he has to be in pole position from the start of the 2013/14 season.

Deasy is a such a talented footballer but if he can't sort his head out to develop the consistency needed to play 10 and sort his defence out it'll be the Billy Holland or Tom Gleeson route for him. Keatley is in a similar enough spot. We know he can kick (remember Cardiff away this year) but consistency is such an issue.

One of them needs to kick on this year or the calls to install JJ will be too loud to ignore.