Congratulations Adam Blair

[Michael :P]

Named NZRL player of the year, and well deserved too  . Should entrench himself this year as one of the best 5 or 6 forwards in the game.

Blair honoured as NZRL player of the year

Published: 5:25PM Wednesday February 10, 2010

Source: ONE Sport

Read
Kiwi vice-captain Adam Blair has capped an exceptional year by on Wednesday being named the New Zealand Rugby League's 2009 International Player of the Year.

The announcement comes as the 23-year-old 2008 World Cup winner is preparing for another career highlight when he appears for the NRL All Stars in Saturday night's season-launching clash against the Indigenous All Stars in Robina.

The Northland-raised Blair was in dominant form throughout 2009, appearing in each of the Kiwis' five Tests and standing out as one of the most impressive players on the field as he helped Melbourne to its 23-16 NRL grand final win against Parramatta. Many judges thought he should have won the Clive Churchill Medal as the player of the match.

Blair's performances were all the more remarkable because he was moved from his familiar propping role to play as an edge-running back rower in the latter part of the Storm's premiership-winning campaign. And during the Four Nations, coach Stephen Kearney used him at loose forward.

"Adam had a fantastic year for both club and country and really showed his versatility by being able to play equally well in the front row and the back row," said Kearney.

Blair has now played 16 Tests since making his Kiwi debut during the 2006 Tri Nations while he has amassed 76 NRL appearances for Melbourne heading into the 2010 season.

Named the 2009 International Rookie of the Year on Wednesday was Newcastle centre Junior Sa'u, who made his debut in the October Test against Tonga in Rotorua before going on to play in each of the Kiwis' three Four Nations matches.

Advertisement

Sa'u was one of eight new faces included the Kiwis' Four Nations squad with six in all making their debut on tour, the others being Bryson Goodwin, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Ben Matulino and Kieran Foran.

Among other awards announced, former Kiwi coach Brian McClennan won the 2009 Coach of the Year award after guiding the Leeds Rhinos to their third successive English Super League title and the second in his term with the club.

Canterbury fullback Johnny Aranga was named the Bartercard Domestic Player of the Year. He excelled for the Bulls in their title-winning campaign in last year's Bartercard Premiership and was rewarded with a spot in the Bartercard Premiership Selection which beat Toa Samoa Domestic.

Auckland's Leon Williamson was named Referee of the Year after controlling three matches during the Four Nations tournament including the grand final between Australia and England.

The NZRL's 2009 Young Player of the Year went to Taranaki back rower Jesse Parete, who was signed late last year by Melbourne when he was 16, while Tarsha Tapu was named Kiwi Ferns Player of the Year.

http://tvnz.co.nz/rugby-league-news/bla ... ar-3359030

[Michael :P]

Lulz at the end of the article too," NZRL's 2009 Young Player of the Year went to Taranaki back rower Jesse Parete, who was signed late last year by Melbourne when he was 16".

WTF are the Warriors doing over there.

[mystormboys]

Congratulations Adam - well done

[sallymay]

 

Anyone else think we have the best players in the world well we have at least 4 of them anyway

[STORM 2007]

Well done Adam, had a quality season, i'am sure you'll have one in 2010 aswell

[simo]

#1 Forward in the World.

[Mattpoet]

Definitely one of my favourite players to watch in full flight, behind only Billy Slater!!

[bootsie16]

Lulz at the end of the article too," NZRL's 2009 Young Player of the Year went to Taranaki back rower Jesse Parete, who was signed late last year by Melbourne when he was 16".

WTF are the Warriors doing over there.

According to the article below the Warriors chased him but he chose the Storm.  Good endorsement for the Storm but it does make you wonder.



Teen rugby league player Jesse Parete had four Australian clubs chasing him last week.

In the end, the 16-year-old New Plymouth Boys' High School boarder put his signature on a four-year deal with champion National Rugby League club the Melbourne Storm.

It has been a dramatic rise for the Manaia teenager, who took up the sport only 18 months ago after he found himself getting frustrated with his lack of progress in rugby.

Parete, who plays in the second row for the Normanby Knights in the Taranaki under-18 grade, was spotted by several league scouts while playing for Taranaki at a national Maori age-group tournament in Rotorua earlier this year.

After being approached by Auckland-based agent Stan Martin, a highlights package of his performances in a later national age-group tournament were put on DVD and sent to several NRL clubs. The response was dramatic. Not only did Parete have the premiership-winning Storm club courting his services, but also the Warriors, the Newcastle Knights and Penrith Panthers all wanted him on their payroll.

In the end, the Storm's offer of a four-year deal, combined with its reputation for looking after its new recruits, swung the deal for Parete and his mother, Manaia sole-charge Constable Mary Parete.

He will travel to Melbourne for four days in February for a variety of medical and physical tests, and he will receive a training programme for the next 12 months.

After that, he will return to Australia's second-largest city in 2011 to live for a year with a Melbourne Storm "family" who will foster him while he plays for the club's colts side.

Parete was nervous, as well as excited, about the prospect of joining the club. "It's just really good to have the chance to try and play for a NRL team," Parete said.

[Michael :P]

Pride Petterson-Robati, theres another one we've beat the warriors too.

Remember the name, 14years-old, 187cm and 91kg.

[nacho]

UUUUM what!?  hes 14, taller than me by 5cm and lighter than me by just 8kg  are u joking

[noa nandruku]

Pride Petterson-Robati, theres another one we've beat the warriors too.

Remember the name, 14years-old, 187cm and 91kg.

Found this article, what Endacott says it correct too. You only sign very, very special young players to that length of contract at that age.

BTW not yet 15 and look at the size of him next to Wendall  :amazed:

WELLINGTONIANS IN THE NRL…
Storming it up…
Wellington Junior Players; Fred Pule (Tigers Under 17’s), Pride Peterson Robati (Tigers
Under 15’s ) and Jeremy Hawkins (Kingfishers Under 17’s) spent the week training with
the Melbourne Storm – we caught up with rising star Pride Petersen Robati…

Pride is softly spoken, very humble and a man mountain for a 14 year old. You hear the buzz in his voice
as he talks about his experience in Melbourne. Pride, Jeremy and Fred were joined by Jessie Parete and
Isaac Robinson from Taranaki. With the exception of Jeremy all the boys were spotted at the Melbourne
Storm Boot camp staged on December 12th and 13th in Wainui. Jeremy was spotted playing NJC Under
16’s for Wellington.

The boys spent Easter Friday behind the scenes with the Storm watching the Storm play in the NSW Cup,
the Under 20’s and seeing the Storm NRL team rip apart the Dragons.

Saturday followed up with two intense training sessions focusing on Defense technique and conditioning.
“It was really intense, but I found the challenge really bought out the best in me,” Pride said. “The
defense was awesome they really taught us that technique is more important than smash and bash.”
Pride is really looking forward to the challenge ahead. He will be representing the Upper Hutt Tigers in
2010 at Under 15’s and 17’s. He heads back to Melbourne in November for preseason training and will
play for the Storm Under 18’s in 2011.

Pride who plays back row must have really impressed the Storm as he had been awarded a SIX year
contract, which according to leading player manager Frank Endacott is simply unheard of in the World of
Rugby League, “It’s early days, but the signs are there for a terrific future,” Endacott went on to say.
Could Pride be the next Israel Folau in the making??

http://www.cst.org.nz/groups/media_aler ... 0April.pdf