1.         SARACENS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 

Nick Lloyd got a couple of votes for an excellent season where he kept Yates out of the side and got an England call up "something that the winner can't claim..."  someone who knew that he was voting against the majority.  While a couple of others went for Hugh Vyvyan "From occasional lock to the best and most consistent second row for some seasons" which again is pretty hard to disagree with.

To be honest this was an utter walk in the park for the winner, with one pollster claiming that "never in my time in watching Saracens has one player consistently performed above his team mates and caught the eye over a prolonged period" and another proclaiming the winner as the best and the most improved player in the side. "Out played Shane Williams not many wingers can say that"...like a lot of sides have found so far when Del gets out in front not many catch him

Winner              Richard ‘Del' Haughton

2nd                   Nick Lloyd

3rd                    Hugh Vyvyan

2.         SARACENS YOUNG PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 

Amongst the miserable pollsters many of you bemoaned the fact that there was "a lack of choice" of our youngsters coming through...   which to be fair is pretty bloody true.  One self confessed heretic even dared suggest that "I don't think any of our young players stood out consistently compared to some of the youngsters at other clubs" ... which while being heretical to be fair is also pretty bloody true!

To show just how little choice there was Adam Powell took all but one vote which went to Don Barrell.  Here is to seeing a lot more youngsters getting there chance next year in the ‘Euro Heineken pen vase shield thing' next season.

Winner              Adam Powell

2nd                   Don Barrell

3.         SARACENS OLD PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 

The opposite of Young Player of the year with loads to choose from! Personally I always got confused between the bald headed Psycho twins of Chesney and Gustard when there was a massive tackle, a sly punch or just a case of running through brick walls... and maybe some of you did two as they came out on top.  But they weren't the only ones as the award was shared with two more of the stalwarts of Saracens .

Visagie really showed his worth over the HC run and rightly came joint top while no one will begrudge the retiring HRHRH also sharing this award in a season which saw him showing us all how much he'll be missed by outstanding performances most notably against the Ospreys

Winners             Chesney, Gustard, Hill and Visagie.

4.         GUINNESS PREMIERSHIP (non Sarries) PLAYER OF THE YEAR: 

Votes for Nick Kennedy "Head & shoulders above the competition, literally and metaphorically",  Sackey "best winger in Europe",  Dallaglio "yet another season with silverware" weren't enough to really see them challenge the top three. 

Perhaps England's half back pairing for the next ten years Danny Care "single handily changed Quins season" and the winner Danny Cipriani "every inch the real deal, with a questionable taste in women/men!" sandwiched The Gloucester and Fiji flanker Akapusi Qera of whoes taste in the opposite sex I'm unaware.

Winner              Danny Cipriani

2nd                   Akapusi Qera

3rd                    Danny Care

5.         INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR:

So many votes for so many different people covering seven different countries that only two players polled more than two votes - nominations for the likes of Jones, Phillips, Matfield, De Plessis, Hernandez, McCaw, Habana, Smit & Montgomery were all registered but there were two that just crept ahead by virtue of having more than one vote!

The two Welsh Williams were the players that were voted International Player of the year.  Pollsters commented "Biggest difference to the games he played in" and "simply class" which much as it pains me to say it could be applied to either of them... as could "Outclassed in the HC" and "short arse".

Winners            Shane Williams & Martin Williams

2^nd                    Everybody else (except anyone in an England shirt who were all rubbish)

6.         FAVOURITE SARACENS PLAYER:  

Lots of our thesaracens.co.uk readers appear to have a thing for large bald men with several votes for Cobus and Chesney.  There was even a vote for Seymour (can you guess who voted for him?!).  In retirement HRHRH gets a couple of votes which I believe is the same amount of games he played!

Player of the year Richard Haughton come behind the points machine Glen Jackson who gets to do all the flash stuff and score lots of points and every one wants to be when they grow up... I mean is there any 10 year old there who dreams of clearing out rucks or pushing in the scrum?!

Winner              Glen Jackson

2^nd                    Richard Haughton

3^rd                     HRHRH, Cobus Visagie & Kris Chesney

7.         BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN OPPOSITION PLAYER AGAINST SARACENS:

Last years top three were all locks this year there isn't a lock in the shake up... unfortunately for Saracens there appeared to be a great many more players that had stormers against us than in recent seasons!  Care, Cipriani, Flood all took votes for their excellent performances against the men in Black (and Pink).

However it was Gloucester players that collectively caught the eye this year, the Cherry and Whites took more than half the votes cast in this poll with Bortolami (away), Akapusi Qera (away) and Ryan Lambs performance both home and away taking the majority of the votes.  More disconcerting is the fact that Olly Barkley also got a couple of votes for his awesome all round display away at Bath and joins Gloucester next season.  Is there any point sending a team out West next season?!

Winner              Ryan Lamb (Away)

2^nd                    Ryan Lamb (Home)

3^rd                     Akapusi Qera (Away)        

8.         THE "ALBANESE" - WORST PERFORMANCE BY AN OPPOSITION PLAYER AGAINST SARACENS:

This was one of the few categories that had a couple of clear leaders. However special mention (because I'd forgotten about it!) must go to new Wasp Serge Betson who came on for the last 10 minutes at home against Biarritz, didn't touch the ball then was promptly sent to the sin bin some 30 seconds later... Genius!

The Ospreys pretty much make up the entire top 5, in confident mood them and with an over confident swagger the ‘One True Region' turned up at Vicarage Road and were absolutely smashed up from start to finish.  Holah got a vote based on being shown up by a one legged man, while Duncan and Adam Jones were shown that Sheridan isn't really the best there is to offer in GP circles.  While Ryan Jones probably regrets his comments in papers the week running up to the game!

But there was one moment of utter stupid brain dead play that single handed appears to have won last years winner of Best International player the award.  As the ball was cleared by Saracens, James Hook deep in his 22 tried catch the ball behind his back...he dropped it and made a hash of his clearance -  "There is confidence, then there is acting like a big headed pratt" I think sums it up nicely.

Winner              James Hook

2^nd                    Justin Marshall

3^rd                     Ryan Jones       

9.         THE MARTIN JOHNSON MEMORIAL LEAST FAVOURITE OPPOSITION PLAYER AWARD: 

Delon Armitage needs to buck his ideas up if he wants to play the evil stepmother in Cinderella at Watford this year with only one vote, he's slipped way down the list.  Ryan Jones has made few friends with his pre match comments prior to the Ospreys game. While the talented but unable to understand the Laws of the game, due to lack of brain, Tom Varndell's tantrum at Vicarage road "like my 4 year old at his very worst" sees him challenge the top.

But there can be only one... "If Johnno hadn't retired first, this award may well have LBND's name on it."  Is probably all you need?  I applauded big Lawrence off the pitch in his last game at Vic road.  Part to thank him for his contribution to the sport we love but mostly in thanks that he'll never again be on the pitch trying to referee the game again, at least as a pundit we can ‘mute' him...           

Winner              Lawrence Dallaglio

2^nd                    Ryan Jones

3^rd                     Tom Varndell

10.        PLAYER YOU'D MOST LIKE TO JOIN SARRIES FOR NEXT SEASON:

Normally this poll shows up the places in the squad that Saracens are most deficient, this year however seems like we have a basis of a good all round squad as votes were shared around.  Votes were cast for beefing up the back row with James Haskell & Jerry Collins, for adding some Smit ‘grit' to the front row and looking for back up for Glen at ten in Dan Carter.   One keen respondent even offered up his daughters hand in marriage to Dan Carter in order to get round any employment laws!

But it's Argentina's pouting pin up fly half/ full back, and winner of being able to kick the ball the highest in the air, Juan Martin Hernandez that you voted as the player you'd most like to join Sarries next season.  Personally I don't fancy the neck ache watching the ball hoofed into the grey skies of Watford, but you describe him as "a class act" the "ideal back up to Jackson" and apparently according to one pollster is "he's also little bit tasty" which I don't think is describing his ability in a punch up...

Winner              Juan Martin Hernandez

2^nd                    Dan Carter

3^rd                     James Haskell

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Saracens Poll