| ROBERT
MADOI on the best performers in the 2008
Guinness Rugby League.
Best XVI:
15 - Anthony Kinene, 14 - Dennis Etuket, 13 - Felix Lubega
(very close this between the league's two-time top try-scorer
and the reliably consistent Timothy Mudoola), 12 - Tonny
Luggya, 11 - Allan Musoke, 10 - Joel Kimuli, 9 - Faisal
Gamma, 8 - Roger Rukundo, 7 - Drake Muyodi (the comeback
kiddo), 6 - Robert Seguya, 5 - Adrian Bukenya, 4 - Victor
Wadia, 3 - Ken Mutabaruka (nice recovery after lacerating
a bicep in the gym), 2 - Alexander Mubiru, 1 - Ronald Adigasi.
Best of the lot:
Bukenya (utl Kobs) and Kinene (G4S Pirates).
Flop of the year:
Daniel Mwiriri, anyone? The Kenyan import was supposed to
be Pirates' bearer of good tidings but he didn't have any
clout on proceedings at all. His try in the season-ending
duel with Kobs was a classic case of someone grasping on
straws.
Crybaby:
The right wing has lots of pace to burn and going by his
return of 14 tries in this year's league, he is by no means
a slouch. Yet when Kobs beat Pirates 21-14 last weekend
to win the league with such comfort, Pirates' No. 14 Dennis
Etuket broke down in tears. Quite a sight, it was.
Big girls don't cry:
Award goes to strapping 5ft 9in lady prop, Christine Kizito,
who showed at the annual Kobs Rugby Easter Festival that
women and men can indeed be dovetailed in rugby match-ups.
Kizito used her bulky 96-kg frame to star for Wazee in the
match against Vijana. The Vijana players who got a taste
of Kizito's crunching tackles in the match couldn't help
but crack their faces with grimaces.
Best supporting role:
Kobs' half-back Ambrose Kamanyire who stepped into the sizeable
boots of the-then injured Edmond Tumusiime and directed
traffic in the back-line as the record league champions
beat Pirates in a crucial first-round fixture. Kamanyire
was at it again in the reverse fixture, this time stepping
in for Allan Masiko at No. 9.
Best comedy injury:
Masiko, who ‘forced’ himself out of last weekend's
decisive match against Pirates when he injured his wrist
during training. "These guys are so good," he
said of his teammates. "No-one else could manage to
injure me but them." Sadly, that injury rules the youngster
out of the May 24's Elgon Cup first leg match-up with Kenya.
Worst decision:
Chris Mungoma deciding to ignore the fact that there were
three forward passes in the run-up to Joel Kimuli's match-winning
try (his first in the league) against MTN Heathens. The
decision, which saw Pirates win the match 3-10, put paid
Heathens' league title hopes.
Top quote:
Oxford-educated Bukenya talking of last weekend's 10th league
title being "my best ever, because we had to not only
fight on the pitch but also fight forces off the pitch."
This was a thinly veiled pointer at the Pirategate scandal
that allegedly had Pirates and Nile RFC involved in a match-fixing
racket.
For the record, Bukenya was involved in the 1997 and 2007
championships that saw Kobs win rugby's juicy carrot unbeaten.
The 1997 championship is seen by many as the Kobs' best
ever win as they beat Hima Impis on the final day with the
four tries that they needed to.
Me and my big mouth:
Pirates, for boldly stipulating that they would win the
league with 64 points (from a possible 70). "There
is nothing wrong with having an estimation," Pirates
coach Herbert Wafula said after that estimation went up
in smoke after the first round with dropped points against
LG Rhinos (bonus point), Kobs and Heathens.
Showing your age:
David Mutaka who - after coming from a sabbatical - failed
to find his feet out on the wing.
New kid on the block:
Inside centre Andrew Barasa. He at one point in time forced
Luggya back on the drawing board by making Kobs' No. 12
position his own.
Best try:
Luggya's Jonah Lomu-esque try against a then embattled Nile
when he knocked down player after player.
Bad boy:
Mathias Ochwo. He was sin-binned on numerous occasions,
including the titian ties against Pirates and Kobs.
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