Palu voted best Waratah

Wycliff Palu has been voted the Waratahs Players' Player for 2008, taking the Matthew Burke Cup for the first time.

Wycliff Palu has been voted the Waratahs players' player for 2008, taking the Matthew Burke Cup for the first time.

In a tense finish to polling, Palu entered the Super 14 Final with a six-point lead over captain Phil Waugh.

While Lachie Turner was voted the players' player in the final, Palu and Waugh tied for second with the number eight able to maintain his lead in the voting.

Palu finished with 284 votes, with Waugh winning the 'Best Forward' with 278 votes. Waugh was also voted 'Best Forward' in 2005 after taking out the Burke Cup in 2004.

Palu led the votes in three of the Waratahs 15 matches, and polled in the top three on a further five occasions.

Departing lock Dan Vickerman was also in contention going into the final, finishing third overall with 259 votes.

Lote Tuqiri was voted the Waratahs 'Best Back' with 179 votes (fourth overall).

2007 Matthew Burke Cup winner Rocky Elsom received the biggest single-match poll with 50 out of a maximum of 63 votes.

Waugh and Tuqiri were the only two players to poll votes in every match, while Palu received votes in all bar one round.

The hard-fought match against the Reds in the final round of the regular season saw 16 of the 22 players involved each receive votes.

Each player in the 22-man matchday squad submitted votes on a 3-2-1 basis after each round, including the semi-final and final.