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Rory Smith played a huge role with both Orlando and New West this year. (Photo: Larry Palumbo)

It’s that time of year again. Insider’s National Lacrosse League Top 50, counting down the best 50 players from over the past year, number one dropped on the eve of the NLL’s season opener in January.

As always, the greatest emphasis is put on player’s previous pro season, but we also take into consideration work they’ve done across the board in leagues like Major Series Lacrosse, the Western Lacrosse Association and anywhere else they’ve impacted the sport. Players that were injured (or just didn’t play in the NLL in 2010) for all of or a majority of the past season will not be included, as are the ball players anticipated to be missing sizable time over the next NLL campaign (ie. Billy Dee Smith). Although reputations and past accomplishments might be mentioned, it’s what ball players did in 2010 that matters in Insider’s rundown. So after the jump, check out our first five, and check back every Tuesday for the next group.

Last year, Dan Dawson, who was coming off a spectacular MVP year with the Boston Blazers and a Mann Cup win with the Brampton Excelsiors, was named Insider’s top player. A year earlier, it was Colin Doyle, who had a Mann of his own and also flirted with some long standing single season milestones while suiting up for the San Jose Stealth.

So this year…

50 (NR) Rory Smith, Minnesota Swarm
An amazing fighter with fists of steel and a dome that would rank uber high on the Mohs scale? For sure. A plug when it comes to defending? Don’t be stupid. For those that have gotten over the fact that Rory Smith loves to fight, loves to leave dents in the opposition’s face, and at times tends to break the rules, know that Rory Smith is also a legit smash mouth defender that plays solid pure D and takes care of his coverage assignments pretty damn well. A pest? Although Smith’s actions typically have many on the floor thrown off their game, unlike a by definition pest, Smith will always be there to back up his game. Always. Love him, hate him, want him dead… whatever your opinion is of one of the sport’s top heavis, Rory Smith impacts the National Lacrosse League, good and/or bad, like few others in the sport today.

Honourable Mention: Paul Dawson, who plays a similar in your face style and loves to dance probably just as much as Smith, gets unwarranted and slanted reviews of his game, but after a summer that saw him get All-Star love in the WLA and become one of the most saught after pure defenders in the NLL, the decision makers in box lacrosse know just how good he really is.

2011: Smith lands in Minnesota after the Swarm grabbed him in the Orlando Titans dispersal. Now teamed up with former enemy and recent first rounder Andrew Suitor, the Swarm are a squad few teams are going to want to take liberties with in 2011.

And check out Smith and Dawson squaring off in the NLL earlier this year, an instant classic…

49 (NR) Jamie Shewchuk, Colorado Mammoth
If the NLL handed out a most improved award, similar to the NBA, Jamie Shewchuk would definitely have been a huge frontrunner with the Colorado Mammoth last year. In 2009 Shewchuk posted a career low 20-goals, upping that to 31 this past year and taking on an impressive leadership role with the young, rebuilding Mammoth. Colorado Head Coach Bob Hamley picked Shewchuk as the team’s MVP last year, GM Steve Govett adding, “Not that it was a huge surprise, but Shewchuk had such a strong season in the absence of Dan Carey and a lot of other offensive firepower. He stepped in and was a very consistent contributor for us.”

2011: Showing he’s capable of taking on added leadership responsibilities, look for more of the same from Shewcuk, who took this past summer off to continue to get as close to 100% healthy as possible after back surgery two off-seasons ago.

Curtis Manning throwning down a superman cross-check on fellow Roughneck and summertime foe Jeff Shattler. (Photo: Ian Lindsay, Vancouver Sun)

48 (NR) Curtis Manning, Calgary Roughnecks
Many criticized Calgary Owner and GM Brad Banister when he selected Curtis Manning three drafts ago, Manning unable to suit up in 2009 while still competing at Simon Fraser University, but man did that pick ever payoff during the past year. Overshadowed by some big numbers put up by a handful of offensive rookies last year, Manning transitioned to the NLL seamlessly, easily found a spot in Calgary’s not always easy to adapt to D unit, and was as athletic and hard working as any pro vet defender. He followed his impressive first year with the Necks with potentially an even bigger summer, suiting up for Canada at the World Championships in Manchester, and then helping the New Westminster Salmonbellies to yet another Mann Cup final. Busy kid already playing more high profile minutes than most in the game today.

Honorable Mention: Although it was Jeff Moleski and Andrew McBride that impacted Calgary two seasons ago, it was potentially the team’s two youngest defenders in Manning and Scott Carnegie that had the same kind of influence last year.

47 (NR) Alex Gajic, Colorado Mammoth
A Gajic was supposed to lead the Mammoth on the floor in 2010, but his named wasn’t Alex. Ilija Gajic, who Insider ranked as 2009’s #1 prospect, was less than his best for Colorado last year, in large part to some health issues that sidelined him for a good chuck of the Mammoth’s campaign. Younger brother Alex however was on fire, behind just rookie scoring sensations Garrett Billings and Stephan Leblanc, and an outsider for ROY consideration down the stretch. While that alone might have not landed him inside this year’s Top 50, Gajic’s post-season and Mann Cup performance for the New Westminster Salmonbellies was more than good enough to crack this year’s countdown, leading the star studded Bellies cast in point production vs. the Peterborough Lakers.

Honourable Mention: While older brother Ilija is the obvious one, Cliff Smith also deserves some credit for his past year, playing a variety of roles for the Mammoth during his first pro season, and a beauty finisher for the Salmonbellies, a post-season MVP favourite had New West won it all.

Scott Self helped captain the Peterborough Lakers to the 2010 Mann Cup, traded to Buffalo during the off-season.

2011: Look for both Gajic brothers and Smith to have even bigger impacts this upcoming year, all three coming off game changing, high profile summers with the Fish.

46 (25) Scott Self, Buffalo Bandits
With upwards of 20 players dropped from last year’s Top 50, don’t read too much into Self’s decline this year, still one of the game’s steadiest defensive defenders, the ultimate leader with the Peterborough Lakers this year, Self winning another Mann with the Lake Show, this time with a ‘C’ stitched on his sweater. Self led a group of ball players in Peterborough many felt would be too dysfunctional and ego driven to ink their names in the history books. Hell, so many of the Lakers were led by Rochester Knighthawk members that completely fell apart on the rug this past NLL season. Both Self’s winter and summer were quietly impressive, still considered one of the game’s true leaders and classiest warriors.

2011: Now in Buffalo, Self’s big game experience alongside many current Bandits should see him transition well into Buffalo’s lineup, one that could use his cool demeanour, composed play, and vet leadership in their own end and on the bench.

# (last year)
50 (NR) Rory Smith, Minnesota Swarm
49 (NR) Jamie Shewchuk, Colorado Mammoth
48 (NR) Curtis Manning, Calgary Roughnecks
47 (NR) Alex Gajic, Colorado Mammoth
46 (25) Scott Self, Buffalo Bandits

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