World Rugby Player Of The Year betting: There is a new odds on favourite

The winner of the 2018 World Rugby Player of the Year will be decided by a panel of judges, plus players and coaches, at the World Rugby Awards ceremony in Monte Carlos on November 25.

Here's how the contenders rank right now!

Although widely considered to be the best hooker in world rugby, South African Marx did his admittedly already slim chances of landing the World Player of the Year award no good with his error-strewn performance against England at Twickenham on November 3.

Aged just 21, All Black Rieko Ioane is the youngest nominee on the list. Unless he does something truly remarkable in New Zealand's final autumn international against Italy, this year will again come too soon for the man who made his test debut at just 19.

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA - SEPTEMBER 30: Sonny Bill Williams and Rieko Ioane of New Zealand celebrate with the trophy after winning a match between New Zealand and Argentina as part of Rugby Championship 2017 at Jose Amalfitani Stadium on September 30, 2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Gabriel Rossi/Getty Images)[/caption]

Energetic, tenacious and innovative, the Sale Sharks scrum-half has excelled since returning to the number 9 jersey for the Springboks, while in his club career he was voted Sale’s player of the year for 2017/18 and nominated for the English Premiership player of the season award.

Although a 9/1 shot to be named World Rugby Player of the Year, there’s still the autumn internationals to be completed, and de Klerk returned to the South Africa squad following the Springboks’ 12-11 defeat to England.

The Kiwi opened as the initial 5/4 favourite in the betting odds, but has since been pushed out to a distant second favourite following New Zealand's loss to Ireland on November 17.

It has been yet another stellar year for Barrett in the number 10 jersey for the All Blacks, scoring seven tries, one of which has been nominated for the 2018 International Rugby Players Try of the Year award.

At 33, Irishman Sexton is the oldest of the five nominees, but age has been just a number to him this year as he bids to become the first man from the Emerald Isle to win the accolade since the legendary Keith Wood in 2001.

After kicking a last-minute drop-goal to beat France in Paris in the Six Nations – which Ireland went on to win – to inspiring his club Leinster to a Champions Cup and Pro 14 double, if anyone is going to beat Barrett, it’s Sexton.

After initially opening at a very inviting price of 7/4, his early backers must now be feeling pretty smug as the fly-half - who has nine wins in nine test starts and 99 points to his name this year - moved into odds-on favourite after helping Ireland to only their second ever victory over the All Blacks.