One of the most prestigious personal accolades in the world of rugby league is being named Man of Steel.
The Monday before the Super League Grand, the Rugby Football League host a very glamorous awards night with the best player in Super League being crowned Man of Steel.
The Man of Steel is the award that means the most because the winner is chosen by the players themselves in a secret ballot and it helps build up the excitement for the Grand Final between St Helens and Leeds Rhinos five days later.
The Man of Steel is awarded to the player who has made the biggest impact on the season and is an award that has been presented every year since 1977.
Wigan Warriors winger Pat Richards is the reigning Man of Steel after a phenomenal season in 2010 as his tries and goal kicking helped Wigan pick up their first Super League title since 1998.
Apart from Richards, past winners of this famous award include Doug Laughton, George Fairbairn, Joe Lydon, Ellery Hanley, Gavin Miller, Martin Offiah, Dean Bell, Andy Platt, Jonathan Davies, Andrew Farrell, Adrian Vowles, Paul Sculthorpe, Jamie Peacock and Brett Hodgson.
For the 2011 Man of Steel awards there are, as usual, three nominations for the accolade and they will not know the final outcome until Monday evening.
The nominations this year are Castleford Tigers stand-off Rangi Chase, St Helens hooker James Roby and Wigan Warriors’ love him or hate him fullback Sam Tomkins.
Chase, a former Junior Kiwi, was an outstanding figure for Castleford and played an important role in The Exiles’ victory over England in June.
Roby, England’s first choice hooker, has once again led from the front in a St Helens team which defied massive injury problems to roar into the Super League play-offs.
Tomkins has delivered much of his early promise for Wigan to put himself in contention to add the Man of Steel title to the Super League Young Player of the Year award he picked up in 2009 and 2010.
The 2011 Engage Super League Man of Steel will be crowned at a gala dinner in Manchester on Monday October 3 when a number of other prestigious awards, including Coach of the Year and Young Player of the Year, will be presented.
The winner of the Man of Steel award is decided by a secret ballot of every player in Engage Super League, who each cast three votes on a five points, three points and one point basis.
