Wigan Warriors star Bevan French, Grand Final opponent Tom Johnstone and three time Super League Champion Jack Welsby were all nominated for the Man of Steel this year.
The nominees were described as:
“Bevan French, whose consistent brilliance has been a key factor in Wigan Warriors’ success in winning the League Leaders Shield;
“Tom Johnstone, the powerful wing who has been the joint leading try-scorer in the Betfred Super League with 27 after joining Catalans Dragons from Wakefield Trinity last winter;
“Jack Welsby of St Helens, who has been Super League’s Young Player of the Year in each of the last two seasons and has excelled at full-back throughout the 2023 campaign.”
This sums up how difficult it was to name the 2023 Man of Steel.
But French has claimed the 2023 Man of Steel.
Earlier the Coach of the year has been confirmed.
The nominees for the Betfred Super League Coach of the Year award included the last three winners – with Peet aiming to win it for the second consecutive season.
Adrian Lam, who won the award in 2020 when he steered Wigan Warriors to the Grand Final, is in contention again after plotting an outstanding return to the game’s elite for Leigh Leopards – in which they have won the Betfred Challenge Cup at Wembley, in addition to securing a Play-Off place.
Steve McNamara is in contention to be named Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons, with Catalans Dragons 80 minutes away from a repeat of their debut Grand Final appearance in 2021 having secured a top two finish and a home Semi Final.
Paul Rowley is the only one of the four nominees not to have won the award previously, although he was also nominated last year for steering Salford Red Devils to the Play-Offs – and has again been recognised by his fellow coaches for the consistency, competitiveness and enterprise of his team.
Lam, after leading Leigh to unprecedented success in 2023 after promotion has been named Coach of the Year.
And the Young Player of the Year Award in Super League has already been confirmed.
The nominees for the award were Brad O’Neill, the 21-year-old hooker who has been a key figure in the Warriors pack throughout 2023, is one of three nominees for the Young Player of the Year award.
O’Neill was joined by two players from Warrington Wolves – second-row Matty Nicholson, and outside back Josh Thewlis.
Nicholson, who was born in Halifax and has previously played for Wigan and Newcastle Thunder, is the youngest of the three, having turned 20 in July.
Thewlis, who joined the Wolves from the renowned Oldham community club Waterhead, was 21 in April – meeting the eligibility criteria for the award of having been under 21 at the start of the 2023 Betfred Super League season in February.
Many felt St Helens prop George Delaney who had an excellent season should have been nominated whilst the likes of Jarrod O’Connor of Leeds Rhinos are too old as is holder of the award going into the event Jack Welsby who won it in 2021 and 2022.
The winner has been confirmed to be Warrington Wolves winger Josh Thewlis.
