The nominees for the Championship and League 1 awards have been announced.
Toronto dominate the nominees in the Championship, with Andy Ackers, Gareth O’Brien and Jon Wilkin (above) all competing for Championship Player of the Year.
Wolfpack coach Brian McDermott has been nominated for Coach of the Year and will be up against Mark Aston, who led Sheffield Eagles to victory in the 1895 Cup, and James Ford, who steered underdogs York to a third-place finish.
Toronto boss Brian McDermott has been nominated for Championship Coach of the Year.
The Young Player of the Year award is headlined by Warrington-bound flyer Matty Ashton from Swinton, who will be up against Widnes centre Keanan Brand and Leigh back rower Joe Cator.
In League 1, promoted Whitehaven have seen their success reflected in the nominees.
Captain Marc Shackley and popular Papua New Guinean halfback Dion Aiye are both up for Player of the Year, as is Oldham back rower Danny Langtree and Newcastle’s Australian scrum-half Nick Newman.
‘Haven boss Gary Charlton is up for Coach of the Year, with competition from Scott Naylor, whose Oldham side start their play-off campaign against Doncaster this weekend after finishing second in the table, and Anthony Murray, who continues to earn admiration for his work with North Wales.
Oldham’s Danny Langtree is up for League 1 Player of the Year.
Among the nominees for League 1 Young Player of the Year are Whitehaven winger Andrew Bulman, Workington’s on-loan second rower Caine Barnes (Wigan), North Wales’ on-loan prop Callum Hazzard (St Helens), Coventry forward Jacob Jones and Newcastle winger Alex Clegg.
The winners will be announced at the Betfred Championship and League 1 Awards Night at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester on Tuesday September 24 – which will be screened live on the RFL’s Our League app.
There will be a number of other awards, including Club of the Year in each of the divisions, and Foundation of the Year across both competitions. Three nominees for the latter award have also been announced – Leigh, who were the inaugural winners, and Newcastle Thunder, who won it two years ago. They are joined by Halifax.
Championship Young Player of the Year nominee Matty Ashton has signed for Warrington for 2020.
[Contenders for the Young Player of the Year award in each division had to be 21 or under at the start of 2019, and to have made a minimum of 10 first-team appearances in the relevant competition]
Betfred Championship
Player of the Year: Andy Ackers (Toronto Wolfpack), Gareth O’Brien (Toronto Wolfpack), Jon Wilkin (Toronto Wolfpack).
Young Player of the Year: Matty Ashton (Swinton Lions), Keanan Brand (Widnes Vikings), Joe Cator (Leigh Centurions).
Coach of the Year: Mark Aston (Sheffield Eagles), James Ford (York City Knights), Brian McDermott (Toronto Wolfpack).
Coach of the Year: Gary Charlton (Whitehaven), Anthony Murray (North Wales Crusaders), Scott Naylor (Oldham).
Betfred Championship / League 1 Foundation of the Year Nominees: Halifax, Leigh, Newcastle Thunder.
