Ahead of the first shortlist of the 2026 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel Award, we have taken a look on player from each club who is in pole position to be on that list.
Some picks are easier than others, with certain clubs, like Castleford Tigers, having one clear favourite for the award. Compare that to the likes of Leeds Rhinos and Hull KR, there are plenty of players from both of those clubs who could well be on the list come this evening.
In a change to the strucutre for 2026, ‘3-2-1’ points are not given out after each game, and instead a five-person panel has sat down to discuss the first third of the season and will come together to finalise a five-player shortlist based on the opening nine rounds of the season.
Legends such as Ellery Hanley and James Roby form part of the panel, and the discussion will be available to watch for free on SuperLeague+ tonight [Tuesday].
With that in mind, here is who we think would make the shortlist if one person from every club was named.
Every club’s top Super League Man of Steel contender
Bradford Bulls – Joe Mellor:
He may be injured at the moment, but the Bulls captain has had a brilliant start to life in new colours. The former playmaker has moved to the 13 position seamlessly, and his absence has been sorely missed by Kurt Haggerty’s men, with the side showing a clear difference in performance when he is not available.
Castleford Tigers – Krystian Mapapalangi:
By far the easiest pick of the 14 clubs, Mapapalangi is one of very few players who can hold their heads up high this season, and as well as being Castleford’s best player he’s also put himself in contention to be the best centre in the competition.
Catalans Dragons – Charlie Staines:
Staines has been overtaken by another player who will feature in this list later on as the league’s top metre maker, but as well as making metres he has also produced four tries and four assists in his opening 10 matches.
Solomona Faataape, Lewis Dodd and Toby Sexton ran him close to this pick, but the former NRL Premiership winner takes top spot for Catalans this season.
Huddersfield Giants – Jacob Gagai:
Giants currently sit bottom of the table, so it’s hard to argue that any player should be worthy of Man of Steel contention, but if they were to have someone in the running you’d argue Gagai is the frontrunner.
Excelling in the wins over Wigan and York, the brother of NRL star, Dane, has scored seven tries this season and is averaging over 110 metres per game.
Hull FC – Amir Bourouh:
Another team who you could argue hasn’t had any player stand out enough to be in the running is FC, who’s inconsistencies were highlighted after a hefty win over Castelford was followed up by defeat to Toulouse.
Bourouh, who picked up a one-match ban in this week’s disciplinary, takes our pick for the Black and Whites, with new signing Jake Arthur and veteran half-back Aidan Sezer failing to click in 2026.
Hull KR – Tyrone May:
Mikey Lewis, Jack Broadbent and Jez Litten all are worthy of being on that shortlist, but our Robins pick goes to Tyrone May, who has been nothing short of outstanding this season.
Second in the assist charts, May has set up 13 tries so far, and has crossed for two himself, both of which came in the win over Bradford Bulls in round nine.
Leeds Rhinos – Jake Connor
The table-toppers were the hardest to select from, with at least four players very much deserving of top spot.
Top try scorer Maika Sivo, half-back Brodie Croft and speedster Lachie Miller all have had immense starts to the campaign, but talisman and reigning Man of Steel Connor pips it.
His influence on the team and his ability to ice those key moments have gone a long way to Leeds’ early season success this year, and if he continues to excel, he has a very good chance of going back-to-back.
Leigh Leopards – Isaac Liu:
The veteran loose forward, and Leopards captain, has been a mainstay of the Leigh pack this season, with so many other players succumbing to injury. Joe Ofahengaue has looked back to his best in recent weeks, and if he keeps that form up he could be in contention for the next shortlist, but Liu missed the round one game against Leeds and that’s it, and in that time has been a solid performer for Adrian Lam’s side.
St Helens – Tristan Sailor:
Sailor’s efforts against York saw him take top spot in Super League for metres made. The playmaker has been in exceptional form this year, and if the first third decided the overall winner, he’d be amongst the favourites.
The task for Sailor now is to be able to combine well with Jack Welsby, and if the pair can both play their best rugby in the same side, St Helens will be an even more threatening team this year.
Toulouse Olympique – Olly Ashall-Bott:
Another no brainer, the full-back has been Sylvain Houles’ best player in 2026, and has returned to Super League with a bang. The new ruck rules are benefitting the former Widnes man’s game, and with six tries already this year, he is another player that would have majorly benefitted from the ‘3-2-1’ points system.
Warrington Wolves – Danny Walker:
The hooker missed out on England selection last year, but his efforts to begin this campaign will certainly have put his name back in the mix. The Wire livewire has been so influential to the way Warrington attack this year, with his speed from the ruck helping his side gain plenty of metres and field position.
George Williams, who could miss the rest of the season due to a neck issue, is another name that could be on the first shortlist after being back to his best in the first seven games of the league season.
Wakefield Trinity – Jake Trueman:
Trueman has been tipped for an England call-up this season by plenty, none more so than boss Daryl Powell, which is a testament to how well he has played this season.
Having multiple halves partners though the year already, Trueman has been the focal point of the Trinity attack, and on many occasions this season he has been the puppeteer, pulling the strings to make Wakefield click.
Wigan Warriors – Junior Nsemba:
Despite Wigan sitting in the play-off spots, their last month or so of action has made it quite hard to pick one player who has really stood out.
With Bevan French out injured, the side have really struggled, and with Harry Smith suspended too, it has been an incredibly tough ask for the Warriors to get some momentum heading into the middle part of the year.
That being said, one man who has been consistently solid is back rower Nsemba, who has a point to prove after missing out in last year’s Ashes.
His stats may not show it, but Nsemba has been a beast for Wigan this year, and when those key men do return to the side, he will only get better and better.
York Knights – Paul McShane:
Veteran McShane joined York to get away from the top flight, but after helping them achieve promotion last season, he has continued that form and the former Man of Steel deserves to be in the mix for a second title, based on his early season efforts.
McShane, as well as Paul Vaughan, have used their experience to help their side get through some tough periods, and will continue to do so as they fight for an unlikely play-off spot.
