Super League pundit reveals surprising Man of Steel choice after shortlist confirmed

Sky Sports’ Jon Wilkin has had his say on who should be crowned Super League Man of Steel after the three-man shortlist was announced.

Mid-season front-runner Jake Connor is joined by 2024 winner Mikey Lewis and former nominee Jai Field to make a field that Wilkin agreed was full of worthy contenders.

All three sit high in the assists charts with Connor (30) ranking second and Lewis (29) ranking third, whilst Field ranks eighth with his tally of 21. That pairs with his 24 tries as well, meaning only Mikey Lewis (47) has more try contributions than the Wigan Warriors full-back in 2025,

In the opinion of Sky Sports’ Jon Wilkin, all three have had ‘transformational’ years with the pundit reacting to the three-man shortlist when appearing on the Rugby League Verdict.

He explained: “I think it’s been a transformational year for Mikey Lewis and for Jake Connor and Jai Field in different ways.

“They’re all worthy candidates without a doubt. They’ve all had exceptional seasons.”

Jon Wilkin picks his Super League Man of Steel

Wilkin went on to assess each man’s credentials before eventually landing on his pick, as he reasoned: “I think Jake Connor has delivered, finally, on his promise. Mikey Lewis is following up on what was a Man of Steel season in 2024 with some exceptional form.

“They’re all game breakers who are able to break games open and I don’t think there’s a better support player in the game than Jai Field. He’s relentless with it, he anticipates things and he scores amazing tries. His combination with Bevan French will be electric going into the play-offs.

“Jake Connor, what about him! An evolution and a calmer Jake Connor than we’ve seen. He’s more composed and he’s been a leader of a Leeds Rhinos team that have gone from being outside the play-offs to finishing fourth this year.”

Jake Connor, who was atop the Man of Steel leaderboard when it went dark, will be back in action in the first round of the play-offs, whilst both Field and Lewis will benefit from the bye they earned after placing top two in Super League.

Picking his choice for Super League Man of Steel, Wilkin went against Connor, who many view as the favourite, with the former St Helens man picking Wigan’s Jai Field.

He said: “It’s difficult but I’d say Jai Field just because I think in the absence of Bevan French, he performed at a really consistent level. I just sense he’s going to have a big say in what the semis and the finals look like.

“The last month has been tricky for Mikey but Field really carried momentum into the play-offs for me.”

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