Super League Grand Finals are often decided by which team ices the big moments, and specifically which player does, with previous Rob Burrow Award winners typically being the man who seizes the moment.
Formerly the Harry Sunderland Trophy, the Super League Grand Final Man of the Match award was renamed in honour of Rob Burrow, a two-time winner, after his sad passing in 2024.
So far, Bevan French and Mikey Lewis have won the award named in Burrow’s honour but tonight a Warrington Wolves or Wakefield Trinity player will claim that crown.
History suggests that spine players, specifically half-backs, pick up the prize with the last non-spine player to win being Jake Wardle in 2023 as he scored the only try in Wigan’s win over Catalans Dragons.
James Roby was the last forward to win, doing so for the second time in 2020, whilst the last forward who was not a hooker was Luke Thompson the year prior.
Having revealed the odds for the Rob Burrow Award earlier in the week, we’ve now looked at the likeliest winner for both Warrington Wolves and Wakefield Trinity – with the Grand Final Man of the Match hailing from the winning team in 25 of the previous 28 editions.
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Rob Burrow Award contenders
Warrington Wolves
Favourite: George Williams
One of a handful of players playing tonight that have won a Grand Final before and the England and Wire captain will need to call on that experience if he’s to guide Warrington to a first league title since 1955.
Playing alongside teen star Ewan Irwin, who will play by far the biggest game of his career, Williams needs to be the steady and calming hand that potentially produces a moment of magic if he’s to win Man of the Match.
Contender: Danny Walker
Danny Walker is staking a late claim to be in the England World Cup squad and a win here in a Man of the Match performance would do his chances no harm. Statistically the most damaging runner among those in Super League with over 100 carries, Walker will need to show that nous from dummy-half and possibly even nail one of his 40/20s to claim this prize.
Long shot: Ben Currie
It’s incredibly rare for forward’s to win this prize but Ben Currie is a genuine contender given his ability to rack up tackles and be an absolute wall in defence. In a gritty game, which is typically the case in Grand Finals, that can be vital.
Moreover, he’s one of those who was cruelly denied a game in the 2016 and 2018 Grand Finals due to injury, so he’s got a big point to prove in his first Old Trafford appearance.
Wakefield Trinity
Favourite: Jake Trueman
Whilst the story for some might be about playing partner Jack Sinfield, whose father Sir Kevin won this award twice and will deliver tonight’s match ball, Jake Trueman has been the key to Wakefield Trinity’s attack this year.
He’s even stepped things up a notch in recent weeks, recording an assist in each of his last three games and he’d need to be at the heart of Wakefield’s scoring tonight for a chance to win this prize.
Contender: Tyson Smoothy
A Grand Final winner in the NRL last year and perhaps the classiest player in all of Super League. It’s no surprise that Smoothy is heading back to the NRL and it would not be a surprise to see him win this award, particularly given his influence and the history of hookers claiming the prize.
Doing so would require him to rack up his customary 40+ tackles and execute the crisp distribution that has left Wakefield Trinity fans arguing he’s the best number nine in Super League.
Long shot: Caleb Hamlin-Uele
Hoping to earn England selection, the prop forward has been incredible off the Wakefield bench all season long, with Hamlin-Uele being the only Trinity player named to the Super League Dream Team.
His path to being the first prop to win this award since 2019 would need him to make plenty of metres, as is customary, and possibly pop up with a try – something he has done on six occasions in Super League 2026.
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