THE new Man of Steel panel has judged Leeds Rhinos fullback Lachlan Miller to have been Super League’s top player in the opening third of the season.

In a new process for this year, former winners Ellery Hanley, Joe Lydon, Paul Sculthorpe, James Roby and Sam Tomkins will select the recipient of the competition’s top individual prize.

They are meeting after rounds nine, 18 and 27, releasing a shortlist of top performers after each of the first two with the intention of maintaining interest in the award.

So while it has no bearing on the final outcome, their first selections are an indication of who has impressed so far, before the Man of Steel is decided at the end of the regular season.

In ten appearances so far – the panel met before last weekend’s matches – Miller has registered ten try assists as well as scoring once, while boasting a league-best 75 tackle busts, to help Leeds sit top of Super League with eight wins.

Record three-time Man of Steel winner Hanley said: “One of Lachie Miller’s great attractions is this: the public comes to see him. He announces himself in every game.

“If you went to any opposition club Leeds were playing against, I bet Lachie Miller would be on the top of their list of players they need to get on top of.

“He’s one of the hardest players to tackle in Super League and has been sensational throughout the season so far.

“His field position is absolutely brilliant at fullback and his pass accuracy has been magnificent for some of the tries he’s created both on the left and right.

“It was really interesting analysing the players’ form across the competition so far with the rest of the panel.

“Lachie Miller’s number one at the moment – but a lot can change through the rest of the year.”

Hull KR boasted the panel’s second and third choices in hooker Jez Litten and halfback Tyrone May respectively.

Miller’s club team-mate Brodie Croft, the 2022 winner, was voted fourth and St Helens hooker Daryl Clark completed the top five.

For the past seven seasons, the winner was determined by a 25-strong pool of experts, but they awarded points for the top performances in every Super League match in similar fashion to the Dally M Medal in the NRL, and voting for the Albert Goldthorpe Medal in League Express.

The award, which began in 1977, was initially determined by members of the media and, between 2008 and 2019, by a vote of Super League players themselves.