NOMINEES for the 2026 Championship Player of the Year have been confirmed ahead of Rugby League Awards night in Manchester next Tuesday.

Josh Drinkwater (Oldham), Connor Robinson (Doncaster) and Gairo Voro (London Broncos) form the shortlist following a poll of the head coaches of the competition’s 20 clubs.

Since joining Oldham ahead of the 2025 season, Drinkwater has played a pivotal role in their impressive campaign this time around. The former Super League halfback played a key-role in the Roughyeds play-off push towards the end of the season.

Robinson, meanwhile, wrote his name into the Rugby League record books during the first round of the play-offs after setting a new all-time record in the sport’s 131-year history.

The 31-year-old reached 52 consecutive goal kicks during their 72-0 defeat of Barrow Raiders – breaking the previous best of 41 – and that then stretched to 58 in last weekend’s victory against the same opponents before he finally missed a conversion attempt.

Papua New Guinea international Voro has been a standout performer for London throughout the 2026 season, his first in the UK. The 23-year-old has been instrumental in the Broncos’ path to the League Leaders’ Shield and 1895 Cup Final triumph, scoring 30 tries in all competitions.

The coaches also voted that Allan Coleman should be the Championship Coach of the Year, following a fifth-place finish for the Widnes Vikings at the end of the regular season alongside a run to the 1895 Cup Final.

Sully Medforth has been crowned Young Player of the Year – the 21-year-old joined the Midlands Hurricanes initially on loan from Hull FC towards the end of 2024 and made an immediate impact with a series of impressive performances, resulting in a permanent move to the Hurricanes. He’s featured in 27 games this season, scoring ten tries.