Brodie Croft could add the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award to his Albert Goldthorpe Medal this week.
The Salford Red Devils stand-off goes up against Wigan Warriors fullback Jai Field and St Helens fullback or halfback Jack Welsby for the prestigious prize at the Betfred Super League Awards on Tuesday (September 20).
Voting for the Man of Steel involves the best three performers in each match throughout the season being given three, two and one point, copying the format used by League Express to award the Albert Goldthorpe Medal.
Croft won the Goldthorpe Medal, with Field finishing in third place and Welsby fourth, after a superb first season in England following his move from Brisbane Broncos which included 25 try assists.
His displays in the second half of the campaign especially helped Salford achieve a surprise place in the play-offs.
Fellow Australian Field has also made a huge impact on Super League in his second season at Wigan, after spending almost all his first year sidelined by injury.
He scored 20 tries and set up a further 24 over the regular season for the Challenge Cup winners, and last week earned the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association’s Player of the Year award.
The only English contender for the Man of Steel, which was last year won by Catalans Dragons’ Sam Tomkins, is Welsby, who started the season at fullback for League Leaders’ Shield winners St Helens before filling in at stand-off, assisting 27 tries in total.
Welsby is also in contention to win the Young Player of the Year award for the second season running, with competition from Leeds Rhinos forward Morgan Gannon and Hull KR halfback Mikey Lewis.
The coaches of the three Man of Steel contenders comprise the shortlist for the Coach of the Year award as St Helens’ Kristian Woolf, Wigan’s Matt Peet and Salford’s Paul Rowley have been nominated.
Those awards, along with others including Top Try Scorer, Top Tackler and Loch Lomond Spirit of Super League, will be presented at the Super League Awards at Headingley, which fans can watch on Super League’s YouTube channel.
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