Ellery Hanley will chair a new panel of Rugby League greats that will decide the Steve Prescott Man of Steel in 2019.
Aligning themselves with NRL and the Albert Goldthorpe Medal system, the Man of Steel will be voted on by 21 former players and coaches boasting a combined 46 Championship or Grand Final wins.
A member of the panel will watch each Betfred Super League game in 2019 and award points to the three outstanding players: 3 points for their chosen man of the match, 2 for the runner-up, and 1 for the third-ranked player.
The scores will be made public every week from the first round of the season – which begins with the St Helens v Wigan blockbuster next Thursday night (January 31) – until Round 22 in mid-July. After that, the poll will be hidden until the Awards Ceremony in October. Further details of that event will be released throughout the 2019 Betfred Super League season.
“We’re delighted to able to announce a new, refreshed voting system for the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award,” said Super League CEO Robert Elstone.
“Rugby League was a pioneer in introducing the Man of Steel title more than 40 years ago, recognising the importance of celebrating the players who give so much to make the sport special.
“Who better, in that regard, to chair our new panel than Ellery Hanley MBE? A true great of the game, whose name still resonates well beyond it, and who is held in complete respect by the modern generation of players.
“Ellery will lead a panel with outstanding credentials. Its unrivalled and extensive knowledge and experience will underpin the award’s credibility and by sharing the votes after each round, we will create interest and talkability all the way through to awards night.
“We’d like to thank all of those involved in the new process and look forward to seeing the battle for the game’s ultimate individual award unfold over the course of the 2019 Betfred Super League season.”