THE Betfred Super League Young Player of the Year for 2024 will definitely be a forward – for the first time in five years.
George Delaney of St Helens, Matty Nicholson of Warrington Wolves and Junior Nsemba of Wigan Warriors are the three nominees for the award, which will be presented at Rugby League’s Awards Night next Tuesday (October 8) at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.
Delaney’s Saints pack-mate Matty Lees was the last forward to win the award (in 2019), which is determined by members of the England RL Performance Unit – and for which only players who were under 21 at the start of the Super League season in February are eligible.
The Warrington Wolves wing Josh Thewlis was the 2023 winner, preceded by Jack Welsby of St Helens in 2022 and 2021, and the Leeds Rhinos centre Harry Newman in 2020 – with Daryl Clark (2014) and Joe Westerman (2008) the only other forwards to win the award since the current Warrington coach Sam Burgess in 2007.
Nicholson, the Wolves second-row who turned 21 in July and is a product of the Siddal community club in Halifax, was also nominated for the award last season. He has already made two senior England appearances, both against France, and has signed to join Canberra Raiders in 2025.
Delaney, still only 20 and a product of the Halton Farnworth Hornets community club in Widnes, was included in the squad for England’s mid-season international against France in Toulouse, but was an unused 18th player replacement.
Nsemba, also 20 and from the Wigan St Jude’s community club, lined up against Nicholson in the Betfred Challenge Cup Final at Wembley earlier this season, and has been included in Shaun Wane’s England squad for the first time ahead of this autumn’s two-match series against Samoa.
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