The Steve Prescott Man of Steel Awards is an end-of-season awards dinner for the Super League rugby league competition. The event's name is taken from the main award presented, the Man of Steel award for the rugby league footballer of the year. In 2014, it was renamed after Steve Prescott.

Quick Facts Awarded for, Country ...
Steve Prescott Man Of Steel
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Awarded forBest player of the Super League season
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byRugby Football League
History
First award1977
First winnerEngland David Ward
Most winsEngland Ellery Hanley (3)
Wigan Warriors (11)
Most recentEngland Mikey Lewis (Hull KR) (2024)
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The Steve Prescott Man of Steel award

Origins

The awards were started in 1977 when David Howes, the Rugby League's public relations officer, organised sponsorship worth £3,000 from Trumanns Steel Limited for awards in six different categories; Trumanns Man of Steel, Division One Player of the Year, Division Two Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Referee of the Year. The awards were voted on by the members of the rugby league press.[1] The first awards were made at the end of the 1976–77 season with the inaugural award winners being:[1]

In 2008, the voting for the award was changed, with the winner being chosen by the players of the Super League instead.[2] In 2019, in response to criticism that some players were not taking the voting seriously,[3] a panel of former rugby league players was chosen to determine the winner of the award. The voting was changed to a system similar to the Australian Dally M Medal, with points being awarded to the best performing players after each game (three points for the man of the match, two points for the runner-up, and one point for the third best player).[4]

Name change

Former England player Steve Prescott died of cancer in 2013, aged 39.[5] Following a short campaign, a petition with over 12,000 signatures was sent to the Rugby Football League, calling for the Man of Steel award to be renamed in Prescott's honour.[6] In March 2014, the RFL officially announced that the award would be called the "Steve Prescott Man of Steel" from the 2014 season onwards.[7]

Men of Steel

More information Year, Nat ...
YearNatWinnerClubPosition
1977EnglandDavid Ward LeedsHooker
1978EnglandGeorge Nicholls St. HelensProp
1979EnglandDoug Laughton WidnesLoose forward
1980ScotlandGeorge Fairbairn WiganFullback
1981EnglandKen Kelly WarringtonScrum-half
1982EnglandMick MorganCarlisleSecond-row
1983EnglandAllan Agar Featherstone RoversCoach
1984EnglandJoe Lydon WidnesWing, Fullback
1985EnglandEllery Hanley Bradford NorthernStand-off
1986AustraliaGavin MillerHull Kingston RoversLoose forward
1987EnglandEllery Hanley WiganStand-off
1988EnglandMartin Offiah WidnesWing
1989EnglandEllery Hanley WiganLoose forward
1990EnglandShaun Edwards WiganStand-off
1991EnglandGarry Schofield LeedsStand-off
1992New ZealandDean Bell WiganCentre
1993EnglandAndy Platt WiganProp
1994WalesJonathan Davies WarringtonCentre
1995EnglandDenis Betts WiganSecond-row
1996EnglandAndy Farrell WiganLoose forward
1997EnglandJames Lowes BradfordHooker
1998WalesIestyn Harris LeedsFullback
1999AustraliaAdrian Vowles CastlefordLoose forward
2000EnglandSean Long St. HelensScrum-half
2001EnglandPaul Sculthorpe St. HelensStand-off
2002EnglandPaul Sculthorpe St. HelensLoose forward
2003EnglandJamie Peacock BradfordSecond-row
2004EnglandAndy Farrell WiganProp, Second-row
2005AustraliaJamie Lyon St. HelensCentre
2006EnglandPaul Wellens St. HelensFullback
2007EnglandJames Roby St. HelensHooker
2008EnglandJames Graham St. HelensProp
2009AustraliaBrett Hodgson[8] HuddersfieldFullback
2010IrelandPat Richards WiganWing
2011New ZealandRangi Chase CastlefordStand-off
2012EnglandSam Tomkins WiganFullback
2013ScotlandDanny Brough HuddersfieldScrum-half
2014EnglandDaryl Clark Castlefordhooker
2015EnglandZak Hardaker LeedsFullback
2016EnglandDanny Houghton HullHooker
2017EnglandLuke Gale CastlefordScrum-half
2018AustraliaBen Barba St. HelensFullback
2019AustraliaJackson Hastings Salfordscrum-half, stand-off
2020EnglandPaul McShane Castlefordscrum-half, hooker
2021 England Sam Tomkins Catalans Fullback
2022 Australia Brodie Croft Salford scrum-half
2023 Australia Bevan French Wigan stand-off
2024 England Mikey Lewis Hull KR scrum-half
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Multiple winners

More information Player, Wins ...
Player Wins Winning Years
1England Ellery Hanley31985, 1987, 1989
2England Paul Sculthorpe22001, 2002
3England Andy Farrell21996, 2004
3 England Sam Tomkins 2 2012, 2021
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Winners by club

Winners by country

More information Nationality, Wins ...
Nationality Wins
1 England33
2 Australia9
3 Scotland2
4 Wales2
5 New Zealand2
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Woman of Steel

In 2018 an additional category for the Woman of Steel from the Women's Super League was inaugurated.[9]

Wheels of Steel

In 2023 a new category for Wheels of Steel from the RFL Wheelchair Super League was inaugurated.[10]

More information Year, Winner ...
YearWinnerClub
2023 England Lewis King London Roosters
2024 England Joshua Butler Leeds Rhinos
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Other awards

Young Player of the Year

Coach of the Year

Top Try Scorer

Top Points Scorer

Top Metre Maker

Hit Man

The player making most tackles in the regular season.

Club of the Year

More information Year, Club ...
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  • The Mike Gregory Spirit of Rugby League Award - Both players and non-players are eligible to receive the award, which will be judged by a panel from the governing body.
  • Fairplay Index Award for Super League
  • The Community Player of the year

Special awards

  • The ‘200 Club’ - retiring players who have played in over 200 games.

See also

References

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