Featherstone scoop award treble

Featherstone Rovers completed a near clean sweep of honours this evening when the club’s success in 2010 was recognised at the annual Co-operative Celebration Dinner in Manchester.

Rovers, who will play Halifax in the Co-operative Championship Grand Final at Warrington on Sunday, collected the Coach of the Year, Player of the Year and shared the Young Player of the Year awards.

Scrum-half Liam Finn capped a magnificent season by being named Co-operative Championship Player of the Year, fighting off competition from team-mates Stuart Dickens and Kyle Briggs.

The Championship Young Player of the Year award was shared between Featherstone’s Zak Hardaker and Gareth Moore of Batley Bulldogs, who played a key role in his side’s Northern Rail Cup final win at Blackpool in July.

And Daryl Powell, the man who led Rovers to the Co-operative Championship League Leaders Shield, was crowned Coach of the Year.

The Co-operative Championship One Player of the Year award went to Hunslet Hawks player-coach Paul March, who pipped his twin brother and Hunslet team-mate David, and Paul O’Connor of Oldham to the honour.

Antony Seibold of South Wales Scorpions was named Co-operative Championship One Coach of the Year whilst Jarrad Stack of Workington Town was crowned Championship One Young Player of the Year.

The three major awards for the RLC National went to Huddersfield Underbank’s Adam Ryder (Young Player of the Year), Dean Buckler of Kippax (Coach of the Year) and Warrington Wizards Jono Smith (Player of the Year).

Widnes Vikings were named as Club of the Year with Leigh Centurions  collecting the award for the Community Programme of the Year. The Frontline Fair Play Index award went to Sheffield Eagles.

Jonny Presley of Keighley Cougars collected the Northern Star award, sponsored by Northern Rail, for his outstanding efforts in working with the Cougars’ Sporting Chance initiative.

The match officials were also recognised with Tony Martin collecting the Neil Whittaker Trophy and Robert Hicks was named as Referee of the Year.