Jon Wilkin names his best player in Super League
Jon Wilkin has named which player he thinks is the best in Super League – and his bold statement will probably come as a surprise to some people.
Wilkin, who has taken on a punditry role with Sky Sports for 2022, believes St Helens loose forward Morgan Knowles is the best player in Super League.
Knowles, 25, has been one of the standout forwards for a couple of years now. The Barrow-born has made 151 appearances for Saints since making his first team debut in 2015.
He made his international debut that year for Wales after qualifying for the nation via family heritage. He represented his Welsh roots at the 2017 World Cup.
Knowles switched allegiance to birth country England in 2020 and made his England debut the following year. He played against the Combined Nations All Stars and France.
Knowles’ standout performances for St Helens in Super League saw him selected in the Dream Team two years in a row in 2019 and 2020.
And he was of course part of the St Helens squads that won three Grand Finals in a row. He also helped Kristian Woolf’s side lift the Challenge Cup last season.
More on Morgan Knowles
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Knowles commits long-term future to champions St Helens
Morgan Knowles chats to Jon Wilkin on Super League’s Out Of Your League Podcast
Alongside former player Mark Flanagan, Wilkin is a host on Super League’s Out Of Your League Podcast, which Knowles was a guest on this week.
Former loose forward and back-rower Wilkin played alongside Knowles for a couple of seasons at Saints, so he knows just how talented the Cumbrian is.
Posting on his LinkedIn account, Wilkin said: “Good to catch up with Morgan Knowles.
“In my opinion the best player in Super League.
“His performances are based on effort, not being physically able to compete but mentally being superior in his approach.
“A lesson for everyone that the biggest barrier we face is one of mentality and mindset, not one of physical constraints and obscure barriers we create.
“He gives a good indication of why Saints are great at the minute.”
Knowles is an outsider in Betfred’s Man of Steel odds for 2022 at 33/1.
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