Super League Coach of the Year shortlist revealed including surprise inclusion and shock omission

The shortlist for the 2024 Super League Coach of the Year award has been revealed, with four coaches in contention to win this year’s accolade.

Matt Peet (Wigan Warriors), Paul Rowley (Salford Red Devils), Willie Peters (Hull Kingston Rovers) and Mike Eccles (London Broncos) make up the shortlist following a poll of the 12 Super League head coaches, with the winner to be named at Rugby League’s Awards Night on Tuesday, October 8, at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.

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It is a third consecutive nomination for both Peet and Rowley. Peet, who won the award in his first season as head coach of his hometown club Wigan in 2022, has guided the Warriors to back-to-back League Leaders’ Shields and picked up two other trophies in 2024 – the World Club Challenge and the Challenge Cup.

Rowley, meanwhile, has exceeded expectations with his Salford side time and time again. The Red Devils again defied the odds this year, finishing fourth in the Super League table to secure their second appearance in the play-offs in three years.

And it is a first nomination for Peters. The Australian, who took charge of Hull KR last season, has followed an impressive maiden campaign in which the Robins qualified for the play-offs and reached the Challenge Cup final by securing a top two finish – the club’s first in the Super League era.

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And, perhaps surprisingly given their final league position of bottom place, London Broncos boss Eccles is among the four nominees to be crowned Super League’s Coach of the Year.

Eccles was named Championship Coach of the Year in 2023 after guiding the Broncos to promotion to Super League.

And the Leigh-born coach has earned widespread admiration for the way his side have responded to a variety of challenges in Super League this season: both on and off the field.

Although London finished bottom after 27 rounds and only managed to secure three wins, the Broncos fused to throw the towel in against far superior opposition (on paper!) and budgets whilst operating with a predominantly part-time team in the top flight.

And, perhaps the surprise omission would be Sam Burgess, who has guided Warrington Wolves to the Challenge Cup final at Wembley in his first season in charge.

The Wire, who finished third in the Super League ladder after the regular season, face Hull KR in the semi-finals of the Super League play-offs this Friday, with a place in the Grand Final at Old Trafford at stake.

The nominees to be crowned Super League’s 2024 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel will be announced on Wednesday, October 2, at 3:30pm.

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