Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis beats Wigan Warriors star to major award

Hull KR playmaker Mikey Lewis has been named as the 2024 Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association Player of the Year, pipping Wigan Warriors star Bevan French to the award.

Initially founded as the ‘Rugby League Writers’ Association’, the RLWBA is an association of members of the English media who write about rugby league or present the sport on television and/or radio.

It presents a Player of the Year award annually to the best performing player in Super League, decided by a vote of its members.

And this term, it’s KR half-back Lewis who scoops the honour ahead of 2020 winner French.

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Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis beats Wigan Warriors star to major award

Lewis won 58% of the vote, with that substantially higher than runner-up French, who missed nine of Wigan‘s ‘regular’ season games through injury.

Robins ace Lewis missed just one of their ‘regular’ season games, scoring 19 tries and recording 24 assists as well as kicking 70 goals.

He becomes the first KR player to win the award since it was introduced back in 1996, and is the first English winner of the award since 2021 when Sam Tomkins’ performances for Catalans Dragons saw him recognised.

Lewis also becomes the first Yorkshireman to win the award since Luke Gale in 2017, then of Castleford Tigers.

Elsewhere in the 2024 voting, Salford Red Devils half-back Marc Sneyd came third in the voting, while there were also votes for Wigan prop Luke Thompson, Leigh Leopards back-rower Kai O’Donnell and Oli Leyland of London Broncos.

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Every winner of the RLWBA Player of the Year award

1996 – Apollo Perelini (St Helens)

1997 – Andy Farrell (Wigan Warriors)

1998 – Iestyn Harris (Leeds Rhinos)

1999 – Iestyn Harris (Leeds Rhinos)

2000 – Tommy Martyn (St Helens)

2001 – Paul Sculthorpe (St Helens)

2002 – Adrian Lam (Wigan Warriors)

2003 – Jamie Peacock (Bradford Bulls)

2004 – Danny McGuire (Leeds Rhinos)

2005 – Jamie Lyon (St Helens)

2006 – Paul Wellens (St Helens)

2007 – Trent Barrett (Wigan Warriors)

2008 – James Graham (Wigan Warriors)

2009 – Brett Hodgson (Huddersfield Giants)

2010 – Pat Richards (Wigan Warriors)

2011 – Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors)

2012 – Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors)

2013 – Danny Brough (Huddersfield Giants)

2014 – Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos)

2015 – Adam Cuthbertson (Leeds Rhinos)

2016 – Gareth Ellis and Danny Houghton (both Hull FC)

2017 – Luke Gale (Castleford Tigers)

2018 – James Roby (St Helens)

2019 – Jackson Hastings (Salford Red Devils)

2020 – Bevan French (Wigan Warriors)

2021 – Sam Tomkins (Catalans Dragons)

2022 – Jai Field (Wigan Warriors)

2023 – Lachlan Lam (Leigh Leopards)

2024 – Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)

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