Trio vy for Man of Steel crown

Wigan pair Pat Richards and Sam Tomkins and Warrington Wolves captain Adrian Morley have today been shortlisted for the prestigious Engage Super League Man of Steel award.

The Man of Steel is the player who has made the biggest impact on the season and is an award that has been presented every year since 1977.

This year’s winner will be revealed at the gala Man of Steel dinner in Manchester on Monday September 27, when a number of other awards, including Coach of the Year and Young Player of the Year, will also be presented.

Tomkins, 21, is the reigning Engage Super League Young Player of the Year and has had an outstanding season with Wigan, where he made a successful transition from stand-off to full-back in the closing months of the campaign to play an important role in the Warriors clinching the League Leaders’ Shield.

Richards, 28, has topped the try-scoring, goal-kicking and points-scoring charts in 2010, a year that has brought him 29 tries, 135 goals and 388 points. This year, only two players have made more metres than the Australian winger, who is also joint top for clean breaks.

Morley, 33, has been one of the most consistent performers for the Wolves this year, when he led the club to the first successful defence of the Carnegie Challenge Cup in their history.

The winner of the Man of Steel award is decided by a secret ballot of every player in Engage Super League, who each cast three votes on a 5pt, 3pt and 1pt basis.