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Man of Steel

James Graham is engage Super League Man of Steel

St Helens forward James Graham is the 2008 engage Super League Man of Steel.

The award - regarded as the most prestigious individual prize in the domestic game – is the result of a poll of all first team players in the engage Super League competition (with the stipulation that no player may vote for a teammate). This is the first year that such a system has operated with award previously decided by a judging panel.

The winner is rightly regarded as the best player of the 2008 engage Super League season.

James Graham receives the unique Man of Steel trophy and a cheque for £5,000. He is also the recipient of the 2008 engage Super League Metre Maker award (see below).

Graham becomes the fourth consecutive St Helens player to win the award and joins his current club mates, James Roby (2007), Paul Wellens (2006), Sean Long (2000) and Paul Sculthorpe (2001, 2002) as previous winners. Australian centre Jamie Lyon won the award in 2005 as a Saints player.

The following awards were also made at the ceremony which took place in central Manchester. All these winners receive a cheque for £1,000 plus a Trophy.

engage Super League Young Player of the Year – Joe Westerman (Castleford Tigers)

Nominees – Joel Tomkins (Wigan Warriors) and Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield Giants)

engage Super League Coach of the Year – Mick Potter (Catalans Dragons)

(No nominations. This award was decided by a poll of all engage Super League Head Coaches)

engage Super League Top Try Scorer - Ade Gardner (St Helens) - With 26 tries in the Regular season

 engage Super League Statistical Awards

The engage Super League Metre Maker is James Graham (St Helens) – the player making most metres when carrying the ball in regular season games. Graham ran for a total of 3935 metres.

The engage Super League Hit Man is Harrison Hansen (Wigan Warriors) – the player making most tackles in the regular season. Hansen made a total of 825 tackles.

The Spirit of Rugby League Award – awarded posthumously to former Great Britain international Mike Gregory

The Spirit of Rugby League Award is a new initiative to recognise and acknowledge individuals whose career in the game has consistently reflected the core values of the sport over an extended period of time and who have made a significant and positive contribution to Rugby League in this way.

The inaugural award is made posthumously to the former Great Britain and Warrington captain Mike Gregory who sadly passed away last year. 

In subsequent seasons, the award will be officially known as The Mike Gregory Spirit of Rugby League Award.  Both players and non-players will be eligible to receive the award, which will be judged by a panel from the sports’ governing body.

Frontline Fairplay Index for engage Super League – St Helens RLFC

This award recognises the contribution and importance that fair play and discipline make to the engage Super League. The winning club receives a cheque for £5,000.

The Carnegie Community Player of the Year - Mike Bennett (St Helens)

In recognition of an outstanding contribution made to the player’s local community and his club’s community activity.

engage Super League Club of the Year – Hull Kingston Rovers

In recognition of outstanding development of the club across the board including, playing and player development, stadium development, innovative marketing and community activity.

Special Awards – the ‘200 Club’

Also at the ceremony, Chris Chester, Joe Vagana and Paul Sculthorpe all received special presentations to recognise their retirement from the sport after reaching the milestone of playing in more than 200 Super League games.