Jake Connor named Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel

Jake Connor is the 2025 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel.

The Leeds Rhinos stand-off and goalkicker, who turns 31 later this month, has been recognised for his contribution to a huge improvement in performances at AMT Headingley in 2025, as Brad Arthur’s team have climbed from eighth in the table in 2024 to a fourth-placed finish – the club’s best since 2017.

Connor was a surprise signing from Huddersfield Giants last winter, having made almost 100 appearances for the club in two stints, in addition to almost 150 in six seasons with Hull FC.

He is the first Leeds Rhinos player to be crowned Man of Steel since Zak Hardaker in 2015, and only the fourth in the 48 years since David Ward was the inaugural winner in 1977.

The Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel is determined by a panel of former players who award points after every match in the regular season.

It was the last of 15 awards presented at the Rugby League Awards Night in Manchester’s Deansgate Hilton, ahead of the last fixture of the 2025 domestic season – Saturday’s Betfred Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford.

Harry Robertson, who has established himself in the St Helens backline this season and earned a place in Shaun Wane’s England squad before turning 20 last month, has been named the Betfred Super League Young Player of the Year – a decision made by the RFL’s Performance and Talent Department.

Willie Peters of Hull KR is the Betfred Super League Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after guiding the Robins to their first League Leaders’ Shield, and to their second consecutive Old Trafford appearance in Saturday’s Grand Final against Wigan Warriors – in addition to Wembley victory in June for the club’s first Challenge Cup triumph since 1980.

The Coach of the Year is determined by a poll of the 12 Betfred Super League head coaches.

Eva Hunter of Wigan Warriors is the seventh winner of the Woman of Steel award – and the first from Wigan.

Hunter, a 20-year-old second-row, has had a stunning season as the Warriors have completed a treble of the major domestic honours, scoring a try in their 42-6 win against St Helens in their first Betfred Women’s Challenge Cup Final appearance at Wembley, and excelling again in a much tighter 16-12 victory over Saints in the Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final on Sunday.

The Warriors also won the League Leaders’ Shield, and Hunter made Wigan club history by scoring in 13 consecutive matches – breaking the previous record of 11 held jointly by Steve Ella, Martin Offiah MBE and Sam Tomkins.

Wigan completed a clean sweep of honours for the Betfred Women’s Super League, with Denis Betts named Coach of the Year, and Hunter’s team-mate Isabel Rowe winning the Young Player of the Year award.

Joe Coyd of London Roosters is the third winner of the Wheels of Steel awarded to the player of the year in the Betfred Wheelchair Super League – and in a notable night for the Roosters and the Coyd family, his elder brother Tom received the Coach of the Year award.

The Roosters enjoyed their best ever season, reaching the finals of the Betfred Wheelchair Challenge Cup and the Super League for the first time.

Finlay O’Neill, whose Halifax Panthers team beat them in both finals to complete their own treble, was named Young Player of the Year. O’Neill, a 20-year-old who played the running game for the Halifax community club King Cross and took up Wheelchair Rugby League after suffering an injury, has made rapid progress to earn a place in the England squad who leave for a four-match tour of Australia later this month.

Award Winners

Betfred Super League

Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel – Jake Connor (Leeds Rhinos)

Young Player of the Year – Harry Robertson (St Helens)

Coach of the Year - Willie Peters (Hull KR)

Betfred Wheelchair Super League

Wheels of Steel – Joe Coyd (London Roosters)

Young Player of the Year – Finlay O’Neill (Halifax Panthers)

Coach of the Year – Tom Coyd MBE (London Roosters)

Betfred Women’s Super League

Woman of Steel – Eva Hunter (Wigan Warriors)

Young Player of the Year – Isabel Rowe (Wigan Warriors)

Coach of the Year – Denis Betts (Wigan Warriors)