Lachie Miller, Adam Keighran and Brad O’Neill have been shortlisted for the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award.
Love Rugby League understands the trio will be unveiled as the final three for the individual award, with the winner to be announced at an awards evening in Manchester next week.
Miller was named as the best player in the opening third of the season by the panel, while Keighran was named as the best player in the final third. O’Neill finished in the top five twice.
Some of the notable players to miss out are reigning Man of Steel Jake Connor, who was named best played in the middle third of the season and top ten in the third segment, and Umyla Hanley, who finished in the top five twice.
Players named in the top five in any three sections were automatcially put into contention but eventually, the panel, which consists of Ellery Hanley, Sam Tomkins, James Roby, Joe Lydon and Paul Sculthorpe, decided that the three players in question were the worthy trio.
Keighran’s inclusion is particularly interesting given he did not get named in the Super League Dream Team, with Hanley and Leeds’ Ash Handley preferred. It was also revealed that Hanley had been selected by four of the five Man of Steel panelists for his Dream Team, and Handley three. By default, it means only three panelists could have selected Keighran, yet he was selected regardless for Man of Steel.
Both O’Neill and Miller were selected by four of the five panellists. The only player unanimously voted by the panel was Zach Eckersley, he made the Dream Team but has not been selected.
Whoever is crowned as the recipient will be a new winner, while Connor’s changes of becoming only the second player to win the award back-to-back are now gone.
Elsewhere, Jenna Foubister, Eva Hunter and Megan Williams have been selected on the Woman of Steel shortlist.