LOOSE forward Morgan Knowles picked up the Saints Player of the Year award last night to mark the end of a back-to-back winning Super League campaign.
The award was selected by the club’s head coach Kristian Woolf and is a reward for a year of consistently industrious high-quality 80 minute displays in the middle.
A back-to-back Super League Dream Team member, Knowles made 533 tackles and was sixth best in the league when it came to marker tackles.
In the other awards, the lion-hearted James Bentley won the Young Player of the Year.
The former Bradford Bull really established himself in 2020, turning from a versatile fringe player to nailing down the right edge second row spot.
He played 19 times this season, scoring four tries and finished in the top five when it came to tackles with 636.
Alex Walmsley was voted Members Player of the Year with 33 per cent of the votes after a massive 2020.
He played 20 times, scoring 10 times with his big carries wreaking havoc in opposition defences. That is shown with his 78 tackle busts and he was third in the metre-eaters with 2242m.
Another Dream Team member, Walmsley marked his 200th Saints with a Grand Final win, playing that despite a torn cartilage.
The Players’ Player of the Year saw James Roby voted by his teammates. He led from the front with more than 530 tackles, 85 runs from dummy half and was named Harry Sunderland Winner in the Betfred Super League Grand Final.
Try of the Year, voted for before the Grand Final, went to Regan Grace for the second season running after his long-range effort against Leeds Rhinos at Emerald Headingley as part of his hat-trick.
The Chairman’s Award, presented by Eamonn McManus, for an outstanding contribution to the Club went to Stadium Manager John Murphy.
His efforts this year ensured the stadium and surrounding areas were fit for purpose with all the Covid-19 protocols having to be put in place. His work allowed Saints to be in a position to play games behind closed doors, and enabled the team to move into the stadium and train full time from the venue. He has been on hand seven days a week to help the team achieve its goals while also supporting the game in a wider context with the BCD games.
Full list of the 2020 award winners:
Young Player of the Year: James Bentley
Members’ Player of the Year: Alex Walmsley
Try of the Year: Regan Grace
Players’ Player of the Year: James Roby
Chairman’s Award: John Murphy (Club Stadium Manager)
Player of the Year: Morgan Knowles
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