Giants dominate end of season awards
Man of Steel Brett Hodgson
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By Matt Hallam. |  |
Tuesday, 06, Oct 2009 10:21
Huddersfield Giants dominated the end of season Super League awards with captain Brett Hodgson named Man of Steel and coach Nathan Brown picking up the Coach of the Year accolade.
The Giants were also named Club of the Year in a season in which they were Challenge Cup runners-up and finished third in the Super League table.
Man of Steel Hodgson beat last year's winner James Graham and Adrian Morley to lift collect the highest accolade in his first season in the Super League.
The 31-year old becomes only the fourth Australian to pick up the award since its introduction in 1977.
He also stops a run of four consecutive seasons in which the honour has gone to a St Helens player.
The full-back contributed 11 tries for the Giants this season and also added 88 goals, helping transform the club from relegation candidates to play-off contenders.
As well as the Man of Steel award the former West Tigers player lifted the Rugby League Writers' Association player of the year to further highlight the impact he has had at the Yorkshire club.
Elsewhere Wigan half-back Sam Tomkins picked up the Young Player of the Year award ahead of Kyle Eastmond and Richie Myler whilst Malcolm Alker and James Graham were named hit man and metre maker respectively.
Paul Wellens, Lee Briers and Lee Radford were given special awards to mark their careers in the Super League whilst Hull's Lee Radford was named Carnegie community player of the year.
Tom Powell