Lewis, Field and Connor nominated for Man of Steel

The 2025 Steve Prescott Man of Steel award will be presented to Mikey Lewis from Hull KR, Jai Field from Wigan Warriors, and Jake Connor from Leeds Rhinos.

The three were chosen for the award after securing a play-off spot with their teams, and they were also named to the Super League Dream Team this year.

The 24-year-old Robins half-back, Lewis, won the trophy in 2024, and could become the first team to win it since Paul Sculthorpe did so in 2001 and 2002.

This season, he has won the League Leaders’ Shield and the Challenge Cup.

Full-back Field, 28, helped Wigan, who finished second in the regular season last year, while 30-year-old scrum-half Connor is nominated after a strong campaign with Leeds, who first placed in the top four since 2017.

The award, which was given its name in 2014 in honor of the late Steve Prescott, has been in existence since 1977 when Leeds hooker David Ward won the inaugural award.

Following a selection process where a panel of former players used a voting system to determine the trio’s shortlistings this year, players were chosen.

Lewis’ nomination comes as his career is on the ups and running, continuing his impressive career that won him the Man of Steel award for the first time in 2024 and becoming the first KR player to do so since Gavin Miller in 1986.

He made his England debut against Tonga in the upcoming Ashes Test series in October and November, and he also looks set to start against his country in the upcoming Ashes Test series against Australia.

Field is chosen in the shortlist after a successful campaign for Wigan, scoring very close to a try from 27 games so far in 2025.

In the second play-off eliminator of 2025, Connor’s Leeds Rhinos team will take on St Helens on Saturday night to kick off his play-off campaign.

In the event that Connor receives the award, he would become the first Leeds player to be named a Man of Steel since Zak Hardaker in 2015.

After receiving a clean sweep of nominations, the Women’s Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield winners will receive the Women of Steel award this year.

The winner of this year’s award will be announced at the end-of-season awards in October, which included Jenna Foubister, Eva Hunter, and Isabel Rowe.