Championships awards nominees announced

The nominations for this year's Co-operative Championships Awards have been confirmed.

In the Co-operative Championship, defending champions Featherstone Rovers are in with a chance of taking home a clean sweep of awards, with representatives in all three categories.

Andy Kain and Liam Finn have been shortlisted in the Player of the Year category alongside Halifax captain Sean Penkywicz and Bob Beswick of Leigh Centurions while Featherstone’s Greg Worthington joins Leigh’s Ryan Brierley and Alex Walmsley of Batley Bulldogs in the running for the Young Player of the Year award.

Featherstone coach Daryl Powell is in contention for the Championship Coach of the Year award for a second consecutive year but will face stiff competition from John Kear of Batley, Halifax’s Karl Harrison and Leigh Centurions coach Paul Rowley.

In Championship One, the Player of the Year award will be contested by Liam Harrison of Barrow Raiders, Graeme Mattison of Workington Town and Doncaster’s Paul Cooke while the Young Player of the Year award will be chosen between Workington duo Dave Peterson and Elliott Miller along with Barrow’s Ryan Shaw.

Tony Miller of Doncaster is up against Joe Mbu of London Skolars and Clive Griffith of North Wales Crusaders to win the Coach of the Year award this season.

The winners will be announced at the Co-operative Championships’ annual dinner which will be held in Leeds on Tuesday September 25.

The shortlists in full are as follows:

Co-operative Championship Player of the Year: Andy Kain (Featherstone) Liam Finn (Featherstone) Sean Penkywicz (Halifax) Bob Beswick (Leigh)

Co-operative Championship Young Player of the Year: Alex Walmsley (Batley) Greg Worthington (Featherstone) Ryan Brierley (Leigh)

Co-operative Championship Coach of the Year: John Kear (Batley) Daryl Powell (Featherstone)  Karl Harrison (Halifax) Paul Rowley (Leigh)

Co-operative Championship One Player of the Year: Liam Harrison (Barrow) Paul Cooke (Doncaster) Graeme Mattison (Workington)

Co-operative Championship One Young Player of the Year: Ryan Shaw (Barrow) Dave Peterson (Workington) Elliot Miller (Workington)

Co-operative Championship One Coach of the Year: Clive Griffiths (North Wales Crusaders) Tony Miller (Doncaster) Joe Mbu (London Skolars)