International awards to be announced on Wednesday
The finest Rugby League players on the planet will gather to learn who is the greatest of them all tomorrow (Wednesday) when Manchester hosts the 2013 Rugby League International Federation Player of the Year awards.
The coveted International Player of the Year award is just one of a host awards that will be announced at the RLIF gala dinner which takes place three days before New Zealand face Australia at Old Trafford in the final of Rugby League World Cup 2013.
Three nations are represented in the shortlist for Player of the Year, Scotland, Australia and New Zealand, with Danny Brough, Greg Inglis and Sonny Bill Williams all in contention for Rugby League’s most prestigious individual accolade.
Other awards on the night at the Lowry Hotel include International Coach of the Year, International Rookie of the Year, International Referee of the Year, the Spirit of Rugby League Award and the Rugby League Nations’ Player of the Year award.
There will also be presentations to the nine members of the 2013 Team of the Year, the shortlists for which are today revealed for the first time.
The shortlists for the 2013 RLIF International Player of the Year awards in full are as follows:
Full-back of the Year
Darius Boyd (Newcastle Knights and Australia)
Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs and Australia)
Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm and Australia)
Sam Tomkins (Wigan Warriors and England)
Winger of the Year
Josh Charnley (Wigan and England)
Joel Monaghan (Warrington Wolves)
Brett Morris (St George Illawarra Dragons and Australia)
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Sydney Roosters and New Zealand)
Centre of the Year
Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield Giants and England)
Michael Jennings (Sydney Roosters and Australia)
Jamie Lyon (Manly Sea Eagles)
Joel Moon (Leeds Rhinos)
Stand-off of the Year
Danny Brough (Huddersfield Giants and Scotland)
Kieran Foran (Manly Sea Eagles and New Zealand)
James Maloney (Sydney Roosters)
Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys and Australia)
Scrum-half of the Year
Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles and Australia)
Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm and Australia)
Shaun Johnson (New Zealand Warriors and New Zealand)
Matty Smith (Wigan Warriors)
Prop of the Year
Sam Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs and England)
Andrew Fifita (Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks and Australia)
Jamie Peacock (Leeds Rhinos)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Sydney Roosters and New Zealand)
Hooker of the Year
Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers and Australia)
Mick Higham (Warrington Wolves)
Issac Luke (South Sydney Rabbitohs and New Zealand)
Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm and Australia)
Second row of the Year
Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters and Australia)
Brett Ferres (Huddersfield Giants and England)
Luke Lewis (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks and Australia)
Sonny Bill Williams (Sydney Roosters and New Zealand)
Loose forward of the Year
Greg Bird (Gold Coast Titans and Australia)
Paul Gallen (Cronulla Sutherland Sharks and Australia)
Sean O’Loughlin (Wigan Warriors and England)
Corey Parker (Brisbane Broncos and Australia)
Rookie of the Year
George Burgess (South Sydney and England)
Boyd Cordner (Sydney Roosters and Australia)
Anthony Milford (Canberra Raiders and Samoa)
Coach of the Year
Michael Maguire (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Trent Robinson (Sydney Roosters)
Shaun Wane (Wigan Warriors)
Player of the Year
Danny Brough (Huddersfield Giants and Scotland)
Greg Inglis (South Sydney Rabbitohs and Australia)
Sonny Bill Williams (Sydney Roosters and New Zealand)
Referee of the Year
Ben Cummins (Australia)
Shayne Hayne (Australia)
Richard Silverwood (England)