Jon Wilkin names early season Man of Steel shortlist with Jake Connor only 3rd…
Jon Wilkin.
Jon Wilkin has named his five-man shortlist for Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel so far this season, with Leeds Rhinos star Jake Connor only third.
This year, the Man of Steel process has changed, with the week-by-week points system scrapped.
Instead, an expert panel made up of Super League legends is scheduled to meet three times throughout the year – after Rounds 9, 18 and 27.
That panel consists of Ellery Hanley, Joe Lydon, James Roby, Paul Sculthorpe and Sam Tomkins, and their first meeting has taken place with Round 9 having come and gone last weekend: with the outcome of the meeting to be made public next week.
Jon Wilkin names early season Man of Steel shortlist with Jake Connor only 3rd…
As part of the new process, the five-man Man of Steel panel cut a shortlist of ten players down at each of their meetings down to five, with that top five each receiving points. Fifth receives one point, fourth gets two and so on.
Teasing the release of the first official points next week, pundits Wilkin and Jamie Jones-Buchanan were asked for their top five of the season so far, with a third of the campaign done and dusted.
Speaking ahead of Hull KR’s clash against Castleford Tigers on Thursday night, which opens up Round 10 in Super League, Leeds half-back Connor is the only man picked by both.
Connor is the reigning Man of Steel, and his Rhinos team-mate Brodie Croft – who won the prestigious award back in 2022 as a Salford Red Devils player – also earned a spot in Wilkin’s top five.
Notably, Jones-Buchanan included 2024 Man of Steel Mikey Lewis, but there was no room for the Hull KR playmaker in Wilkin’s list. Instead, he opted to include Lewis’ half-back partner Tyrone May.
Without further ado, here are the pundits’ picks in full…
Jamie Jones-Buchanan’s Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel top 5 so far in 2026…
5. Tristan Sailor (St Helens)
4. Jake Trueman (Wakefield)
3. Jake Connor (Leeds)
2. Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)
1. Lachie Miller (Leeds)
Jon Wilkin’s Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel top 5 so far in 2026…
5. Danny Walker (Warrington)
4. Tyrone May (Hull KR)
3. Brodie Croft (Leeds)
2. Jake Connor (Leeds)
1. Jez Litten (Hull KR)