Wigan star tops latest Man of Steel vote as final 12-man shortlist confirmed

Aaron Bower

21 Sep 2026 5:59 PM

Wigan Warriors star Adam Keighran all smiles with his Challenge Cup winners' medal in 2026

Wigan Warriors centre Adam Keighran has been awarded top spot in the latest round of voting for this year’s Man of Steel – with the final 12-man shortlist now official.

Keighran has had a magnificent year for the Warriors, with his form hitting new heights in the latter part of the season as Wigan secured leg two of what would be an historic treble by winning the League Leaders’ Shield.

And that form has been rewarded with high praise by the panel of legends who will crown this year’s Man of Steel: with Keighran now officially in the running to win the accolade.

Keighran tops Man of Steel voting

Panellists Ellery Hanley, Sam Tomkins, James Roby, Joe Lydon and Paul Sculthorpe have concluded that Keighran has been the standout player for Rounds 19 to 27 – and he has been joined by three more of his Wigan team-mates in the top five.

Bevan French is second, with Brad O’Neill third – and star fullback Jai Field completes the quartet of Wigan players in the top five. Field is equal fourth in the voting along with the only non-Warriors player in the latest top five: Leigh Leopards centre Umyla Hanley.

“Adam Keighran has had an outstanding year,” Tomkins said. “He’s just got better throughout the season and especially in this last set of games.

“It’s sometimes difficult for Wigan players to get much praise because they’re always playing in a team with Jai Field or Bevan French who very often get the headlines.

“But Keighran has just gone about his business: defensively he’s very, very strong, has showed skill in attack and he’s been superb from the kicking tee as well.

“He’s certainly been someone who slipped through the radar early on but has got better as the season’s developed and I imagine he will have a big finish to the end of the season, too.”

What happens next

This is the third top five list that has been revealed throughout the season – with any player included in such a list throughout the course of 2026 now progressing to the final round of voting.

The panel will now consider the 12 men who have made a top five list at least once before whittling it down to a final three – ahead of the official reveal of this year’s Man of Steel next Tuesday (September 29) at the annual awards dinner in Manchester.

There are four players from Wigan – all of whom were nominated this time around – in the mix as well as four from Leeds, with Lachie Miller, Brodie Croft, Jake Connor and Ash Handley included.

Hull KR duo Jez Litten and Tyrone May feature, as does Leopards centre Umyla Hanley. The other inclusion is St Helens hooker Daryl Clark.