Hull KR pair Jez Litten and Tyrone May were both named in the top five for the Steve Prescott Man of Steel award after a panel of experts met to discuss the 2026 favourites
Jez Litten celebrates after Hull KR’s World Club Challenge win over Brisbane Broncos.
Leeds Rhinos full-back Lachie Miller heads the race for the 2026 Steve Prescott Man of Steel award, with Hull KR duo Jez Litten and Tyrone May hot on his heels.
A new format introduced this season sees a panel of experts convene after every nine rounds to select their preferred candidates and rank the top five based on that period of play. The five-man panel comprises former Man of Steel recipients Ellery Hanley, Paul Sculthorpe, Sam Tomkins, James Roby and Joe Lydon.
The quintet gathered to deliberate over a 10-man shortlist, with Leeds star Miller emerging at the summit based on his performances during the opening third of the campaign.
Hull KR and England hooker Litten was placed second, with teammate May third, ahead of Leeds stand-off Brodie Croft and St Helens hooker Daryl Clark.
“One of Lachie Miller’s great attractions is this: the public comes to see him. He announces himself in every game,” Hanley explained of the decision to award him top spot.
“If you went to any opposition club Leeds were playing against, I bet Lachie Miller would be on the top of their list of players they need to get on top of. He’s one of the hardest players to tackle in Super League and has been sensational throughout the season so far.
“His field position is absolutely brilliant at full-back and his pass accuracy has been magnificent for some of the tries he’s created both on the left and right.
“It was really interesting analysing the players’ form across the competition so far with the rest of the panel. Lachie Miller’s number one at the moment – but a lot can change through the rest of the year.”
The panel will reconvene following Round 18 and Round 27 before settling on a three-man shortlist, with the eventual winner to be revealed at the end-of-season Rugby League Awards Night.