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Lance Todd Trophy

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Lance Todd Trophy
Awarded forChallenge Cup
Final man of the match
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byReds Devils Association
History
First award1945–46

The Lance Todd Trophy is a trophy in rugby league, awarded to man of the match in the annual Challenge Cup Final.[1]

Introduced in 1945–46, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War.[2] After Todd's death a fund, the Lance Todd memorial Trophy Fund, was established by Australian journalist and rugby league official Harry Sunderland.[3] The trophy's winner is selected by the members of the Rugby League Writers' Association present at the game. Until 1957 there was no permanent trophy, instead the winner was given a cash prize with which to buy themselves a memento.[3] In 1956 the Red Devils Association, the official body representing ex-Salford players, decided to pay for a permanent trophy to be awarded to the winner and the first recipient of the new trophy was Jeff Stevenson in 1957.[3] The trophy is presented at a celebratory dinner at the Salford Community Stadium, home of the Salford Red Devils. As of 2023, no Salford player has won this award.[1]

The first winner of the trophy was Wakefield Trinity Centre, Billy Stott in 1945–46.[1][4] St. Helens' Sean Long made history in 2006 becoming the first player to win the Lance Todd Trophy three times, having won in 2001 and 2004. Five players have won the trophy twice: Warrington's Gerry Helme in 1949–50 and 1953–54; Wigan's Andy Gregory in 1987–88 and 1989–90; and Martin Offiah in 1991–92 and 1993–94; St. Helens' Paul Wellens in 2007 (jointly) and 2008; Hull FC's Marc Sneyd in 2016 and 2017. Sneyd and Wellens are the only players to win the award in consecutive finals.

Halifax's former Australian international fullback Graham Eadie and Wigan's 1984-85 Australian import stand-off Brett Kenny are the only players to win both the Lance Todd Trophy and the Clive Churchill Medal as the player of the match in the Sydney Premiership Grand Final. Eadie won the Lance Todd in 1986–87 and was (retrospectively) twice awarded the Churchill after Manly-Warringah's premiership wins in 1976 and 1978 while 1984–85 trophy winner Kenny was retrospectively awarded the Churchill for Parramatta's Grand Final wins in 1982 and 1983.

The first player to win the trophy on the losing side was Frank Whitcombe of Bradford Northern in the 1947–48 final against Wigan; he was also the first forward to win the award. Robbie Paul, Gary Connolly, Kevin Sinfield, Niall Evalds and Chris McQueen have all won the award since 1996, despite each of them finishing on the losing side.

The youngest player to win the trophy was Huddersfield's Peter Ramsden who won it on his 19th birthday in 1952–53.[5]

The trophy has been shared on two occasions, first in 1964–65 by Ray Ashby (Wigan) and Brian Gabbitas (Hunslet), and most recently in 2007 by Paul Wellens (St Helens) and Leon Pryce (Catalans Dragons).

Winners

[edit]
Season Recipient Team Position
1945–46 Billy Stott Wakefield Trinity Centre
1946–47 Willie Davies Bradford Northern Stand-off
1947–48 Frank Whitcombe Bradford Northern Prop
1948–49 Ernest Ward Bradford Northern Centre
1949–50 Gerry Helme Warrington Wolves Scrum-half
1950–51 Cec Mountford Wigan Warriors Stand-off
1951–52 Billy Ivison Workington Town Loose forward
1952–53 Peter Ramsden Huddersfield Giants Stand-off
1953–54 Gerry Helme Warrington Wolves Scrum-half
1954–55 Jack Grundy Barrow Raiders Second-row
1955–56 Alan Prescott St Helens Prop
1956–57 Jeff Stevenson Leeds Rhinos Scrum-half
1957–58 Rees Thomas Wigan Warriors Scrum-half
1958–59 Brian McTigue Wigan Warriors Second-row
1959–60 Tommy Harris Hull F.C. Hooker
1960–61 Dick Huddart St Helens Second-row
1961–62 Neil Fox Wakefield Trinity Centre
1962–63 Harold Poynton Wakefield Trinity Stand-off
1963–64 Frank Collier Widnes Vikings Prop
1964–65 Ray Ashby Wigan Warriors Fullback
Brian Gabbitas Hunslet Stand-off
1965–66 Len Killeen St Helens Wing
1966–67 Carl Dooler Featherstone Rovers Scrum-half
1967–68 Don Fox Wakefield Trinity Prop
1968–69 Mal Reilly Castleford Tigers Loose forward
1969–70 Bill Kirkbride Castleford Tigers Second-row
1970–71 Alex Murphy Leigh Centurions Scrum-half
1971–72 Kel Coslett St Helens Loose forward
1972–73 Steve Nash Featherstone Rovers Scrum-half
1973–74 Derek Whitehead Warrington Wolves Fullback
1974–75 Ray Dutton Widnes Vikings Fullback
1975–76 Geoff Pimblett St Helens Fullback
1976–77 Steve Pitchford Leeds Rhinos Prop
1977–78 George Nicholls St Helens Prop
1978–79 David Topliss Wakefield Trinity Stand-off
1979–80 Brian Lockwood Hull Kingston Rovers Prop
1980–81 Mick Burke Widnes Vikings Fullback
1981–82 Eddie Cunningham Widnes Vikings Centre
1982–83 David Hobbs Featherstone Rovers Second-row
1983–84 Joe Lydon Widnes Vikings Centre
1984–85 Brett Kenny Wigan Warriors Stand-off
1985–86 Bob Beardmore Castleford Tigers Scrum-half
1986–87 Graham Eadie Halifax Fullback
1987–88 Andy Gregory Wigan Warriors Scrum-half
1988–89 Ellery Hanley Wigan Warriors Loose forward
1989–90 Andy Gregory Wigan Warriors Fullback
1990–91 Denis Betts Wigan Warriors Second-row
1991–92 Martin Offiah Wigan Warriors Wing
1992–93 Dean Bell Wigan Warriors Loose forward
1993–94 Martin Offiah Wigan Warriors Wing
1994–95 Jason Robinson Wigan Warriors Wing
1996 Robbie Paul Bradford Bulls Scrum-half
1997 Tommy Martyn St Helens Stand-off
1998 Mark Aston Sheffield Eagles Scrum-half
1999 Leroy Rivett Leeds Rhinos Wing
2000 Henry Paul Bradford Bulls Stand-off
2001 Sean Long St Helens Stand-off
2002 Kris Radlinski Wigan Warriors Fullback
2003 Gary Connolly Leeds Rhinos Fullback
2004 Sean Long St Helens Stand-off
2005 Kevin Sinfield Leeds Rhinos Loose forward
2006 Sean Long St Helens Scrum-half
2007 Paul Wellens St Helens Fullback
Leon Pryce St Helens Stand-off
2008 Paul Wellens St Helens Fullback
2009 Michael Monaghan Warrington Wolves Hooker
2010 Lee Briers Warrington Wolves Stand-off
2011 Jeff Lima Wigan Warriors Prop
2012 Brett Hodgson Warrington Wolves Fullback
2013 Matty Smith Wigan Warriors Scrum-half
2014 Ryan Hall Leeds Rhinos Wing
2015 Tom Briscoe Leeds Rhinos Wing
2016 Marc Sneyd Hull F.C. Scrum-half
2017 Marc Sneyd Hull F.C. Scrum-half
2018 Tony Gigot Catalans Dragons Fullback
2019 Daryl Clark Warrington Wolves Hooker
2020 Richie Myler Leeds Rhinos Fullback
2021 Niall Evalds Castleford Tigers Fullback
2022 Chris McQueen Huddersfield Giants Second-row
2023 Lachlan Lam Leigh Leopards Scrum-half
2024 Bevan French Wigan Warriors Stand-off

† = Won Lance Todd Trophy whilst on losing team

Awards by club

[edit]
Club Number of winners
Barrow Raiders 1
Bradford Bulls 4
Castleford Tigers 4
Catalans Dragons 2[a]
Featherstone Rovers 3
Halifax 1
Hunslet 1[b]
Hull F.C. 3
Hull Kingston Rovers 1
Huddersfield Giants 4
Leeds Rhinos 8
Leigh Leopards 2
Sheffield Eagles 1
St Helens 12[a]
Wakefield Trinity 4
Warrington Wolves 7
Widnes Vikings 5
Wigan Warriors 18[b]
Workington Town 1

Winners by playing position

[edit]
Position Number of winners
Centre 5
Fullback 15[a][b]
Hooker 3
Loose forward 6
Prop 8
Scrum-half 16
Second-row 7
Stand-off 14[a][b]
Wing 7

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d includes joint award in 2007
  2. ^ a b c d includes joint award in 1965

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c RFL. "Lance Todd Trophy". Rugby Football League. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  2. ^ "The History Of Rugby League". Rugby League Information. napit.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Morris, Graham (Autumn 2019). "Lance Todd Trophy; the first decade of awards: 1946-1956". Rugby League Journal (68): 24.
  4. ^ BBC Sport (2008-08-26). "Lance Todd Trophy winners". BBC. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  5. ^ news.bbc.co.uk (11 May 2004). "Cup final facts". BBC Sport. UK: BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2011.