Connor does clean sweep at Rhinos Annual Awards

Leeds Rhinos star Jake Connor produced a clean sweep of the mens awards at the Leeds Rhinos Annual Awards dinner, sponsored by NIC FM Services Ltd and Carlsberg Britvic at AMT Headingley on Monday.

Connor, who is a leading contender to retain the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award he won last season, won the Roy Berwick Fans Player of the Year, the newly inaugurated Spirit of the Rhinos Award as the Players' Player of the Year and retained the Rob Burrow CBE Trophy as the Rhinos Player of the Year. 

Rhinos Womens star Ella Donnelly won the Womens Player of the Year with team mate Connie Boyd picking up the Womens Spirit of the Rhinos Award. The newly created Spirit awards are voted for by the players after each game throughout the season so are a reflection of the contribution a player makes for their fellow team mates. 

The Bev Risman OBE Award for the Rhinos Young Player of the Year across the mens, womens and wheelchair teams was won by Fergie McCormack. The 20-year-old made his Rhinos debut this year and has been a mainstay of the Rhinos Reserves team this season.

The Leeds Building Society Try of the Season award, as voted for by the public, was a close run contest that was won by Ryan Hall from the Rhinos win over Hull KR in Las Vegas in a move that started with a long range break from Maika Sivo and was finished by Hall on the opposite wing. Young Rhinos star Millie Sadler was just pipped in the voting for her effort against Featherstone Rovers.

There was some consolation for the former Whinmoor junior when Sadler was named the Rhinos Womens U19s Player of the Year whilst Robin Smith picked up the equivilant award for the Rhinos Mens Academy. 

There was also recognition for the Rhinos inclusive teams. Chris Young was named Physical Disability Player of the Year, Andrew Forth picked the Learning Disability Player of the Year and Cameron Hills was named Wheelchair Player of the Year.

One of the most popular awards of the nights was for the Team Mate of the Year which was won by Mens First team analyst John Fletcher. There was also an emotional farewell to seven players who are leaving the mens team with Mikolaj Oledzki, Harry Newman and James McDonnell all set to join Perth Bears next season and goodbyes also for Brodie Croft, Cameron Smith, Ned McCormack and Jeremiah Mata'utia along with first team staff members physio David Ferguson and S&C Coach Charlie Venables.