Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has tonight been named the Vodafone NRL Player of the Year for the second season running at the Vodafone Warriors’ 24th annual awards at SKYCITY.
He becomes the inaugural winner of the Simon Mannering Medal, announced tonight to honour the retiring club legend who made his 300th NRL appearance on Friday night.
Tuivasa-Sheck is just the fourth player to win the supreme accolade more than once following five-times winner Simon Mannering and Steve Price and Ben Matulino, who were two-time winners.
As well as the club’s supreme award, he collected the Vodafone People’s Choice Award voted on by the public.
After being re-signed for four years just before the season started, the Kiwi international has led the Vodafone Warriors to the NRL play-offs for the first time since 2011. They ended their regular season campaign with a 20-16 victory over Canberra on Friday night to finish with a 15-9 win-loss record, the second-equal best record in the club’s history.
Throughout the season, Tuivasa-Sheck has been in imperious form, appearing in 22 of the club’s 24 matches.
He has made a total of 4058 metres (fourth-best among all players), averaging 184 metres a game including 1093 post-contact metres. In the 23rd-round clash against Newcastle, Tuivasa-Sheck made 338 metres.
He is first among all players for most kick return metres (1330) and fifth for most tackle breaks (109).
Tuivasa-Sheck is also a top contender for the Dally M Award for the NRL’s player of the year to be named later this month ahead of the grand final.
The other nominees for the Vodafone Player of the Year title were Agnatius Paasi, Issac Luke, Jazz Tevaga and Ken Maumalo.
Captain James Bell collected the two awards for the Vodafone Warriors’ Intrust Super Premiership side – Vodafone ISP Team Man of the Year and Vodafone ISP Player of the Year.
The Vodafone Warriors NRL Rookie of the Year is Isaiah Papali’i while Blake Green is the Canterbury of New Zealand Clubman of the Year.
Long-time Vodafone Warriors team manager Laurie Hale was named the Club Person of the Year and Jayden Penerata was recognised as the Sir Peter Leitch Member of the Year.
VODAFONE WARRIORS AWARDS | 2018
Sir Peter Leitch Member of the Year Jayden Penerata
Vodafone People’s Choice Award Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Vodafone ISP Team Man of the Year James Bell
Vodafone NRL Rookie of the Year Isaiah Papali’i
Club Person of the Year Laurie Hale
Canterbury of NZ Clubman of the Year Blake Green
Vodafone ISP Player of the Year James Bell
Vodafone NRL Player of the Year Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
(Simon Mannering Medal)
VODAFONE WARRIORS PLAYER OF THE YEAR | 1995-2018
1995 Tea Ropati
1996 Stephen Kearney
1997 Stacey Jones
1998 Joe Vagana
1999 Jason Death
2000 Robert Mears
2001 Jerry Seuseu
2002 Ali Lauitiiti
2003 Francis Meli
2004 Wairangi Koopu
2005 Ruben Wiki
2006 Steve Price
2007 Steve Price
2008 Simon Mannering
2009 Micheal Luck
2010 Manu Vatuvei
2011 Simon Mannering
2012 Ben Matulino
2013 Simon Mannering
2014 Simon Mannering
2015 Ben Matulino
2016 Simon Mannering
2017 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
2018 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
VODAFONE WARRIORS | ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Departing players | Manaia Cherrington, Anthony Gelling (#227), Ata Hingano (#214), Simon Mannering (#125), Zac Santo, Albert Vete (#197).
Vodafone Warriors debuts | Peta Hiku (#221), Blake Green (#222), Adam Blair (#223), Tohu Harris (#224), Sam Cook (#225), Leivaha Pulu (#226), Anthony Gelling (#227), Joseph Vuna (#228), Karl Lawton (#229), Gerard Beale (#230).
Achievements:
300 NRL appearances | Simon Mannering (first players to appear in 300 NRL games for the Vodafone Warriors).
250 NRL games | Issac Luke.
150 NRL games (all for Vodafone Warriors) | Shaun Johnson.
100 NRL games | Peta Hiku.
50 NRL games for Vodafone Warriors | Issac Luke, Ken Maumalo, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
50 NRL games | James Gavet, Leivaha Pulu.
50 NRL tries | David Fusitu’a.
20 tries in an NRL season | David Fusitu’a.
900 NRL points | Shaun Johnson.
