LeagueCast

The Man of Steel award goes right back to 1977 when David Ward of Leeds was the first recipient of a trophy which got its name because of a sponsor. Many great players have received the accolade as being the best in any particular season, but few have won it on more than one occasion.

The versatile Ellery Hanley is the only one to have been voted Man of Steel three times. A Lance Todd Trophy and Golden Boot winner, he captained Great Britain between 1988 and 1992 and scored 189 tries in 202 appearances for Wigan while collecting those three awards.

Andy Farrell, another Wigan legend, was a two-time winner whose exploits in league have perhaps been matched by his hugely successful career as a player and coach in union. St Helens' Paul Sculthorpe is the only player be honoured in back-to-back seasons and Sam Tomkins has the distinction of the longest gap between awards, having been first selected in 2012 while at Wigan and then again nine years later with Catalans Dragons.

Other great names to have won the prize include Shaun Edwards, the most decorated player in rugby league history with 37 winners' medals to his name. Garry Schofield, the Leeds legend capped 46 times by Great Britain, who was the most expensive player in the world when moving from Hull in 1987. That fee was usurped by dual-code international captain, Jonathan Davies who initially spent four seasons with Widnes after leaving union for £230,000 in 1989, but was named Man of Steel in his first season with Warrington in 1994.

Mighty prop, Jamie Peacock, won a record nine Super League Grand Finals from 11 appearances with Bradford Bulls and Leeds Rhinos, while James Roby who also has 11 Grand Finals to his name, all for St Helens, was then the youngest player to claim the prize back in 2007.

Our top ten list concludes with his former team-mate, James Graham. A man with over 50 international appearances and the fourth different Saints player to win the award between 2005 and 2008. He actually lost six successive Grand Finals, including one in Australia, but returned to St Helens in 2020 to capture his second Super League Grand Final trophy, 14 years after his first.

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It's always difficult to judge whether one game was better than another, so this top ten list concentrates on the most memorable moments in Grand Finals along with the impact each had on that game itself and their subsequent outcomes.

From Jason Robinson's jinking try that lit up the first edition between Wigan and Leeds in 1998 to Bevan French's spectacular effort to complete the Warriors' quadruple last year, the 'Big Dance' has delivered some truly outstanding memories.

Michael Withers hat-trick in 2001 helped Bradford pile up the most points in a final, while Sean Long's late drop goal won Saints the prize the following year, although not before one of the biggest Grand Final controversies. In the last play of the game, Chris Joynt went to ground leaving the Bulls wanting a penalty for a voluntary tackle as the full time whistle blew.

In 2011, Leeds had a point to prove after finishing fifth in the regular season and Rob Burrow had something to prove himself, having once again been named on the bench to face St Helens. The teams were locked at 2-2 on a typically rainy night in Manchester when Burrow ducked and dived half the length of the field, leaving opponents grasping at thin air. Not just the greatest ever try scored in a Grand Final, but probably one of the greatest tries scored anywhere.

By contrast, the 2014 final will always be remembered for the wrong reasons. In only the second minute of the match Wigan’s Ben Flower became the first and only player to be sent off after punching St Helens half-back Lance Hohaia twice, the second landing whilst the Kiwi was lying prone on the floor.

And despite being played at an empty stadium due to Covid, commentating for BBC Radio 5 Live, John Kear described the 2020 game as the greatest Grand Final ever. With the scores tied and seconds to play, Tommy Makinson's drop goal from way out hit the post, but Jack Welsby reacted quickest to the bouncing ball, touching down to win the game for Saints in the most dramatic of fashion.

Picking the most memorable moment in Grand Final history is going to be tough.

Everyone on deck this week for the GF preview! Be sure to catch up with Nate and Big Diesel at Bar Cleveland at Surry Hills from 10am on GF day, and Stepdad at Winghaus Bowen Hills in Brisbane from about 5:30pm!

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The roots of this episode are in 1895 when the sport of rugby split in two and rugby league was born alongside it's often distant relative! We're talking about the codebreakers, those who've crossed over and competed on both sides of the divide.

Outside of our 40-year rule, but who must be mentioned, are Sir Billy Boston, Gus Risman and Clive Sullivan, three players immortalised as 'The Codebreakers' in a bronze statue in Cardiff Bay. All of them rugby league legends who started out playing union in the Welsh capital.

Fellow countrymen who do make the list include Jonathan Davies. A World Club Challenge winner with Widnes and named Man of Steel at Warrington, who many feel his best years as a rugby player were in league. While Iestyn Harris made a big-money move from Leeds to Cardiff, before returning to Bradford where a Grand Final and World Club Challenge followed.

Six Championships, four Challenge Cups and 45 caps for Great Britain and England earned Andy Farrell, at the age of 29, the switch to union with Saracens in a million-pound deal jointly funded by the RFU. Injury curtailed his playing career, but in turning to coaching he led Ireland to Six Nations success and the British & Irish Lions to victory down under.

From that side of the world are contenders in the shape of Wendell Sailor, who not only played both codes, but also appeared on the Australian version of 'The Masked Singer'! Israel Folau, a somewhat controversial figure, actually competed professionally in three sports, union, league and Australian rules football. The late, great 'Inga The Winger', Vai'aiga Tuigamala, capped by the All Blacks and a multiple trophy winner with Wigan. While the 'offload king', Sonny Bill Williams, won the World Cup with the All Blacks in 2011 and 2015 and in-between returned to the NRL with Sydney Roosters winning a Premiership title.

While nearer to home, huge names in the world of rugby in the form of 'Slammin' Sam Burgess, 'Ash the Splash' Chris Ashton and 'Billy Whizz', World Cup winner Jason Robinson, complete our top 10 contenders.

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We've lost Ozzy Osbourne since the last episode so it's poignant we hear from Dana Strum about how he dealt with Randy Rhoads' death, having been the man who introduced the guitar prodigy to the Pince Of Darkness. Dana's story about how he found peace will move you. Plus Jeff Pilson on yoga and Craig Goldy, Richie Kotzen and Kip Winger on backing tapes and more. Welcome back!

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