Howard and Connor scoop top awards with Rhinos

Leeds Rhinos half backs Mel Howard and Jake Connor have won the top awards at the Leeds Rhinos Annual Awards dinner, sponsored by NIC FM Services Ltd and Carlsberg Britvic.

Both players joined the Rhinos this season and have had a huge impact. Australian Howard is the Rhinos Womens top points scorer this season with 138 points whilst England international Jake Connor has been in sensational form for Brad Arthur’s side, helping the Rhinos men to return to the Betfred Super League play offs and securing a home play for the first time since 2017.

Connor was presented with the Rob Burrow CBE Leeds Rhinos Player of the Year award by Burrow’s mum Irene Burrow and his sister Claire Burnett.

The Bev Risman OBE Award for the Rhinos Young Player of the Year across the mens, womens and wheelchair teams was won by Presley Cassell. The 18-year-old has been a key player for the club’s Academy and Reserves teams this season as well has making a big impact on Super League.

The Leeds Building Society Try of the Season award, as voted for by the public, was a close run contest that was won by Lachie Miller for his effort at Hull KR, narrowly beating Ebony Stead’s long range score against Warrington.

Miller did the double on the public vote when he narrowly pipped Jake Connor to the Roy Berwick Award as the Fans Player of the Year.

The club’s best Academy players were also recognised on the night with Amelia Hirst named the Womens U19s Player of the Year and half back George Brown winning the mens Academy Player of the Year.

There was also recognition for the Rhinos inclusive teams. Dan Brown was named Physical Disability Player of the Year, Debbie Kennedy picked the Learning Disability Player of the Year and World Cup winner Nathan Collins was named Wheelchair Player of the Year.

The night concluded with a standing ovation for Chief Executive Gary Hetherington, who will bring down the curtain on 29 years at the Rhinos at the end of the season. Hetherington was surprised on the night when he was presented with the final award of the night as Team Mate of the Year, having been told he was on stage for present the award.