Because in fairness the Challenge Cup has nothing to do with sky.

In the premier league do they take the cups into account when they give out the end of season awards, no. It's a different competition.

Which of those awards would have been more deserving to go to a wire player?

Coach of the year maybe, but I think the better explanation would be that you massively underachieved in the league last year (as shown by how well you did in the cup). Maguire has come in and from the word go (with the same squad) turned us from a mid-playoff side to a top of the league team.

I think Maguire's lack of experience as a head coach has made his achievements at Wigan stand out a bit more in fairness.

3 players in the Dream Team and a whole bunch in the Ingerlund train-on Squad isn't too shabby.

Not bad at all, I think everyone recognises the massive improvement from Wire this year.

You also had a player in the top 3 for MoS.

I think the fact Maguires done it with exactly the same squad, that on paper still isn't as strong as the other top imo.

I really can't wait for next year already, Saints, Wigan and yourselves have all improved on paper and are all very evenly matched.

No complaints and well deserved by Wigan.

They've developed well after a poor few seasons, and were by far the most consistent side this season, winning the league leader's shield by a clear margin.

Would like to think we could emulate them next year and beyond.

I have no complaints.

Pat Richards has scored a shed load of points and played well consistently all season.
Wigan have finished top, and again been very consistent.
Maguire is in his first season over here and inherited a squad that finished well off the top last year. Did he add to the squad? I don't think so. (happy to be corrected on that one).

In the old days when Saints dominated and won the Challenge Cup and/or the minor premiership and SL, the Man of Steel used to go to whoever had the best season at Saints...Long, Scully, Lyon, Wellens, Roby, Graham. In those days there were always people saying it shouldn't just go to someone from a top team by default, they should look at players at other clubs who have made a big difference to their team having a good season, like Jason Smith or Denis Moran in his London Broncos Days, or Gareth Ellis when Wakefield made the playoffs for the first time. Then when Hodgson gets it people asked what Huddersfield had won....

The idea of Man of Steel these days is is its an award voted for by the players for who they regarded as the player of the season so it reflects who has won the respect of their peers on the field. Hodgson got it because Huddersfield who had previously been a middling team, suddenly became a top 3 side and made a major final, Hodgson made a huge difference to them on the field.

ooohhhhh.... MOS is the 'player who has had the most impact' not 'player of the season'...... two totally different things apparently.

but youve answered your own question really....you say "in the Premier League" do they etc....no of course they dont its a premier league award

Like I didnt expect Roy hodgson to win the Premier League Manager of the Year but quite rightly he was award the League Managers award....

So when did Sky Hijack the Man of Steel award...?
which was won in days before Sky TV by players like Wires own Ken Kelly who won it in 1981 guiding us to runners up spot but also winning the JPS trophy and the Lancashire Cup along the way... so by your methods his two cup wins should be written off and not recognised....?

No, but the Man of Steel is for the LEAGUE. Why does what I say mean Ken Kelly shouldn't be recognised for winning two cups? Surely the MoS was for his performances in the league?

I didn't say sky hijacked it either, someone said Sky were ignoring any existance of the cup, but they have nothing to do with the cup at all.

No Keith Mumby from the League Champions Bradsford Northern won the First Division player of the Year....Which by its title would suggest THATS for the League.

The Man of Steel as already reeled out "the Most impact on a season"

Seriously though, does it matter? I can't see us having this debate if a Wigan player didn't win it. Richards has been birlliant all year and deserved his MOS award, IMO.

Yep - Richards for me, and I have to say Maguire deserves it too. He's got the team to finish top with a GF appearance with the same side as Nobby had.
Strangely Nobby could also have won it for his achievements at Crusaders.

Adrian Vowles won it when at Cas the first year of the play-off system. I remember Shane McNally winning Coach of the Year at Wakey & I think Kelly did for Widnes also. Generally the awards go to the right people & while I disagree that Richards was a man of steel this year, I can't argue with him winning the equivalent of player of the year. Nor can I argue with Maguire or Tomkins or indeed Wigan and their awards.

What is fantastic is that there were so many people who could have won those awards - at Wire, Smith, Morley, Monas, Westwood, Harrison all talked about justifiably as potential award winners; at Saints, Graham, Cunningham, Foster again all in with shouts; Nobby at Crusaders; Cudjoe at Giants; Peacock, McGuire, Clarkson at Leeds all among many others. It is fantastic for RL that there are so many players all performing on a weekly basis at a level where they are genuine contenders at the end of season awards ceremony...

good post that (except including Cudjoe) didnt Kelly actually win it for missing out on the play offs with newly promoted Widnes ?

how Bizzarre...

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