Absolute joke of decision (again) imo. Been rubbish for all of 6 games and everyone has jumped on the band wagon. Field has been quality all season.

Great year from Croft but Field has been incredible. Strange choice.

Up there with McShane getting it over French in 2020 and Rangi getting it over peak Sam Tomkins in 2011

Yep, bit of a Trent Barrett moment this for me.

Big fish in a small pond trophy.

Ultimately Bevan stopped Field getting MoS this year - the way the point system goes he would have taken majority of Wigan's points in the back half of the season - despite Field doing a great job turning into supplier rather than scorer.

Shame for Field as I think he's been the standout star from the start of SL - the RL writers award shows the real gap I think without the limitations of the scoring system for MoS.

I like Croft he's had a great season and was my close 2nd to Field. Hope he stays on for Salford (or Wigan sign him

I think the way to look at this is would Croft have won it at Wigan with Field and French taking points off him and the answer is "very unlikely". Unfortunately shows the award up for what it is.

We've had the outstanding player ALL season, who helped his team to Challenge Cup victory and second place in the league beaten by a player who's team finished sixth.

I like Croft and he's had a great season but most influential player in the league? Come on!

Spot on. It would never happen in Footy, who seem to (normally) get these decisions spot on. Salah or KDB win the award as they've played exceptionally well in exceptional sides. You don't get x player from a mid-level side (that's what Salford have been all year) winning it.

We also nilled his team en route to the Challenge Cup victory. Croft is an excellent player and I've enjoyed watching him play but how can a team who finished sixth, was poor for half the season and didn't win anything contain the MOS? It doesn't make sense.

I wonder if he will be as revered next year without the outside knowledge of Briers or will the insular knowledge of the assistant coaches be as good as Lee's?

The best player in the league doesn't HAVE to play for the best team in the league.

Croft has had a great season and arguably carried Salford to where they are on his own. I've no arguments with him winning it, given how it's decided.

I couldn’t help be pleased for Croft when I saw his reaction to winning it. It sounded like he’s pretty much been harassed in Australia for his performances and it felt like he’d been pretty low before coming here. He was emotional and unlike the last Salford winner, I’m convinced he’s a genuine guy. He’s been superb for the majority of the season and had he been available to Salford last Saturday, I think we may have been looking at a different Grand Final. As Egg Chasing says he wins it in the current set up, so he deserves it. The way the award is decided is wrong IMO but I’ve thought that since they changed it and it isn’t a reaction to Croft winning it.

Still staggers me that should Saints win tomorrow then Woolf will have never lost a play off game in 3 years, 3 GF's, 1x CC trophy and 1x LLS thrown in for good measure and he still won't have won Coach of the Year.

Work that one out.

You're the best team in the league. Winning playoff games isn't a surprise. If anything by only winning 1 LLS and 1 CC he has failed because you were favourites for every single one.

Again - the best coach isn't necessarily the one that wins the big prize. It can be the one that exceeds expectation.

It's usually given to the coach of the most improved side (rightly or wrongly).

Exactly.