Wigan Warriors duo in final three shortlist for Super League Man of Steel award
The final three-man shortlist for the 2026 Man of Steel award has been announced!
Wigan Warriors duo Brad O’Neill and Adam Keighran have been named alongside Leeds Rhinos star Lachie Miller in the final three-man shortlist for this year’s Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award.
All three players have enjoyed outstanding campaigns for their respective clubs and are now in the reckoning to claim the prestigious prize of being crowned Super League’s best player in 2026.
Hooker O’Neill has already claimed the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association (RLWBA) Player of the Year, having helped Wigan lift the Challenge Cup and League Leaders’ Shield. The Warriors are also within 80 minutes of reaching the Grand Final at Old Trafford.
The 24-year-old has become a cornerstone of Matt Peet’s forward pack in recent years, having started all 30 of his appearances so far this season.
O’Neill has already earned a place in the Super League Dream Team and is highly fancied to be part of Brian McDermott’s England squad for the World Cup this autumn.
The Leigh-born hooker has featured in two of the three selections made by Man of Steel panel members Ellery Hanley MBE, Paul Sculthorpe MBE, Joe Lydon, James Roby and Sam Tomkins.
The panel met after Round 9, Round 18 and Round 27 on the new show Man of Steel: The Panel, to consider the leading performers from each block of the season.
Leeds fullback Miller has been in the Man of Steel conversation since the opening weeks of the season, when he came out on top in the panel’s first vote after the opening nine rounds.
No player has made more tackle busts than Miller in Super League this term, with the Australian having 166 to his name. However, he suffered a season-ending hamstring injury and will miss out on Friday’s semi-final showdown with Warrington Wolves.
Meanwhile, Keighran has forced his way into the final three after a stellar finish to the regular campaign as he took top spot when the panellists assessed performances from Round 19 to Round 27.
The Australian has scored 20 tries and kicked 133 goals in 29 appearances across all competitions this year, and has built up an impressive right-edge partnership with England World Cup hopeful Zach Eckersley.
Panel members included everyone who had picked up top-five finishes to form the basis of their deliberations for their final three-man shortlist.
The 2026 Man of Steel winner will be announced at Rugby League’s Awards Night in Manchester on Tuesday, September 29.
A final Man of Steel: The Panel show detailing how they decided on the eventual winner will be aired on Wednesday, September 30.
The full list of contenders were Miller, Jake Connor, Ash Handley and Brodie Croft (all Leeds), O’Neill, Keighran, Bevan French and Jai Field (all Wigan), Jez Litten and Tyrone May (both Hull KR), Umyla Hanley (Leigh Leopards) and Daryl Clark (St Helens).