League Champions - Harry Sunderland Award

The Super League trophy and Harry Sunderland Award for man of the match rounded off a great week for 2006 Man of Steel Paul Wellens (pictured here with Saints captain Sean Long) Picture from BBCi

The Harry Sunderland Award was donated by the Rugby League Writers' Association and is presented to the Man of the Match at the Super League Grand Final. The winner, as with the Lance Todd Trophy for the Challenge Cup, is selected by the members of the Rugby League Writer’s Association present at the game.

The Trophy was first awarded at the 1965 Championship Final. With the move to Two Division football in 1973, the Trophy was then awarded at the Premiership Final, reverting to the Championship (Grand Final) when Super League reintroduced the concept in 1998. The award perpetuates the memory of a famous Australian Tour Manager, broadcaster and journalist - Queenslander Harry Sunderland - who had been one of the driving forces behind the introduction of the Lance Todd Trophy.