Reigning Woman of Steel Tara Jane Stanley and her 2021 predecessor Jodie Cunningham are among six contenders for the most prestigious individual honour in Women’s Rugby League.
They are the only two former winners on the shortlist, with the other four nominees including the former England captain Emily Rudge, her St Helens team-mate Shona Hoyle, the York Valkyrie captain Sinead Peach and the Leeds Rhinos hooker Keara Bennett, who is comfortably the youngest contender as she has yet to turn 21.
The 2023 Woman of Steel will be crowned at Rugby League’s biggest and most inclusive Awards Night at Emirates Old Trafford on Tuesday October 10 – two days after the Betfred Women’s Super League Grand Final.
Shortlists of three have also been announced today for the two other Women’s awards that will be announced that night – the Coach of the Year and the Young Player of the Year in the BWSL.
Marie Colley of Featherstone Rovers is the sole nominee from Group 2 of the BWSL across all three awards in recognition of her achievement in steering Rovers to the automatic promotion place, ensuring they will compete in the top tier next season.
She is joined on the shortlist by Lindsay Anfield, whose York Valkyrie team have gone unbeaten through the regular BWSL season to secure the League Leaders’ Shield for the second consecutive campaign – the third time Anfield has coached a team to finish top of the BWSL table, having done the same with Castleford Tigers in 2019.
The third contender is Matty Smith, a former men’s Grand Final and Challenge Cup winner as a player with Wigan, who succeeded Dec Hardman as the head coach of St Helens Women last winter and steered them to victory in the first Women’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley in August.
Criteria for the BWSL Young Player of the Year are slightly different to the men’s equivalent, as only players who were 19 and younger at the start of 2023 are considered, recognising the younger average age of players in the Women’s game.
The three contenders are Huddersfield’s prolific try-scoring wing Amelia Brown, the Leeds half-back Caitlin Casey, and the York Valkyrie centre Emma Kershaw.
The Woman of Steel voting panel consists of Women’s Rugby League experts and evangelists Tanya Arnold, Jenna Brooks, Lorraine Marsden and Danika Priim (also a former England international), joined by the England Women Head Coach Stuart Barrow, and BWSL General Manager Thomas Brindle.
The Coach of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards are determined by a separate panel of performance experts led by Stuart Barrow.
Woman of Steel
- Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos)
- Jodie Cunningham (St Helens)
- Shona Hoyle (St Helens)
- Sinead Peach (York Valkyrie)
- Emily Rudge (St Helens)
- Tara Jane Stanley (York Valkyrie)
BWSL Young Player of the Year
- Amelia Brown (Huddersfield Giants)
- Caitlin Casey (Leeds Rhinos)
- Emma Kershaw (York Valkyrie)
BWSL Coach of the Year
- Lindsay Anfield (York Valkyrie)
- Marie Colley (Featherstone Rovers)
- Matty Smith (St Helens)
