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Leeds Rhinos duo Jack Connor and Ash Handley joint-top the latest Steve Prescott Man of Steel rankings, covering rounds 10 to 18 of the Betfred Super League season – after missing out on the previous shortlist entirely.
Team-mate Lachie Miller – who led the standings after the first nine rounds – was third and Wigan Warriors’ industrious hooker Brad O’Neill came in fourth, supporting their resurgence.
Leigh’s dynamic center Umila Hanley rounded out the top five.
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Leeds Rhinos’ Jake Connor and Hull KR’s Mikey Lewis look forward to the new season in this episode of The Bench with Jenna
The rankings are determined by a panel of five former Man of Steel winners – Ellery Hanley, Paul Sculthorpe, Sam Tomkins, James Robbie and Joe Lydon – who narrow down a shortlist of 10 to the top five at each stage of the season.
Four of the latest top five are new entries from previous rankings, with Miller the only player to retain his spot. Reigning Man of the Steel Jake Connor and Leeds teammate Ash Handley both return after missing out on the previous shortlist.
Ash Handley scored three tries as Leeds beat Bradford 50-16 recently
Former England captain Sam Tomkins says Leeds pair Ash Handley and Jack Connor “thoroughly deserve” to top the Man of Steel leaderboard, praising Handley for being in the best form of his career.
Tomkins said: “They’ve really put themselves forward to make Old Trafford and I think Jack and Ash have played a major role in that together.
“We’re seeing Jack at his best again. His kicking has been outstanding, his try assists and his impact – the way he runs down that side of the pitch – is clear for all to see.
“And Ash Handley is certainly in the best form of his career. There’s no doubt about that in my opinion.
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Mikey Lewis hat-trick inside 20 minutes to give Hull KR an early lead against Wigan in Super League
Mikey Lewis of Hull KR, 2024 winner Who just received a four-match ban for a headbuttAnd Olly Ashall-Bott of the Toulouse Olympics received votes but missed out on the top five.
Tyrone May, Daryl Clarke and Leeds winger Micah Civo, the competition’s leading try scorer, complete the ten-man shortlist. Jez Litten and Brodie Croft, second and fourth in the first edition, did not feature.
The panel reconvenes after Round 27 before final deliberations to decide the shortlist of three.
The winners will be announced at the Rugby League Awards Night in Manchester on Tuesday 29 September.
Super League 2026 – Upcoming Key Dates
- Rival Round Reverse: July 23-July 26
- Playoff Elimination: September 19-September 20
- Play-off semi-finals: September 26-September 27
- Grand Final: 3 October
Sky Sports Every game in the Super League this season will be shown live, with two matches in each round exclusively live. The remaining five matches will be broadcast Sky Sports+.
