Sinfield’s triumphs with Rhinos has him down for Star potential

The trouble is, can anyone pick a standout performer? Well, that’s your job over the next two weeks.

The Yorkshire Post has launched its 2012 Sports Star of the Year awards and we want you to get involved to decide who deserves the accolade.

Sift through the achievements of the men and women of the White Rose and there is a whole host of candidates and potential winners from a broad cross-section of sport.

A fantastic prize of a day working with our team of sports writers awaits if you correctly nominate the winner of the 2012 Yorkshire Post Sports Star of the Year.

Our champion will be the one who receives the most nominations from you, our readers. Each nomination counts as a vote.

The winner of the reader’s grand prize will be chosen at random from those who nominate the eventual winner.

The criterion is Yorkshire-born sportsmen and women, or people who play for Yorkshire clubs or live and train in the county, who have achieved significantly over the past 12 months.

The Yorkshire Post’s team of expert writers revealed on Saturday our top 50 contenders, but if you feel there is someone else worthy of your vote, then please nominate them.

The closing date is noon on Monday, December 17, and our Yorkshire Sports Star of the Year will be revealed following a week-long countdown on Saturday, December 22.

On Saturday we assessed the merits of our Olympians, Paralympians and some of our individual stars. Today we put up for your consideration the merits of members of successful teams and other champions of the individual sporting scene.

Kevin Sinfield was the overwhelming winner of the inaugural award last year for his deeds in guiding Leeds Rhinos to a fifth Super League. And Sinfield will be tough to beat again, after not only replicating the feat by taking Leeds from fifth in Super League to another Grand Final title, but he also succeeded Jamie Peacock as captain of England and helped steer Leeds to the world title at Headingley Carnegie in February.

For that achievement, does Rhinos head coach Brian McDermott deserve the award? Peacock is one of the finest rugby league players of his generation. The Grand Final he won in October with the Rhinos, was his 10th appearance in Super League’s showpiece game.

Zak Hardaker enjoyed great success after switching from centre to full-back for Leeds and finished as Super League’s Young Player of the Year.

Ryan Hall had another prolific season, the wideman being named the world’s best winger.

Kallum Watkins is a talented young centre who finally shrugged off injury woe to show his emerging brilliance.

Away from Leeds, Mark Aston guided Sheffield Eagles to a shock Championship Grand Final win from the unprecedented position of fourth.

In cricket, three Yorkshiremen are at varying degrees of their England careers.

Tim Bresnan has become a mainstay of the Test attack while Jonny Bairstow has been elevated to the Test-match squad and is progressing all the time.

Joe Root has been fast-tracked into the England set-up after a stellar year with the bat. Does he get your vote?

Or what about Gary Ballance, who carried his bat magnificently for Yorkshire as they won promotion to Division One and reached Twenty20 finals day. Does Andrew Gale deserve your vote for being the man who steered Yorkshire to both successes?

In football, three Yorkshire clubs celebrated promotions in May.

Simon Grayson carried Huddersfield Town over the line in a dramatic League One promotion play-off, while Jose Semedo is a fan-favourite and a mainstay of the Sheffield Wednesday team that won automatic promotion.

Gary Mills led York City to a unique double of FA Trophy success and promotion to the Football League via the Conference play-offs.

Does the Minstermen manager deserve the vote for ending York’s exile from the Football League or are there other footballers across the county that you think warrant a mention?

On the national scene, Micah Richards helped Manchester City win the Premier League and Sheffield-born Gary Cahill helped Chelsea defend their way to Champions League glory.

In horse racing, Graham Lee is a Grand National winning jockey who has ridden nearly 100 winners on the Flat since switching codes.

Mark Johnston is the Middleham trainer who has clocked up more than 200 winners this year, the most in Britain.

Also up for consideration could be Malcolm Jefferson, the Malton trainer whose Cape Tribulation and Attaglance recorded back-to-back wins at Cheltenham and Aintree. Harry Haynes recorded his first Cheltenham Festival victory and Richard Fahey landed his first Group One in Britain.

In other individual sports, do you want to doff your cap in the direction of Tom Sykes, Huddersfield’s star of the World Superbikes scene who came within a whisker, just half a point, of winning the world title this year?

Kell Brook is Yorkshire boxing’s leading professional. The Sheffield fighter, dubbed the ‘Special One’ won three times in 2012 to set up a world title shot next year.

And finally in golf, Sheffield’s Danny Willett enjoyed a breakthrough year on the European Tour with his maiden victory.

So there you have it, over the last two editions we have run the rule over a vast number of runners and riders. It’s now down to you to let us know who you think should be the Yorkshire Post Sports Star of the Year.