Featherstone harvest awards ahead of Halifax battle

The West Yorkshire club, who face Halifax in the Grand Final at Warrington, provided the three main winners during the gala event in Manchester.

Daryl Powell earned the Championship coach of the year award having steered Rovers to the League Leaders Shield and their first Grand Final since losing the inaugural showpiece against Wakefield in 1998.

Featherstone half-back Liam Finn, who was the 2009 Championship One player of the year following an outstanding season for champions Dewsbury, backed that up by taking the same award at the higher level after his stellar first season for the revitalised club.

The Ireland World Cup star fought off competition from Post Office Road team-mates Stuart Dickens and Kyle Briggs, a clear sign of their strength during a season in which they have lost just two games.

Rovers, whose last notable success was the 1993 Divisional Premiership final against Workington Town at Old Trafford, also saw Zak Hardaker share the Championship young player of the year award with Gareth Moore, who played a key role in Batley Bulldogs' famous Northern Rail Cup final win over Widnes.

The Co-operative Championship One Player of the Year award went to Hunslet player-coach Paul March, who pipped his twin brother and Hawks team-mate David and Oldham's Paul O'Connor.

Sheffield Eagles claimed the Frontline Fair Play Index award, Keighley's Jonny Presley collected the Northern Star award for his outstanding efforts in working with the Cougars' Sporting Chance initiative while Widnes – despite that Northern Rail Cup disappointment – were named Club of the Year.

Featherstone centre Jesse Joe Parker, bound for Super League with Wakefield in 2011, has been selected in recently-appointed Papua New Guinea coach Stanley Genre's first international squad.

He joins Hunslet pair Michael Mark and Charlie Wabo for Sunday's Four Nations warm-up against an Australian Prime Minister's XIII in Port Moresby.

Highly-rated Bradford Bulls second-row Elliott Whitehead, 21, has signed a new, improved three-year deal at Odsal.

The academy product, who hails from local side West Bowling, has made marked progress this season, establishing himself as a regular in the Bulls' pack, and is widely expected to go on and push for England honours.

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