Hardaker wins top prize and England selection

Hardaker, 20, beat off competition from Bradford Bulls tyro John Bateman and St Helens centre Josh Jones to lift the trophy on an evening when Wigan Warriors’ Sam Tomkins won Man of Steel and Bradford’s Mick Potter claimed coach of the year.

Hardaker, who hopes to add a second Grand Final winners’ ring to his collection when he faces Warrington Wolves at Old Trafford on Saturday, has certainly proved the competition’s most vibrant youngster in a season where he made the transition from centre to full-back with effortless ease.

He was playing for Featherstone Rovers in a Championship Grand Final just two years ago but made a brilliant start to Super League last season, scoring 12 tries in 15 games including one against St Helens in Manchester, and has only enhanced his burgeoning reputation this time around.

His progress and consistency will be rewarded further this morning when England head coach Steve McNamara promotes him from the England Knights party to his full 24-man squad for a high-altitude training camp in South Africa ahead of games against Wales and France.

Ever-present Hardaker, who has started all 36 games and amassed 21 tries, was switched to full-back by coach Brian McDermott in mid-summer when long-time custodian Brent Webb suffered injury.

Such was his impact there, where his broken-field running and attacking tendencies came to the fore, he retained his place when the experienced Kiwi returned fit and it seems likely Leeds will now abandon initial plans to sign a new full-back for 2013 following Webb’s move to Catalan.

Hardaker had featured at centre when his side defeated Australian premiers Manly to win the World Club Challenge at the start of the season and also made his Wembley debut when they lost to Warrington in the Challenge Cup final, something they hope to redress this weekend.

Tomkins, meanwhile, pipped England colleagues James Roby (St Helens) and Ben Westwood (Warrington) to the main title, ending speculation that the dazzling full-back might be shunned by his peers who make the vote.

He accepted his trophy from Tour de France champion and Olympic hero Bradley Wiggins, an ardent Wigan fan.

Potter, meanwhile, was a deserving winner of the coach award given the manner in which he dealt with such a season of true turmoil and disarray at Odsal.

The Australian – who has now left – was made redundant on July 2 after the club went into administration but returned two days later on no pay to steer the Bulls through the remainder of the campaign. They produced a series of excellent wins, playing some quality football, and were only denied a play-off place – for the first time in four years – by a six-point deduction.

Elsewhere, there was further notable achievements for Leeds in this Grand Final week with Danny McGuire receiving the Community Champion for the scrum-half’s tireless work in aid of charity MENCAP.

Just a few months after retiring as England captain, Rhinos prop Jamie Peacock earned the coveted Mike Gregory Spirit of Rugby League Award – won by Leeds president Harry Jepson 12 months ago – for his lifetime achievements in the game, a nod to the manner in which he has represented the sport in such a positive manner.

Peacock, 34, will break more records when he appears in his 10th Grand Final at the weekend.

His recent stellar form on the field has underpinned Leeds’s surge to a fifth finale in just six years.

However, he paid particular tribute to his club captain Kevin Sinfield yesterday.

Speaking before the Man of Steel awards ceremony in Manchester, Peacock aired his surprise that the Leeds legend has yet to win the most prestigious individual prize in the game.

“If we win on Saturday that will be six times Kev has lifted the Super League trophy,” he said.

“That is a huge thing to consider. There’s been a lot of talk about Man of Steel and for me he should have got it when he was nominated in 2004.

“But I think it is voted for at the wrong time of the year (the end of the regular season before play-offs start) and it should, instead, be cast this week.

“All the big, important games are towards the back end of year onwards.

“Kev’s a definite candidate and he’s fantastic to play alongside, the best captain Leeds have ever had.”

Sinfield’s utterly controlling display that helped knocked minor premiers Wigan out on Friday obviously springs to mind as the sort of performance Leeds fans – and players – have grown accustomed to.

Peacock added: “The embarrassing thing, as a player when you’re playing with Kev, is you just think he’s doing it again.

“It’s only when you take a step back you realise something is really good because he does it consistently all the time.

“You can get a bit blase about it and just say ‘well, it’s Kev.’

“But week in, week out, he nails those high-pressure kicks, puts up the bombs that are uncatchable, kicks those 40/20s, and then you realise just how special he is.”

Hull KR have continued their recruitment for next season by snapping up Omari Caro on a two-year deal from London Broncos.

The 21-year-old Hammersmith-born winger signed for the Broncos back in 2010 and scored four tries in 12 appearances last season. He has already earned international honours having represented Jamaica in the qualifying stages of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup.