Hooker Danny Houghton is Hull's first Man of Steel

DANNY HOUGHTON last night became the first Hull FC player to lift the prestigious Steve Prescott Man of Steel award as the Black and Whites celebrated a notable triple success.
Hull FCs Man of Steel seen in action during the Challenge Cup final win over Warrington Wolves (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe).Hull FCs Man of Steel seen in action during the Challenge Cup final win over Warrington Wolves (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe).
Hull FCs Man of Steel seen in action during the Challenge Cup final win over Warrington Wolves (Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe).

Lee Radford was also named Super League Coach of the Year after guiding his side to Challenge Cup final glory and seeing them lead the top division for most of 2016.

Furthermore, Hull won Club of the Year as recognition of the way they have progressed so much this term and, at last, showcased themselves as genuine title contenders after so many false dawns.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

They came within 80 minutes of claiming the League Leaders’ Shield, only missing out due to a final night defeat to Warrington Wolves, who in the process secured first place.

Hull finished third, still their highest finish in 10 years, but fell in Friday’s semi-final defeat at Wigan Warriors, when they were denied a first trip to Old Trafford since 2006. They came top after the regular 23 rounds campaign, however, and last night’s awards will offer some consolation after those setbacks.

Wakefield Trinity Wildcats’ Tom Johnstone, meanwhile, won Super League Young Player of the Year following a series of scintillating displays from the winger who scored 20 tries in 25 games this season.

But it was industrious hooker Houghton who took the main plaudit, being rated the competition’s finest player by his peers and beating off challenges from his captain Gareth Ellis and Castleford Tigers’ prolific winger Denny Solomona during the awards dinner at Lancashire Cricket Ground in Manchester.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

For the first time, players’ votes were made public and it emerged the 28-year-old was a clear winner: Houghton amassed 113 of 288, almost twice as many as second-placed Ellis (59).

Not allowed to vote for team-mates, Houghton chose Warrington captain Chris Hill as his Man of Steel while Ellis opted for Warrington hooker Daryl Clark.

Houghton has long been one of Super League’s most consistent performers; indeed, yet again he was named the competition’s top tackler – the fourth time in six years – with his stunning total of 1,289.

But the Hull-born No 9’s all-round game has improved further, illustrated by the fact he beat the likes of Clark – the Man of Steel two years ago when at Castleford – and St Helens’ England star James Roby to be named in the Super League Dream Team for the first time.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Radford believes Houghton – with his sniping and kicking ability out of dummy half plus legendary durability – has now to be considered for international duty, more so, if anything, for his sheer ceaseless competitive spirit.

He will forever be etched into Hull folklore following his brilliant tackle to deny Warrington’s Ben Currie a match-winning score in the 78th minute of that final at Wembley.

Remarkably, it was his 52nd such effort of a draining afternoon and one that, at last, saw his hometown team win at the national stadium.

Perhaps the most telling endorsement of Houghton, though, is that his peers voted so overwhelmingly for him ahead of Ellis, the veteran second-row seen by many as the favourite for last night’s award and held in such high esteem throughout the sport.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Houghton has missed just one game all season, making 34 appearances, normally completing the full 80 minutes, and scoring nine tries; he was one of six FC players in the Dream Team.

It remains to be seen whether new England coach Wayne Bennett will select him for the Four Nations.

Clearly, Grand Finalist Clark and the experienced Roby both have eyes on a spot in the 24-man squad.

But also there is the fact that Houghton’s former Hull team-mate Josh Hodgson has just enjoyed a brilliant second year in the NRL with Canberra Raiders following his six-figure transfer from Hull KR.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Nevertheless, it will become increasingly difficult for the FC man’s claims to be ignored.

Strangely, since its inception in 1977, when another hooker – Leeds’s David Ward – was the inaugural victor, no Hull player had been named Man of Steel until last night.

In fact, even rivals Hull KR have only had one recipient, Australian loose forward Gavin Miller back in 1986, while Hull have enjoyed plenty of glory in the Young Player of the Year – Richard Horne (2002), Shaun Briscoe (2004), Richard Whiting (2005) and Ben Crooks (2013) – but not, until now, in the main event.

Johnstone, meanwhile, got the nod ahead of Wigan forward Ryan Sutton and Widnes Vikings’ Matt Whitley for the Young Player award where players have to be under 21 years of age at the start of the season to be considered.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He became the first Wakefield player to win it in the award’s 20-year history.

Meanwhile, Solomona, whose 42 tries in 29 games for Castleford saw him break the late St John Ellis’s season club record and Super League’s too, has been named in the Samoa squad.