The “unbelievable” Tom Trbojevic will win this year’s Players’ Champion award but “genetic freak” Payne Haas poses a massive challenge, former Sharks captain Paul Gallen says.
There are five contenders for the 2021 Rugby League Players Association’s Players’ Champion gong, with Trbojevic, Haas, Nathan Cleary, Cody Walker and James Tedesco announced as those in contention.
Warriors prodigy Reece Walsh was announced as the RLPA’s Rookie of the Year today, while the winner of the Players’ Champion award will be revealed on grand final day.
Trbojevic has scored 27 tries and set up 28 four-pointers from the 17 games he’s played this season, spearheading Manly to a preliminary final berth and taking on red-hot Players’ Champion award favouritism.
But Gallen thinks Haas will go close to beating Trbojevic, following another season in which the rampaging front-rower was one of few Brisbane stand-outs.
“He’s the Broncos’ best player week in, week out, so he’ll probably go very close (to beating Trbojevic),” Gallen told Wide World of Sports.
“He’s an absolute genetic freak. I’ve got to say, in my time in rugby league, I’ve never seen a guy have so many physical attributes … He’s big, he’s strong, he’s fast, he’s powerful, he’s got footwork. He’s got everything you want as a rugby league player. That’s the next part of his game: working on his ball skills, working on his offloads, working on his passing. If he can bring a little bit of that into his game it’ll make him even more dangerous.
“But he is the best front-rower in the competition, without a doubt, and just (has) so many strings to his bow.
“If he can just add a bit more of a pass, a bit more of an offload, he’ll be outstanding.
“He’ll go close to winning it.”
Haas averaged 15.6 runs and 168.1 metres per match this season, thriving as he took on greater responsibility following the departure of gun second-rower David Fifita to the Titans.
Cowboys legend Johnathan Thurston has backed Haas as a smoky for the Players’ Champion award, while Gallen, rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns and former Jillaroos star Allana Ferguson have all tipped Trbojevic to win.
“He just excels,” Gallen said.
“Payne Haas works his backside off, does that work in the middle, but Turbo does it all. He does those runs in the middle of the ruck, too. He has one-off hit-ups in the ruck, getting their sets started, he scores tries, sets up tries.
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“He’s been unbelievable all season.
“We talk about Jarryd Hayne and Ben Barba in years gone by, but I don’t think I’ve seen a bloke have a better season.”