Harry Sunderland Trophy

The Harry Sunderland Trophy was awarded annually to the man of the match in the Super League Grand Final and its predecessors, the Championship Final and the Premiership Final, between 1965 and 2023. Named after Harry Sunderland, who was an Australian rugby league football administrator in both Australia and the United Kingdom, the Trophy was first awarded in the Rugby Football League Championship Final of the 1964–65 season following Sunderland's death.^[1][2]

After the 1972–73 season the play-off system was dropped as the League went to two divisions. The Trophy's use was continued in the Rugby League Premiership and Super League Premiership finals until Super League III, when a play-off system was re-introduced to determine the Champions through the Grand Final.

The trophy's winner is determined by the Rugby League Writers' Association and presented on the field immediately following the conclusion of the match. In 2011, Rob Burrow of Leeds Rhinos became the first player to achieve the unanimous votes of all 37 judges when winning the award.^[3]

In February 2024 the Rugby Football League announced that the trophy will be replaced by the Rob Burrow Award.^[4] In announcing the new award, RFL vice-president Trevor Hunt said "I am certain that rugby league players and supporters will agree that the name of Rob Burrow is a fitting one to recognise, ... We believe that now is the right time to make a change that brings the award recognition into the new era, and Rob Burrow is the right man."^[5]

Recipients

Season	Awarded in	Recipient	Team
1964–65	Championship Final	Terry Fogerty	Halifax
1965–66		Albert Halsall	St. Helens
1966–67		Ray Owen	Wakefield
1967–68		Gary Cooper	Wakefield
1968–69		Bev Risman	Leeds
1969–70		Frank Myler	St. Helens
1970–71		Bill Ashurst†	Wigan
1971–72		Terry Clawson	Leeds
1972–73		Mike Stephenson	Dewsbury
1973–74	Premiership Final	Barry Philbin	Warrington
1974–75		Mel Mason	Leeds
1975–76		George Nicholls	St. Helens
1976–77		Geoff Pimblett	St. Helens
1977–78		Bob Haigh	Bradford Northern
1978–79		Kevin Dick	Leeds
1979–80		Mal Aspey	Widnes
1980–81		Len Casey	Hull KR
1981–82		Mick Burke	Widnes
1982–83		Tony Myler	Widnes
1983–84		John Dorahy	Hull KR
1984–85		Harry Pinner	St. Helens
1985–86		Les Boyd	Warrington
1986–87		Joe Lydon	Wigan
1987–88		David Hulme	Widnes
1988–89		Alan Tait	Widnes
1989–90		Alan Tait	Widnes
1990–91		Greg Mackey	Hull
1991–92		Andy Platt	Wigan
1992–93		Chris Joynt	St. Helens
1993–94		Sam Panapa	Wigan
1994–95		Kris Radlinski	Wigan
1996		Andrew Farrell	Wigan
1997		Andrew Farrell	Wigan
1998	Grand Final	Jason Robinson	Wigan
1999		Henry Paul†	Bradford
2000		Chris Joynt	St. Helens
2001		Michael Withers	Bradford
2002		Paul Deacon†	Bradford
2003		Stuart Reardon	Bradford
2004		Matt Diskin	Leeds
2005		Leon Pryce	Bradford
2006		Paul Wellens	St. Helens
2007		Rob Burrow	Leeds
2008		Lee Smith	Leeds
2009		Kevin Sinfield	Leeds
2010		Thomas Leuluai	Wigan
2011		Rob Burrow	Leeds
2012		Kevin Sinfield	Leeds
2013		Blake Green	Wigan
2014		James Roby	St. Helens
2015		Danny McGuire	Leeds
2016		Liam Farrell	Wigan
2017		Danny McGuire	Leeds
2018		Stefan Ratchford†	Warrington
2019		Luke Thompson	St. Helens
2020		James Roby	St. Helens
2021		Kevin Naiqama	St. Helens
2022		Jonny Lomax	St. Helens
2023		Jake Wardle	Wigan

† = denotes a player who won the trophy but played on the losing team in the final.

Winners by club

Club	Awards (winners)
Bradford Bulls	6 (6)
Dewsbury	1 (1)
Halifax	1 (1)
Hull F.C.	1 (1)
Hull Kingston Rovers	2 (2)
Leeds Rhinos	12 (9)
St Helens	13 (11)
Wakefield Trinity	2 (2)
Warrington Wolves	3 (3)
Widnes Vikings	6 (5)
Wigan Warriors	12 (11)

Seven players have been awarded trophy twice.

See also

• Clive Churchill Medal – corresponding award for the NRL Grand Final
• Karyn Murphy Medal – corresponding award for the NRLW Grand Final
• Lance Todd Trophy – corresponding award for Rugby Football League Challenge Cup final

References

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