MANCHESTER, England — Wolfpack fullback Gareth O'Brien beat out two Toronto teammates Tuesday to win Betfred Championship Player of the Year honours.
The 27-year-old O'Brien scored 22 tries and, helped by his kicking boot, accounted for a quarter of the Wolfpack's points in 2019.
Toronto hooker Andy Ackers and loose forward Jon Wilkin were finalists for the rugby league award.
Toronto dominated play during the second-tier Championship regular season, finishing atop the standings with a 26-1-0 record. It is set to host the Championship Grand Final on Oct. 5 with promotion to the top-tier Super League on the line.
James Ford of the York City Knights was named Championship Coach of the Year, just 12 months after winning the award in the third-tier League 1. He beat out Wolfpack coach Brian McDermott, whose team has won 22 straight games, and Mark Aston of the Sheffield Eagles.
York, which finished third in the Championship standings after winning promotion the year before from League 1, was named Championship Club of the Year while Keighley Cougars took League 1 honours.
Swinton Lions winger Matty Ashton was chosen Championship Young Player of the Year.
Whitehaven RLFC. which topped the League 1 regular-season standings with a 15-3-2 record, won a trio of awards.
Whitehaven's Dion Aiye was named League 1 Player of the Year, beating out teammate Marc Shackley, Oldham's Danny Langtree and Newcastle's Nick Newman.
Whitehaven's Gary Charlton was named top coach in League 1 while Whitehaven's teenage winger Andrew Bulman won League 1 Young Player of the Year honours.
Award Winners
Championship Player of the Year: Gareth O'Brien, Toronto Wolfpack
League 1 Player of the Year: Deon Aiye, Whitehaven RLFC
Championship Club of the Year: York City Knights
League 1 Club of the Year: Keighley Cougars
Championship Coach of the Year: James Ford, York City Knights
League 1 Coach of the Year: Gary Charlton, Whitehaven RLFC
Championship Young Player of the Year: Matty Ashton, Swinton Lions
League 1 Young Player of the Year: Andrew Bulman, Whitehaven RLFC
FSA Community Champion of the Year: Liz Hindley
Foundation of the Year: Newcastle Thunder
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 24, 2019.
The Canadian Press
