News

Posted: Monday 4th January 2021

McShane & O’Neill win in League Express readers’ poll

In their annual readers’ poll, Paul McShane & Jacques O’Neill were voted League Express’ Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year.

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The 2020 Steve Prescott Man of Steel adds another accolade to his repertoire beating out five fantastic candidates in Bevan French (Wigan), Jonny Lomax (St Helens), Aidan Sezer (Huddersfield) and Sam Tomkins (Catalans).

McShane comfortably won with 47.2% of the total vote and becomes the third Tigers player to be named League Express Player of the Year, following Daryl Clark in 2014 and Luke Gale in 2017.

Speaking to League Express about the news Paul McShane said: “I was talking to my wife and I didn’t think fans held me in such regard. It’s nice and it’s pretty humbling, to be fair. It’s different on game day when they’re all giving you a load of stick, but that’s just our sport and that’s why it’s so good! There’s a lot of great players in Super League, so to be selected by the supporters is really special.”

Meanwhile, 21-year-old Jacques O’Neill has been voted as the League Express Young Player of the Year for 2020, seeing off strong competition in Harry Newman (Leeds), Harry Smith (Wigan), Danny Walker (Warrington) and Jack Welsby (St Helens).

O’Neill won the Young Player of the Year with 44.2% of the total vote in what caps off a breakthrough 12 months for the Tigers Academy graduate. During the 2020 season Jacques made 12 appearances and scored twice, but he also made his claim for a starting spot in Daryl Powell’s matchday side, with tough performances and no care for opposing players’ reputations.