The Lance Todd Trophy is a trophy in rugby league, awarded to man of the match in the annual Challenge Cup Final.[1]

Lance Todd Trophy
Awarded forChallenge Cup
Final man of the match
CountryUnited Kingdom
Presented byReds Devils Association
History
First award1945–46

Introduced in 1945–46, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War.[2] After Todd's death a fund, the Lance Todd memorial Trophy Fund, was established by Australian journalist and rugby league official Harry Sunderland.[3] The trophy's winner is selected by the members of the Rugby League Writers' Association present at the game. Until 1957 there was no permanent trophy, instead the winner was given a cash prize with which to buy themselves a memento.[3] In 1956 the Red Devils Association, the official body representing ex-Salford players, decided to pay for a permanent trophy to be awarded to the winner and the first recipient of the new trophy was Jeff Stevenson in 1957.[3] The trophy is presented at a celebratory dinner at the Salford Community Stadium, home of the Salford Red Devils. As of 2023, no Salford player has won this award.[1]

The first winner of the trophy was Wakefield Trinity Centre, Billy Stott in 1945–46.[1][4] St. Helens' Sean Long made history in 2006 becoming the first player to win the Lance Todd Trophy three times, having won in 2001 and 2004. Five players have won the trophy twice: Warrington's Gerry Helme in 1949–50 and 1953–54; Wigan's Andy Gregory in 1987–88 and 1989–90; and Martin Offiah in 1991–92 and 1993–94; St. Helens' Paul Wellens in 2007 (jointly) and 2008; Hull FC's Marc Sneyd in 2016 and 2017. Sneyd and Wellens are the only players to win the award in consecutive finals.

Halifax's former Australian international fullback Graham Eadie and Wigan's 1984-85 Australian import stand-off Brett Kenny are the only players to win both the Lance Todd Trophy and the Clive Churchill Medal as the player of the match in the Sydney Premiership Grand Final. Eadie won the Lance Todd in 1986–87 and was (retrospectively) twice awarded the Churchill after Manly-Warringah's premiership wins in 1976 and 1978 while 1984–85 trophy winner Kenny was retrospectively awarded the Churchill for Parramatta's Grand Final wins in 1982 and 1983.

The first player to win the trophy on the losing side was Frank Whitcombe of Bradford Northern in the 1947–48 final against Wigan; he was also the first forward to win the award. Robbie Paul, Gary Connolly, Kevin Sinfield, Niall Evalds and Chris McQueen have all won the award since 1996, despite each of them finishing on the losing side.

The youngest player to win the trophy was Huddersfield's Peter Ramsden who won it on his 19th birthday in 1952–53.[5]

The trophy has been shared on two occasions, first in 1964–65 by Ray Ashby (Wigan) and Brian Gabbitas (Hunslet), and most recently in 2007 by Paul Wellens (St Helens) and Leon Pryce (Catalans Dragons).

Winners

edit
Season Recipient Team Position
1945–46 Billy Stott   Wakefield Trinity Centre
1946–47 Willie Davies   Bradford Northern Stand-off
1947–48 Frank Whitcombe   Bradford Northern Prop
1948–49 Ernest Ward   Bradford Northern Centre
1949–50 Gerry Helme   Warrington Wolves Scrum-half
1950–51 Cec Mountford   Wigan Warriors Stand-off
1951–52 Billy Ivison   Workington Town Loose forward
1952–53 Peter Ramsden   Huddersfield Giants Stand-off
1953–54 Gerry Helme   Warrington Wolves Scrum-half
1954–55 Jack Grundy   Barrow Raiders Second-row
1955–56 Alan Prescott   St Helens Prop
1956–57 Jeff Stevenson   Leeds Rhinos Scrum-half
1957–58 Rees Thomas   Wigan Warriors Scrum-half
1958–59 Brian McTigue   Wigan Warriors Second-row
1959–60 Tommy Harris   Hull F.C. Hooker
1960–61 Dick Huddart   St Helens Second-row
1961–62 Neil Fox   Wakefield Trinity Centre
1962–63 Harold Poynton   Wakefield Trinity Stand-off
1963–64 Frank Collier   Widnes Vikings Prop
1964–65 Ray Ashby   Wigan Warriors Fullback
Brian Gabbitas   Hunslet Stand-off
1965–66 Len Killeen   St Helens Wing
1966–67 Carl Dooler   Featherstone Rovers Scrum-half
1967–68 Don Fox   Wakefield Trinity Prop
1968–69 Mal Reilly   Castleford Tigers Loose forward
1969–70 Bill Kirkbride   Castleford Tigers Second-row
1970–71 Alex Murphy   Leigh Centurions Scrum-half
1971–72 Kel Coslett   St Helens Loose forward
1972–73 Steve Nash   Featherstone Rovers Scrum-half
1973–74 Derek Whitehead   Warrington Wolves Fullback
1974–75 Ray Dutton   Widnes Vikings Fullback
1975–76 Geoff Pimblett   St Helens Fullback
1976–77 Steve Pitchford   Leeds Rhinos Prop
1977–78 George Nicholls   St Helens Prop
1978–79 David Topliss   Wakefield Trinity Stand-off
1979–80 Brian Lockwood   Hull Kingston Rovers Prop
1980–81 Mick Burke   Widnes Vikings Fullback
1981–82 Eddie Cunningham   Widnes Vikings Centre
1982–83 David Hobbs   Featherstone Rovers Second-row
1983–84 Joe Lydon   Widnes Vikings Centre
1984–85 Brett Kenny   Wigan Warriors Stand-off
1985–86 Bob Beardmore   Castleford Tigers Scrum-half
1986–87 Graham Eadie   Halifax Fullback
1987–88 Andy Gregory   Wigan Warriors Scrum-half
1988–89 Ellery Hanley   Wigan Warriors Loose forward
1989–90 Andy Gregory   Wigan Warriors Fullback
1990–91 Denis Betts   Wigan Warriors Second-row
1991–92 Martin Offiah   Wigan Warriors Wing
1992–93 Dean Bell   Wigan Warriors Loose forward
1993–94 Martin Offiah   Wigan Warriors Wing
1994–95 Jason Robinson   Wigan Warriors Wing
1996 Robbie Paul   Bradford Bulls Scrum-half
1997 Tommy Martyn   St Helens Stand-off
1998 Mark Aston   Sheffield Eagles Scrum-half
1999 Leroy Rivett   Leeds Rhinos Wing
2000 Henry Paul   Bradford Bulls Stand-off
2001 Sean Long   St Helens Stand-off
2002 Kris Radlinski   Wigan Warriors Fullback
2003 Gary Connolly   Leeds Rhinos Fullback
2004 Sean Long   St Helens Stand-off
2005 Kevin Sinfield   Leeds Rhinos Loose forward
2006 Sean Long   St Helens Scrum-half
2007 Paul Wellens   St Helens Fullback
Leon Pryce   St Helens Stand-off
2008 Paul Wellens   St Helens Fullback
2009 Michael Monaghan   Warrington Wolves Hooker
2010 Lee Briers   Warrington Wolves Stand-off
2011 Jeff Lima   Wigan Warriors Prop
2012 Brett Hodgson   Warrington Wolves Fullback
2013 Matty Smith   Wigan Warriors Scrum-half
2014 Ryan Hall   Leeds Rhinos Wing
2015 Tom Briscoe   Leeds Rhinos Wing
2016 Marc Sneyd   Hull F.C. Scrum-half
2017 Marc Sneyd   Hull F.C. Scrum-half
2018 Tony Gigot   Catalans Dragons Fullback
2019 Daryl Clark   Warrington Wolves Hooker
2020 Richie Myler   Leeds Rhinos Fullback
2021 Niall Evalds   Castleford Tigers Fullback
2022 Chris McQueen   Huddersfield Giants Second-row
2023 Lachlan Lam   Leigh Leopards Scrum-half
2024 Bevan French   Wigan Warriors Stand-off

† = Won Lance Todd Trophy whilst on losing team

Awards by club

edit
Club Number of winners
  Barrow Raiders 1
  Bradford Bulls 4
  Castleford Tigers 4
  Catalans Dragons 2[a]
  Featherstone Rovers 3
  Halifax 1
  Hunslet 1[b]
  Hull F.C. 3
  Hull Kingston Rovers 1
  Huddersfield Giants 4
  Leeds Rhinos 8
  Leigh Leopards 2
  Sheffield Eagles 1
  St Helens 12[a]
  Wakefield Trinity 4
  Warrington Wolves 7
  Widnes Vikings 5
  Wigan Warriors 18[b]
  Workington Town 1

Winners by playing position

edit
Position Number of winners
Centre 5
Fullback 15[a][b]
Hooker 3
Loose forward 6
Prop 8
Scrum-half 16
Second-row 7
Stand-off 14[a][b]
Wing 7

Notes

edit
  1. ^ a b c d includes joint award in 2007
  2. ^ a b c d includes joint award in 1965

See also

edit

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c RFL. "Lance Todd Trophy". Rugby Football League. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
  2. ^ "The History Of Rugby League". Rugby League Information. napit.co.uk. Retrieved 2 January 2014.
  3. ^ a b c Morris, Graham (Autumn 2019). "Lance Todd Trophy; the first decade of awards: 1946-1956". Rugby League Journal (68): 24.
  4. ^ BBC Sport (2008-08-26). "Lance Todd Trophy winners". BBC. Retrieved 2009-05-08.
  5. ^ news.bbc.co.uk (11 May 2004). "Cup final facts". BBC Sport. UK: BBC. Retrieved 6 March 2011.