Marc Sneyd said that he was stunned to win the 2016 Lance Todd Trophy as he would have chosen his team-mate Danny Houghton. The scrum-half was voted the final’s outstanding player after Hull FC overturned a 10-point deficit in the final quarter to secure a first victory at Wembley at the ninth attempt.
Houghton produced 52 tackles, including a decisive one with seconds left to deny Ben Currie and Warrington a certain victory.
“I was shocked when I heard it on the field,” said Sneyd. “I would have chosen Mint [Houghton]. I’m overwhelmed to get the recognition over guys like Mint.”
Sneyd was substituted during the first half of his previous appearance in the final, while playing for Castleford against Leeds in 2014, and he said the difference between the two experiences was immeasurable.
“I’m not the only one who has felt a loss here and the difference is out of this world,” he said. “I’ve just spent 45 minutes walking around and celebrating with the fans. Two years ago I was in the suites upstairs trying to down a bottle of wine as quickly as possible.”
Although Sneyd was quick to play down his own achievement, the Hull captain, Gareth Ellis, insisted the scrum-half was a deserving recipient of the award.
“Do not let this guy play his contribution down,” Ellis said. “His contributions were absolutely outstanding. His kicks at just the right time were vital, please don’t let him kid you or fool you into thinking he doesn’t deserve it. Some of the plays I saw him produce were just incredible.”
“It’s history-making,” said the Hull coach, Lee Radford. “There’s so many teams before us who haven’t achieved this and I feel privileged to be involved with this group that we’ve put together. They’re exceptional.”
The Warrington coach, Tony Smith, said: “It was a fantastic game to be a part of. This will go down as one of the better finals for many a year.”
