Had anyone at the Rugby Football League predicted in January how the first season of their new league structure would unfold, they would surely have been laughed out of office, but there has been drama, excitement and even history at every corner in 2015.
If you had said Wakefield would win three games against Super League opposition and still stay up, that Kevin Sinfield would finish his rugby league career a treble winner – I tipped Leeds to finish fifth at the start of the season – and that top spot would have been decided in the final second of the regular season, you would have attracted more than a few peculiar looks.
So, to fill the gap between the end of Super League and England’s Test series against New Zealand, here are the Guardian’s alternative 2015 gongs, following last week’s announcement of the official awards.
Player of the season
We can be as alternative as we like here but I’m not going to go completely off on a tangent for this first one. Zak Hardaker was the man of steel but it’s another man on that three-man shortlist who gets my vote. Leeds’ Adam Cuthbertson has been a breath of fresh air in Super League since arriving from the NRL, and has almost single-handedly reinvented the role of a ball-playing prop.
Coach of the year
Again, no disrespect to the official winner but the Leeds coach, Brian McDermott, is nudged into second place by his Castleford counterpart Daryl Powell. Again they were tipped to struggle but again they survived with ease, and looked more like top four candidates than relegation fodder. An England coach of the future?
Unluckiest player of the year
Super League has had plenty of injuries in 2015 but none has been as gut-wrenching as the one suffered by the St Helens full-back Jonny Lomax. The 25-year-old missed the Saints’ run to Grand Final glory last year with a serious knee injury, and he suffered a relapse in March this year which struck him off for 2015.
Coaching meltdown of the year
Thrusting the Bradford coach, James Lowes, in front of the television cameras shortly after losing the club’s biggest game in years was perhaps not the wisest idea. “If this is the future of rugby league I won’t be in it,” he said, after his side’s defeat to Wakefield in the Million Pound Game. “I just don’t think it’s the way forward for the game.” Lowes even caused unnecessary panic when he hinted the former Super League champions could go part-time – thankfully that is not the case and they will surely provide the biggest threat for promotion again in 2016.
Coup of the year
Wakefield’s mid-season appointment of Brian Smith as their head coach, a decision which ensured they stayed in Super League. He has been confirmed as coach for 2016, which is another impressive move from the club.
Match of the year
So many contenders – evidence in itself that the new system has been a hit. But in terms of sporting drama, nothing will top that balmy September night at Huddersfield when Leeds forced a helicopter carrying the League Leaders’ Shield to turn round after Ryan Hall’s late, late try ensured part two of a historic treble for the Rhinos.
Try of the year
Two clear contenders in terms of skill; Kevin Penny’s leap of faith against Leigh in the Challenge Cup, which seemed to defy the laws of physics, and Josh Griffin’s try after the Salford half-back Rangi Chase passed to himself and then hurled a ball to Griffin behind his back the other.
Flop of the year
Kevin Locke. Not content with disappointing at one club, he managed to fail spectacularly at Wakefield too after leaving Salford mid-season.
Frustration of the year
Huddersfield’s play-off form yet again. They looked title contenders as the play-offs approached after finishing third in the league but a drab performance in the semi-finals against Wigan saw their season end with a whimper.
Non-playing person of the year
Perhaps the most important award of the lot. Leeds’ Challenge Cup win in August may be remembered for Tom Briscoe’s five tries but before the kick-off Lizzie Jones showed incredible bravery to perform a magnificent version of Abide With Me in front of over 80,000 fans. Robbed of her husband Danny in May when he died after suffering a cardiac arrest during Keighley’s game at London Skolars, she lit up Wembley brighter than any player could have done. She is a true hero of our sport and my person of the year.
