Second rower Samuela Fainu has taken out the Kelly-Barnes Medal and Sarah Togatuki NRLW Player of the Year at the 2024 Wests Tigers awards.
Fainu had an outstanding first season with the club, cementing himself as the club’s left-edge second-rower, while Togatuki produced typically strong performances in the middle to claim her second consecutive Wests Tigers NRLW Player of the Year award.
In the Kelly-Barnes Medal voting, Samuela pipped rookie Lachlan Galvin by just one point, with skipper Api Koroisau rounding out the top three.
After initially beginning his Wests Tigers career on the interchange bench, Fainu went on to start at second row 18 times from his 23 appearances in 2024.
His dynamic running, ability to bust tackles and high work rate became features of his game as the season went on, and at just 20 years of age, he looks destined for further honours as his career progresses.
Togatuki was a standout in Wests Tigers’ second season in the NRLW, with her reputation as one of the strongest runners in the competition cemented further in 2024.
She averaged 122 running metres per game this year and made 238 tackles at a 95.2 percent efficiency rate.
Some strong late-season performances meant she ran down Brooke Talataina in the awards voting to secure her second-straight Wests Tigers NRLW Player of the Year title.
For the respective Wests Tigers Players’ Player awards, NRL captain Api Koroisau and impressive NRLW youngster Brooke Talataina came away with the honours.
Koroisau’s nine try assists for the season went hand-in-hand with his trademark darting runs, fearless defence and craftiness around the ruck.
Talataina’s transition into the forward pack proved extremely fruitful, as her reliability and effort-based play on the edge also led to her selection in the Kiwi Ferns squad for the upcoming Pacific Championships.
Wests Tigers NRL Rookie of the Year went to Lachlan Galvin, who had a debut season made in heaven.
On the weekend he starred for the national side when the Kangaroos met PNG in a Prime Ministers’ XIII side.
The Campbelltown junior emerged as one of the best young players in the competition, consistently troubling opposition teams with his tenacity, inch-perfect passing, and tackle-busting ability.
Wests Tigers NRLW Rookie of the Year went to Natasha Penitani, who seemed to improve with every appearance in the top grade.
Penitani played all nine games for the club in her first season and her powerful running made the interchange middle forward hard to handle when introduced into the contest.
