There was plenty of suspense and a cliffhanger for the top gong when Group Six Rugby League honoured its 2016 best and brightest.
The annual Player of the Year awards night was held on Friday night at Bargo Sports Club.
Clubs from all grades were in attendance for the function, which celebrated the achievements of all clubs across the five grades.
The Picton Magpies had a successful night, collecting a number of awards, including the Club Championship, point scoring title for five eighth Don Thompson and Coach of the Year, which was shared by co-coaches Gary Dowse and Bryce Poisel.
As is the custom, all Player of the Year awards are calculated on a 3-2-1 basis from the referees after each match, with the votes tallied and announced at the annual Presentation Night.
The Ladies League Tag award was won by Campbelltown City captain Mel Ireland, who is hoping to cap off a successful debut season in Group 6, with a premiership on Saturday afternoon at Campbelltown Stadium for the Kangaroos against Camden.
The Under 18 Player of the Year was awarded to Mittagong’s Pat Brown, who was recognised for his achievements with the Lions on the field in 2016.
The Second Division Player of the Year was a joint win, with Robertson’s Mat Rolles and Narellan’s Adam Scott sharing the honour as best afield in 2016.
The Reserve Grade Player of the Year was a win for Picton’s hard working utility player Ben Hierlehy. Hierlehy has played a number of positions, including in the forwards, where he spent much of the year.
The Gary Dowling Rising Star Award was given to Mittagong’s Nick Eccleston, who was recognised for his efforts in progressing through to first grade this year, and impressing the judges with his form on the field.
A progressive tally was given during the evening for the first grade Player of the Year award, with Camden’s Chris Browne, Shannon Crooke from Narellan, Picton’s Don Thompson, Jake Mullaney from Thirlmere and Mittagong’s Matthew Thorpe in contention for the top honour.
During the evening, the progressive count showed the top award was going to be a close run win, with only a handful of votes separating the five contenders throughout the season.
With one round remaining Thorpe held a slim lead, with any of the other four contenders capable of winning the award, or having a joint winner, which would have been the third in four years if it occurred.
The final tally saw Thorpe claim the win with 17 votes, one vote clear of the chasing pack, with the four contenders all level on 16 votes at the end of the season.
The 2016 Grand Finals will be played at Campbelltown Stadium this Saturday, with all award winners to receive their jackets in front of what is expected to be a healthy crowd for the five matches.
