The Barrow club and Whitehaven’s Lachlan Walmsley were the winners for Cumbria at the Betfred Championship and League One awards night.
But official nominees from Workington Town and Whitehaven for coaching and playing awards were not successful.
York City Knights and Barrow Raiders were recognised as Clubs of the Year for Betfred Championship and League 1 respectively – in each case for their off-field dynamism which has led to increased attendances.
They have had especially successful seasons for their Women’s teams, with York also reaching Wembley in the 1895 Cup and Barrow securing the League Leaders’ Shield and with it automatic promotion to the Championship in 2022.
Walmsley, 23, Whitehaven’s livewire outside back who has made such an impact in Cumbria since arriving from Australia – and hopes to make his Scotland debut against Jamaica this autumn thanks to a family qualification – was voted Entertainer of the Year by Our League members in a poll which attracted more than 2,000 votes.
The Australian star won’t be at Whitehaven next season – it has just been announced – but leaves with this title Mr Entertainer as a permanent reminder of his first season in British rugby league. Some of his acrobatic finishes in scoring tries for Haven have been well captured by photographer Ben Challis for Cumbria Crack.
Whitehaven’s Gary Charlton and Workington’s Chris Thorman had been put forward as finalists in the respective Coach of the Year sections, but missed out.
Batley Bulldogs received a boost ahead of their Betfred Championship Semi Final at Toulouse Olympique on Saturday as Craig Lingard was named Coach of the Year.
Lingard was already a club legend when he took over as coach ahead of the 2020 season, as Batley’s record try-scorer in a 10-year career.
After the frustration of 2020, he has steered the unfancied Bulldogs to fourth in the Betfred Championship table, and then enjoyed a memorable victory over his former mentor John Kear last weekend as Batley beat Bradford Bulls to move to within 80 minutes of the Million Pound Game which determines promotion to the Betfred Super League.
A highly encouraging season for the North Wales Crusaders following their move to Colwyn Bay was recognised with two of the three awards voted for by the Betfred League 1 coaches.
Rob Massam, their powerful wing, was voted Player of the Year, and Anthony Murray was named Coach of the Year. Town’s captain Jamie Doran was a contender for Player of the Year.
Phoenix Laulu-Togaga’e, the teenage Keighley Cougars full-back who has relished the unusual experience of playing alongside his father Quentin this season – and has earned a move to the Betfred Super League in 2022 with Hull Kingston Rovers – was named Young Player of the Year.
Town’s Brad Holroyd, who is on his way to Widnes next season, was a contender for Young Player in League One.
Craig Hall, of Featherstone Rovers, was recognised as the Betfred Championship Player of the Year for 2021.
Tyler Dupree, a tearaway forward who has been outstanding for Oldham in 2021 and was unveiled as a new signing by Widnes Vikings earlier this week, won the Betfred Championship Young Player of the Year Award.
