Mikey Lewis Man of Steel nomination is timely ahead of Hull KR's semi-final

Picture by Olly Hassell/SWpix.com - Hull KR's Mikey Lewis
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


Hull Kingston Rovers' Mikey Lewis is on the three-man Man of Steel short list - along with Warrington Wolves' Matt Dufty and Salford Red Devils' Marc Sneyd - and many regular Rovers watchers will agree that it is "100 per cent deserved".

The phrase "100 per cent deserved" was what Rovers head coach Willie Peters used, when he was asked in his press conference how deserved it is that Lewis is now being talked about as a Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association Player of the Year and also a Man of Steel contender. The three-man short list for the 2024 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel is drawn up after votes throughout the season from the same panel of former players who selected this year's Super League Dream Team, which included Lewis and Rovers captain Elliot Minchella.

Peters has been seeing encouraging signs in Lewis in training ahead of their home play-off semi-final against Warrington Wolves and knows what a mouth-watering prospect it is to see the Hull-born half-back and opponent George Williams on the same field in the big game on Friday night. Being short-listed for this Man of Steel prize should only lift Lewis' mood - and Peters is confident that his player can handle the attention.

READ MORE:George Williams reacts to Mikey Lewis Man of Steel recognition as pair prepare for semi-final

READ MORE:Sam Tomkins questions Hull KR's ability to overcome 'huge blow' in semi-final showdown

"In rugby league, you get what you deserve," Peters said. "Mikey has put a lot into his game in the past two seasons, what he does off the field and his maturity levels. He is up there with the try assists and has also scored 19 tries as a half.

"What I am loving about him is his defence and his last plays. His last plays, especially his long kicking game, has won us games this year. It was an area we needed to work on, as we lost a player earlier in the year who had an exceptional kicking game, and Mikey had to work on that and he has.

"For me, he is such an important part of what we do, not because of his individual brilliance but because of his last plays and his management around that."

The Man of Steel will be crowned at Rugby League’s Awards Night on Tuesday at the Royal Armouries in Leeds, when the winner of Woman of Steel and Wheels of Steel will also be announced. Lewis could become the second Hull KR player to be named Man of Steel in the award’s 47-year history, after Gavin Miller – the Australian loose forward who was the first overseas winner in 1986.

Asked about Lewis coping with the new focus on him, Peters replied: "It's all part of where he is at in his career. If you don't cope with that sort of stuff, you'll just stay at the same level. What makes the best players the best players is that they can cope with pressure, they can cope with individual awards that they win, they can cope with external people and people telling them how good they are.

"But they need to be honest as well. They need to internally always be honest and go, have I given my best for that session, have I recovered as best as I can, have I done everything I can to prepare for this week? If Mikey ticks all those boxes like he has, then we'll get the same Mikey Lewis. If he doesn't and you listen to outside people and stuff like that and don't do your work then that's when I've seen it over many years that people can get ahead of themselves and I haven't seen anything of Mikey to suggest that.

"I've just seen a player that's getting ready to go on Friday night, loves playing in front of KR fans, whether they are at home or away, passionate about his club, passionate for his team-mates, and if he shows that on Friday night that's all he can do and all I ask."

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