Hawke’s Bay Magpies’ Folau Fakatava chases second NPC medal

Hawke’s Bay Magpies halfback Folau Fakatava is in line to become only the second player to claim the NPC’s player of the year award for a second time, despite injuries which plagued the middle of his season this year.

Folau Fakatava has been a fixture of the Hawke's Bay Magpies for several seasons now. Photo / Photosport

He is one of three finalists for the Duane Monkley Medal named this week in community and provincial categories of the ASB Rugby Awards.

Super Rugby and national team categories finalists are yet to be named. The awards are presented on December 12.

Fakatava, almost 25 and currently preparing with the Dunedin-based Highlanders for a seventh season in Super Rugby, won the medal as the Bunnings Warehouse NPC Player of the Year in 2020.

This year he is up against Tasman wing and centre Timoci Tavatavanawi and Taranaki first five-eighths/fullback Josh Jacomb, who along with Fakatava made-up the top three when points were last published at the end of Round 6.

At that time Fakatava led the points, which are allocated by match officials on a 3-2-1 basis for each game. They are not displayed in the latter rounds, in the interests of maintaining suspense until the presentations.

Fakatava, one of a string of players to emerge in NPC and Super Rugby from the Hastings Boys’ High School first fifteens of 2016-2018, is the only Hawke’s Bay player among finalists for the individual awards.

Significantly, NPC champions Wellington and beaten finalists Bay of Plenty do not feature, although the Wellington Lions are finalists in the team of the year category.

Finalists announced to date cover the NPC, the women’s Farah Palmer Cup, and the men’s amateur rugby Heartland Championship.

The Monkley medal was first presented in 2006, the year the NPC developed its new professional upper level.

The only player to win twice is Robbie Fruean, playing for Canterbury in 2010 and 2012. He also played in 24 games for Hawke’s Bay in 2014-2016.