League: Captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and coach Stephen Kearney lead Warriors' Dally M NRL Awards charge

The Warriors may not be in the NRL grand final but captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and coach Stephen Kearney will lead the club's tilt for glory at the Dally M Awards in Sydney.

The pair will head a seven-strong team from the Auckland-based club nominated for 10 awards to be presented at a gala dinner at Circular Quay on Wednesday night.

Tuivasa-Sheck is among the favourites to take out the top gong as the Dally M Player of the Year and is also up for the Captain of the Year and Fullback of the Year.

Kearney is on the shortlist for Coach of the Year, wing David Fusitu'a is a lock-in for the Top Tryscorer of the Year and a contender for Winger of the Year, with Tohu Harris (Second-rower of the Year), Issac Luke (Hooker of the Year) and Jazz Tevaga (Interchange Player of the Year) also in line to win selection in the Team of the Year.

As well as the six men, Warriors dummy-half Krystal Rota has been nominated for the Dally M Medal for the women's player of the year.

Rota was a standout during the team's three-match campaign which ended following their loss to Brisbane last Friday night. She was the competition's top tackler with successive counts of 34, 35 and 38, a total of 107 tackles, 14 clear of the next best.

The large number of nominations rivals the club's strong presence at the 2002 awards, when Daniel Anderson (Coach of the Year) and Ali Lauiti'iti (Second-rower of the Year) came away as winners, and in 2007 when Steve Price was named both Captain and Prop of the Year.

Wives and partners will accompany the players to rugby league's night of nights, although Kearney will take his youngest daughter Isabella, with his better half, Piri, remaining at home in Brisbane.

"It's a reward for the year what we've had so that's always a positive for the footy club," said Kearney.

"Particularly guys like Roger and David, those guys had big years in their own right."

Tuivasa-Sheck is the bookie's favourite to take out the main award as the best and fairest player throughout the regular season, but faces strong competition from the likes of Rabbitoh's hooker Damien Cook, Knight's youngster Kalyn Ponga, and Cronulla fullback Valentine Holmes.

The 25-year-old enjoyed a superb season leading the Warriors to their first finals appearance in seven years before their campaign ended in defeat to Penrith in week one of the playoffs.

The inspirational fullback made 23 appearances throughout the year, scoring three tries, and making eight try assists, 112 tackle breaks, and 13 line breaks. He ranked second for kick return metres with 1,366 and was third for run metres with 4,109, averaging 178.4 metres per game.

The Kiwi international has previously won the 2013 Winger of the Year award and the 2015 Fullback of the Year during his stint at the Sydney Roosters.

Kearney has been nominated as the top coach in the NRL after defying critics who had tipped him to be among the first coaches to be sacked before the season started, with the Warriors also heavily backed to claim the wooden spoon.

"Obviously I'm flattered but the truth of it is I'm just trying to do my job," said Kearney.

"Everyone in the industry understands how challenging it is. They should split it into 16 and give it to every coach.

"You don't really get an opportunity to take that sort of stuff in. In all honesty, I'd like to be getting ready to play this weekend, that's what it's all about.

"When you talk about personal recognition, I won't say it's irrelevant but it's secondary."

Recognition for Fusitu'a comes after he finished the regular season with 22 four-pointers before adding another to his tally in the 27-12 qualifying final loss to the Panthers.

New recruit Harris, along with off-contract No 9, Luke, and Tevaga, all played key roles in helping the Warriors finish the year with a 15-9 win-loss record.

Dally M Player of the Year – recent winners

2017: Cameron Smith (Melbourne Storm)
2016: Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm), Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys)
2015: Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland Cowboys)
2014: Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels)
2013: Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm)
2012: Ben Barba (Canterbury Bulldogs)
2011: Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm)
2010: Todd Carney (Sydney Roosters)
2009: Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta Eels)
2008: Matt Orford (Manly Sea Eagles)