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A stellar year got even better for Steve Price last night when he was named National Rugby League captain of the year and prop of the year at the Dally M awards.
The Vodafone Warriors skipper was recognised at the NRL awards dinner for his best year in 14 seasons in first grade, including three with the Warriors in Auckland.
Statistics told the story for the 33-year-old, who was a standout choice for prop of the year.
He gained 4213m in the NRL regular season at an average of 200.6m per game, easily the best numbers in the competition.
He looks certain to break former Sharks forward Jason Stevens' NRL season record of 4380m, set in 2001.
Price's 469 hit-ups put him 59 clear of second-placed Brisbane prop Petero Civoniceva, his Queensland State of Origin front-row teammate.
Civoniceva and Kiwis captain Roy Asotasi were among the finalists for prop of the year.
Price's form and durability, as he remained largely injury-free throughout a season that included a bruising Origin series, inspired the Warriors to fourth place and their first playoff appearance since 2003.
He wasn't present at the awards, having remained in Auckland to prepare for Friday night's qualifying final against Parramatta at Mt Smart.
"It's a huge honour," Price told the NRL dinner via video link. "There are so many great leaders in our game and to be recognised as the better one this year, I can't believe it.
"I'm a bit of a stresser [as captain] but I stress mainly about the boys rather than myself, which has helped my game tremendously."
For captain of the year, Price headed off Melbourne's Cameron Smith, the Bulldogs' Andrew Ryan and Canberra's Alan Tongue.
Price was also a finalist for representative player of the year but the award went to his Queensland teammate and Australian test hooker Smith.
The Warriors were otherwise overlooked, with Ivan Cleary missing out on coach of the year and Wade McKinnon pipped by North Queensland's Matt Bowen for fullback of the year.
North Queensland's test halfback Johnathan Thurston won the night's top award, the Dally M Medal for player of the year, pipping Wests Tigers hooker Robbie Farah by just one point. Last year's winner, Cameron Smith, was third. The medal was voted on throughout the season by an expert panel, awarding points on a 3-2-1 basis in every match.
Other individual winners:-
Winger: Jarryd Hayne (Eels). Centre: Justin Hodges (Broncos). Five-eighth: Darren Lockyer (Broncos). Halfback: Johnathan Thurston (Cowboys). Lock: Dallas Johnson (Storm). Second-rower: Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles). Hooker: Robbie Farah (Wests Tigers). Coach: Craig Bellamy (Storm). Rookie: Israel Folau (Storm).
- NZPA
