The 2026 Man of Steel Panellists are Ellery Hanley MBE, Joe Lydon, Paul Sculthorpe MBE, James Roby, and Sam Tomkins.

Hanley, deemed one of the greatest players the sport has even seen, remains the only person to win Man of Steel on three separate occasions [1985, 1987 and 1989] while his former Wigan and Great Britain team-mate Lydon earned it in 1984 while playing for Widnes.

Lydon, who went on to hold a series of roles with England, Wales and Ireland’s rugby union set-ups post-playing, is a newcomer to the Man of Steel selection process.

Similarly, Roby, the hugely-decorated ex-St Helens and England hooker who won Man of Steel in 2007, joins for the first time as does ex-Wigan, Catalans and England ace Tomkins, who bagged the award in 2012 and 2021.

Both Hanley and former Great Britain captain Sculthorpe, a two-time Man of Steel winner (2001 / 2002), have extensive experience in judging.