Sport rugby league journalist Matt Newsum
One thing that cannot be argued about the three nominees for Man of Steel is that they have each made a big impression on the 2026 Super League season.
Adam Keighran for instance nailed the centre position for Wigan with ample assists, important tries and a reputation for ferocious defence en-route to the League Leaders Shield and Challenge Cup.
Not only that but he has filled in the halves too, offering versatility and a consistency that saw him unlucky to miss out on the Dream Team.
His club team-mate Brad O’Neill finished last year with Grand Final heartache, a sin-binning in said final and also missed out on the England squad for the Ashes series with Australia.
The powerful hooker has responded in 2026 with an immense campaign, marrying his usual teak-tough defence and sharp distribution with a running threat, a growing maturity and an influential presence. Plus, you would certainly say O’Neill performs in a manner befitting the term Man of Steel.
Lachie Miller’s impact on Leeds’ push for silverware was equally tangible, contributing 18 assists, running for almost 3,800 metres and an astonishing 166 tackle-busts as defenders struggled to get hold of his eel-like electric running.
Miller’s campaign might be over, courtesy of a hamstring injury but his fingerprints were all over Leeds’ most prolific attack and his absence has shorn Leeds of a major part of their threat for the play-offs.
Should Wigan’s Bevan French or Leeds’ Jake Connor have been in the conversation? You can certainly make a case for that, but all three of the nominees would be a worthy winner given their individual contribution and focal point within their team.