Mariu among Players' Champion finalists
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Five of Australia and New Zealand's best rugby league players have been shortlisted for the elite player of the year, to be announced at the RLPA awards on Tuesday evening.
The award has been judged on performances at the 2017 Rugby League World Cup and will be eligible to both Jillaroos and Kiwi Ferns representatives for the first time since 2016.
It should be noted performances from the NRL Holden State of Origin fixture and inaugural NRLW competition were not included for consideration.
The finalists include three current NRL Holden Women's Premiership captains – Simaima Taufa, Ali Brigginshaw and Laura Mariu – as well as Kiwi Ferns stars Honey Hireme and Teuila Fotu-Moala.
Sydney Roosters captain Taufa is the reigning representative and Dally M female player of the year and was an integral part of the Australian Jillaroos' success at the World Cup with a dominant display through the middle.
The 24-year-old averaged 139 metres across the tournament and played 80 minutes against the Kiwi Ferns in the final to produce 43 tackles in a rugged performance.
Australian teammate Brigginshaw is coming off a consistent display for the Brisbane Broncos in their inaugural NRLW game against St George Illawarra on the weekend, but her nomination stems back to a stellar World Cup campaign for the Jillaroos where she was named player of the final.
Brigginshaw set up two match-winning tries in the deciding game and produced 11 carries for 90 running metres. She played in all five games throughout the campaign to set up 10 try assists and nine line break assists, while her defence was on show with just six missed tackles across 300 minutes played.
Opposite Kiwi Ferns playmaker Laura Mariu created history at the tournament by becoming the first player to compete at five rugby league World Cups.
The 37-year-old announced her retirement from the game last November but has since pulled on the boots again to lead the Warriors in the NRLW competition.
Kiwi Ferns winger Honey Hireme was a try-scoring machine for the Kiwi Ferns at the World Cup with an incredible 13 tries in four appearances, including six against the Cook Islands in Sydney and a double in the final.
Her totals also included 19 line breaks, 157 average running metres and 34 tackle breaks.
New Zealand back-rower Fotu-Moala was judged the player of the tournament in the lead-up to the final last November after rampaging performances in the regular rounds and semi-finals.
She made an incredible 207 post-contact metres throughout the campaign, with four tries, five line-break assists and 30 tackle break.
Fotu-Moala earned the name Jukebox from Darren Lockyer over the years because "the hits just keep on coming" but was overall well contained by the Jillaroos in the final.
