Wests Tigers NRL Touch Premiership player Luke Cain has been named the NRL Touch Premiership Player of the Year at tonight's 2019 Dally M Awards at the Horden Pavillion in Sydney.
Presented by Fox Sports’ Matt Shirvington, the 20-year-old Cain was a clear winner in the men's field for Wests Tigers while Hayley Maddock (Brisbane Broncos) narrowly edged out Ash Quinlan from Wests Tigers for the women's award.
As with the NRL’s Dally M Medal, these Player of the Year recipients were determined via the allocation of 3-2-1 points throughout the 2019 NRL Touch Premiership season, which ran from April 6 through to August 18.
Cain’s points tally was double that of the next player in line.
“As a 20-year-old rookie, Luke found himself at the Wests Tigers after being unable to crack into a very strong Newcastle Knights outfit, and in his debut game at Mt Smart Stadium he was Wests Tigers’ standout player,” said Touch Football Australia CEO Jamie O’Connor.
“He soon became the Premiership’s standout player as he lapped the field polling votes in every one of his matches.
"That’s extraordinary when you look at the calibre of players in that team.
“He’s a prodigious talent and a great story for all those up and coming players waiting for their NRL Touch Premiership opportunity.”
Cain has lightning footwork and a fabulous left-to-right long ball that saw him score or set up numerous tries for Wests Tigers. He also produced two pieces of individual brilliance in drop-offs (extra time) to secure Wests Tigers two vital wins.
2019 saw the second year of the NRL Touch Premiership, an elite touch football tournament where men’s and women’s teams representing eight NRL clubs played at major stadiums around Australia and New Zealand, with games broadcast on Fox League, Kayo Sports and NRL.com.
The Brisbane Broncos were the 2019 Women’s Premiers, while the North Queensland Cowboys were the Men’s Premiers. Wests Tigers finished round games in third position on the Men’s ladder and fourth on the Women’s ladder.
