Clubs put in names for MVP honours

THE shortlist for the Gold Coast District Rugby Union’s Most Valuable Player award, the Bob Sinclair, has been released.

Eight coaches have nominated their team’s star player for the consideration of the Gold Coast Referees Association, which will select the winner at a function ahead of the grand final.

The players nominated were: Harrison Cumming (Colleges), Rodney Pita (PBC), Scott Sutherland (Nerang), Whitney Ueta-Siteina (Helensvale), Joel Lonsdale (Surfers), Piki Rogers (Coomera), Angus Blake (Eagles) and Xavier Pereka (Bond).

Griffith University Colleges Knights skipper Jaye Paton won the inaugural award in 2019.

He said receiving an award named for the former Gold Coast rugby chairman and founder of the Surfers Paradise rugby club was a special honour.

“Getting those awards is always great,” the former Bond Uni premier grade player said.

“To win them you have a really good team beside you and I’ve been lucky for the past three years to have had good footballers beside me who allowed me to play the game how I wanted to play.”

The undefeated Knights are in rare form and Paton said any one of 10 players could have scored the club nomination. That didn’t detract from the pride he felt for his flank-mate Cumming (above).

“Harro will be stoked,” Paton said. “He’s a solid, nofrills footballer who runs and tackles hard. I’m sure teams don’t want to play against him.

“But we’re not getting too wrapped up in individual awards. We’re about the big one at the end of the year.”