St Helens players take centre stage in Super League’s Dream Team

St Helens dominate the Super League Dream Team for the second year running, with five of their top performers named in the 2019 side.

Saints had seven players picked last season and, having finished a record 16 points clear at the Super League summit, Lachlan Coote, Tommy Makinson, Kevin Naiqama, Luke Thompson and Morgan Knowles are included this year.

Players were selected by a panel from a shortlist created by the season-long points system that will be used to pick the 2019 Steve Prescott Man of Steel. Legends such as Jason Robinson, Ellery Hanley, Garry Schofield and Martin Offiah were brought on to the panel this year to attend games to score performances.

Salford Red Devils playmaker Jackson Hastings, the Man of Steel favourite, has been included, along with club-mate Josh Jones, Warrington duo Blake Austin and Daryl Clark and Castleford’s Liam Watts. Liam Farrell is the only Wigan player, while Konrad Hurrell and Ash Handley, of Leeds Rhinos, are also included.

“It’s a stellar line-up,” Robert Elstone, the Super League chief executive, said. “The Dream Team tells the story of the Super League season and this has perhaps been the best ever.

“We’ve seen the dominance of a brilliant St Helens, the emerging challenge of Salford Red Devils and a spread of talent from other clubs, which has underlined the competitiveness and unpredictability of the league. It has also got fans talking and arguing in a healthy debate.”

Hanley, the panel chairman, said: “Every one of the players is a credit to the Super League.”