Steelform Wanganui's Bryn Hudson will be hoping to keep the three-peat tradition going after his nomination as Mitre 10 Heartland Player of the Year at the 2017 ASB Rugby Awards.
Wanganui players have won the award in the last two years to coincide with also winning the Meads Cup.
The 29-year-old loose forward Hudson was back to his dominant best this year after being beset with leg injuries in the last two seasons, playing all ten Mitre 10 Heartland Championship matches on his team's road back to another title.
After the fallout with New Zealand Heartland coach Barry Matthews, Wanganui lock Sam Madams was not in the reckoning, despite being named Wanganui's player of the season.
Nominated is Mid Canterbury's 1.94m tall forward Eric Duff, part of the side who beat Wanganui in the dying seconds in Ashburton and then went on to claim the Lochore Cup.