BEST DEFENSIVEFront rowers wouldn't usually win an award of this kind but skipper Kurt Simmonds so often made crunching tackles in close-quarter play that he's our top pick and, what's more, a couple of hookers in Richard Puddy and Jamie Hunt would be his closest rivals. Loosies Van Vliet and Goodger and midfielders Titapu Pairama-Lewington and McGilvary are worth a mention too.
BEST INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCEThe all-round excellence of flanker James Goodger in the last of the preliminary round matches against Horowhenua-Kapiti was something special. He was an absolute ball of energy in general and broken play.
GOING PLACESFlankers Johan van Vliet and James Goodger are a couple of young forwards who will surely make their mark at a higher level of the game, both building on the outstanding promise they displayed in 2011. LEADERSHIP The best captains lead by example and Kurt Simmonds did exactly that. He scrummaged strongly, was assertive in the mauls and rucks and still found time to make countless tackles. Throw in some rampaging bursts in broken play and he was virtually the complete package.
OFF THE BENCHPlayers coming off the reserve bench seldom failed to make a positive impact but we believe Jamie Hunt was the most effective of all of them. He literally threw himself into the fray game after game and was never slow in urging his team-mates to follow suit. If there was an award for sheer enthusiasm he would probably have won that too.
And now the drum roll ...
SUPREME CHAMPIONIt was a close call between all the category winners but taking his place at the head of the red carpet is Kurt Simmonds, captain extraordinaire.