By Peter Jessup
"Doctor" Death sparked life into the Auckland Warriors this season and last night the club honoured his work on and off the field by naming him Player of the Year.
Jason Death, who turned 28 yesterday, arrived in the off-season through the acquaintance he had had with coach Mark
Graham, the pair both coming to Auckland from the North Queensland Cowboys.
They had lived in the same block of flats in Townsville. Graham had been impressed by Death's work ethic, work-rate and ability and asked the Cowboys if he could be released, given that coach Tim Sheens was not using him.
It was a masterstroke, Death immediately making a big impression in tidying up defence around the ruck as well as making good metres out of there with the ball. He was quickly re-signed for a further two seasons.
The award comes despite his missing several games mid-season after his jaw was broken in a high shot from Melbourne's Rodney Howe the night Howe returned from a 22-match ban for using steroids.
The Warriors' Forward of the Year is Logan Swann, who has improved his workload and returns, scoring several tries late in the season.
The back award had to go to Stacey Jones, whose 12 tries are the season's best going into the last game, against Wests. That pair and wing Odell Manuel are the only three players to start all 23 games so far.
Manuel, aged 21, takes the Rookie of the Year award for solid and steadily improving performances. Front-rower Terry Hermansson is Clubman of the Year, a hard-earned and deserved reward for the pain he goes through to get his wonky knees moving each week.
