The Lance Todd Trophy is awarded to the annual Challenge Cup Final's man of the match. Introduced in 1946, the trophy was named in memory of Lance Todd, the New Zealand-born player and administrator, who was killed in a road accident during the Second World War. The trophy's winner is selected by the members of the Rugby League Writers' Association present at the game. The Lance Todd Trophy is presented at a celebratory dinner at The Willows, home of the Salford City Reds. The trophy belongs to the Red Devils Association, the official body representing ex-Salford players.
The first winner of the trophy was Wakefield Trinity Centre, Billy Stott in 1946. St Helens' Sean Long made history in 2006 becoming the first player to win the Lance Todd Trophy three times (he also won in 2001 and 2004). Four players share the accolade of winning the trophy twice: Warrington's Gerry Helme in 1950 and 1954; Wigan's Andy Gregory in 1988 and 1990; and Martin Offiah in 1992 and 1994; St. Helens' Paul Wellens in 2007 (jointly) and 2008.
The first player to win the trophy on the losing side was Frank Whitcombe of Bradford Northern in the 1948 final against Wigan. Robbie Paul, Gary Connolly and Kevin Sinfield have all won the award since 1996, despite each of them finishing on the losing side in their respective finals.
The youngest player to win the trophy was Huddersfield's Peter Ramsden who, on his 19th birthday, won it in 1953.
The trophy has been shared on only two occasions. In 1965 by Ray Ashby (Wigan) & Brian Gabbitas (Hunslet), and in 2007 by Paul Wellens (St. Helens) & Leon Pryce (St. Helens).
Year | Recipient | Winners | Runners-Up | Position |
---|---|---|---|---|
2012 | Brett Hodgson | Warrington | Leeds | Fullback |
2011 | Jeff Lima | Wigan | Leeds | Prop |
2010 | Lee Briers | Warrington | Leeds | Stand-off |
2009 | Michael Monaghan | Warrington | Huddersfield | Hooker |
2008 | Paul Wellens | St. Helens | Hull | Fullback |
2007 | Paul Wellens Leon Pryce |
St. Helens | Catalans | Fullback Stand-off |
2006 | Sean Long | St. Helens | Huddersfield | Scrum-half |
2005 | Kevin Sinfield † | Hull | Leeds | Loose forward |
2004 | Sean Long | St. Helens | Wigan | Stand-off |
2003 | Gary Connolly † | Bradford | Leeds | Fullback |
2002 | Kris Radlinski | Wigan | St. Helens | Fullback |
2001 | Sean Long | St. Helens | Bradford | Stand-off |
2000 | Henry Paul | Bradford | Leeds | Stand-off |
1999 | Leroy Rivett | Leeds | London | Fullback |
1998 | Mark Aston | Sheffield | Wigan | Scrum-half |
1997 | Tommy Martyn | St. Helens | Bradford | Stand-off |
1996 | Robbie Paul† | St. Helens | Bradford | Scrum-half |
1995 | Jason Robinson | Wigan | Leeds | Wing |
1994 | Martin Offiah | Wigan | Leeds | Wing |
1993 | Dean Bell | Wigan | Widnes | Loose forward |
1992 | Martin Offiah | Wigan | Castleford | Wing |
1991 | Dennis Betts | Wigan | St. Helens | Second-row |
1990 | Andy Gregory | Wigan | Warrington | Scrum-half |
1989 | Ellery Hanley | Wigan | St. Helens | Loose forward |
1988 | Andy Gregory | Wigan | Halifax | Scrum-half |
1987 | Graham Eadie | Halifax | St. Helens | Fullback |
1986 | Bob Beardmore | Castleford | Hull Kingston Rovers | Scrum-half |
1985 | Brett Kenny | Wigan | Hull | Stand-off |
1984 | Joe Lydon | Widnes | Wigan | Centre |
1983 | David Hobbs | Featherstone Rovers | Hull | Second-row |
1982 | Edward "Eddie" Cunningham † | Hull | Widnes | Centre |
1981 | Mick Burke | Widnes | Hull Kingston Rovers | Fullback |
1980 | Brian Lockwood | Hull Kingston Rovers | Hull | Prop |
1979 | David Topliss † | Widnes | Wakefield Trinity | Stand-off |
1978 | George Nicholls † | Leeds | St. Helens | Prop |
1977 | Stephen "Steve" Pitchford | Leeds | Widnes | Prop |
1976 | Geoff Pimblett | St. Helens | Widnes | Fullback |
1975 | Ray Dutton | Widnes | Warrington | Fullback |
1974 | Derek Whitehead | Warrington | Featherstone Rovers | Fullback |
1973 | Steve Nash | Featherstone Rovers | Bradford Northern | Scrum-half |
1972 | Kel Coslett | St. Helens | Leeds | Loose forward |
1971 | Alex Murphy | Leigh | Leeds | Scrum-half |
1970 | William "Bill" Kirkbride | Castleford | Wigan | Second-row |
1969 | Malcolm "Mal" Reilly | Castleford | Salford | Loose forward |
1968 | Don Fox † | Leeds | Wakefield Trinity | Prop |
1967 | Carl Dooler | Featherstone Rovers | Barrow | Scrum-half |
1966 | Len Killeen | St. Helens | Wigan | Wing |
1965 | Ray Ashby Brian Gabbitas † |
Wigan | Hunslet | Stand-off Wing |
1964 | Frank Collier | Widnes | Hull Kingston Rovers | Prop |
1963 | Harold Poynton | Wakefield Trinity | Wigan | Stand-off |
1962 | Neil Fox | Wakefield Trinity | Huddersfield | Centre |
1961 | Dick Huddart | St. Helens | Wigan | Second-row |
1960 | Tommy Harris † | Wakefield Trinity | Hull | Hooker |
1959 | Brian McTigue | Wigan | Hull | Second-row |
1958 | Rees Thomas | Wigan | Workington Town | Scrum-half |
1957 | Jeffrey "Jeff" Stevenson | Leeds | Barrow | Scrum-half |
1956 | Alan Prescott | St. Helens | Halifax | Prop |
1955 | John "Jack" Grundy | Barrow | Workington Town | Second-row |
1954 | Gerry Helme | Warrington | Halifax | Scrum-half |
1953 | Peter Ramsden | Huddersfield | St. Helens | Stand-off |
1952 | William "Billy" Ivison | Workington Town | Featherstone Rovers | Loose forward |
1951 | Cecil "Cec" Mountford | Wigan | Barrow | Stand-off |
1950 | Gerry Helme | Warrington | Widnes | Scrum-half |
1949 | Ernest Ward | Bradford Northern | Halifax | Centre |
1948 | Frank Whitcombe † | Wigan | Bradford Northern | Prop |
1947 | Willie Davies | Bradford Northern | Leeds | Stand-off |
1946 | William "Billy" Stott | Wakefield Trinity | Wigan | Centre |
† = Won Lance Todd Trophy Whilst On Losing Side
Famous quotes containing the words lance and/or todd:
“Well, if I were going to haunt anybody, this would certainly be the house Id do it in.”
—Robb White, and William Castle. Lance Schroeder (Richard Long)
“Beautiful, glorious Scotland, has spoilt me for every other country!”
—Mary Todd Lincoln (18181882)