The International Rugby League has announced the nominees for the Golden Boot with three forwards making up the four nominations.
New Zealand enforcers James Fisher-Harris and Joe Tapine have been nominated for the international player of the year honour along with Kangaroos prop Payne Haas and England halfback Harry Smith.
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If Fisher-Harris, Tapine or Haas claim the award it will be the first time a running forward has won the award since England’s Andy Farrell.
The shortlist was settled by an impressive panel that consisted of retired New Zealand internationals Adam Blair and Ruben Wiki, former English Test stars James Graham and Adrian Morley, as well as Kangaroos legend Darren Lockyer.
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Fisher-Harris, Tapine, Haas and Smith were selected from a 20-player list nominated by members of Australian, English, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea media following the Pacific Championships and England-Tonga Test series.
Meanwhile, Kiwi Ferns trio Georgia Hale, Mele Hufanga and Apii Nicholls as well as Jillaroos fullback Tamika Upton — reigning NRLW Dally M medallist — have been nominated for the women’s Golden Boot.
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The winner of the award will be decided by Jillaroos icon Karyn Murphy, New Zealand dual-code star Honey Hireme-smiler and former England prop Danika Priim.
Elsewhere, Jeremy Bourson and Lewis King, who represented France and England respectively, have been nominated for the wheelchair Golden Boot.
The Golden Boot is awarded to the best player from international games played each year. New Zealand stars Joey Manu and Raecene McGregor won last year’s men’s and women’s awards, while England’s Sebastien Bechara won it for wheelchair rugby league.
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“The IRL Golden Boot is one of the game’s most prestigious awards and any of the nominated players would be a worthy winner,” International Rugby League chair Troy Grant said.
“In recent weeks we have seen all three of last year’s World Cup winners — the Kangaroos, Jillaroos and England Wheelchair team — beaten, and this shows how closely contested the international game is.
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“That is reflected in the nominations for the 2023 Golden Boot and there is no clear-cut candidate for any of the awards.
“On behalf of the IRL, I would like to thank the panels of former greats of our game, and those who have made a significant contribution to the development of Wheelchair Rugby League, for their involvement in helping to choose the 2023 international player of the year.”
The 2023 winners will be announced in early December.
