Keighran, O'Neill & Miller shortlisted for Man of Steel

Wigan Warriors pair Adam Keighran and Brad O'Neill as well as Leeds Rhinos full-back Lachie Miller have been named on the three-man shortlist for the 2026 Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel award.

Keighran makes the final shortlist despite not being named as part of the Super League Dream Team, whereas O'Neill and Miller were included.

Australian centre Keighran finished the regular season with 16 tries and 107 goals while O'Neill has already been named the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association (RLWBA) Player of the Year having helped Wigan to the Challenge Cup and League Leaders' Shield.

Miller has been a figurehead in an impressive Leeds side who took the fight for the League Leaders' Shield to the end of season, however he will be absent for the rest of the campaign having suffered a hamstring injury.

Wigan are well represented in the end-of-season awards shortlists, with Warriors trio Eva Hunter, Jenna Foubister and Megan Williams all nominated for the 2026 Woman of Steel award.

Meanwhile, Joe Coyd of London Roosters, Rob Hawkins of Halifax Panthers and Tristan Norfolk of Leeds Rhinos have all made the final shortlist for the 2026 Wheels of Steel award off the back of their performances in the Wheelchair Super League.

The winners of this year's awards will be announced at Rugby League's Awards Night in Manchester on Tuesday, 29 September.

BBC Sport rugby league journalist Matt Newsum

One thing that cannot be argued about the three nominees for Man of Steel is that they have each made a big impression on the 2026 Super League season.

Adam Keighran for instance nailed the centre position for Wigan with ample assists, important tries and a reputation for ferocious defence en-route to the League Leaders Shield and Challenge Cup.

Not only that but he has filled in the halves too, offering versatility and a consistency that saw him unlucky to miss out on the Dream Team.

His club team-mate Brad O'Neill finished last year with Grand Final heartache, a sin-binning in said final and also missed out on the England squad for the Ashes series with Australia.

The powerful hooker has responded in 2026 with an immense campaign, marrying his usual teak-tough defence and sharp distribution with a running threat, a growing maturity and an influential presence. Plus, you would certainly say O'Neill performs in a manner befitting the term Man of Steel.

Lachie Miller's impact on Leeds' push for silverware was equally tangible, contributing 18 assists, running for almost 3,800 metres and an astonishing 166 tackle-busts as defenders struggled to get hold of his eel-like electric running.

Miller's campaign might be over, courtesy of a hamstring injury but his fingerprints were all over Leeds' most prolific attack and his absence has shorn Leeds of a major part of their threat for the play-offs.

Should Wigan's Bevan French or Leeds' Jake Connor have been in the conversation? You can certainly make a case for that, but all three of the nominees would be a worthy winner given their individual contribution and focal point within their team.