Full Back - LACHLAN COOTE
Ben Barba is probably the most talented player I've ever seen in Super League, and I'm not sure the competition will ever see anything like what he produced in his 31 league games for St Helens. To arrive in England as his replacement was an unenviable task, but Lachlan Coote has not only proved a solid replacement for Barba, but has actually managed to make Saints a more balanced and well-rounded side than they were with Barba at full-back. Coote has shown incredible quality on the ball - his passing has been top-notch all season and has seen him register an unbelievable 22 assists, while also getting 14 tries of his own. Coote has also become more and more reliable with the boot, kicking five goals from five in the Grand Final to crown a tremendous debut season in Super League. The former North Queensland man's creative kicking game and game-management has been crucial to Saints in his first season on Merseyside, and as we have heard all year; he's the reason, they're top of the league this season... The biggest compliment I can possibly pay Coote is that Barba's name has hardly been mentioned by Saints fans this season.
Winger - TOMMY MAKINSON
A very simple choice here. Tommy Makinson has established himself as one of the best wingers in the world in my opinion and can also be talked about as among the best finishers in both league and union. 23 tries meant that the 27-year-old finished as Super League's top scorer, and among those 23 were some spectacular flying finishes - ones away at Wire and Hull spring to mind, but nothing will ever top his try at home to Leeds in June - simply breathtaking to get the ball down when so airborne. Makinson's pace, energy and willingness to bring the ball from his own line and make yardage has led to him making the most metres out of any player in Super League - 3803 to his name. He finished his splendid year with an unlikely drop-goal from 40 metres out in the Grand Final, a game in which he dislocated his shoulder in what will surely be a major concern for Great Britain as the Lions Tour approaches.
Centre - KEVIN NAIQAMA
I was critical of the Naiqama signing early on, I didn't think he would turn out to be a good acquisition for St Helens, but he has proved me badly wrong with a tremendous first season in Super League. Arriving from Wests Tigers, I wasn't sure what to expect, but he has brought superb energy and lightning pace to this Saints side and has proved to be one of the most dangerous players in the team, and quite comfortably the best centre in the league this season. Naiqama has registered a brilliant 18 tries in 27 Super League appearances and has proved a fans' favourite at the Totally Wicked Stadium for his barnstorming runs and ability to split a defence - he has made 85 tackle busts and 21 clean breaks this year. Saints' attacking right-edge has been at times unstoppable with Naiqama and Makinson charging through and linking up so well together having formed a real duo. Coote and Blake Austin will probably be the main contenders for this title, but Naiqama is certainly a contender for signing of the season.
Centre - OLIVER GILDART
I don't enjoy praising Wigan players, but I have no issue with stating how much I admire Oliver Gildart. An extremely dangerous attacking centre, he is always a threat to Wigan's opposition and has been in typically excellent form in 2019. Gildart hasn't missed a single Super League game this campaign and has been very productive, scoring 12 tries, time after time demonstrating his outstanding finishing ability. He also has an eye for a killer pass, laying on 11 try assists in 2019. What doesn't get mentioned enough is how thoroughly reliable Gildart is - he has only made 14 errors all season and rarely misses a tackle. At just 23 years of age, he has plenty of years ahead of him and will surely develop into one of the world's best centres. Another one who should be starting for Great Britain on the tour.
Winger - RATU NAULAGO
Quite a tough pick, this one. While Ash Handley, Ken Sio, Josh Charnley, Liam Marshall and Regan Grace were all more prolific scorers than Ratu Naulago, the Hull FC man brought something completely different to Super League. His searing pace and frankly ridiculous acceleration saw him bag 13 tries in his first ever season as a professional, including some absolute belters. His try away at Catalans will live long in the memory of FC fans - collecting the ball in the in-goal area and racing away at breakneck speed to the other end of the pitch to score a mesmerising try. Being so new to professional rugby league, he is raw and has an error in him, but purely from an entertainment perspective, he is stunning to watch.
Stand Off - JONNY LOMAX
This year has seen Boris Johnson assume the role of Prime Minister without any electoral mandate yet Jonny Lomax missing out on Super League's Dream Team and a Man of Steel nomination is by far and away the greatest social injustice of 2019. Lomax celebrates ten years as a Saint this year and has been in quite magnificent form for the newly-crowned champions all season, scoring 27 tries and registering 22 assists with his world-class passing game and ability with the boot too. Arguably the best player in the league, Lomax has been absolutely devastating for Saints this season and has saved his best for the big games - a glorious try and assist in the play-off semi against Wigan, as well as two tries against Warrington this season. At times this year Lomax has won games on his own for Justin Holbrook's team. Lomax has orchestrated the final play of Saints' attacks so many times with his exceptional decision-making and pass accuracy. The 29-year-old has been simply a delight to watch and has been sorely underappreciated. The best player in the best team this year.
Scrum Half - JACKSON HASTINGS
It's sad that Hastings didn't get the fairytale ending that he wanted so much, but what a marvellous campaign he has given, providing Salford fans - and Super League fans - with memories they will cherish forever. Hastings has been the orchestrator-in-chief of Salford's superhuman rise to the Grand Final after being written off as relegation fodder before the start of the season. Hastings has produced a ludicrous THIRTY SIX assists this season, as well as ten tries of his own. His ability to take the line on, as well as find the killer pass or deft kick, has been vitally important to Salford's emotional run to Old Trafford. Who would have thought at the start of the year we'd be talking about a Salford player as Man of Steel? Like Lomax, Hastings has been a pleasure to watch and Wigan are gaining a top-class player next year, and at only 23, his best years are well ahead of him.
Prop -LIAM WATTS
Injuries to key players have made this a tough year for Castleford, but one man has constantly stood out throughout the campaign. Former Hull FC forward Liam Watts has been superb for Daryl Powell's team, cementing his place among the best props in Super League. An aggressive and immensely powerful runner, Watts' excellent consistency in Castleford's front row should've made him a certainty to be on the Great Britain tour, but he has somehow been overlooked. Watts is Super League's leading offloader for 2019, getting the ball away 62 times, and more often than not makes over 100 metres per match. The Tigers' man finishes 2019 in Super League's top ten players for metres, carries and tackles and is now a fully established and appreciated top-class prop. He was also in the final five nominated for Man of Steel and while Castleford haven't hit the heights of 2017 and 2018, Watts will be absolutely crucial to their chances of replicating the form of previous years in 2020.
Hooker - DARYL CLARK
I have spent most of 2019 eulogising about the brilliance of Daryl Clark, and I'm not going to stop now. Clark has completely carried the Warrington side this season, with a series of crazily consistent performances all year. Week after week, Clark is among Wire's top performers and no matter how the rest of the team is playing or who the opposition are, Clark has always been at his phenomenal best. Look at how many times his darting runs from dummy-half have got Wire out of trouble and on to the front foot, or how many try-saving tackles he's made. How many games he's turned on their head in an instant with a moment of individual genius when nothing else was going right. Clark has been so important to Steve Price's team that Warrington haven't won a single game without Clark all season, and even more concerningly, have only won three games all year without a Clark try or assist. His superhuman levels of performance every single game have been breathtaking this year and with seven tries, 19 assists, an average metre gain of 9.53 per carry, 882 tackles and 124 tackle busts, can consider himself very unfortunate not to have found himself on the Man of Steel shortlist. James Roby proved with his excellent display in the Grand Final that he is still a force to be reckoned with and will always be a Super League legend, but for me Clark is now the best hooker in the league and should be starting for Great Britain.
Prop - LUKE THOMPSON
People are rightly revelling at Luke Thompson's superhuman performance in the Grand Final which saw him win the Harry Sunderland trophy, but it should not be forgotten that Thompson has been playing at that standard all season. Thompson has been colossal in terms of yardage and averages over 100 metres per match this season. A destructive front-rower, Thompson has come on leaps and bounds under Justin Holbrook and it is his metres, hard running and quick play-the-balls that have been so deadly and given the likes of Lomax, Coote and Makinson the platform to perform. Thompson is one of the most physically dominant props around and the biggest challenge for St Helens now is keeping hold of him, particularly having just won man of the match in the Grand Final, after which Holbrook hailed him as 'the best prop in the world'.
Another key player to the Salford revolution has been second rower Josh Jones. Like Hastings, Jones is on the move for 2020 as he is set to join Hull FC. Jones has averaged 121 metres per match in his 32 appearances, an indicator of his supreme engine and work-rate. The back rower also holds the record for the most tackle busts of anyone in Super League this season, with 157, showing what a powerful and strong carrier of the ball he is. He nearly always makes more than 20 tackles in a match, and his sensational ability to get the ball away when he is under pressure from tacklers has seen him rise to third place in the offload charts, with 58 - including four in the Grand Final. Hastings will be an enormous miss at the AJ Bell Stadium, but don't underestimate how much Salford will miss Josh Jones next year, and what a great acquisition he is for Lee Radford's Hull. Deserving of his place in the GB squad.
Second Row - LIAM FARRELL
When a player has made just 16 Super League appearances and still manages to make the team of the season, they must have been pretty special in those 16 outings. And that's exactly what Liam Farrell has been for Wigan. Farrell sustained a pectoral muscle injury in the World Club Challenge in February, and his return in June coincided with Wigan's rapid return to form and rise to 2nd in the league. Farrell made his comeback in a golden point victory over Hull KR, the first in a run of ten wins in eleven matches, having won just seven of the first 17 matches. The 29-year-old back rower averaged a huge 36 tackles per match in 2019 and made 50 in the August win over Warrington. Farrell's fitness, energy and work-rate make him one of the best second rowers in the competition, and Wigan will be ruing the injury that kept him out of three months of the season, because he is clearly vital to their results.
Loose Forward - MORGAN KNOWLES
The way I see it, Morgan Knowles has been criminally underappreciated by the rugby league fraternity this year, and scoring the opening try in the Grand Final was just rewards for a player who is exceptionally consistent in high-quality performances but doesn't often get mentioned among the best forwards in the league. The Cumbrian is a key cog in the St Helens wheel, getting through an absolute ton of work every single game, averaging 34 tackles each match - including 49 in the Grand Final and 54 in the Round Three win over Leeds. His impressive handling skills have propelled him to being probably the best 13 in the competition. But for a questionable refereeing decision, Knowles would've had the first try in both the Challenge Cup Final and the Grand Final to his name. It's a real shame that an injury has kept him out of the Great Britain squad, but at only 22, he has plenty of time to make his name internationally.
Interchange - ALEX WALMSLEY
While Luke Thompson gets all the credit for St Helens' formidable front line, the importance of Alex Walmsley should not be ignored. The former Batley man is a quite remarkable metre-maker and averages a colossal 8 metres per carry this season. He was sensational in the Grand Final at the weekend, making huge ground every time he ran at the Salford line and has reminded everyone of his brilliance in 2019. Don't forget that he is still on the comeback from a broken neck. Yes, you read that right. A frighteningly good prop.
Interchange - JOEY LUSSICK
Another of Salford's key men in their incredible journey to Old Trafford has been hooker Joey Lussick. Often used from the bench, Lussick is one of the most threatening number nines in the league and offers superb pace and bursts from dummy-half which are so difficult to stop, as exemplified by his 12 tries from dummy-half runs, runs which he picks and chooses carefully and intelligently. Lussick is not just a brilliant scorer though, he boasts tremendous distribution and has recorded 13 assists. The ex-Manly hooker is also superb defensively, making more than 900 tackles this season, including 26 in the Grand Final - despite playing less than 40 minutes! Lussick is likely to be seen as one of Ian Watson's real danger men next season, as he is such an effective weapon, both from the start or unleashed off the bench.
Interchange - MORGAN SMITHIES
The emergence of the 18-year-old Morgan Smithies at Wigan has been one of the most heartwarming stories in Super League this season. The young loose forward has been an absolute revelation for Adrian Lam's team since making his debut in March, making a name for himself as a top-class tackling machine. Smithies completed 46 tackles on Good Friday against St Helens, but saved his best tackling display of the regular season for the home win over Warrington - 51 completed and none missed. This was nothing compared to what he produced in the playoffs against Salford though, where the Halifax-born teenager made SEVENTY TWO tackles, setting a Super League record. Crazy.
Interchange - ZEB TAIA
St Helens fans have grown to love Zeb Taia this season as he has made a name for himself as one of the best second rowers in Super League. A ferocious and hard-hitting runner, Taia has become more and more reliable as well as a big-game player, with tries in both the playoff semi-final and the Grand Final. Taia is 35 now but shows very little sign of letting up, making more than 100 metres very regularly, including at Old Trafford where he made 156, his highest total of the season. His age means that he is likely to be used more sparingly next year, but will be a hard player for St Helens to replace.
Coach - JUSTIN HOLBROOK
This was a really tough choice. I an so in awe of what Ian Watson has achieved with Salford - a potentially once-in-a-lifetime story that ended in a hugely spirited performance at Old Trafford in Super League's showpiece, despite being written off as relegation fodder by most before the year had begun. However, I have chosen to give my coach of the year to the man who has built the most spectacular, brilliant and all-conquering team Super League has seen for many a year. Justin Holbrook's St Helens finished 16 points clear of 2nd place - the biggest gap to the runners-up in Super League history. The Saints lost just three games all season - two in London and one in France, meaning that in 26 matches north of London they were victorious. To achieve 26 wins is phenomenal, but to do it playing the stylish, quick, attractive rugby league that Saints have done just adds to it. However, finishing top is merely a pat on the back, Saints had to go and get the job done to be crowned champions, and they did that, systematically taking Wigan apart and putting 40 points on them in one of the most dominant and complete performances in recent Super League years, before proving a step too far for Salford in the final to deservedly be crowned champions. Both Watson and Holbrook have built teams that will live long in the memory - but Holbrook's Saints in 2019 are one of the all-time great Super League sides - a side so good that they wouldn't look at all out of place in the NRL.
My 18 selections consist of nine from St Helens, three from Wigan and Salford, and a single representative from each of Castleford, Hull FC and Warrington. This shows the sheer dominance of the Saints side and you could quite easily insert some players that missed out - the likes of Mark Percival, Regan Grace, Theo Fages, James Roby and Dominique Peyroux and still have a valid team of the season entry. We have been privileged to watch this Saints side, as painful as it is to admit.
This is not my last season review article. Over the next week or so, I'll be revealing my top 50 players from Super League in 2019, counting down from 50th to 1st in four parts - so make sure to keep an eye out for that. Let me know your thoughts on my team and this piece in the comments - would you have picked any different? Get in touch with the blog on Twitter @aloosewire too!
Daniel (@aloosewire)
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