Bevan French, a former Parramatta Eels outside back and current Wigan Warriors half, has won the English Super League’s Man of Steel title.
This season, his move to the halves has helped Wigan reach the competition’s grand final, breaking St Helens’ back-to-back title streak.
French, who has been at Wigan since 2019 after leaving the Parramatta Eels after three NRL seasons, was a try-scoring machine for the Super League club before leading from the front in the halves this season.
He edged out St Helens fullback Jack Welsby and Catalans winger Tom Johnstone to be named the competition’s top player this season.
French has been linked to a return to Australia and the NRL on multiple occasions throughout his time with Wigan, and with the paucity of quality halves now available in the Australian league, he may well become a priority target for a number of struggling teams in the coming months.
Wigan will meet the Catalans Dragons in the Super League grand final this weekend, with the French club led by Mitchell Pearce, who is playing his farewell game in rugby league after announcing his retirement a few months ago.
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Hull KR have got a huge boost with the announcement that renowned centre Tom Opacic has committed to the club for the long term. Opacic, who had a year left on his first contract after arriving from the Parramatta Eels, has now been extended until at least 2025.
Opacic has rapidly established himself as a crucial player in his debut season with Rovers, scoring nine tries in 29 games while also reinforcing the right-edge defensive framework. His efforts on both sides of the pitch have been vital, and he is now an integral component of the team’s future aspirations.
The Australian’s choice to extend his contract demonstrates his confidence in the club’s direction and dedication to the cause. By joining the likes of James Batchelor and George King in sealing long-term futures with the Robins this season, it retains a core group of key characters at Craven Park for the foreseeable future and is seeking big things for the Red and Whites in the coming seasons.
Opacic stated of his new contract, “‘When that opportunity (for the extension) came up, I grabbed it with both hands.” This year, our objective was to finish in the top four in the Super League. We accomplished this while simultaneously reaching the Wembley Cup final. We’ll now focus on returning to Wembley and finishing in the top two in Super League next season.’
Hull KR Head Coach Willie Peters responded to Opacic’s new contract extension by saying, ‘We’re extremely glad to have Tom continue. This year, he’s been really consistent. I knew we’d be bringing in a reliable centre.
