Thackeray and Morrison on awards short list

Thackeray scooped a hat-trick of awards at the recent Rams presentation and faces stiff competition to claim the Championship player award with Doncaster player coach Paul Cooke and Leigh’s Martyn Ridyard also on the shortlist.

Thackeray’s brace of tries in last week’s superb 25-0 victory over Halifax took his tally to 27 for the season, while Ridyard recently reached 1,000 points for his hometown club.

Cooke is also shortlisted for coach of the year, alongside Morrison and Paul Rowley, who guided Leigh to the league leaders shield with a terrific record of 25 wins from 26 matches.

Morrison admitted he was proud to have been named on the short list but was quick to praise his squad and backroom staff.

The Rams coach said: “I can’t do that without the players and the rest of the coaching staff we have put in place but it is a great honour.

“There are some really top class coaches in the division and I think you’ll see the ones who have gone virtually undefeated will get the award.

“We knew Thacks (Anthony Thackeray) had it in him. We got him to change his game a little bit and I think you can see what a talent he is. He certainly deserves to be up there for player of the year and definitely gets my vote.”

The winners will be announced at the Kingstone Press Championship awards night in Manchester next Tuesday (September 30).