No Saints on Premiership player of the season shortlist

No Saints players have made it onto the list of nominees for this year’s Aviva Premiership player of the season award.
By Tom Vickers
Published 24th Apr 2013, 16:01 BST
SURPRISE OMISSION - Samu Manoa is not on the Premiership player of the season shortlist (picture by Linda Dawson)SURPRISE OMISSION - Samu Manoa is not on the Premiership player of the season shortlist (picture by Linda Dawson)
SURPRISE OMISSION - Samu Manoa is not on the Premiership player of the season shortlist (picture by Linda Dawson)

Samu Manoa is the most surprising omission, with the big American having had a superb season at Franklin’s Gardens.

Northampton players have won the award in two of the past three years, with Chris Ashton picking up the prize in 2010 and Tom Wood taking it in 2011.

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But there will be no Saints representation this year, with the shortlist made up of Saracens’ Steve Borthwick, Harlequins’ Danny Care, Gloucester’s Akapusi Qera, Wasps’ Christian Wade and Leicester duo Tom Youngs and Julian Salvi.

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And Saints prop Brian Mujati took to Twitter to express his surprise at the fact Manoa had not made the final six, tweeting: “Can anybody seriously believe @4blockmonstah (Manoa) was not nominated for player of the season?”

The shortlist was complied by rugby’s media with Nick Mullins (ESPN), Miles Harrison (Sky Sports), Alastair Eykyn (BBC 5 Live), Jill Douglas (freelance), Stephen Jones (Sunday Times), Adam Hathaway (chairman of the Rugby Writers’ Club and Sunday People), Hugh Godwin (The Independent and Independent on Sunday), David Rogers (Getty Images), and Alan Pearey (Rugby World).

The winner will be announced on May 9.

Related topics:PremiershipAmericanNorthampton