Rarely has the field of contenders been so wide open since the Pilecki Medal was first awarded in 1992 as the most prized individual honour in Queensland rugby.
It is only the second season of the Shannon Parry Medal so the sprint that is Buildcorp Super Rugby Women’s has the capacity for mystery as well.
We’ll all know more when the votes are progressively unveiled and the medals are awarded tonight at a gala function at The Warehouse in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley.
The Queensland Reds’ bold strides to the quarter-final stage of Super Rugby Pacific produced 69 tries, a Reds record in the professional era.
In the process, fresh-faced winger Tim Ryan scored, not one, but two hat-tricks.
Scoring nine tries in nine games was some try-rate for the pacy finisher. How high could he rise in the Pilecki Medal voting in so few games but with such impact?
So where do you look for contenders?
Do you start with “Captain Consistency” Liam Wright who was the only Reds to start every game? He played more than 1100 minutes as an ironman across the whole competition.
His backrow chums Fraser McReight and Harry Wilson both had excellent seasons as well but lost a chunk of games to either suspension or injury.
Lock Ryan Smith had bis best Super Rugby season and made the first Wallabies’ train-on squad because of it. Likewise, pack partner Seru Uru was in everything. He averaged more carries per 80 minutes than any other Australian in Super Rugby.
Hooker Matt Faessler was master of the best rolling maul in the competition off 5m lineouts. In the backs, centre Hunter Paisami had a terrific season with his crunching hits and the variety to his game.
Centre partner Josh Flook was as impressive. Jock Campbell started the season on the bench and finished the season in the form that earned him Wallabies selection at fullback in 2022. Winger Mac Grealy had his best Super Rugby campaign.
Flyhalves Lawson Creighton, Tom Lynagh and Harry McLaughlin-Phillips all had excellent games but shared the 15 starts.
Equally, you had big showings from the likes of prop Jeffery Toomaga-Allen which would have captured votes that might have gone to a Medal contender in certain games.
The Pilecki Medal is not awarded on the votes of referees but the 3-2-1 votes of the 23 players involved in each game. It is the ultimate gong for excellence from your peers.
The Reds women’s team had a less successful season but there were still high performers who won regular votes to contend for the Shannon Parry Medal.
Wallaroos backs Lori Cramer and Cecilia Smith were always in the action as was flanker Carola Kreis.
Teenage back Shalom Sauaso made a sensational impact in her first Super Rugby Women’s season with two powerhouse tries.
Winger Ivania Wong had some big impacts when the chances came her way.
So what pointers do we have from the history of the Pilecki Medal, named after the late Stan Pilecki, the colourful prop who became the first Queenslander to play 100 games for his state?
Nine backrowers have won the Medal. Mercurial fullback Chris Latham won it four times but never a hooker.
Props (five) have won the Medal as often as fullbacks and centres.
James Horwill, David Wilson, Tim Horan and Quade Cooper, four of the greatest from Queensland rugby history, came close but never won it.
Tonight, we find out who will join the likes of Latham (1999, 2000, 2002, 2004), Jason Little (1995, 1996), John Eales (1997), David Croft (2007, 2008), Will Genia (2010, 2011), James Slipper (2012, 2014), Liam Gill (2015, 2016), Samu Kerevi (2018, 2019), Taniela Tupou (2020, 2021) and Harry Wilson (2022, 2023) on the honour roll.
For the women, one high performer will join inaugural winner Shannon Parry (2023) as the Shannon Parry Medallist.
