With the National Rugby League competition coming to its glorious conclusion last week, the Australians have already come out to name their squad for the upcoming three-Test Ashes series in England.

Reece Walsh capped a remarkable season by winning his first Kangaroos call-up for a series that starts later this month.

The 23-year-old full-back - man of the match as Brisbane Broncos won Sunday's NRL Grand Final - is one of seven new faces in head coach Kevin Walters' 24-player squad.

Rugby union convert Mark Nawaqanitawase, who played for the Wallabies at the 2023 World Cup, is set to become a dual code international as another first-time call-up.

Austrlia's squad:

Isaah Yeo (captain), Blayke Brailey, Patrick Carrigan, Nathan Cleary, Xavier Coates, Lindsay Collins, Reuben Cotter, Angus Crichton, Tom Dearden, Dylan Edwards, Tino Fa'asuamaleaui, Harry Grant (vice-captain), Keaon Koloamatangi, Zac Lomax, Mitchell Moses, Cameron Munster, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Jacob Preston, Gehamat Shibasaki, Lindsay Smith, Kotoni Staggs, Ethan Strange, Reece Walsh, Hudson Young.

It wasn't just Jake Connor who came away with silverware at the Man of Steel awards night.

Below is a full list of this year's award winners.

Super League

Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel – Jake Connor (Leeds Rhinos)

Young Player of the Year – Harry Robertson (St Helens)

Coach of the Year - Willie Peters (Hull KR)

Wheelchair Super League

Wheels of Steel – Joe Coyd (London Roosters)

Young Player of the Year – Finlay O'Neill (Halifax Panthers)

Coach of the Year – Tom Coyd MBE (London Roosters)

Women's Super League

Woman of Steel – Eva Hunter (Wigan Warriors)

Young Player of the Year – Isabel Rowe (Wigan Warriors)

Coach of the Year – Denis Betts (Wigan Warriors)

Championship

Player of the Year – Paul McShane (York Knights)

Young Player of the Year – Jack Smith (London Broncos)

Coach of the Year – Mark Applegarth (York Knights)

League One

Player of the Year – Lewis Else (Rochdale Hornets) and Zarrin Galea (Workington Town)

Young Player of the Year – Louie Roberts (Swinton Lions)

Coach of the Year – Carl Forster (North Wales Crusaders)

Image source, swpix.com

While we wait to see what team will come away with Super League's ultimate prize tonight, the top individual gong for 2025 has already been collected.

It was Leeds Rhinos half-back Jake Connor who came out on top in the count for the Steve Prescott MBE Man of Steel.

Connor helped Leeds to their first top-four finish since 2017 and ended the season as the third-highest points scorer with 181, a tally which included seven tries, 76 goals and one drop-goal.

The duo he finsihed ahead of are out there tonight, in Hull KR's Mikey Lewis and Wigan Warriors' Jai Field.

Image source, swpix.com

With both sides back in the sheds for half-time, it's a good time to catch up on the rugby league week that was.

Beyond the Super League Grand final build-up there have been a number of big stories, with the goings on at St Helens probably the most headline grabbing - if not totally unexpected.

Saints legend Paul Wellens was let go as head coach after his side was beaten by Hull KR in the semi-final.

After moving into the head coach role for 2023, Wellens immediately guided Saints to a stunning win over Penrith Panthers in Australia to claim the World Club Challenge, but did not manage to continue the domestic dominance established under Justin Holbrook and Kristian Woolf before him.

Jay Freeman
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

Two stories in that first half.

The main one being that this really feels like a Hull KR side that have come alive and aren't letting themselves be overawed by the occasion. The treble is well and truly on. They're on the verge of breaking records and those tries from Mikey Lewis and Joe Burgess showed it.

But something feels off about Wigan. When I think about a Matt Peet-coached Wigan side, I don't think of what I've seen for much of that 40 minutes.

Brad O'Neill's lucky to be on the field. And Wigan are lucky they're only 10-2 down.

Trevor Hunt
BBC Radio Manchester commentator

Adam Keighran gives a lifeline to Wigan here, it's countered the tries from Mikey Lewis and Joe Burgess.

Image source, PA Media

Two tries in seven minutes from Mikey Lewis and Joe Burgess has Hull KR in control of this Grand Final.

Both tries came when Wigan were a man down, with Brad O'Neill in the sin-bin at the time.

Wigan will regret the points they left out there on the Old Trafford pitch, with two stone-cold tries fumbled over the line.

Image source, PA Media

The half-time hooter sounds as Adam Keighran tees up his penalty.

He holds his nerve and slots the ball through the posts.

Is that a foothold back in the game?

Wigan have a very late opportuity to pull some points back, after a Jai Field kick that is charged down is then caught by a Robins player in an offside position.

Wigan will go with a penalty kick from distance...

We are into the final minute and Wigan might have one last chance to pull a try back...

Those missed opportunities for Wigan have shaped this Grand Final.

Hull KR have punished them with two tries, and they seem desperate to get a third before the half-time hooter sounds.

Mikey Lewis stands up a high ball that Wigan defuse about 10m out, but the kick chase from the Robins is a little overzealous this time and a penalty is conceded.

Wigan's Kaide Ellis gets a little gready as he looks to offload in a tackle.

As he is spun around he fumbles the ball backdward.

Hull KR scramble to claim possession inside Wigan's half.

The Warriors have some more deseperate defending to do now.

Trevor Hunt
BBC Radio Manchester commentator

Image source, PA Media

There's plenty of time for Wigan to turn this around but uncharacteristic errors, uncharacteristic missed tries and they are behind to a Rovers side looking to complete a treble.

Hull KR are hungry for more tries.

This time Joe Burgess runs the ball on the last tackle, but Bevan French is not to be beaten and drags the winger down.

Wigan are back to 13 men with Brad O'Neill seeing out his time in the sin-bin.

Hull KR certainly made the Warriors pay for the dangerous tackle that saw the hooker yellow carded.

John Kear
Former Wales head coach on BBC Radio 5 Live

What a great piece of half-back play from Mikey Lewis. He got the ball and he just isolated the defender he wanted to isolate and came up with a peach of a pass. Absolute quality.

Good centre play from Oliver Gildart to Joe Burgess but Lewis' play was really crucial.

Jay Freeman
BBC Sport at Old Trafford

This first half feels very un-Wiganlike.

Hull KR have been brilliant, there's absolutely no doubt about that. But Wigan have seemingly let this game get ahead of them.