Australian and NSW representative Cory Cannane has collected two of the major honours from the 2024 NSW Wheelchair and Push & Power season awards held on Saturday 7 September at St Mary’s Leagues Club.
Cannane crossed the white line the most this year in NSW Cup with 19 tries to his name to earn top try scorer.
The St George Illawarra Dragon was also named Player of the Year for the NSW Wheelchair Rugby League (NSWWRL)’s top grade.
Leading try scorer for the second tier NSW Plate was Liam Moar, from the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks, with 19 tries. Moar also took home the Junior Player of the Year.
Cannane’s teammate on both the Wheelaroos and Blues teams, Diab Karim, was named Players’ Player from this year’s CABE NSW team that lost by a converted try (42-36) to the Maroons in the 2024 State Challenge in Brisbane.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles beat Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 34-26 in the NSW Plater Grand Final, while the Canberra Raiders topped St George Illawarra 50-32 in the NSW Cup.
Since wheelchair Rugby League is one of the most inclusive sports, where two able-bodied players are included in a team of five, there are two player of the year awards given each season.
Alongside Cannane and Moar were Liam Luff as the NSW Player of the Year with a Disability, and Daniel Friedrich as Junior Player of the year with a Disability.
Wests Tigers Hadi Al Sabti scooped the pool in the Push and Power awards winning top try scorer (62 tries), Best Sportsmanship, and Referees Best & Fairest, topping it all off with four-try haul in the grand final win over the Penrith Panthers (44-24).
2024 Wheelchair and Push & Power awards:
Push and Power
Top try scorer – Hadi Al Sabti, 62 tries
Top goal scorer – Lucas Georgacopoulos
Top point scorer – Hadi Al Sabti, 248 points
Referees Best & Fairest – Hadi Al Sabti
Best Sportsmanship – Michael Foxall
Best & Fairest Panthers – Oliver House
Best & Fairest Eels – Chris Henen
Best & Fairest Tigers – Aaron McMahon
Wheelchair – NSW Plate
Top try scorer – Liam Moar, 19 tries
Top goal scorer – Patricia Luff, 7 goals
Top point scorer – Liam Moar, 84 points
Coaches best & fairest Sharks – Finn Moar
Coaches best & fairest Manly – Tom Friedrich
Coaches best & fairest Bulldogs – Jarrod Serwa
Coaches best & fairest Panthers – Hamish Mowbray
Wheelchair – NSW Cup
Top try scorer – Cory Cannane, 32 tries
Top goal scorer – Craig Cannane, 49 goals
Top point scorer – Rick Engles, 144 points
Player of the Year – Cory Cannane
Player of the Year with a Disability – Liam Luff
MVP Eels – Rick Engles
MVP Tigers – Moey Chemaissem
MVP Dragons – Cory and Craig Cannane
MVP Raiders – Zac Carl
Wheelchair – Special Recognition Awards
Volunteer of the Year – Kale Popple
Women’s Empowerment – Amanda Carlyon
Chairman’s – Solomon Noon
Junior of the Year with a Disability – Daniel Friedrich
Junior of the Year – Liam Moar
Blues Players' Player – Diab Karim
