We are delighted to announce that the winner of our 2018 award is
Tony Gigot.
Picture from www.catalansdragons.com
Tony follows in the footsteps of such greats as Morgan Escare and Steve Bell (Not really) in winning this award voted for by British fans of the club.
It's indicative of the season the club has had that Tony was the winner ahead of a gaggle of other contenders including Remy Casty, Michael McIlorum and so on.
The club has had an ultimately successful season on the park by winning the challenge cup, but this has come about through a collective effort as opposed to having a single stand out performer.
Gigot's was the winner having picked up the man of the match award in the Challenge Cup final and off the back of two months of scintillating play.
Let's not forget though that he wasn't available at the start of the season, his drugs contretemps having resurfaced and his ban reapplied.
As a cycling fan his ban never quite sat right with me. I have a quarter of century of my heroes not having been honest and real and I had a feeling of there being no smoke without fire.
But Tony was cleared to return and play and his return to the side was the precursor to our best period of play of the whole season.
The team were down and out at Easter, rock bottom of the Super League having had 40 points put on them at Salford. The coach was reportedly hanging on by a thread having long been past the vote of confidence and many feared the sharpening on Bernard's famed meat cleaver.
But with a scratchy win at York and a home drubbing of Huddersfield under their belts, the team grew into the campaign and Tony was instrumental in getting the pressure off by making the top 8.
For many that was season done, mission accomplished. For Gigot it was merely a challenge to try and elevate his game even more and the reward was a day out at Wembley and the most incredible day of them all.
After that high, Tony seemed to pick his games. Our family trekked up from Lincolnshire to Castleford only to see him attached to massive headphones posing for selfies pitch side. He was being rested!
The end of the season has seen rumours about the massive wealth in the rugby union top 14 looking to turn Gigots head and make him one of their stars.
I hope that after les Dracs showed him a lot of loyalty in those dark days of his ban, he would be keen to stay and repay the fans and club.
I don't want another Lance Armstrong on my hands do I?
