Warriors 2023 Awards Dinner

• Abbas Miski named Players’ Player and Player of the Year.
• Miski also scoops the Top Try Scorer award with Brad O’Neill named Young Player of the Year.
• Warriors Women’s Victoria Molyneux was also inducted into the Wigan Hall of Fame.

Wigan Warriors held their End of Season Awards at a Gala Dinner at the DW Stadium on Sunday afternoon where players met up with their sponsors and other guests as the 2023 awards were handed out.

Player of the Year – Abbas Miski

As voted for by the Warriors fans and various stakeholders, Warriors winger Abbas Miski was crowned Player of the Year for 2023. The Warriors winger spent time on loan with London Broncos at the start of the season before making his break into the first team squad in Round 7.

Speaking after winning the award, Miski said: “I’m in a great team with a lot of great players so this award could have gone to anyone – I just want to really thank everyone that voted.

“I’ve had some great experiences with Ian [Lenagan] when I first came here, Rads [Kris Radlinski] his door is always open for me, the coaches Matt, Lockers and Tommy and the players. From the top down, this Club is definitely one of the best that I’ve been in.”

Players’ Player of the Year – Abbas Miski

Admired by the fans, Miski’s contributions have also admired by his fellow teammates as he also secured the Player’s Player of the Year award for 2023.

He said: “It’s really special. It’s probably the award that I can be most proud about, we have a really good group here not just on the field but off the field too. I get along with everyone, I’ve got a lot of close friends who I will keep for a long time so this is a very proud moment.”

Young Player of the Year – Brad O’Neill

Young Player of the Year was awarded to Brad O’Neill. The young hooker has made 26 appearances for the Warriors in 2023, scoring one try.

Presenting his award, Matt Peet said: “Junior Nsemba and Harvie Hill deserve a special mention but this year we have seen Brad’s step from being a young player to a first team player.

“Brad has got in there, he is starting games with such physicality for a young lad and what I have noticed with him this year is he’s relishing everything that he’s doing. He loves coming into training every day, you can see the excitement and I believe that is what our young players bring – raw enthusiasm.”

Speaking on the accolade, O’Neill said: “It feels really good and I’m very honoured. I’ve enjoyed this year right from pre-season, training every week and playing the games so it’s really exciting now going into this week especially having my daughter watching, that’s the main thing.”

Inclusivity Award – Dominic and Maxine Waith

Our inaugural inclusivity award sees us celebrate those involved across the twelve Wigan Warriors representative teams.

Acting-CEO Will Critchley took to the stage with his newest signing, Patrick Mago, as they awarded Dominic Waith and his mum, Maxine with the award.

Try of the Season

The Warriors have been free-flowing in attack across the 2023 season and an eight-try shortlist was shown to the guests at Sunday’s Gala Dinner, of which they selected Harry Smith’s try against Hull KR as their winner for 2023 Try of the Season.

Smith said: “All season long it has been the team that has got us the results, we’ve stuck together through the good and the bad times. It’s been a team effort in everything that we do, including this try – it was a good team move, I just had to finish it off really.”

Hall of Fame

Victoria Molyneux was officially inducted into the Wigan Warriors Hall of Fame at Sunday’s event, becoming the first Women’s Player to do so. Molyneux joined the Warriors in 2019 and has since made 47 appearances across four seasons, scoring 12 tries.

Molyneux inspired a generation when she returned to the International stage in 2021 following a 14-year break before being named in England’s Rugby League World Cup squad for 2022. Away from Wigan and England, she continues to fly the flag for Rugby League, coaching her Rochdale Mayfield Girls side.

Vicky’s father, James (Jim) Molyneux represented the Warriors between 1968-1972 and this year also saw her younger sister, Sarah (Bardsley) join her on the pitch in Cherry and White.

On being inducted into the Hall of Fame, Molyneux said: “I can’t believe it. To the Club, you’ve given me more than this award, it’s given me a purpose behind being a mum and a teacher. It really does mean the World to me, just to put the shirt on is enough but I can’t thank you enough for this.

“To be alongside some of the names in the Hall of Fame is just fantastic and a real dream come true.”