One New Zealand Warriors Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Addin Fonua-Blake are among the contenders for the 2024 Gold Boot award.
Samoa fullback Tuivasa-Sheck and Tonga captain Fonua-Blake have been outstanding for their national teams on opposite sides of the globe over the last three weeks.
Building on his NRL form, departing prop Fonua-Blake has helped Tonga into the Pacific Championships final against Australia at CommBank Stadium in Sydney on Sunday while Tuivasa-Sheck was impressive in a beaten Samoa team in its two-Test series against England.
After making 134 metres from 17 runs and 19 tackles without a miss in Tonga’s 0-18 first-up loss to the Kangaroos, Fonua-Blake was exceptional in last Saturday’s 25-24 win over the Kiwis.
Rampant with the ball in hand, he scored a stunning first half try as he made 224 metres from 19 runs with seven tackles breaks, backing it up with 20 tackles.
In Samoa’s 18-34 first Test loss to England, Tuivasa-Sheck made 205 metres from 22 runs with two tackle breaks and three off loads. In the 16-34 second Test defeat he finished with 193 metres from 26 carries with a line break, a line break assist, a try assist, five tackle breaks and five off loads.
Tuivasa-Sheck won the Golden Boot in 2019 while playing for the Kiwis.
Tonga and Kiwis deliver a Test for the ages
Players have been nominated from all six nations involved in the Pacific Championships – Australia, Tonga, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Cook Islands – as well as England and Samoa, who last weekend completed their two Test series.
Golden Cap recipients Darren Lockyer (Australia), James Graham (England) and Petero Civoniceva (Australia/Fiji), who are among just nine players to have played 50 internationals, will choose the men’s IRL Golden Boot winner. There isn’t a former Kiwi on the panel.
Short lists for the men’s, women’s 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced after the Pacific Championships quadruple header in Sydney on Sunday, November 10.
Nominations for the wheelchair 2024 IRL Golden Boot will be announced after the second international between France and England on Saturday, November 23.
The winners of the 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced in early December.
2024 Golden Boot | Men's long list
Herbie Farnworth (England)
Addin Fonua-Blake (Tonga)
Harry Grant (Australia)
Lachlan Lam (Papua New Guinea)
Zac Lomax (Australia)
Jarome Luai (Samoa)
Keano Kini (New Zealand)
Nene Macdonald (Papua New Guinea)
Esan Marsters (Cook Islands)
Taane Milne (Fiji)
Haumole Olakau’atu (Tonga)
Harry Smith (England)
Jason Taumalolo (Tonga)
Tom Trbojevic (Australia)
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Samoa)
George Williams (England)
Isaah Yeo (Australia)
