Banks chasing yet more silverware [Fairfax]
Marty Banks has the chance to add even more gloss to an already memorable season after being nominated for ITM Cup Player of the Year.
The Tasman Makos' playmaker joins Canterbury halfback Andy Ellis and Wellington No 8 and captain Victor Vito as the three Player of the Year nominations for the 2013 Steinlager Rugby Awards ceremony to be held at the Sky City Auckland Convention Centre on Thursday, December 5.
The former Buller Heartland representative established something of a cult following this season as he continued to rack up the points.
He played a significant role in Tasman's historic ITM Cup championship title success, setting five individual scoring records for the province, including a new season record of 170 points to join Otago's Hayden Parker as the country's leading point scorers.
As part of Tasman's remarkable winning record, in which they won 10 of their 12 games, Banks' scoring efforts included a spectacular end-to-end intercept try during the Makos' dramatic 26-25 victory over Hawke's Bay in the championship final.
Banks' conspicuous provincial performances have subsequently been recognised at Super 15 level after he was signed by the Hurricanes for next year's competition.
Meanwhile, the Chiefs' second Investec Super Rugby title on the trot sees the team, head coach Dave Rennie and co-captain Liam Messam well represented in the nominations.
Canterbury, easily the most successful provincial side of the century, is in line for Team of the Year.
The All Blacks clean sweep of the Steinlager Series, followed up by victory again in the Investec Rugby Championship, sees nominations for head coach Steve Hansen, and the team, while star wing-turned-centre Ben Smith and dynamic loose forwards Kieran Read and Liam Messam are in line for this year's Kelvin R Tremain Player of the Year Award.
In a repeat of last year's nomination lineup for Coach of the Year, All Blacks Sevens' coach Gordon Tietjens will again compete with Hansen and Rennie for the accolade after masterminding another Sevens World Series win and the team's World Cup triumph in Moscow. The All Blacks Sevens are also up for Team of the Year.
For the first time in the awards' history, fans will get a say in deciding some of the best rugby action from 2013. An online poll is now open for fans to select the SKY Fans Try of the Year, which includes Tasman No 8 Liam Squire's try against Hawke's Bay in round six. Voting closes November 25 with the winning try announced on the awards night.
