Skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck has been named the Warriors’ player of the year, just the fifth back in the NRL club’s 23 seasons to receive the award.

The 24-year-old fullback has held off fellow finalists Simon Mannering, a record five-time winner, and halfback Shaun Johnson.

Tuivasa-Sheck was handed the captaincy at the start of the year, having come back from a knee injury that wrecked his 2016 debut season with the club.

While he wasn’t able to lead the Warriors to their first finals appearance in six years – the club finished 13th – he appeared in all but one of their 24 matches.

He scored 10 tries and ran for 200 metres or more in 13 matches. His total of 4172 metres gained – an average of 181.4 metres a game – was the third best in the NRL regular season.

He led the competition in kicks defused, bombs defused and kick returns.

Mannering, 31, took out the people’s choice award after a season in which he went past Stacey Jones’ club record of 261 matches, finishing on 280.

The workaholic second-rower’s 986 tackles – an average of 44.8 – was the second highest in the competition.

Prop Bunty Afoa, who made 17 appearances in his first full NRL campaign, was named rookie of the year.