Smith, Graham, Wiki to help select Golden Boot winner
Golden Cap recipients Cameron Smith, James Graham and Ruben Wiki will help select the winner of the 2022 Men’s IRL Golden Boot to be awarded to the international player of the year ahead of the upcoming World Cup final at Old Trafford.
Another Golden Cap recipient, Adrian Morley, who - along with Smith (Australia), Graham (England/Great Britain) and Wiki (New Zealand) - is among nine players to have played 50 or more Tests, will present the Men’s Golden Boot to the winner.
The IRL Women’s and Wheelchair Golden Boot trophies will also be presented at The Midland Hotel in Manchester on Tuesday, November 15.
Long serving RFL executive Karen Moorhouse, who is on the board of RLWC2021, and Wheelchair Rugby League pioneer, Malcolm Kielty, MBE, will join Morley in presenting the awards.
Adrian Morley will present the Men's Golden Boot award
The Golden Boot is one of the longest running and most prestigious individual awards in the game, and is awarded to the best international player in the world each year – although there has been a two year hiatus due to COVID.
Smith is a three times Golden Boot winner, receiving the award as the world's best player in 2007, 2010 and 2017.
The most recent winners in 2019 were former Kiwis captain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Jillaroos centre Jessica Sergis and England Wheelchair star Jack Brown.
A panel of leading journalists and commentators from Australia, England and New Zealand has been considering the best players throughout the World Cup and a Men’s Golden Boot long list was finalised after the pool matches.
Ruben Wiki will help select the Golden Boot winner
The long list includes Josh Addo-Carr (Australia), Tom Burgess (England), Ben Garcia (France), Harry Grant (Australia), Jahrome Hughes (New Zealand), Edwin Ipape (Papua New Guinea), Keaon Koloamatangi (Tonga), Jarome Luai (Samoa), Joey Manu (New Zealand), Mitchell Moses (Lebanon), Cameron Munster (Australia), Victor Radley (England), Joran Schoenmaker (Netherlands), Brandon Smith (New Zealand), Jaydn Su’A (Samoa), Joseph Sua'ali'i (Samoa), Brian To’o (Samoa), Sunia Turuva (Fiji) and George Williams (England).
Schoenmaker has been recognised for his performances for the Netherlands in 2020 and 2021 when few other nations played international fixtures,
Smith, Graham and Wiki, who are all former Test captains, will help select the Men’s Golden Boot winner after this weekend’s semi-finals between Australia and New Zealand at Elland Road, Leeds and England and Samoa at Emirates Stadium, London.
James Graham received his Golden Cap for achieving the 50-Test milestone
Long lists for the Women’s and Wheelchair IRL Golden Boot will be announced after the final round of pool matches in their tournaments.
Golden Boot Winners
Men's
1984 Wally Lewis (AUS)
1985 Brett Kenny (AUS)
1986 Garry Jack (AUS)
1987 Hugh McGahan (NZL)
1987 Peter Sterling (AUS)
1988 Ellery Hanley (ENG)
1989 Mal Meninga (AUS)
1992 Garry Schofield (ENG)
1991-98 No award given
1999 Andrew Johns (AUS)
2000 Brad Fittler (AUS)
2001 Andrew Johns (AUS)
2002 Stacey Jones (NZL)
2003 Darren Lockyer (AUS)
2004 Andrew Farrell (ENG)
2005 Anthony Minichiello (AUS)
2006 Darren Lockyer (AUS)
2007 Cameron Smith (AUS)
2008 Billy Slater (AUS)
2009 Greg Inglis (AUS)
2010 Benji Marshall (NZL)
2011 Johnathan Thurston (AUS)
2012 Kevin Sinfield (ENG)
2013 Johnathan Thurston (AUS)
2014 Shaun Johnson (NZL)
2015 Johnathan Thurston (AUS)
2016 Cooper Cronk (AUS)
2017 Cameron Smith (AUS)
2018 Tommy Makinson (ENG)
2019 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (NZL)
2020 No award given
2021 No award given
Jessica Sergis won the Women's Golden Boot in 2019
WOMEN'S
2018 Isabelle Kelly (AUS)
2019 Jessica Sergis (AUS)
2020 No award given
2021 No award given
WHEELCHAIR
2019 Jack Brown (ENG)
2020 No award given
2021 No award given
