Rugby league 2011

It was the year of the Rhino in Super League, while Australia once again ruled the international roost.

To borrow a phrase from a wise man I once saw on television, the 2011 rugby league year was "nothing short of sensational". It is hard to think we've seen a better Super League season - Warrington and Wigan were the two frontrunners in the regular season, only to fail to make it to the Grand Final. Instead it was once again St Helens and Leeds who met, something few would have predicted at the start of the campaign. Catalans Dragons, rejuvenated under the leadership of coach Trent Robinson, Huddersfield and Castleford, inspired by Man of Steel Rangi Chase, all provided sparkling moments for their fans, though it wasn't all rosy. Both Crusaders and Wakefield were deducted points for entering administration, while the Welsh club shocked their players, supporters and probably those at RFL headquarters when they pulled out of the running for a new three-year licence on the eve of the announcement. As for the international game, England's Four Nations campaign again raised hope but there was that familiar disappointment in the end, Australia crushing them at Elland Road to take the trophy back from New Zealand's grasp and give skipper Darren Lockyer the perfect send-off. England had also lost out in their mid-summer match against the Exiles, the International Origin a successful new idea that saw Super League's best overseas stars come together to face Steve McNamara's side. The only disappointment was the booing of Sam Tomkins by the crowd. Down Under, Manly were crowned NRL champions and then quickly saw their coach, Des Hasler, depart in controversial circumstances. The State of Origin series did not disappoint, New South Wales and Queensland turning in three classics before Lockyer was left with the trophy at his beloved Suncorp.

Team of the Year - Leeds Rhinos

It's tough to imagine even the most loyal of Leeds fans believing 2011 would end up as the year of the Rhino, particularly after a mixed start to the campaign. When they were comprehensively beaten by Catalans Dragons as late as the middle of July, Leeds looked in danger of missing out on the play-offs completely, and the pressure appeared to be growing on coach Brian McDermott. Instead, though, they would go on to lose just once more in Super League, defying the logic that home advantage matters in the post season by triumphing away at both Huddersfield and Warrington, who had finished as minor premiers but came up short when it mattered the most. Leeds, in contrast, came on strong in the closing stages from almost nowhere, meaning a St Helens side who had once again done marvellously well to overcome injury problems were left as bridesmaids for a fifth straight year. It's easy to forget that the Rhinos reached the Challenge Cup final too, putting up a brave fight before going down to Wigan, who made sure Michael Maguire would claim a trophy in each of his years at the DW Stadium, in a Wembley thriller that the competition desperately needed.

Player of the Year - Kevin Sinfield

While Leeds were the only real choice to be named team of the year, there were plenty of candidates to be picked out as the top player. Sam Tomkins provided a raft of highlight-reel moments during a campaign that saw him top the try-scoring charts and while James Roby may not grab the headlines quite as much, he was just as effective for Saints - he had 778 runs out of dummy half, more than twice as many as the next player on the list. Both