LEIGH skipper Oliver Wilkes has backed Ryan Brierley to become Kingstone Press Championship player of the season.

But Wilkes believes fellow pack star Jake Emmitt should also have been shortlisted in the annual awards.

Brierley, the current young player of the year, faces competition from Bradford Bull’s former St Helens half-back, Lee Gaskell, and Scott Murrell, of Halifax, for the top Championship prize.

Centurions boss Paul Rowley, who has guided them to successive League Leaders’ Shield triumphs, is in the running for coach of the year. Richard Marshall, of Halifax, who are Leigh’s next Middle 8s opponents at the Shay on Sunday, and Whitehaven’s James Coyle are Rowley’s rivals.

Brierley scored a hat-trick in last weekend’s vital 52-16 victory over Sheffield Eagles.

And Wilkes said: "Ryan is the best support player in the Championship if not the country.

“But I am surprised Jake is not up there alongside him for Championship player.

"He is 20-odd, carries over 100 metres every week, and makes up to 40 tackles a week.

“He is an absolute machine and for him to get overlooked is a bit of a travesty.

"It’s generally the ‘grunts’ that don’t get the recognition. Hopefully, people will read this and see what he means to Leigh Centurions.

“However, it’s great for the club when people are nominated and winning accolades like these.”

Cumbrian Wilkes, tipped with a potential return to Barrow next season, admits victory over Sheffield came at just the right time.

“It’s been a few weeks since we have sung our song,” he laughed. “Normally, it was every week.

“So, it was good to get back to winning ways. It was a comprehensive performance and we needed a good score-line, too.

“Hopefully, we can kick on now in our last three games against Halifax, Bradford and Widnes. None of them will be easy but hopefully we can come away with the spoils.

“There is still an outside chance we could get automatic promotion if results go in our favour. Realistically, the likelihood is it will be fourth or fifth.

“But all we can do is win our remaining fixtures and see where it takes us. And even that might not be enough.”

Leigh finished 18-6 winners at Halifax back in February and completed a double with a 22-14 success at Leigh Sports Village three months later.

“Leigh and Halifax games of late have been ferocious encounters with quite a few cards,” agrees Wilkes.

“We just want to play rugby and come away with the points so we can kick on for the week after.”

Brierley and Rowley will find out if they have won the top prizes at the Championship and League One annual dinner in Manchester on Monday.