He has been a revelation since forcing his way into the Sharks NRL squad, with Royce Hunt fast becoming a fan favourite.
Not only do Sharks members and fans appreciate his efforts but if Hunt delivers similar performances to last Saturday night against the Dragons, coach John Morris will no doubt reward him with more opportunities and game time.
After running for over 200 metres in a devastating 29 minutes on the field, Hunt has come out on top as the Round 11 Man of the Match from last weekend’s local derby win.
Hunt polled 37 per cent of the vote, edging out one his fellow middle forwards in Toby Rudolf who collected 29 per cent of the Fan Poll following what was a continuation of his outstanding rookie season.
Like Hunt, Rudolf was a tower of strength in the middle of the field, topping the run metres for his team in addition to making 27 tackles, his strong charges with the football a feature of his performance.
Third in this week’s Fan Poll was Shaun Johnson with 24 per cent of the vote, the five eighth again playing a pivotal role for the Sharks, scoring a try and having a hand in a couple more on the night.
Johnson’s one-point sees him go to a clear lead, just ahead of Josh Dugan who missed the Dragons win, in the Fan Poll Player of the Year standings.
Current Standings - Fan Poll Player of the Year
Shaun Johnson 16
Josh Dugan 15
Toby Rudolf 7
Sione Katoa 6
Blayke Brailey 4
Will Kennedy 4
Royce Hunt 3
Wade Graham 3
Jesse Ramien 3
Ronaldo Mulitalo 2
Braden Hamlin-Uele 2
Siosifa Talakai 1