Rugby League Mackay and District: Wests clean up at league’s night of nights

Go inside the successful seasons of Jackson Phillips, Jayden Rodwell, and more, and discover the full list of every RLMD award-winner and nominee here.

Wests' Jackson Phillips took home Rugby League Mackay and District's top gong, etching his name alongside the likes of Dave Roberts, Lindsey Gil, Stanley Haru and Brett Galea. Picture: Supplied.

Despite a lowly seventh-place finish for Wests in the Rugby League Mackay and District A-grade competition this season, Jackson Phillips took home the coveted Bill Paten Medal.

The medal, awarded to A-grade’s best player for the season, couldn’t have gone to anyone more deserving in the eyes of Wests president Robert Downey.

“He‘s extremely hardworking, very consistent, pretty unassuming in the way he goes about his work,” Downey said.

“But gets in there and does the really hard work, which is what we needed this year.

“Even though we weren’t having such a good season, he was always putting his hand up to do the hard stuff, he’d be taking the first hit up every set, and he’s was playing big minutes every week.

“He was outstanding.”

At just 23 years of age, Phillips has already amassed 47 first grade appearances in the orange and black.

It was a season as memorable as they come for the front-rower, who also took out the best forward, players’ player, and A-grade player of the year at the Wests awards night.

And Downey believes Phillips’ haul is just the beginning in a prosperous career.

“He’s going to be a leader within our club, and I would dare say, within the Rugby League Mackay community, he’ll be a leader in that as well,” Downey said.

“This was probably the first year where he‘s been one of our more senior front-rowers, so there was a lot more responsibility thrust onto his shoulders, and he definitely raised to meet that head on.

“It was really a coming of age for him.”

A Tiger also took home the Jim Wilson Reserve Grade Medal, with player of the season honours going to Jayden Rodwell - a somewhat less surprising outcome given that side put paid to a dominant season to taste premiership glory.

Wests' Jayden Rodwell running the footy. Picture: Supplied.

“He was outstanding … almost unstoppable,” Downey said of Rodwell.

And he revealed the barnstorming forward came close to not playing at all.

“Coming up through the juniors he played a lot of football with rep, and Cutters, and carnivals, and school and club and all that, so he was looking to have a bit of a break,” Downey said.

Fortunately for Wests, Rodwell chose to play reserve grade, with the focus on enjoying his footy.

“How far he goes in his career is probably up to him, if he wants to be a great Mackay player or even higher than that.

“If he puts his mind to it it’s something he could definitely achieve.”

Capping off a remarkable Wests’ treble, Ben Geiger tied for the Grant Rovelli U20 Medal with Magpie Harry Thorpe.

“It was probably surprising that we won because he did miss a lot of games this year,” Downey said of Geiger’s season.

“That just shows his quality.”

Brothers' Elle Stitt (middle) took home the Best Women's Player crown. Picture: Mackay Brothers Football Club Facebook.

Geiger was given a taste of A-grade football this season, stepping up when the side needed him despite carrying an injury himself.

Downey expects the fullback to play at the level more next season, and believes he could feature in any of the back positions, such is his versatility.

“He’s going to be one to watch,” Downey said.

Brothers premiership player Elle Stitt took home the Women’s Player of the Year crown.

Find every award winner and nominee below.