Northern Pride’s night of nights crowned 21-year-old halfback as the Player of the Year
It was the night of nights for the Northern Pride as a young gun was crowned the Player of the Year as he chases an NRL debut in 2025.
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Northern Pride halfback Tom Duffy has topped off an incredible year personally by claiming the Player of the Year at the Pride’s awards night on Thursday.
Duffy played every game for the Pride this season finishing with 98 goals and five tries for a total of 216 points – the most in the competition.
The 21-year-old also finished with the most try assists (33) and linebreak assists (20) across the Hostplus Cup.
Pride coach Eric Smith said Duffy was unlucky to not get the Player of the Year for the competition.
“It is probably not a big surprise to too many people if they have watched a bit of footy of us this year,” Smith said.
“Led the try assists and linebreak assists throughout the competition, had a really solid year for us.
“Pretty much anything we done or was a highlight or successful, Duff was part of it somewhere.
“I thought he took great control of the team as a young half coming in, he didn’t get to train with us at all during the pre-season, his first session was a captains run for round 1.
“The way he organised and demanded things from the team and got them around the park, I think he had a phenomenal year.”
Duffy averaged 238.9 metres with his kicking at 73.1 per cent conversion rate which included 10 forced drop outs.
In defence, the Cowboys product also laid 407 tackles at 90 efficiency.
“I think that’s where they (Cowboys) see Duff as well, they all have big wraps on him down there,” Smith said.
“I am sure that we will see him in a Cowboys jumper at some point next year for sure.”
2nd Rower Taniela Ta’ufo’ou was the Most Improved in 2024.
Ta’ufo’ou played just the five games this season, coming off the bench at the back end of the season after playing majority of the year for the Far North Queensland Rugby League team, Tully Tigers.
“I thought he had a really great season this year, he spent first chunk of the year just working hard at training and playing for the Tully Tigers,” Smith said.
“He got his opportunity at the back end of the year and played the last couple of months coming off the bench as a forward.
“I thought his football went from strength to strength this year and I see him as being a really important cog for the Pride moving forward, especially in their forward stocks.”
Former defender turn forward Evan Child was named best forward for the Pride after making the shift midway through the season.
Child played all 22 games this season, starting in 19, finishing with 1999 running metres at an average of 90.86 running metres per game.
“Evan trained at six until Christmas and that was when we found out we were going to be getting two halves,” Smith said.
“So Ev just slot into that 13 position post Christmas and only had a couple months to prepare for it and I thought he did an outstanding job.
“He was a really good link, he was like an extra half for us, he directed the forwards and everything that happened with our forwards, started with Evan.
“He was the one who had his hands on the ball the most but not only that, he had to get his head around the extra workload of defending in the middle as well.
“That is something that people take for granted that you can just chuck someone in their and get the job done.
“The workload is enormous compared to where he would have been a three as a defender, I think he has shown his versatility that he can play multiple roles at a very high level.”
Winger Jensen Taumoepeau was named best back as he also looks to make the move south, heading to the Raiders.
“I think anyone who watched us play this year, Jensen’s carries and his charges out of our end, every second one was a line break, was a quick play-the-ball,” Smith said.
“His ability in the air to score tries off kicks, I thought he was unlucky to not be in that team of the year conversations.
“But for me, he was by far our best outside back and consistent.
“Sometimes he single-handedly pull us out of trouble and won games for us off the back of his carries or line break out of our own end, multiple times this year.
“He is a pretty quiet kid but he lets all his football do the talking and he is a player that all his teammates love playing with and they are so happy for him that he has been able to get an NRL opportunity as well.”
One of the clubs most prestigious awards is the Players Player and Tom Chester was crowned the award on Thursday night.
Chester played just 11 games for the Pride this season, spending some time in the NRL for the Cowboys.
“This is always one that the players hold in the highest sted,” Smith said.
“Tom played about half the season for us but it just shows the type of impact he had.
“The half the season he played with us, the players valued him that much.
“You can see the amount of work he puts into games, there was a game he had over 420 running metres, which I have never seen ever in my life.
“But his work rate, he is such a tough competitor, those are the types of players that are a pleasure to coach.
“I think him just being so tough and so competitive, there were times he was pushing guys out of the way to get carries because he wants to help the team out more.”
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Originally published as Northern Pride’s night of nights crowned 21-year-old halfback as the Player of the Year
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