Central Coast Rugby League: Fans vote for the 2023 CCRL people’s choice team of the year
After a month of voting, Central Coast Rugby League fans have had their say on who should make the people’s choice team of the year. See who made the cut.
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After an excellent season and plenty of votes over the past month, the readers have finally had their say and picked the Central Coast Rugby League people’s choice team of the year.
Provided with a list of top performers in each position, fans were given the chance to vote for who they thought should have made the CCRL top 17.
And with voting now closed, check out who was voted into the squad.
FULLBACK
Kiran Page (Toukley)
Outstanding at the back for Toukley, who went back to back in 2023, Page was comfortably voted fullback of the year with 43 per cent of all votes.
Loved at Darren Kennedy Oval and named the Hawks’ Best and Fairest this season, the poll shows just how well respected he is across the competition.
WINGERS
Riley Burke (Erina) and Aaron Heaven (Toukley)
No major surprises as the competition’s leading tryscorer and the two-try grand final hero were selected as the CCRL wingers for the season.
Burke, who received 41 per cent of the vote, was unbelievable in his first season in the top grade, picking up the rookie of the year award as he amassed 21 tries in the regular season, while Heaven (29 per cent) was also excellent for Toukley, showing in the grand final that he is a man for the big occasion.
CENTRES
Jacob Griffin (Toukley) and Leighton Tali (Woy Woy)
Griffin was the runaway favourite in the centres with 33 per cent, earning plenty of respect for his solid performances week in, week out in the blue and gold.
He is joined by Woy Woy’s Leighton Tali. A mid-season recruit, the 25-year-old made a huge impact for the Roosters, picking up the club’s best back award and being named joint Players’ Player – despite only playing around half the games.
He made such an impression that he also found a spot in the team of the year with 21 per cent of votes, edging out Terrigal’s Caydn Rosemeyer (19 per cent) and Wyong’s Stephen Gordon (18 per cent).
FIVE-EIGHTH
Jake Fitzpatrick (Toukley)
He was responsible for one of the most iconic images of the season. Hoisted onto the shoulders of Toukley fans in the moments after the Hawks’ dramatic 8-6 grand final win over Erina, Fitzpatrick encapsulated the ecstasy of those in blue and gold as the team went back to back.
The spiritual leader of the club, the Hawks’ captain-coach was once again immense as his side wrote itself into immortality with a second-straight premiership. Showing his popularity across the competition, Fitzpatrick received 39 per cent of the vote.
HALFBACK
Josh Kessler (Toukley)
In one of the tighter polls, Toukley’s Josh Kessler (34 per cent) edged out Wyong captain-coach Todd Lewis (28 per cent) to join his skipper in the halves in the team of the year.
With a monster pack in front of him, the young half did an excellent job steering the team round the park and kicked plenty of important goals to help the Hawks go back to back.
HOOKER
Terence Seuseu (Wyong)
In the most convincing poll, Wyong’s number nine was the clear winner among Central Coast footy fans, receiving a whopping 55 per cent of votes in the hooker poll.
Showing the class that saw him play in the NRL and for Samoa, Seuseu was instrumental in the Roos’ late-season run, which saw them play some sparkling football before falling just one game short of the decider.
FRONT ROW
Brady Barwick (Toukley) and Brae Verheyen (Wyong)
The leader of the most dominant pack in the comp, it’s no surprise to see Hawks prop Brady Barwick come out as the top prop according to the fans with 32 per cent.
Brilliant all season, Barwick also came up with a huge play in the grand final, famously jolting the ball loose from Erina’s Oliver Clements as the Eagles’ forward appeared destined to score late in the decider.
He’s joined in the front row by Wyong’s Brae Verheyen (24 per cent), who was immense for the Roos, often putting in 80-minute shifts in the middle for his side.
SECOND ROW
Jakob Giles (Toukley) and Jack Smith (Erina)
The Hawks’ man-of-the-match hero in the grand final was the overwhelming fan favourite backrower in 2023, picking up 44 per cent of votes in a seven-strong field.
Brilliant all season, Giles really turned it on in the grand final with some strong carries, excellent defence and a moment of brilliance in the form of a round-the-corner offload to set up Aaron Heaven’s ultimately crucial second try.
Lining up next to Giles is Erina’s Jack Smith (16 per cent), whose toughness and work ethic made him one of the Eagles’ most consistent players over the course of the season.
LOCK
Kallin Adams (Toukley)
In the tightest poll of them all, Toukley’s Kallin Adams was voted into the number 13 jersey, picking up 35 per cent of the vote to edge out Erina’s Jack Weir (34 per cent) by the narrowest of margins.
One of Toukley’s unsung heroes, Adams put in plenty of the dog work in the middle, and was aptly named the club’s most consistent player for 2023.
INTERCHANGE
Nick Newman (Erina)
While he was edged out by Fitzpatrick in the five-eighth poll, Newman picked up a healthy 28 per cent of the votes for a brilliant year that saw him named CCRL Player of the Season, and thus earning him a spot as utility on the bench.
Joel Frazer (Erina)
The leader of Erina’s pack, Frazer earns a jersey for an excellent season in which he took his young Eagles side within a couple of points (and centimetres) of a premiership. He picked up 13 per cent of the votes in a strong front row field to finish third behind Barwick and Verheyen.
Jack Weir (Erina)
Perhaps the unluckiest player not to get a starting jersey, Weir finished narrowly behind Toukley’s Kallin Adams in the vote for lock of the season.
An ultra-consistent player who always puts in 100 per cent, he was once again among Erina’s – and the competition’s – best.
Kodi Costello (Wyong)
It was an eventful season for the utility, who remarkably started the year playing in the halves in reserve grade.
He then moved into the forwards and stepped up to first grade, playing both on the edge and in the middle, where he was absolute dynamite for the Roos as an impact player in the back half of the season.
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