IRL 2024 Golden Boot: Large field nominated for prestigious award

A large field has been nominated for the prestigious International Rugby League Golden Boot award. See the nominees here and have your say.

2024 Golden Boot nominees. Supplied

Tongan forwards Addin Fonua-Blake, Jason Taumalolo and Haumole Olakau’tau have been nominated for the prestigious Golden Boot award ahead of Sunday’s Pacific Championships final against Australia.

No Pacific Nations player has ever claimed the annual honour.

The IRL Golden Boot is awarded to the best player in sanctioned international matches each year.

Australian captain Isaah Yeo is also a contender along with Kangaroos teammates Harry Grant, Tom Trbojevic and Zac Lomax.

Players have been nominated from all six nations contesting the Pacific Championships, as well as England and Samoa.

Addin Fonua-Blake (c) and Jason Taumalolo (2R) of Tonga have been nominated for the Golden Boot award. Picture: Getty Images

Fonua-Blake, Taumalolo and Olakau’tau will join English candidates Herbie Farnworth, George Williams and Harry Smith along with Samoa’s Jarome Luai and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who won the 2019 Golden Boot.

Other contenders include Keano Kini, Nene Macdonald, Lachlan Lam, Taane Milne and Esan Marsters.

Previous Golden Cap recipients Darren Lockyer, James Graham and Petero Civoniceva will choose the men’s Golden Boot winner.

“International rugby league has never been more competitive, and this is reflected by the players in contention for the IRL 2024 Golden Boot,” said IRL chairman Troy Grant.

“In the past month, international rugby league has been played at the highest level in Australia, England, Fiji, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea before big crowds and large television audiences.

“The passion of the players to represent their nations and cultures has been on full display and this has ensured some great matches headlined by last weekend’s Tonga-New Zealand clash.

“Tonga are in their first final of a major tournament and it is fitting to have Jason Taumalolo among the players in contention for the Golden Boot given what he has done for the international game.”

The list of men’s Golden Boot candidates was chosen by members of the international media after matches during the Pacific Championships and the England-Samoa series.

Reduced short lists for the men’s and women’s 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced after the Pacific Championships quadruple header in Parramatta this Sunday.

Nominations for the wheelchair 2024 IRL Golden Boot will be revealed after the second international between France and England on Saturday, November 23.

Winners of the 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced in early December.