By PETER ROWE
The Ken Allen Medal is the biggest honour that can be bestowed on a player in the NRLWA Fuel to Play and Go Premiership.
The Best and Fairest across the year – 18 rounds of the regular 2026 season.
The most consistent, as seen by the men who officiate the games, the referees.
The award has seen many names etched on its honours list and on September 9, another will be added.
But who might that name be? We asked the coaches of the 2026 Premiership teams who they thought that person might be, and we asked them not to ‘initially’ name a player from their own team.
For defending premiers Willagee coach Nelson Davis a small handful of players stood out.
“Ezra Taomia at Fremantle has had a great season,” he said. “And Soni Langi at Kalamunda is another who has consistently been named every week as a performer for his side.”
Davis also spoke well of South Perth’s Kade McDonald and Josh Ngapui of the Bulldogs.
And of his own team, as we had to ask?
“Kobi (Aeisi) and Matty Lansdown have been superb, Manfred (Kelly) has scored tries for fun and for me Malakai (Chan-Boon) has stood out every game. An 80-minute front rower and a big reason why we have done so well this season.”
Fremantle’s Duane Butler won the award in 2023, one of three forwards ( Keelyn Tuuta Edwards in 2022 and Tom Murphy in 2024, although some would argue Edwards was a hybrid mix of half and lock). Could a forward win it in 2026 or is the award destined for a playmaking back?
“Bow Stein at North Beach has had a great season and is a very influential player in their side,” Butler said.
“And Kobi Aesi is another who has shone. Joel Irvine at the Giants and big Nasty (Riapo Jones) have also been consistent.
“For me it’s wide open this year, Kade (McDonald) although he missed the start of the season and of course Ezra (Taomia). Then there’s Kainoa (Gudgeon), but did he do enough early in the season before he got injured?
“Matt Lansdown has been there all year for the bears, and so has Soni (Langi) and Daniel Green for South Perth.”
Lansdown is a prolific talker in the field especially to referees. Whether that counts in his favour we will have to wait and see. Murphy from Rockingham was also a talker and despite thinking this would go against him, won the award two years ago.
Could it be back-to-back for the humble Samisoni Langi? Or the veteran who defies age, Green, who was a joint winner of the award in 2019 with Jeremy Wallace.
The last back-to-back winner was Isaac Thomas from South Perth in 2006 and 2007.
Many think Langi will be up there when the votes are added up.
South Perth’s John Crawford, who came close in his playing days, thinks the Kalamunda five-eighth will be in the running.
“I think he missed a couple of games at the start of the season but there won’t be many in his side taking points off him.” Crawford said.
Bow Stein gets a mention, as does Taomia and Green, for, at 44 years of age, is still up there giving his all every week.
“He’s phenomenal,” Crawford said. “He keeps himself fit, but also joins in when we have a beer. Last week after our win at Willagee we decided to go back to the club for a few beers, but Greeny went and had ice bath first to recover before joining us. He’s that dedicated.”
Ellenbrook’s Dan Manning is also a Langi fan, as well as naming McDonald.
“Soni has led Kalamunda to the finals this year and has been consistent all season and that counts,” he said.
“Willagee have so much talent that every week players might be taking points off each other, so that might, might go against them.”
Riapo Jones has stood out for the Bunnies in 2026, the giant prop nicknamed ‘Nasty’ has had a tremendous season.
“I’d be surprised if he doesn’t get prop of the year,” Manning said.
Kalamunda coach Duane Gwiazdzinski is too polite to nominate his own son-in-law (Langi) but quietly admits that he has been a massive influence on his side’s superb season.
“He’s been a leader all year, but we do have a good squad of players who have stepped up from Val Murphy, who have also made it happen for us,” Gwiazdzinski said.
“This year really is hard to predict. Manfred Kelly has to be up there, he’s scored five tries n a game a number of times and with over 20 this season deserves to be mentioned.”
Joondalup coach Matt Gowland called out Willagee’s Kobi Aeisi as his standout.
“I’d give him eight-and-a-half out of ten every week,” Gowland said. “Very consistent, you know you are going to get a good performance every week.
“If Kainoa Gudgeon had not been injured he would surely be up there and for us it has to be young Lincoln (Williams). Outstanding all season. A very humble young man always wanting to learn.”
Marty Collis from North Beach agrees that had Gudgeon not been injured he might well be the winner.
“He is a class act and a leader, Collis said. “ But the injury he sustained in July might have ended his chance.
“For me Daniel Green has stood out. He’s only missed a couple of games and he is so influential in that South Perth side. Phenomenal for a player in his forties.
“And a roughie pick would be Chase Rye from Ellenbrook. He won the Val Murphy player of the year in 2025 and he has not looked out of place in first grade this year at all. He does so much for that team.”
Rockingham coach Reece Potter has played in two grand finals and been in the game here in the West for many years. He has a good eye for picking a winner.
“Ezra is in there on the list, he’s had a great season,” Potter said. “And so has Kade McDonald, Kobi Aeisi and Manfred Kelly, with all those tries.
“Matt Lansdown is another who has performed regularly and Soni (Langi) has again been a real standout in the halves. The centre of everything good Kalamunda have done this season.”
Kwinana player-coach Lewis Samuels agrees that Lansdown and Langi are two standouts from the season.
“Matty stepped up from union and has transitioned really well to league,” Samuels said.
“He hasn’t just been a points scorer, he sets up plays and leads from the front.
“Ishy (Ishmael Leilua) is another who has moved from union to league with ease and has scored a lot of tries for Fremantle. He has found his feet at the Roosters.
“And Soni has played a big part in taking Kalamunda to the finals. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him up there again.”
Despite a disappointing first season in the top flight, Samuels also called out his captain Ben Russell for a superb year. “Played every game and always on the front foot,” he said.
So 2026? Wide open, as many coaches have stated.
A new name, back-to-back, a forward or a back?
May the best man win.
