Te Moana Claims Will Tanner

Mike Te Moana has created history by becoming the first player to win back to back Will Tanner Trophies, and to be named the New South Wales Country Senior Player of the Year.

The Will Tanner Trophy is named in honour of the former Quirindi, Central North and NSW Country player who tragically lost his life in a horse riding accident in the mid nineties.

Te Moana scored maximum points in the Cockatoos comprehensive win over the Queensland Country Heelers to edge out Prop Liam Vaughan, with Lock Tom Cullen and Winger Chris Jack tied in third place.

The hard running No 8 from the Armidale Rugby Club in the New England Zone had an outstanding representative season for both the New England Lions in the NSW Country Championships and the NSW Country Cockatoos.

He was dominant in both attack and defence, with his trademark breaks from the back of the scrum resulting in numerous tries for both him and supporting players.

During the Cockatoos five match representative program he crossed for five tries and was instrumental in setting up other players, which saw the Cockatoos register two record breaking victories over the Queensland Country Heelers to claim the Battle of the Borders Trophy.

In other New South Wales Country Rugby news, the Colts Player of the Year was awarded to the Far North Coast Rugby Union’s Dominic Morris.

The Lismore Rugby Club Flanker in his first year of Representative Rugby for his Zone and NSW Country, amassed points in every Country Colts match to claim the trophy.

Will Tanner Winners

1998 – James Quinn – Central North

1999 – Rod Petty – Illawarra

2000 – David Lubins – Newcastle Hunter

2001 – James McCormack – Monaro

2002 – Nick Lavelle – Central West

2003 – Anthony Gowing – Central West

2004 – Adam Winter – Central Coast

2005 – Ross Duncan – Western Plains

2006 – Paul Elliott – Central West

2007 – Nick Leseberg – Newcastle Hunter

2008 – Mike Te Moana – New England

ENDS

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