Newcastle winger Akuila Uate named in Dally M Team of the Year

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NEWCASTLE winger and Fijian International Akuila Uate further pressed his claims for a Kangaroos jumper by making the NRL Team of the Year last night.

The Knights flyer has speed to burn, finished with a competition-high 21 tries and would have caused plenty of headaches out wide for opposition sides had Newcastle reached the finals.

Uate has pledged his allegiance to Australia, and being recognised as the game’s best winger is sure to make selectors take an even closer look at the Fijian as a serious Four Nations prospect.

In other Team of the Year positions:

ST GEORGE Illawarra’s Darius Boyd beat Parramatta superstar Jarryd Hayne, Melbourne’s Billy Slater and Canberra ace Josh Dugan for the fullback position;

MANLY’S Jamie Lyon was named the best centre, despite being picked by NSW for Origin Game I at five-eighth;

TODD Carney’s return to the NRL was further capped by being selected at five-eighth, despite only taking over the No. 6 jumper at his club midway through the season, and despite another top season by under-rated Dragon Jamie Soward;

SCOTT Prince was selected at halfback, beating fellow Queenslanders Cooper Cronk – who was brilliant for Melbourne – North Queensland’s Johnathan Thurston and South Sydney’s Chris Sandow, as well as Sydney Roosters No. 7 Mitchell Pearce;

ROBBIE Farah got the nod for hooker, despite stiff competition from Issac Luke, who lost some vital votes while sidelined with a shoulder injury;

POPULAR Panther Luke Lewis was handed the No. 13 jumper – a reward for his consistent form for the mountain men – beating Cronulla’s Paul Gallen;

SAM Thaiday beat a crack field for the back-rower’s position, and was almost unstoppable for most of the season; and

CANBERRA’S David Shillington was the Team of the Year’s prop after literally leading from the front and playing a huge role in the Raiders’ late surge to September. Shillington was also brilliant for Queensland during State of Origin this year.

It was the first time since 1999 that the team of the year featured no two players from the one club and only the second time in history every position featured a player from different clubs.

However, Uate’s acknowledgement was easily the best story, especially given he started the season as a virtual stranger to rugby league fans.

AFL-bound Israel Folau’s defection has eliminated one of the Kangaroos’ wing candidates, and Uate’s supporters are sure to grow in the coming weeks.

It was Folau who Uate beat for the top tryscorer’s gong.