Lindsay surprised by Roby award

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Barrett was the front-runner to be named Man of Steel after a magnificent debut season following his move from NRL outfit St George-Illawarra Dragons - but the panel, which Lindsay himself put together during his time as supremo of the Rugby Football League, surprisingly plumped for Roby.

"I am a big admirer of the lad they finally gave it to," said Lindsay. "But statistically, which is what you should judge the Man of Steel on, he played most of his games off the bench. He didn't play 80 minutes every week like Trent Barrett has done - he therefore wasn't under the same sort of pressure."

He added: "Technically from a selection point of view I was disappointed, with the structure of the vote - and I actually put that Man of Steel committee together.

"I asked the radio broadcasters, the television broadcasters, and the written press to combine, and we used to sit together and have a dinner before we selected it, and the selection was usually right.

"This year it's gone to a wonderful player, and a player that will figure at the top level of British rugby league for many years to come, and this is no detriment to him.

"But I know that he himself probably recognises that even his own team-mate Keiron Cunningham possibly had a prior claim - and Trent has been very unlucky. Shall we be diplomatic and say he was most unlucky to miss out."