Bevan French has illuminated British rugby league since leaving the NRL for Wigan - and he could now be rewarded for his consistent brilliance with the UK game's top individual honour, the Steve Prescott Man of Steel award.
The Warriors' flyer was named on Wednesday on the three-man shortlist for the annual player of the year accolade along with two England internationals, Catalan Dragons winger Tom Johnstone and St Helens fullback Jack Welsby.
French, from Tingha in NSW's northern tablelands, has been piling up the points since arriving in Britain in 2019.
The now 27-year-old chalked up 35 tries in 47 matches at Parramatta.
But the NRL's loss has been Super League's gain with French, the league's top try scorer in 2022, having reinvented his game and multi-tasked this year, now excelling in the halves after switching from the wing earlier in the season because of injuries in the Wigan squad.
He is leading the league in assists and was instrumental in Wigan winning the League Leaders Shield.
It may prove a close call. This year's Super League top try scorer on 27 is Johnstone, who's thrived since leaving Wakefield for Catalans Dragons, while Welsby hopes to add the main prize to the young players' award he has picked up in the last two years.
If French triumphs he'll be the ninth Australian to lift the award and will follow closely in the footsteps of former Melbourne and Brisbane player Brodie Croft's 2022 win as Salford playmaker.
The last winger to be named Man of Steel was Wigan's Australian star Pat Richards 13 years ago.
AUSTRALIAN WINNERS OF THE MAN OF STEEL AWARD
1986 Gavin Miller (Hull KR)
1999 Adrian Vowles (Castleford)
2005 Jamie Lyon (St Helens)
2009 Brett Hodgson (Huddersfield)
2010 Pat Richards (Wigan)
2018 Ben Barba (St Helens)
2019 Jackson Hastings (St Helens)
2022 Brodie Croft (Salford)
