Tongan trio in line to become first Golden Boot winner from Pacific nation

Tongan forwards Addin Fonua-Blake, Jason Taumalolo and Haumole Olakau’atu are in contention to become the first player from a Pacific nation to win the IRL 2024 Golden Boot.

Fonua-Blake, Taumalolo and Olakau’atu are on a long list of candidates for the prestigious award following their roles in helping Tonga to qualify for Sunday’s Pacific Cup final against Australia.

Kangaroos captain Isaah Yeo is among four Australian players in contention for the men’s 2024 Golden Boot, along with hooker Harry Grant, centre Tom Trbojevic and winger Zac Lomax.

Players have been nominated from all six nations involved in the Pacific Championships – Australia, Tonga, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Fiji and Cook Islands – as well as England and Samoa, who last weekend completed their two Test series have been nominated.

Among them are England centre Herbie Farnworth and halves George Williams and Harry Smith, Samoa playmaker Jarome Luai and fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who won the 2019 Golden Boot while playing for New Zealand.

Others include rookie Kiwis fullback Keano Kini, Kumuls stars Nene Macdonald and Lachlan Lam, Fiji second-rower Taane Milne and Cook Islands playmaker Esan Marsters.

Golden Cap recipients Darren Lockyer (Australia), James Graham (England) and Petero Civoniceva (Australia/Fiji), who are among just nine players to have played 50 internationals, will choose the men’s IRL Golden Boot winner.

Lockyer played a record 59 Tests for Australia, captaining the Kangaroos on 38 occasions, and is a two-time winner of the Golden Boot in 2003 and 2006.

Graham made a record 44 international appearances for England, including eight as captain, and played a further nine matches for Great Britain.

Civoniceva played for Australia in 45 internationals before representing his Fijian heritage at the 2013 World Cup and again in 2014, making six appearances for the Bati.

IRL Chair Troy Grant said: “International rugby league has never been more competitive, and this is reflected by the players in contention for the IRL 2024 Golden Boot.

“In the past month, international rugby league has been played at the highest level in Australia, England, Fiji, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea before big crowds and large television audiences.

“The passion of the players to represent their nations and cultures has been on full display and this has ensured some great matches headlined by last weekend’s Tonga-New Zealand clash.

“Tonga are in their first final of a major tournament and it is fitting to have Jason Taumalolo among the players in contention for the Golden Boot given what he has done for the internation game.

“In the 40th year since the Golden Boot was awarded for the first time in 1984, to Wally Lewis, we are grateful to have three other greats in Darren Lockyer, James Graham and Petero Civoniceva judge the 2024 award.

“Their involvement adds to the prestige and credibility of the Golden Boot, which is now awarded to the International Player of the Year.”

The IRL Golden Boot is awarded to the best player in sanctioned rugby league international matches each year.

The long list of men’s 2024 Golden Boot candidates was chosen by members of the international media after matches during the Pacific Championships and the England-Samoa series.

The 2023 IRL Golden Boot winners were New Zealand’s James Fisher-Harris and Georgia Hale, and French Wheelchair star Jeremy Bourson.

Short lists for the men’s, women’s 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced after the Pacific Championships quadruple header in Sydney on Sunday, November 10.

Nominations for the wheelchair 2024 IRL Golden Boot will be announced after the second international between France and England on Saturday, November 23.

The winners of the 2024 IRL Golden Boot awards will be announced in early December.

2024 IRL GOLDEN BOOT LONG LIST

MEN

• Herbie Farnworth (England)
• Addin Fonua-Blake (Tonga)
• Harry Grant (Australia)
• Lachlan Lam (Papua New Guinea)
• Zac Lomax (Australia)
• Jarome Luai (Samoa)
• Keano Kini (New Zealand)
• Nene Macdonald (Papua New Guinea)
• Esan Marsters (Cook Islands)
• Taane Milne (Fiji)
• Haumole Olakau’atu (Tonga)
• Harry Smith (England)
• Jason Taumalolo (Tonga)
• Tom Trbojevic (Australia)
• Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (Samoa)
• George Williams (England)
• Isaah Yeo (Australia)

Previous IRL Golden Boot Winners

Men  

1984 Wally Lewis (Australia)
1985 Brett Kenny (Australia)
1986 Garry Jack (Australia)
1987 Hugh McGahan (New Zealand)
and Peter Sterling (Australia)
1988 Ellery Hanley (England)
1989 Mal Meninga (Australia)
1990 Garry Schofield (England)
1992 Garry Schofield (England)
1991-98 No award given
1999 Andrew Johns (Australia)
2000 Brad Fittler (Australia)
2001 Andrew Johns (Australia)
2002 Stacey Jones (New Zealand)
2003 Darren Lockyer (Australia)
2004 Andrew Farrell (England)
2005 Anthony Minichiello (Australia)
2006 Darren Lockyer (Australia)
2007 Cameron Smith (Australia)
2008 Billy Slater (Australia)
2009 Greg Inglis (Australia)
2010 Benji Marshall (New Zealand)
2011 Johnathan Thurston (Australia)
2012 Kevin Sinfield (England)
2013 Johnathan Thurston (Australia)
2014 Shaun Johnson (New Zealand)
2015 Johnathan Thurston (Australia)
2016 Cooper Cronk (Australia)
2017 Cameron Smith (Australia)
2018 Tommy Makinson (England)
2019 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand)
2020 No award given
2021 No award given
2022 Joey Manu (New Zealand)
2023 James Fisher-Harris (New Zealand)