Star St George Illawarra Dragons NRLW fullback Teagan Berry has headlined the club's awards night, securing the club's NRLW Player of the Year Award.
The prestigious award win comes days after she recently signed a two-year contract extension with the club, extending her stay at the Red V.
Joining the likes of previous winners Jessica Sergis, Holli Wheeler and Emma Tonegato in claiming the award, Berry was the competition's top-try-scorer with 11 tries to her name and finished first in total runs, second in run metres, fourth in tackle breaks and fifth in line breaks.
"I feel like there's something building here," Berry said.
"I'm really excited to see what the future holds for this club. I'd like to thank the club for what they've done for me in the past few years.
"Obviously Jamie Soward. I give him enough raps but he's been awesome for me. It's been good to play with Ty and Rae (halves Tyla Nathan-Wong and captain Raecene McGregor), they're such good leaders and have been really good for us this season.
"Hopefully we can keep building. I'm really excited for what the future holds for us."
Berry would also claim the Red V Members NRLW Player of the Year award, voted by the fans after becoming the first player in NRLW history to score career 20 tries.
"She's a special person," Soward said in presenting the awards.
"One thing I've loved about her, there was a moment after the Wests Tigers game (a late 20-16 win in round five), it was emotional, we won, I sat down next to her and she was filthy about a thing that happened in the first half and that gives me goosebumps when one of your star players analyses themselves hard because she's going to be driving standards for the next couple of years."
Other awards presented on the night included the NRLW Emerging Talent Award and Coach's Award.
The NRLW Emerging Talent Award went to Ella Koster, who scored two tries and appeared in all but one game after captaining the Steelers in the Tarsha Gale Cup.
The 18-year-old played every minute in four of her five games in the NRLW after she became a mainstay of the starting line-up due to injuries. Her season also included 192 tackles at a 90 per cent tackle efficiency.
Alexis Tauaneai would also be honoured on the night having secured the Coach's Award. Tauaneai was a workhorse in the middle of the field and averaged 148 running metres per game and made a total of 213 tackles at 96 per cent efficiency.
"I got a chance to meet her this year, it took some convincing to tell her how good she was but she's been a star on our team," Soward said of Tauaneai.
"When I watch her play I see a leader every single week. I've asked her to do different things, get different stuff in her game and she's been able to do that. She's quickly becoming a person everyone loves to play with."
NRLW PLAYER OF THE YEAR RECIPIENTS
2018:ย Holli Wheeler
2019:ย Jessica Sergis
2020:ย Shaylee Bent
2021:ย Elsie Albert & Emma Tonegato
2022:ย Holli Wheeler
2023:ย Teagan Berry
