A true leader among the York Knights forward, Ta’ai overcame injury problems to enjoy an exceptional first year at the LNER Community Stadium.

Ta’ai had to wait until late March to make his first league appearance for York after injuries disrupted his pre-season following an off-season move from Newcastle Thunder.

But once fully fit, the Tongan found his best form, featuring 26 times for the Knights and scoring two tries, going over the whitewash in the 31-16 win at Barrow Raiders which sealed a Betfred Championship Play-Offs berth.

At 37, Ta’ai provides a wealth of experience to a relatively young Knights squad, having won 10 caps for Tonga, appeared more than 50 times in the NRL for New Zealand Warriors and played almost 200 times for Huddersfield Giants.