YORK City Knights Ladies star Tara Stanley has won the 2022 Woman of Steel award.

Stanley has enjoyed an exceptional debut year at York since her off-season switch from Castleford Tigers.

The full-back played a key role in the Knights’ capture of the inaugural Women’s Nines and a maiden League Leaders’ Shield in the Betfred Women’s Super League, as well as helping York reach a first Grand Final, which they narrowly lost 12-4 to Leeds Rhinos on Sunday.

The England international has notched 18 tries and 54 goals for York this season, with her eye-catching performances seeing her win the most valued individual prize in the women’s game.

“I’m stunned and humbled to have won the award,” said Stanley.

“When you look at the quality of the players in contention, just to be on that shortlist was a big honour.

“As a full-back you don’t get to shine without a big effort by the rest of your team, and although we were disappointed to lose in the Grand Final at the weekend, it was a great achievement for us to finish top of the table.”

Stanley has captured the eye with her dazzling running game, scoring a number of solo tries via steps off her left and right feet.

The York number one recalled: “I remember when I first started playing and my coach said to the other players, ‘Pass Tara the ball, she’ll just run around and we’ll see what happens’.

“I think I did lose it a bit because you get so fixated on trying to cement yourself as what other full-backs are doing. I worked on my passing and other different aspects of my game.

“Speaking to Lindsay (Anfield, York director of rugby) in pre-season, she said ‘This is our super-power. If you use this at the right time, it’ll be magic’.

“From then on, whenever I catch that ball, the first thing is going full pelt and trying to find that gap by using my footwork and my step, which I seem to have found some success with this season.

“But, I just play off the back of the forwards. They do all the hard work and I just dance around at the end and put the ball over the line, which seems to work.”

Stanley was voted as Woman of Steel by a panel of experts from the media and the England Performance Unit and was chosen ahead of York team-mates Sinead Peach and Hollie Dodd, St Helens pair Amy Hardcastle and Jodie Cunningham and Leeds Rhinos ace Georgia Roche.

On co-captain Peach, Stanley enthused: “She leads from the front along with Katie (Langan) and she's someone that I look up to.

"She’s phenomenal at finding that balance between being knowing when to be calm and composed and when we need to be roared at.

“I think she’s been magnificent and showed another tool in her box with the try she scored in the Grand Final, she’s got a fantastic running game.”

Stanley continued on Dodd: “Hollie is such an amazing young talent. For how good is doing at this age, it’s scary to think that she’s only 19 years of age.

“She’s not someone that I want to come up against in the future. Her running game is phenomenal."

The England international added: “The fact that 50 per cent of the nominees were York players really does show that we’ve got a great team here.

“Picking up this award, I’m very humbled and honoured, but I’m under no illusions that the other girls have put in just as much hard work."