This coveted award was won by lock Matt Lord last season. He also won the players’ vote for their in-house award for the hard work he put in to help save Saints from relegation and for being a role model to the rest of the team.

That mantle seems to have been taken on by another two Saints forwards this season in the form of fellow lock Damien Browne and flanker Paul Tupai. The latter arrived after Christmas but has not taken a backward step since by adding his 13 years of experience at one of New Zealand’s Ranfurly Shield-winning provincial clubs, Bay of Plenty, to Saints back-row. He made his first appearance for his new club just days after arriving in this country and has been difficult to shift from the teamsheet ever since. In a short time, Samoan international Tupai has made quite an impact to the Saints pack beginning with his first Guinness Premiership start against Worcester Warriors at Sixways in January in which Saints came away with victory, his debut try in the eight-try rout over Saracens, his niggling presence (especially to Robbie Morris) at Newcastle and his brace of tries against the Warriors last weekend, despite the result not going Saints way. Tupai has done the No 6 jersey proud.

Browne has come into his own this season and has really stepped up his responsibility in terms of calling the lineout for the majority of this season. Browne arrived at Franklin’s Gardens at the start of last season and began his battle for a starting spot in the second row with Selborne Boome, Matt Lord, and then David Gerard, after the Frenchman was called into the squad to replace the injured James Percival. He has made 25 starts this season – the most by any forward – and scored one try to really honour the number four shirt. His hard work was rewarded when the Saints coaching team choose him to captain the side against London Irish in February.

These two forwards have definitely made their mark this season, but it has been the backs that have been grabbing all the headlines, starting with Carlos Spencer, one of the biggest overseas signings the Premiership has ever seen. Spencer, who was prepared to play in Division One for the Saints had the club been relegated last season, signed a three-year deal in the summer and moved his family over in time for the pre-season training camp in Wales which began with a slow trot on a pony! Life did not seem to improve for Spencer when Saints were beaten on the first day of the season by Leicester but slowly but surely the team has gelled nicely with Spencer providing a lot of the glue. He has made 24 starts for Saints this season and scored six tries, but created so many more. His finest days would arguably be Saints v Saracens and Newcastle v Saints. The former match will always be remembered for the cheeky kick overhead and the broad grins that followed. He won Guinness Premiership man of the match that day and was recently awarded GP Player of the Month for March. However, many would sense there is better to come from this fly-half.

The Saracens game will also be noted in history for Saints’ first solo four-try haul in the Premiership and the man who scored those four tries was Sean Lamont. The Scotland winger had been kept to just one try before that game and was more than relieved to get four all at once. Lamont first came to the coaches’ notice when he scored a try against Saints for Glasgow in last season’s Heineken Cup campaign. He admits to have struggled a little with the Premiership defences but seemed perfectly au fait with France’s when he scored a brace of tries against them in the Six Nations this season. This is a player who just loves to run and is a perfect complement to Ben Cohen.

The big news about Cohen this season is that the old chap is enjoying his rugby again and that can only be a good thing for the club. He took a complete rest from rugby last summer and came back fresh for this season. Cohen scored a hat-trick against Viadana in the European Challenge Cup and the winning score against London Irish to put himself back into contention with Andy Robinson’s England and found himself with a starting spot for the autumn internationals. He went on to start all five of England’s Six Nations games too and collected his 50th cap against Italy. Back at Franklin’s Gardens, Cohen has not let his home town down either by working hard and scoring a few more tries – one against Saracens and the opening score against Newcastle to pick out a couple from the 12 he has netted so far this season.

The last player on www.northamptonsaints.co.uk’s shortlist is Jon Clarke, who has no doubt benefited from playing alongside some of the most exciting backs in the Premiership. JC was a little out in the wilderness last season through injury problems but is right back in the thick of the action thanks to a selection at outside centre. Injury to Geoff Appleford left the No 13 shirt vacant and head coach Paul Grayson thought Clarke had the talent to step straight into that role. In fact, Clarke has only missed one game all season and has racked up 25 starts and seven tries. He has also played next to a fair amount of different inside centres, due to various injuries, but has taken it all in his long stride. His rejuvenation at centre also attracted the attention of the England selectors and he was called up to start both England A games in the Six Nations as well as working with the senior squad for the final weeks of the tournament. In short, JC is back!

You can also vote for Try of the Year and Young Player of the Year from the shortlists on the voting page. Just click on the link on the home page to place your votes.