It is the big American's second short-listing in the 2013/14 awards season, and comes at the end of a campaign in which he has earned plaudits from supporters and pundits alike.
Manoa is joined on the short-list by Mike Brown, Danny Care (both Harlequins), George Ford (Bath), Vereniki Goneva (Leicester) and Chris Pennell (Worcester), with the award itself being handed out at the RPA's Awards Dinner on Wednesday evening.
