Head gets nod for 2004 Integral
Energy Dragons Medal

St George Illawarra halfback Mathew Head has won the prestigious 2004 Integral Energy Dragons Medal at a formal presentation at the WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong, tonight.

The 22-year-old Dapto junior, who transformed himself from a Premier League player last season to an NRL regular in 2004, won the club?s NRL ?player of the year? award ahead of final nominees Ben Hornby (2003 winner), Matt Cooper and Reece Simmonds.

The Medal ? won previously by Hornby, Shaun Timmins (2002), Jason Ryles (2001), Trent Barrett (2000) and Jamie Ainscough (1999) - is determined by a mixed criteria including a voting system involving the first grade players and coaching staff, and qualitative factors taken into account by the club.

Head was the club?s leading NRL point scorer with 119 points, scoring five tries, 49 goals and one field goal in his 23 of a possible 25 NRL matches.

Winger and Dragons Medal finalist Reece Simmonds, 24, who had an outstanding season scoring 14 tries in 23 games, was awarded the 2004 Geoff Selby Memorial NRL Coaches Award, determined by the first grade coaching staff. This award was won last year by Cooper, also a 2004 Dragons Medal finalist.

Cooper, 25, was again honoured, winning the 2004 Red V Members Player of the Year, voted by the Dragons supporters. The award capped an incredible season for the Shellharbour junior who earned Kangaroo and NSW Origin honours for the first time, as well as being the club?s leading try-scorer (17 tries in 23 games) and gaining a club record for most tries in a match (four) which he shares with Mark Gasnier. Luke Bailey won this award in 2003.

Fullback Clint Greenshields, 22, who made his NRL and NSW Residents debuts this season, won the 2004 Mark Coyne Award for Premier League Player of the Year. He played three NRL games and 22 Premier League matches and was second top try-scorer (17) in Premier League.

NRL rookie Justin Poore, predominantly a Jersey Flegg player in 2003, won the Paul McGregor Award for Most Outstanding Player Achievement. The 19-year-old Helensburgh junior played 20 NRL games in his inaugural first grade season. Dean Young was the 2003 winner.

2004 DRAGONS AWARD WINNERS:

Mathew Head Integral Energy Dragons Medal (other nominations were Ben Hornby, Matt Cooper and Reece Simmonds)

Reece Simmonds Geoff Selby Memorial NRL Coaches Award

Matt Cooper Red V Members Player of the Year

Clint Greenshields Mark Coyne Award ? Premier League Player of the Year

Justin Poore Paul McGregor Award ? Most Outstanding Player Achievement