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SYDNEY (AP) ? Scrumhalf Will Genia has edged Queensland Reds halves partner Quade Cooper to win the Australian Super Rugby player of the year award.
The Reds were named team of the year after finishing the regular season atop the Super 15 standings, while their coach, Ewen McKenzie, was voted coach of the year for a fourth time.
Genia and Cooper shared first place going into last round of the 2011 competition, before Genia clinched the award with a man-of-the-match performance in Queensland's win over the Waikato Chiefs last weekend.
Genia, who was runner-up to Cooper in last year's Australian awards, finished with 20 votes, two clear of Cooper and four ahead of Western Force utility back James O'Connor.
All three are expected to feature prominently in Australia's Tri-Nations and World Cup campaigns this year.
McKenzie, who won his previous three coach of the year awards with the New South Wales Waratahs in 2005, 2006 and 2008, has turned around a Reds squad that was languishing at the bottom of the standings to one of the most powerful teams in the southern hemisphere's premier provincial competition in the space of 18 months.
Melbourne Rebels scrumhalf Nick Phipps, 22, was named rookie of the year.
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The Reds were named team of the year after finishing the regular season atop the Super 15 standings, while their coach, Ewen McKenzie, was voted coach of the year for a fourth time.
Genia and Cooper shared first place going into last round of the 2011 competition, before Genia clinched the award with a man-of-the-match performance in Queensland's win over the Waikato Chiefs last weekend.
Genia, who was runner-up to Cooper in last year's Australian awards, finished with 20 votes, two clear of Cooper and four ahead of Western Force utility back James O'Connor.
All three are expected to feature prominently in Australia's Tri-Nations and World Cup campaigns this year.
McKenzie, who won his previous three coach of the year awards with the New South Wales Waratahs in 2005, 2006 and 2008, has turned around a Reds squad that was languishing at the bottom of the standings to one of the most powerful teams in the southern hemisphere's premier provincial competition in the space of 18 months.
Melbourne Rebels scrumhalf Nick Phipps, 22, was named rookie of the year.
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