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WELLINGTON product Brent Naden has been awarded for an outstanding season with the Penrith Panthers after being named in the Holden Cup Team of the Year on Monday.
The 19-year-old enjoyed a breakout year at the foot of the mountains and earlier in the season was named on the wing for the NSW under-20s Origin side.
He was named on the bench in the 2015 Team of the Year, which is headlined by emerging NRL stars Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles), Ashley Taylor (Broncos), Te Maire Martin (Wests Tigers), Gideon Mosby (North Queensland Cowboys) and Latrell Mitchell (Sydney Roosters).
This year's team joins an honour roll that includes some of the NRL's most talented stars, including Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Valentine Holmes, Daly-Cherry Evans, Ben Barba, Kieran Foran, Marika Koroibete, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Ben Matulino, Dane Gagai, Jesse Bromwich, Jason Taumololo, Shaun Fensom, Tariq Sims, Gareth Widdop, Ben Hunt, Trent Merrin, David Klemmer, Dylan Napa, James Segeyaro, Konrad Hurrell, Luke Brooks and Bryce Cartwright.
NRL Head of Football, Mr Todd Greenberg, joined Sandy Alchi, Zone Manager NSW and ACT for GM Holden and members of the 2015 Holden Cup Team of the Year at Rugby League Central's Heroes and Legends Museum.
"The Holden Cup Team of the Year is a virtual preview of the stars of the future in the NRL," Greenberg said.
"When you look through the list of players who have made this team in the past it reads like a 'who's who' of the game. A number of those players named today have already broken into the NRL - a remarkable achievement when they are still eligible for Holden Cup."
o Holden Cup Team of the Year: 1 Tom Trbnojevic (Manly), 2 Gideon Mosby (North Queensland), 3 Addison Demetriou (Manly), 4 Joseph Manu (Roosters), 5 Joseph Manu (Roosters), 6 Te Maire Martin (Wests Tigers), 7 Ashley Taylor (Brisbane), 8 Viliame Kikau (North Queensland), 9 Jayden Berrell (Brisbane), 10 Joe Ofahengaue (Brisbane), 11 Coen Hess (North Queensland), 12 Tevita Pangai (Canberra), 13 Jai Arrow (Brisbane), 14 Latrell Mitchell (Roosters), 15 Brent Naden (Penrith), 16 Jayden Nikorima (Brisbane), 17 Danny Levi (Newcastle), Coach: Cameron Ciraldo (Penrith).