Image:Genia: Named Australian player of the season
Will Genia has been named the Australian Super Rugby player of the year ahead of team-mate Quade Cooper.
Scrum-half pips team-mate Cooper to accolade
Will Genia has been named the Australian Super Rugby player of the year ahead of Queensland Reds team-mate Quade Cooper.
The Reds were named team of the year after finishing the regular season on top of the Super 15 standings, while their coach, Ewan McKenzie, was voted coach of the year for a fourth time.
Genia and Cooper were tied for first place going into the last round of the 2011 competition, but the halfback's man-of-the-match performance in the victory over the Chiefs clinched the award.
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 back James O'Connor.
The 23-year-old joins the likes of John Eales, George Smith, Stephen Larkham, Stirling Mortlock and retiring NSW Waratahs captain Phil Waugh in winning the player of the year award.
