Brad O'Neill is favourite for Super League's Steve Prescott Man of Steel Award after winning the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association Player of the Year prize.
O'Neill, Wigan teammate Adam Keighran and Leeds full-back Lachie Miller were named finalists on Wednesday, ahead of next Tuesday's ceremony in Manchester (Wednesday AEST).
Keighran, 29, has scored 16 tries and 107 goals during Wigan's Challenge Cup and League Leaders' Shield-winning campaign.
The centre is also pursuing the Super League title, with Wigan facing Wakefield in Saturday's play-off semi-final (Sunday AEST).
Miller's season ended with a knee injury, but the 32-year-old led every player with 166 tackle busts from full-back.
A late bloomer and Tokyo rugby sevens Olympian, Miller previously played for Cronulla and Newcastle.
O'Neill is also in line for England's World Cup squad for Australia next month.
The finalists emerged from 12 nominees, including six Australians: Bevan French, Jai Field, Keighran, Miller, Brodie Croft and Tyrone May.
Keighran or Miller would become Australia's 10th winner and the first since French's 2023 success.
Previous Australian winners were Gavin Miller in 1986, Adrian Vowles in 1999, Jamie Lyon in 2005, Brett Hodgson in 2009, Pat Richards in 2010, Ben Barba in 2018, Jackson Hastings in 2019, Croft in 2022 and French in 2023.