The Intrust Super Cup’s best and fairest player in 2018 will have the honour of receiving the inaugural Civoniceva Medal, the Queensland Rugby League announced today.

With strong ties to Queensland’s premier statewide competition, league great Petero Civoniceva is thrilled to be associated with the prestigious award this year and beyond.

“This is a tremendous honour and I am extremely grateful to the QRL for endorsing my name,” Civoniceva said.

“The Intrust Super Cup is a brilliant competition that provides so many wonderful opportunities for players at different stages of their careers.

“I played in the state league in the same year I made my NRL debut; and I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to finish my rugby league journey with the Redcliffe Dolphins.”

After moving from Fiji to Redcliffe with his family shortly before his first birthday, Civoniceva was soon running around in Dolphins colours.

He impressed so much in the junior ranks that he landed a contract with the Brisbane Broncos, where he honed his skills for the NRL with six appearances for Brothers in the 1998 Cup competition.

In a distinguished top-line career, Civoniceva played 309 first grade games (Brisbane Broncos and Penrith Panthers) and was widely regarded as one of the code’s premier front-row forwards.

He starred at representative level, notching 33 games for the Queensland Maroons, 45 Tests for Australia and six internationals for Fiji.

After finishing up with the Broncos in 2012, Civoniceva displayed his immense passion and commitment to the game by linking with the Dolphins for the 2013 Intrust Super Cup season.

He played 24 games for Redcliffe across two seasons, with crowd numbers at local games in suburban and regional Queensland swelling for each appearance.

Such is his stature in the game, Civoniceva is now a recent Rugby League Hall of Fame inductee and a medal in his name is also presented to the Australian Fijian rugby league player of the year.

The QRL’s Civoniceva Medal will be proudly presented by Stage and Screen Travel Services who will donate a prize to the recipient.

Formerly known as the Courier Mail Medal, this year’s medal will be presented at the QRL Awards Dinner at City Hall on August 29.

Ipswich’s Nathaniel Neale was leading the voting when the medal count went behind closed doors in May.