The Bulls received some long-overdue recognition at Super League's season-celebrating Man of Steel awards last night.

Second-rower Jamie Peacock walked off with the top two awards and Brian Noble was named coach of the year.

And Lesley Vainikolo made it a Bulls hat-trick by picking up the Opta Metre Man award.

Peacock's tireless efforts in the Bulls' engine room were also recognised by his peers when he was voted the players' player of the year - the award for the player rated the Super League's toughest opponent.

Peacock said it was nice to know he had the respect of his fellow players and admitted he'd voted for Wigan prop Craig Smith.

Noble's crowning as Britain's best coach comes a year later than many expected, but the Bulls' record of three Grand Finals in as many years, two Challenge Cup finals and this year's Challenge Cup and Minor Premiership double, made his case impossible to overlook this time around.

A relaxed Noble spent most of yesterday's Old Trafford press conference with a broad smile on his face and that smile only got bigger at last night's awards diner.

Noble told the packed audience at Manchester's Le Meridien Central Hotel ballroom that coaching the Bulls for the last three years had been like living a dream.

"You pinch yourself. We are lucky people," said Noble. "I'd like to thank the Bradford board for giving me the job. I hope I've repaid them well and will continue to do so.

"It's a dream ticket working with players like this. The game is just going to get bigger and better because it is the best game of all."

Bulls winger Lesley Vainikolo was the night's showstopper when he took to the stage to receive his Opta Metre Man award wearing an all blue colarless suit and sporting an afro that is surely among the best in world sport.

Vainikolo was asked how he would go about stopping himself, and after some thought he said: "Just give me some food and I'll stop."

Widness hooker Shane Millard picked up the Hit Man award for putting in the most tackles during the season and London Broncos half back Dennis Moran received the top tryscorer trophy for a season's best 24 tries.

Karl Kirkpatrick was the referee of the year and Wigan's Gareth Hock was named young player of the year.