Four forwards battle for Gallagher Premiership Player of the Month as Hicks earns England A call

Max Hicks, the Kiwi-born loose forward who joined from Perpignan in the summer, has been shortlisted for the Gallagher Premiership’s Player of the Month award for October — a nomination that arrives alongside his inclusion in the England A squad for Friday night’s match against Argentina XV at Bath.

Hicks, 27, has made an immediate impression across the opening five rounds, recording the second-most jackals in the league (four) while stealing three opposition lineout throws and carrying hard with ball in hand. His form has placed him alongside three other forwards on the four-man shortlist: Gloucester back-rower Jac Morgan, Leicester lock Ollie Chessum, and Northampton lock Alex Coles.

Morgan, the Wales captain, has been arguably the standout performer in the division so far this season. He inspired Gloucester to a 23-5 derby win over Bath a fortnight ago and leads the post-contact metre statistics, having made 80 tackles across the campaign. The back-rower also ranks among the top jackalers in the league.

Chessum delivered what many considered a defining performance in the East Midlands derby in round four, helping Leicester overturn their rivals Northampton — for whom Coles himself has been equally influential. The presence of both Chessum and Coles on the shortlist reflects the continued dominance of the East Midlands clubs in this award: Leicester and Northampton claimed five of the six Player of the Month honours between them last season, with Billy Searle, Will Wand, Edoardo Todaro, and Fin Smith all recognised. Bristol’s Ellis Genge, awarded in December, was the sole recipient from outside those two clubs.

The all-forwards shortlist underlines how the set-piece and breakdown battle has defined the Premiership’s early weeks, with no backs making the cut for October’s honour.