BRONCOS, Maroons and Kangaroos No. 1 Darius Boyd has staved off the challenge from an outstanding array of contenders to reclaim his place at fullback in the NRL Team of the Year for the first time since 2010.

The Team of the Year appears in the 2016 Official Rugby League Annual, which goes on sale on Monday.

Editor David Middleton selects the team based on performances at club and representative level throughout the season.

According to Middleton, Boyd displayed defensive steel at the back, was safe under the high ball, showed speed and strength to make consistent gains on kick returns and possessed the direction and passing skills to create countless tryscoring opportunities for his wingers.

Darius Boyd is back in NRL Team of the Year for the first time since 2010. Source: AFP

Man of the match in the Four Nations final in November, Boyd was among the most reliable players in the game in 2016.

“But he needed to maintain form to claim a berth ahead of other worthy fullback contenders such as James Tedesco (Wests Tigers), Matt Moylan (Penrith) and Ben Barba (Cronulla),” Middleton wrote.

Five-eighth James Maloney and prop Andrew Fifita represent premiers Cronulla in the Team of the Year, while Canberra Raiders trio Jordan Rapana, Joseph Leilua and Jarrod Croker won berths in the three-quarter line alongside Penrith’s Josh Mansour.

Cameron Smith claimed the hooking role in the Team of the Year for the 10th time in 11 years but takes his place only narrowly ahead of Canberra’s Josh Hodgson.

2016 Official Rugby League Annual Source: Supplied

The 2016 Official Rugby League Annual is on sale in Australia and New Zealand on December 12 and is still $18.95.

Smith and Storm teammate Jesse Bromwich were the only players to retain their places in the Team of the Year from 2015.

There were numerous contenders for back row positions but Brisbane’s Matt Gillett was chosen alongside St George Illawarra’s Tyson Frizell in the second row with North Queensland’s Jason Taumalolo at lock.

The 2016 edition of the Annual is the 30th to be edited by Middleton. The 266-page publication includes full page photographs of every NRL team.

David Middleton’s 2016 Team of the Year:

1. Darius Boyd (Brisbane)

2. Jordan Rapana (Canberra)

3. Joseph Leilua (Canberra)

4. Jarrod Croker (Canberra)

5. Josh Mansour (Penrith)

6. James Maloney (Cronulla)

7. Cooper Cronk (Melbourne)

8. Jesse Bromwich (Melbourne)

9. Cameron Smith (Melbourne)

10. Andrew Fifita (Cronulla)

11. Matt Gillett (Brisbane)

12. Tyson Frizell (St George Illawarra)

13. Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland)

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