Injured Penrith superstar Nathan Cleary has accepted his maiden Dally M Medal from his couch, while Brisbane fullback Tamika Upton took out the NRLW award for the third time in four seasons.
After years of being the consensus best player in the men’s game, Cleary finally made it official by romping clear in the Dally M count, securing the award with two rounds remaining and ultimately finishing 14 votes clear — 67 to Braydon Trindall’s 53.
Trindall made a late push to cause a major upset before injuring his shoulder in round 24, while the rest of the top five — Dylan Edwards, Haumole Olakau’atu and Scott Drinkwater — failed to poll in round 25, when Cleary got a maximum six votes in a 22-14 win over Melbourne.
Having suffered a gruesome compound fracture of his left leg in the Panthers’ preliminary final loss on Sunday, Cleary was not at the awards ceremony on Sydney Harbour, instead accepting the award via video message.
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“I want to start by saying how grateful I am for everyone’s support the past few days,” he said from a couch with his injured leg propped up in a cast.
“I can’t thank everyone enough for the messages they’ve sent through.”
He thanked his parents, who he has been living with this year while his house has been being renovated.
He credited his Panthers teammates for making him a “10,000 times” better player, while he also paid tribute to girlfriend Mary Fowler, who is currently playing for Manchester City in England.
“It’s tough doing the long distance but she always makes me feel supported and loved. That’s all I could ever ask for,” he said.
Tamika Upton will play for her sixth NRLW premiership on Sunday. (Getty Images: Mark Metcalfe)
The NRLW count was much closer, with 2022 winner Raecene McGregor pushing Upton to the 11th and final round of the season, but the Broncos gun finished with 31 votes to McGregor’s 29.
Upton is preparing to play for her sixth NRLW premiership when the Broncos face the Roosters for a second straight year on Sunday, when the league will honour Jai Arrow after his MND diagnosis earlier this year.
The tribute is set to occur in place of traditional pre-game entertainment after negotiations with Tones and I fell apart.
NRL boss Peter V’landys on Monday promised “surprises” and said on Wednesday night that a number of Australian artists would be part of the tribute, although Arrow said earlier in the night that V’landys had told him “nothing yet”.
Look back at every moment of the NRL Awards night in our live blog below.
NRL and NRLW leaderboards
NRL
- Nathan Cleary – 67
- Braydon Trindall – 53
- Dylan Edwards – 52
- Haumole Olakau’atu – 46
- Herbie Farnworth, Scott Drinkwater – 45
NRLW
- Tamika Upton – 31
- Raecene McGregor – 29
- Tarryn Aiken – 23
- Evania Isa’ako – 22
- Jessica Sergis, Jesse Southwell, Teagan Levi – 20
We’ll call time there
Congratulations goes to Tamika Upton on her ridiculous third Dally M win in four years, and to Nathan Cleary for finally winning the one award he didn’t have.
And, at the end of a big night, allow me to leave you with the best interaction of the day or maybe the season.
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Where’s Teddy?
Interesting Teddy not in Top 5
– Jen
Whenever James Tedesco isn’t at the top of the polls, people should be asking, where’s Teddy?
Eight. He’s eighth.
The Roosters fullback finished tied with fellow superstars Harry grant and Kalyn Ponga with 37 votes.
Nathan Cleary’s couch-bound acceptance speech
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A Dally M acceptance speech on a couch at his parents’ house in between two surgeries. That’s some pure NRL stuff right there.
Some notes from the votes
Nathan Cleary played 21 games and polled 67 votes, meaning he average over three votes per game. Madness.
Big ups to Sharks five-eighth Braydon Trindall for finishing second with 53 votes in a middling Cronulla season. He led them during most of their most impressive moments this year and this is a recognition of his individual brilliance.
And special shout-outs to Haumole Olakau’atu for finishing fourth as a back rower, and Jackson Ford for ending up seventh despite not playing a regular season game after round 16.
On the W side of things, the race was a lot hotter as Tigers halfback Raecene McGregor put pressure on Tamika Upton all the way to the last round.
The 2022 winner polled a massive 20 votes from rounds five to eight and it all came down to their final games, when McGregor’s Tigers struggled in a 22-10 loss to the Raiders, while Upton scored a try, had three line-break assists and two try assists in a 52-18 drubbing of the Warriors.
Nathan Cleary has won his first Dally M Medal!
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The Penrith Panthers halfback has received his medal and trophy already and delivers a video message from his couch with his broken leg propped up in a boot.
“I want to start by saying how grateful I am for everyone’s support the past few days. I can’t thank everyone enough for the messages they’ve sent through.”
True to form, the team man credits his fellow Panthers for helping him complete his trophy cabinet with this major individual accolade.
“None of this would be possible without them. They make me 10,000 times the player that I am and no individual award is achievable without the help of teammates. I’ve had some of my funnest times this year alongside those guys.”
And Mary Fowler gets a mention, albeit not by name.
“I want to say a big thank you to my partner,” he says, as if we don’t know who she is.
“It’s tough doing the long distance but she always makes me feel supported and loved. That’s all I could ever ask for.”
Nathan Cleary’s competitors slip back
Braydon Trindall is injured and in round 25 Haumole Olakau’atu, Scott Drinkwater and Dylan Edwards don’t poll.
Nathan Cleary needs only three votes to win it in the third last round. And he nabs six!
TAMIKA UPTON IS A THREE-TIME DALLY M WINNER
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Brisbane Broncos fullback Tamika Upton is wearing the Dally M Medal for a third time in four years. What an amazing competitor.
“To be up here standing here now, doing what I do preparing for a grand final, it’s pretty surreal to be honest.”
Upton thanks everyone at the Broncos from coach Scott Prince down to the physios.
“I think I’m in that room more than anybody but we get pretty well looked after in Brisbane and it’s such a privilege.”
She reserves special praise for retiring Ali Brigginshaw, Corban Baxter and Millie Elliott.
“What an incredible career it’s been and since I came into the game those girls have been at the top, paving the way and still doing it today.
“It’s going to be pretty sad once it’s all over but I hope they’ve enjoyed the ride.”
Here comes the NRLW Dally M
Raecene McGregor leads Tamika Upton by just four votes after eight of 11 rounds.
But Upton retakes the lead by ONE VOTE heading into the last round. She leads 30-29.
The NRL team of the year
- Dylan Edwards (Panthers)
- Tom Jenkins (Panthers
- Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
- Rob Toia (Roosters)
- Selwyn Cobbo (Dolphins)
- Braydon Trindall (Sharks)
- Nathan Cleary (Panthers)
- James Fisher-Harris (Warriors)
- Wayde Egan (Warriors)
- Naufahu Whyte (Roosters)
- Haumole Olakau’atu (Sea Eagles)
- Hamish Stewart (Dragons)
- Erin Clark (Warriors)
The NRLW team of the year
- Tamika Upton (Broncos)
- Julia Robinson (Broncos)
- Isabelle Kelly (Roosters)
- Jessica Sergis (Roosters)
- Brydie Parker (Roosters)
- Teagan Levi (Titans)
- Raecene McGregor (Tigers)
- Millie Elliott (Roosters)
- Keeley Nizza (Roosters)
- Sarah Togatuki (Tigers)
- Evania Isa’ako (Titans)
- Shaylee Bent (Tigers)
- Olivia Kernick (Roosters)
NRL revealing votes from rounds 19-23
Nicho Hynes earns 15 points as the Sharks go on a hot streak, but he can’t get into the top five.
Scott Drinkwater get back in the top five, while Hynes’s offsider Braydon Trindall goes top … briefly.
Nathan Cleary stands alone on top with 56 points.
Trindall is three back on 53, while Dylan Edwards (46) is third, with Haumole Olakau’atu and Scott Drinkwater tied on 40.
Jai Arrow is celebrated
You’ll Never Walk Alone plays over a montage of the Souths star.
We’ll see more of this on grand final day in what should be a pretty stirring experience.
James Fisher-Harris is the NRL captain of the year
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The Warriors captain wins it ahead of former Penrith teammate Nathan Cleary and future New Zealand teammate Kalyn Ponga.
Since heading to New Zealand, Fisher-Harris has grown so much as a leader, although he has a handy offsider in Mitch Barnett.
“This is as much mine as it is Mitch Barnett’s, so shout-out to Barney.”
Fisher-Harris says he’s picked up plenty from the leaders he’s played under at the Panthers and with the Kiwis.
“I’ve been in the game for a bit now and I’m just a product of my environment. I’ve had a lot of people to take bits and bobs from.
“The main thing was just be myself, be authentic. I wouldn’t be up here if it wasn’t for the boys backing me. Shout-out to all the brothers.”
Your NRLW captain of the year is Kezie Apps
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A huge cheer goes up as the Tigers skipper is announced, pipping Isabelle Kelly of the Roosters and the Titans’ Georgia Hale.
Apps led the Tigers to their first finals series this year.
“I definitely don’t deserve this with the amazing leaders we have in the women’s game.”
She hails the leadership group around her, and she’s spot on. Raecene McGregor, Emily Bass, Holli Wheeler and Sarah Togatuki make for a very experienced bunch.
Karyn Murphy is the NRLW coach of the year
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The Gold Coast Titans coach was up against the Roosters’ John Strange and the Tigers’ Craig Sandercock.
“I don’t know if it’s ever fun [being a coach].
“We’ve had a great year but equally shocked to be up here.”
She wins the award after leading the Titans to second spot and within a few plays of another grand final.
A former star of the women’s game when she and the Jillaroos had to pay their own way to the World Cup.
“Watching the women’s game grow it seems quickly compared to how it was 10 years ago. It’s not going anywhere, it’s so exciting, the future.”
Andrew Webster is the NRL coach of the year
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I think everyone was expecting Justin Holbrook to win this after taking the Knights from last to seventh and into a grand final in his first year in Newcastle, but the Warriors mastermind gets the nod.
Again, hard to really argue considering what the Warriors did this year. Despite losing, among a lot more, halfbacks Luke Metcalf and Tanah Boyd, they still finished in the top two.
It’s a shame that the season ended in straight sets in the finals but it shouldn’t take away from everything Webster and the Wahs did this year.
Voli K sings in the In Memoriam montage
Millie Elliott named the Veronica White Woman of the Year
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Retiring Roosters prop Millie Elliott started the Trainer Group Foundation to help get kids with special needs involved in sport.
“We don’t do any of this work for these awards but it’s special to be recognised.”
Elliott’s sister Hannah lives with down syndrome and her brother in law James has autism, and she says she has seen first-hand how sport can give kids like them so much fulfilment and a sense of community.
“When my little sister finished school I noticed that had faded away and I wanted to bridge that gap.
“Putting these programs on free of charge has been a dream of mine and something I’ll be doing for a very long time.”
Campbell Graham wins the Ken Stephen Medal
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The Rabbitohs outside back has been honoured for his contribution to the community with his volunteering work with Vinnies.
“It’s a huge honour. Across our game players always giving time and energy to their communities. I’m very proud to be part of a sport that gives to communities across the whole nation. It only takes a few people to make a difference in this world.”
Graham says it was Jai Arrow who first brought him, and former teammate Liam Knight, to volunteer with Vinnies.
“Jai was doing Vinnies work well before me and he asked me to come along one night and we had an absolute ball.
“I know if your situation was diffrerent it’d be you up here and not me.”
Graham says he hopes he can have a similar impact on younger teammates the same way Arrow did with him.
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