Melbourne star halfback Jahrome Hughes has capped a career-best season together with his first Dally M Medal, beating Roosters James Tedesco by a single vote.
It went right down to the ultimate spherical with the Roosters skipper polling six votes, however Hughes additionally had a standout sport to take the total six factors as nicely – and subsequently a 62 to 61 win of the NRL’s high honour.
Because the voting went behind closed doorways after Spherical 12, Hughes was down the leaderboard with 16 votes, behind Dylan Edwards who began the yr on hearth with 31 votes.
The Kiwi had a profitable interval after that, as he surged to the highest with 27 factors throughout six rounds.
However had his six-point deduction utilized for unintended contact with the referee the place he picked up a one-game suspension. That dropped him to 3rd on 37 behind Daly Cherry-Evans, who went to the highest with 39 and James Tedesco on 38.
Between Rounds 18-23, Tom Trbojevic was a giant mover with 18 votes in these six rounds. However Hughes took the lead with 10 votes to surge to 47 total. Daly Cherry-Evans solely picked up two to maneuver to 41 however dropped to 3rd behind James Tedesco, who gained seven to leap to second.
Tedesco then drew degree with Hughes on 51 votes every after Spherical 24 earlier than the Storm star moved three clear the subsequent spherical.
2024 NRL Dally M medallist Jahrome Hughes of the Storm. (Photograph by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Pictures)
It arrange an exciting ultimate two rounds, with Hughes rested in Spherical 26 permitting the Rooster to chop the margin to 1 vote behind.
Then within the ultimate spherical, each gamers had excellent scores, with the halfback simply doing sufficient to carry on.
“It’s fairly surreal, to be sincere. I didn’t assume that I’d get the chance to win this award,” Hughes instructed the room at Randwick Racecourse.
“I’ve form of acquired butterflies in the intervening time. It’s type of bizarre, however I’m so honoured to win it.”
From his 22 appearances in 2024, together with finals, the playmaker has 12 tries, 26 strive assists and 26 line breaks.
He additionally mirrored on his success following the positional change to halfback on the Storm, as he initially began his profession pondering he’d be a fullback.
“I by no means thought that I’d be a halfback within the NRL, to be sincere,” he stated.
“I used to be a fullback till a man known as (Ryan) Papenhuyzen took my spot and I needed to discover one other spot within the staff and Craig (Bellamy) made it halfback.
“It was a very large transition, as I’ve by no means actually performed within the halves an excessive amount of, however he stated to not change my sport an excessive amount of and keep on with my strengths.”
After being introduced with the award Storm teammates Eliesa Katoa and Will Warbrick joined Joseph Tapine with an impromptu tribute Haka whereas he was on stage.
Hughes will now attempt to cap off the right season this weekend in opposition to the Panthers within the grand ultimate, the place he can turn into the eighth participant in historical past to win the premiership in the identical yr because the Dally M.
It will additionally make it the right treble after Melbourne additionally gained the minor premiership.
Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans was third within the rely with 51 votes, and teammate Tom Trbojevic picked up 46 to complete fourth, regardless of lacking giant components of the season by way of damage.
Within the NRLW, Olivia Kernick from the Roosters, who can also be making ready for the grand ultimate this weekend, was named the Dally M Participant of the Yr.
When voting went behind closed doorways after Spherical 4, Lauren Brown 12 (Titans) was the chief forward of Abbi Church 10 (Eels), Simaima Taufa 10 (Raiders), Brooke Anderson 10 (Sharks), and Olivia Kernick 9 (Roosters).
By the top of Spherical 8, Kernick had taken a two-point lead, polling 22 votes forward of the Titan on 20, Church on 19 and Taufa on 16.
Once more it got here right down to the ultimate spherical and with Brown out injured in Spherical 9, it was right down to a race in three. Neither Church nor Taufa polled sufficient votes to catch Kernick, who gained by two.
“I undoubtedly didn’t count on that this yr, so I’m form of caught off guard,” Kernick stated.
“The NRLW has actually produced a great product this yr, and we now have taken the competitors to a brand new degree. I’m so grateful.
“My coach John Unusual has executed a superb job over the previous couple of years and has helped me and made me the participant who I’m immediately – so I’m grateful for him and the membership.”
The NRL Coach of the Yr award went to Melbourne’s Craig Bellamy after the Storm wrapped up the minor premiership with video games to spare, whereas within the NRLW the honour went to Scott Prince after his Broncos completed the common season on high of the ladder.
Bulldogs Stephen Crichton gained the NRL Captain of the Yr award, after serving to steer the membership to their first finals since 2016, whereas Cronulla’s Tiana Penitani took out the NRLW captain’s honour.
The Rookie of the Yr titles went to Dolphins Jack Bostock within the NRL and Dragons half Kasey Reh within the NRLW.
Stephen Crichton of the Bulldogs celebrates with teammates after scoring a strive (Photograph by Brendon Thorne/Getty Pictures)
Within the particular person place classes for the NRL, the winners have been: FULLBACK: James Tedesco (Roosters), WINGERS: Zac Lomax (Dragons) and Brian To’o (Panthers), CENTRES: Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs) and Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins), FIVE-EIGHTH: Tom Dearden (Cowboys), HALFBACK: Jahrome Hughes (Storm), HOOKER: Harry Grant (Storm), PROPS: Addin Fonua-Blake (Warriors) and Joseph Tapine (Raiders), SECOND-ROWERS: Angus Crichton (Roosters) and Eliesa Katoa (Storm) and LOCK: Isaah Yeo (Panthers)
The NRLW staff of the yr was: FULLBACK – Abbi Church (Eels), WINGERS – Julia Robinson (Broncos) and Stacey Waaka (Broncos), CENTRES – Isabelle Kelly (Roosters) and Tiana Penitani (Sharks), FIVE-EIGHTH – Zahara Temara (Raiders), HALFBACK – Lauren Brown (Titans), HOOKER – Keeley Davis (Roosters), PROPS – Millie Elliott (Roosters) and Shannon Mato (Titans), SECOND-ROWERS – Olivia Kernick (Roosters) and Yasmin Clydsdale (Knights), LOCK – Simaima Taufa (Raiders)
In earlier awards, introduced on the ‘inexperienced carpet’, Tom Dearden gained the NRL sort out of the yr for working down Selywn Cobbo simply inches in need of the road in opposition to the Broncos in Spherical 4, in what some have known as the “sort out of the century”.
Melbourne’s Xavier Coates took out the Strive of the Yr, for his wonderful acrobatic effort to attain the matchwinner within the nook in opposition to the NZ Warriors in Spherical 2 that went viral and earned the label from a few of being the best of all time.
The beautiful strive additionally gained the Peter Frilingos Headline Second of the Yr.
Gold Coast Titans Alofiana Khan-Pereira took out the Ken Irvine Medal for the NRL’s high strive scorer, after crossing the road 24 instances this season. Valentine Holmes from the North Queensland Cowboys was the very best level scorer with 266, forward of Nick Meaney on 230.
Tyrone Munro from South Sydney Rabbitohs gained the Provan Summons Medal, which is awarded to the participant who displayed the ‘spirit of the sport’ on-field conduct.
Within the NRLW, the main level scorer was Broncos ahead Romy Teitzel ending the common season with 64 factors. Whereas Brisbane teammate Julia Robinson joined Newcastle’s Sheridan Gallagher in topping the try-scoring tally with a powerful 9 tries.
Parramatta’s Zali Fay gained the NRLW strive of the yr for her four-pointer within the ultimate spherical of the Roosters, whereas Knights Abigail Roache gained the sort out of the yr for her Spherical 5 effort in opposition to Parramatta.
