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This year’s Dally M Awards will be announced in grand final week. I like the revised timeslot, it will add some extra lustre/prestige to the code’s biggest week of the year.
But I am not happy with the way these annual awards are judged, nor am I comfortable with the fact that the winners are backline players, virtually year after year.
If you are familiar with my background, I used to be one of the Dally M judges as a league writer with The Mirror, Daily Telegraph-Mirror and finally, The Daily Telegraph.
As reporters, we would go to cover the games from Friday to Monday night, and submit our 3-2-1 votes when we returned to the office.
That system has changed a lot. Some writers might get a say these days but the majority of judges are former players and from where I sit, these guys take good care of their ‘mates’ and clubs, week after week.
It doesn’t seem as fair now as it seemed in the old days.
When voting went behind the proverbial ‘closed doors’ after Round 16, there was a hardly a forward to be found in the top 10, let alone the top 20.
There were three forwards (Robbie Farah, Corey Parker and Aaron Woods) in the top 10, but realistically, there is no way any of these guys will poll more points than Messrs Cronk, Inglis, Sutton, Mullen, Cherry-Evans, Thurston or Carney.
So, to me, there is a major problem there. Forwards are not really in the running for Dally M glory.
I’ll have a crack at tipping the Dally M positional awards but I welcome you to challenge me on any/all of my guestimates.
You will notice The Roar has added a few extra ‘awards’ so don’t be shy! Make your submissions, they are as valid as anyone else’s.
These are the awards I would hand out: feel free to commend or criticise my choices!
FULLBACK: Greg Inglis
WING: David Simmons
CENTRE: Jamie Lyon
FIVE-EIGHTH: Kieran Foran
HALF-BACK: Cooper Cronk
LOCK: Boyd Cordner
SECOND-ROWER: Corey Parker
PROP: Sam Burgess
HOOKER: Matt Ballin/Isaac Luke (tied)
CAPTAIN: Cameron Smith
COACH: Trent Robinson
ROOKIE: Anthony Milford
UTILITY PLAYER: Matt Gillett
REP PLAYER: Cameron Smith
BEST BUY: Sonny Bill Williams/James Segeyaro (tie)
WORST BUY: Dave Taylor/Tony Williams (tie)
BEST REFEREE: Vacant – I cannot name one. Over to you.
WORST REFEREE: Vacant – I cannot name one. Over to you.
BEST ONE-ON-ONE DEFENDER: Adam Docker
BEST TRY: David Nofoaluma
BEST TV COMMENTATOR: Warren Smith (Fox Sports)
BEST RADIO COMMENTATOR: David Morrow (ABC)
BIGGEST D#+%#HEAD: Josh Dugan/Blake Ferguson/Ben Barba
BEST RL WEBSITE: The Roar – no betting!
BEST NRL ROARER: ????? It’s now over to you Roarers!
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