2016 Dally M Medal highlights: full results, blog

Surely Nathan Cleary was a bit stiff ! The best young player to emerge this season by a country mile ! Couldn't win the Holden Cup player of the year because he only played half the year ! And couldn't win NRL Rookie of the year because he only played half of that year !

Liddle played 12 NYC matches

Also agree. Mansour lifted after Origin, but prior to that was average at best. Rapana with his tackle bust stats among other achievements would have been a worthy winner. Also agree on Gillett. I think he has been well down on form this year - certainly the second half. I don't think he has clicked at all. Papalli would have been a solid choice, or Ethan Lowe - would have been my vote.

I must admit I didn't really tune in to the Dally Ms but you're right on those calls. Rapana especially was the standout all season and his stats were incredible, hands down the best winger in the comp. Hodgson I thought had more influence on the Raiders and big Papali was the best 2nd rower through the season. Maybe it would have given too many gongs to the Raiders since they also had a handful of others and they wanted to spread the prizes around.

Jacob Little is a really good player in the making, but I have no problem with him not getting the award. Without the stats in front of me, I would guess he would have barely played half the games. He had 2 NRL games and more than a handful in NSW Cup, plus a bit of an injury. That said, when he did play they lost like once.

I enjoyed the night. Tony Squires is a great host - he shows you can be passionate and funny about rugby league without being a boofhead. Lara Pitt is a really good journo and was perfect for the co-host role. The interviewers in the crowd were good. Thurston was pretty funny with his kicking back having a few reds call and then making a big deal out of sipping water. The packages were put together well except for the opening ocker-fest. The countdown was well done. The Antipodean Rock Collective with Kram, Middo, Davey Lane and the guy from Jet opening the show with High Voltage were brilliant. That's the sort of thing the NRL needs for grand final entertainment. Cold Chisel killed it last year. They probably need to look at the team selection. Like a lot of people have pointed out, it's strange to have a points allocation system in place to determine the winner and then ignoring it for the team of the year. But then again we'd probably have fans complaining if it was the other way around. Most importantly they came up with the right winners... Great part of Grand Final week.

Agree that Rapana was very stiff not to get the best winger award - I like Mansour as a player but I'm not sure he was as consistently brilliant as Rapana over the full season. Smith and Hodgson both had strong claims for the hooker award so it could have gone either way. The choice of Gillett was a bit left field. I thought Papalii was consistently brilliant during the season and there are probably other back rowers that have claims. Thought Boyd was the best full back over the whole season. Very interesting decision to give Croker the award as best captain. Not sure what criteria they use. Would be interesting to know. He might not be in the refs face like a Smith or Gallen but he inspires the rest of his team mates with his performances on the field and is a true gentleman off the field and a great role model for younger players. Picked up the gong for the peoples choice of best player in the NRL so it shows that rugby league supporters in general must hold him in pretty high regard. Hope the bloke is fit enough to wear the green and gold in a few weeks time.

Are we still acting like these awards have credibility?

We had two very worthy winners of the Dally M player of the year last night, but whoever was in charge of the Holden Cup NYC voting clearly has not watched many games this year. This is not a knock on the winner Jayden Brailey, who has an NRL future, but he was not the best performed player during the season, and is not even rated in the to two hookers with Brandon Smith and Jacob Little superior in the majority of key stats. The Roosters Nat Butcher, who averaged 187m and 43 tackles, is another rated superior.

Interesting Dally M team of year?????? Let's start with Fullback. Ben Barba is the highest polling fullback but they give it to a fullback that played less than three quarters of the season. Then James Maloney gets Five Eighth of the year but no less than three other five eighth's poll higher, but no cigar????? Then we have a prop who finishes no less than fifth in the count, but yes you have it again, the prop of the year goes to someone else. Am I missing something here?? It is the DALLY M TEAM OF THE YEAR isn't it? Congrats to both Cronk and Lolo, they were the best this year and deserve their gong. Just a quick mention on Thurston. In my opinion he has had a quiet year by his lofty standards, yet he still polled equal third. Big Lolo was in some serious champion standard company at the top wasn't he?

I agree to a point but Cronk and Taumalolo were clearly the best players in the comp. Taumalolo also won the players player award where every player votes after every game. So the judges award was consistent with the players. In a close game it's usually the best players that make the difference. That's why they're the best.

Because Jesse Bromwich will always be scored against Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk. Their points will always be limited by their own team, and thus it impacts their position in the counts. Its been said countless times, and its hard to argue, Jesse Bromwich is the in-form prop of the game right now, and is an amazing player, one of the reasons the Storm are on top right now.

The problem is the default system of giving points, in a close game or one where there are no standouts the Smiths, Cronks, Milfords etc are the go to guys. It seems to be if in doubt the big namers must have had a good game, ex players turned commentator generally favour the team they played with. Anasta definitely the worst.

Darius Boyd over Tedesco for fullback of the year by a country mile, just not right.

Only the top award, best rep player, best hooker, best halfback and best prop. Clearly an anti-Storm bias you gronk...

Good result...can't argue. I liked the reaction between the two winners - it was very genuine. Raiders may have been slightly stiffed. Mansour had a barnstorming finish for the Panthers but Rapana was the best winger during the season. Hodgson the best hooker by a mile. Papali unlucky not to be second rower. On the other hand - not sure how they decide best captain. Croker played well but he doesn't come across as a great leader. How good was the band at the start. Even being introduced as Anti-podean by Matty Johns.

I think they make sure whoever wins makes the team. In the case of the lock position there was no argument. In the case of halfback well Thurston was pretty good but I guess Cronk was better this year.

Don't agree. But thanks for the commentary