It’s that famous time on the NRL calendar when the players converge on Star City Casino for their coveted night of nights.
But while the Broncos enjoy another regulation Wednesday on premium-limit pokies, everyone else will be at the Hordern Pavilion for the Dally Ms.
The Dally M Awards ceremony is the night rugby league comes together to celebrate sustained displays of ability, composure and aptitude under pressure, and all the other skills footballers need to get a necktie straight.
Established in 1979 by The Daily Mirror, the concept found itself immediately entrenched in the rugby league landscape, especially when the tabloid instantly bagged its own award for being “too rewarding” and “Todd Greenberg’s fault”.
The early years of the Dally Ms were nothing like those of today, with initial iterations conducted in a modest tone. This saw the first ceremony double as a judiciary hearing, resulting in the inaugural winner being crowned as Geoff Robinson was cross-examined for a squirrel grip while consuming 13 beers.
Modern times have seen the evening mature to a ritzy occasion, with the focus now centred on the dresses – those adorned by the stunning wives and partners, and others by players arriving straight from Mad Monday.
Named in honour of the sport’s most celebrated player, Dally M Cherry-Evans, the winner of the award is usually determined from a wide pool of 12 ball-players, Jason Taumalolo, and anyone lucky enough to benefit from lazy judges and alphabetical order.
Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
The final winner is decided by voting from a specialist panel established by the NRL. Handpicked to studiously assess 25 rounds of performances, those chosen are usually the cream of the game’s keenest eyes, with some even known to occasionally watch the games.
Votes are awarded on a straightforward 3-2-1 basis, not only to provide an adequate scope for reward, but to ensure the mathematics involved remain at a Grade 3 standard to facilitate the panel’s tabloid columnists.
While scheduling of the event has varied over the years, recent times have seen the NRL opt to stage the awards in grand final week, in a bid to avoid any obvious logistical clashes with the playoffs and – more importantly – the finale of The Bachelor.
This year’s broadcast will feature on Fox Sports, with the network somehow unearthing an available three-hour slot for telecast in among its reams of televised podcasts and Matty Johns.
In addition to culminating with the announcement of the game’s best individual, the night also includes the naming of the Team of the Year. This rewards the standout players in each respective position and has been expanded in recent times to include the interchange role, a nod to the importance of bench players in an era of high-level fatigue and extremely dangerous firework displays.
The Dally Ms also include the crowning of the season’s best rookie, with Brisbane’s Payne Haas set to earn this year’s award after thriving under the extreme adversity of board ructions and Anthony Seibold’s gameplan.
Photo by Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
But who is likely to take home this year’s gong as the season’s best individual?
The final count has remained shrouded in mystery since mid-season, with the leaderboard going behind closed doors after Round 14, after which James Tedesco’s landslide of votes were recorded privately.
The Roosters fullback is the hot favourite to take out the main award, however he is being pursued by a star-studded field including Cam Smith, Cameron Munster, Taumalolo, Mitchell Pearce, and a range of other potential runners-up.
Kiwi Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is also in the mix to defend his title as the game’s official best, despite last year’s ignominy of being stopped at customs under suspicion as a Warriors player carrying something of success.
Bookmakers have also spoken of late interest in Mitchell Moses, with the Eels halfback storming home at the backend of the season with a staggering 25 line breaks. However, 23 of these were recorded against the Broncos.
Should Moses somehow secure the title in a boilover, organisers are said to be preparing for the 2019 award to remain in a cycle of unresolved countbacks until the end of time.
bazza200
Guest
Bryce Daily M is always towards the game changers the people responsible for points which is the hard bit of the game or the most exciting bit. If your a good player and put your stamp on the game. If your in a team that always win your going to get more 3's and 2's so it's not so bad to play in a really good team. It's only if you have a standout games that your regularly get points. If your a half in a bad team and you don't win much due to other reason you won't get many points. if your a bad team your team doesn't score you don't win many daily M points. Tend to listen to quite a few games on the radio as don't have fox. When they talk about 3 2 1 for their award. Rarely have i see the losing team get a 3 most i've seen is a 2 mostly the team winning gets a 3 and 2 and if they dominate a 1 as well. Baz
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Split decision... Josh McGuire & Adam Blair. Dual medalists. ;-) :thumbup:
farkurnell
Roar Rookie
The Nominees for the Geoff Robbo Award are: J McGuire J WHargraves S Burgess AFafita G Burgess... And the winner is ...
Bryce Burgess
Guest
The Dally M awards are a farce. The best player in an average team (Tuivasa-Sheck) has a better chance of winning than the best player on a team full of good players. Generally the best player from the winning team gets the 3 points. Teams with a lot of good players (Roosters) might have a different best player each game which means the points get shared around more. Consistently good players in an average team will have a better chance of winning than a great player on a great team. Tedesco isn’t a guaranteed winner considering he could lose points to Keary, Cronk, Mitchell etc. in any game that they win. Who is Moses going to lose points to at the Eels? Sivo has been disqualified due to suspensions and wingers rarely rank highly in the judging anyway. How many Dally M’s would Cam Smith have won if he didn’t have to share points with Cronk, Slater and Munster over the years? Thurston won 4 because he was the standout player in a fairly successful team NOT because he was the best player in the game.
Adam Bagnall
Roar Guru
Sivo misses out due to a couple of suspensions, but yeah Edrick Lee hasn't been spotted for months. The whoel system is a joke. A great player in a great team loses out to a weaker player in a weaker team
mushi
Roar Guru
What about the "NRL pundits are perfect award" AKA Coach of the Year. After all the only reason we failed to predict Manly, Parra and Canberra's finishing position isn't our own failings as talent assessors it was 100% the coach (even if it's the same coach - he just coached real different this year)
Dane Eldridge
Expert
Outstanding!
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Technically, Arthur's achievement in taking the Eels from 16th and the wooden spoon in 2018 to 5th in 2019 is a slightly greater achievement than Hasler taking the Sea Eagles from 15th to 6th. However, while Arthur is responsible for the Eel's 14th wooden spoon Hasler inherited a rabble from Trent Barrett and totally reorganised the coaching and support staff at Manly. In my mind Des Hasler should be a lock in for "Coach of the Year" although Raiders fans would have a fair argument for Ricky Stuart as CotY, especially if the Raiders lift the premiership trophy on Sunday.
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
Did Edrick Lee play this year? Seriously? :laughing:
Papi Smurf
Roar Rookie
"Geoff Robinson was cross-examined for a squirrel grip while consuming 13 beers" In Geoff's defence though Dane after 13 beers he probably thought the nuts were complimentary. :laughing: :laughing: :laughing:
Ben Lewis
Roar Pro
I lost all respect for and interest in this year’s Dally M awards when the nominees came out. Any awards system that considers Edrick Lee to be a better winger than Maika Sivo is a complete farce and cannot be taken seriously.
Big Daddy
Guest
The NRL s nite of nites and the national broadcaster doesn't think it's worthy to be on t.v.. I'm sure there will be a presentation to Peter Beattie's wife of a Rolex for his services to rugby league. Only consolation is we won't have to see his or Greenberg s face on the square box.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Reckon you have just about nailed it , kk ! Only the poor ability of some judges can muck up your list.
kk
Roar Pro
Hi Dane, a most enjoyable read. We treat the Dally M and FOTY awards as a celebration of the season and with thanks to VB a "Blokes Punching Above Their Weight" parade. The mystery continues. Teddy looks like doing a Winx for the Dally M. We enjoy tipping the FOTY awards most of all. FB: RTS W: Tupou C: Latrell 5/8: Wighton 1/2: DCE P: Papalii H: Smith 2R: Bateman L:Murray IC: Fainu FEM: Sergis ROOK: Sivo CAP:Jackson CCH: Arthur/ Hasler (D/H) Presenter of the year: Yvonne Sampson.
Flexis
Roar Rookie
“12 ball-players, Jason Taumalolo, and anyone lucky enough to benefit from lazy judges and alphabetical order.“ Let’s not forgot the mediocre players lucky enough to be playing in ordinary line ups.
Succhi
Roar Rookie
Billy Slater will win.
Paul
Roar Guru
Can Dally M CE give his award to himself? If nothing else,it would shorten this show considerably, allowing more players to join the Broncos on the pokies. Great piece Dane. .
qwetzen
Roar Rookie
Yep, any B & F system that uses the blatantly flawed 3-2-1 system is fit for ridicule. If it wasn't for the wags it'd be of no interest at all.