The NRL have unveiled the nominees for award categories ahead of Wednesday night’s Dally M Medal ceremony in Sydney.
Leading try scorer Maika Sivo is a glaring omission after the NRL unveiled the nominees for their award categories ahead of Wednesday night’s Dally M Medal ceremony in Sydney.
Parramatta powerhouse Sivo was a key factor behind the Eels’ remarkable rise from 2018 wooden spooners to 2019 semi-finalists, scoring a league leading 22 tries for the season.
Yet the Eels X-factor didn’t get a nod when the category nominees were confirmed by the NRL ahead of the Dally M Medal night, surprisingly failing to feature as a Winger of the Year finalist.
Instead his teammate Blake Ferguson made the list along with the Sydney Roosters’ Daniel Tupou, Melbourne’s Josh Addo-Carr, the Warriors’ Ken Maumalo and surprise candidate Edrick Lee of Newcastle.
The bookies’ favourite for the Dally M Medal, Roosters No.1 James Tedesco, heads the nominees for Fullback of the Year along with reigning champion Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the Warriors, Canberra surprise packet Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, Parramatta’s Clint Gutherson and Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes, who finished the season as Storm halfback.
Tedesco is tipped to claim his maiden Dally M Medal on Wednesday night before the Roosters aim to become the first team to win back-to-back titles since Brisbane in 1992-93 when they line up against the Raiders in Sunday’s decider.
Grand final mentors Trent Robinson (Roosters) and Ricky Stuart (Canberra) are Coach of the Year nominees, along with Parramatta’s Brad Arthur, Melbourne’s Craig Bellamy and Manly’s Des Hasler.
Captain of the Year nominees also feature grand finalists the Roosters (Boyd Cordner) and Canberra (Jarrod Croker-Josh Hodgson) along with Melbourne’s Cameron Smith, Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans and Canterbury’s Josh Jackson.
Tedesco’s Tri-Colours teammate Cooper Cronk failed to get a mention in the Halfback of the Year nominees in his last season with the NRL instead opting for South Sydney’s Adam Reynolds, Cronulla’s Chad Townsend, Manly’s Cherry-Evans, Parramatta’s Mitchell Moses and Newcastle’s Mitchell Pearce.
Unlike Cronk, retiring Wests Tigers No.9 Robbie Farah did get a nod before he bowed out after being nominated for Hooker of the Year but Canberra’s Hodgson may be hard to beat.
Farah’s Tigers teammate Ryan Matterson – who has been given permission to negotiate with rival clubs – is among the five nominees for Second-rower of the Year, but the only Australian.
The man considered the driving force behind Canberra’s remarkable surge to their first grand final in 25 years – Josh Papalii – is tipped to claim Prop of the Year but faces opposition from Newcastle’s David Klemmer, Brisbane’s Payne Haas, St George Illawarra’s Paul Vaughan and Sydney Roosters’ Siosiua Taukeiaho.
souvalis
Roar Rookie
That’s probably right..but how do you make logical sense of a player who only plays half a season, most of it miserably, as Lee did getting the nod on one or two good games ?
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Why would suspensions disqualify a ‘best player ‘ award ? If right, seems wrong.
Greg
Roar Pro
im about 90% sure that position of the year awards are based on dally m votes. So whichever winger accumulates the most 3,2,1 votes throughout the year gets winger of the year. If this is the case, then its not really suprising that Sivo isn't nominated. He had a good year but very few, if any, big games where he would have received any votes. Wingers rarely get any votes so a winger only needs a couple absolute blinders, like Lee did early in the year, to be in the final 5 nominees.
Soda
Roar Rookie
I hope Josh Jackson gets the captain of the year. He lead that young pack of puppies so well even when the chips were down and it would have been easy to throw in the towel. Champion player.
mushi
Roar Guru
Is it based somewhat on dally M vote counts?
Albo
Roar Rookie
I guess JFH is just one of a number of forwards these days who play dual positions in the one match. Like starting at prop and moving to 13 when the various interchanges are used, or vice versa. It does make it tricky I guess for positional award nominations ?
kk
Roar Pro
Agreed Albo. He saved Penrith, often. To be all round fair they should add a categories for Best Utility: Forward and Best Utility: Back.
The Barry
Roar Guru
Sivo still has a lot of rough edges but if he didn’t have a better season than at least Edrick Lee from that list...
Albo
Roar Rookie
I heard somewhere that Sivo was not eligible because of two suspensions throughout the year ? Like most subjective comparisons in our game, I often wonder if I have been watching different games from the judges ? I guess it is all in the eye of the beholder ? For me, I would have thought James Fisher-Harris might have earned a nomination for 25 games at 80 minutes with top tackle & hit up counts as a prop / lock ?
Rob
Guest
Some of these nominations are mind boggling. Edrick Lee over Sivo, Marsters and Kelly over Manu, and Vaughn over Fonua-Blake????
Adam
Roar Guru
Yeah that does seem pretty outrageous. If I was asked to name the best winger this year off the top of my head he would have been my nomination
Scoose
Roar Rookie
Not sure how Sivo missed out on being nominated, but I'm not all that disappointed...To make the list of nominees for next season he would need to lift his game?...That certainly wouldn't be a bad thing for the Eels :)
souvalis
Roar Rookie
Wow..Edrick Lee considered to have had a better season than Maiko Siva..pretty glaring all right. Youd think AFB from Manly somewhat outshone P Vaughan as well etc etc.