Canberra five-eighth Jack Wighton has won the 2020 Dally M Medal, finishing just a single point ahead of Parramatta’s Clint Gutherson and two ahead of Nathan Cleary, the man tipped by many to take home the award.
However, what should have been a surprise victory was spoilt before the awards ceremony even begun, with the Daily Telegraph publishing an article revealing (and criticising) Wighton’s win before it was officially announced.
With the leaderboard published by the Telegraph proving to be accurate, the NRL will be glad that wagering on the Dally M awards was banned this year after a betting scandal was uncovered in relation to last year’s ceremony.
The horrendous publishing error raised the ire of the NRL, who were described as being “ropeable” by the Sydney Morning Herald, as well as the Panthers, who had the logistical challenge of sending Ivan and Nathan Cleary to the awards night while adhering to the league’s COVID-safe bubble protocols ahead of their grand final this weekend, only to find out their halfback had run third in the prestigious medal before the ceremony began.
“Good luck to the winner, he’s a deserving winner, but to be sitting there waiting for something that has already been announced is disappointing,” Panthers CEO Brian Fletcher told the Herald.
“It wouldn’t worry Nathan. He would have been hoping he won it, but he didn’t and now we just get on with it and prepare for the grand final. Good luck to the winner. Nathan is only 22, he will have plenty of time in his career to win it.”
The early reveal also detracted from what should have been a thrilling race for the Dally M. All of Wighton, Gutherson and Cleary were in the running heading into the final round, but with Wighton being rested for Canberra’s last match of the regular season, both Gutherson and Cleary were theoretically a chance of sneaking home late to grab the award.
Instead, they also polled zero votes from Round 20, leaving the final leaderboard exactly as it was published hours beforehand.
However that should not take away from Wighton’s win, with the Canberra five-eighth garnering all three votes an incredible eight times in the shortened season. He enjoyed a stellar year for the Raiders, following up from last season’s Clive Churchill Medal by guiding his injury-plagued side to the preliminary finals.
Meanwhile, Brisbane Broncos star Ali Brigginshaw won the Female Player of the Year award, Ivan Cleary took home coach of the year, and Harry Grant was named the NRL’s top rookie after an outstanding breakout season for the Tigers.
Winner: Jack Wighton (26 votes)
2nd: Clint Gutherson (25)
3rd: Nathan Cleary (24)
4th: Cameron Smith (22)
5th: Luke Keary & Shaun Johnson (18)
Dally M Player of the Year: Jack Wighton
Dally M Female Player of the Year: Ali Brigginshaw
Coach of the Year: Ivan Cleary
Rookie of the Year: Harry Grant
Captain of the Year: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
Provan-Summons People’s Choice Medallist: New Zealand Warriors
Ken Irvine Medallist for leading tryscorer: Alex Johnston
Top pointscorer: Adam Reynolds
Peter Frilingos Headline Moment of the Year: The NRL’s Project Apollo
NRLW Rookie of the Year: Kennedy Cherrington
NRLW tackle of the year: Hannah Southwell
NRLW try of the year: Madison Bartlett
VB Hard Earned Player of the Year Award: Jake Trbojevic & Tohu Harris
Try of the year: Kotoni Staggs vs Dragons, Rd 15
Tackle of the year: Josh Papalii vs Titans, Rd 15
Props: Josh Papalii and James Fisher-Harris
Hooker: Cameron Smith
Second-rowers: Viliame Kikau and Tohu Harris
Lock: Isaah Yeo
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Five-eighth: Jack Wighton
Centres: Kotoni Staggs and Stephen Crichton
Wingers: David Nofoaluma and Josh Addo-Carr
Fullback: Clint Gutherson
JGK
Roar Guru
Brownlow is 3-2-1 as awarded by the umpires. Of course, that has it’s own flaws!
JGK
Roar Guru
This is the biggest flaw in a 3-2-1 system. The same thing applies in the AB Medal - for Steve Smith's 2 x 140s in Edgbaston last year, the most he can get is 3 points and someone else has to get the 2 even though their performance may have been the best of a bad bunch.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
What I don't like is that a player can get 3 points for an ugly, maybe lucky, win over the Dogs, and the person who has a blinder against the Storm also gets 3 points. All because somebody has to get 3 points
Tony
Roar Guru
NFI
Harry
Guest
I thought coach of the year should've gone to Payten for the same reason - not just holding the Warriors together but actually making them a better team after Kearney was sacked mid-season was the most impressive coaching achievement I saw this season.
The Barry
Roar Guru
That’s pretty interesting but it doesn’t necessarily mean that Wighton deserves the award any less If I was picking my player of the year I probably would have leant to Cleary but I don’t think that makes Wighton undeserving Some years like 2019 (Tedesco) or 2012 (Barba) or 2009 (Hayne) there’s a standout player Other years there’s not. I could have lived with any of the top few getting the award Any 3-2-1 award isn’t really about the best overall player but the player that is the best, the most frequently
Dwanye
Roar Rookie
Do any of you know how the AFL’s Brownlow system works? If they do it diff, would it help? I think they just have to make it above board, adding, tallying right there. If the Tele wrote of it before hand it not tallied before viewers eyes.
matth
Roar Guru
It was always going to go to the Warriors captain for holding his team together.
matth
Roar Guru
No other centres polled many votes either?
Beastie
Roar Rookie
I think Billy Slater will win it.
Beastie
Roar Rookie
Generally, it's hard to poll votes when your team is constantly losing. Especially when the losses are by big margins and the opposition team gets all the points.
Sham
Roar Rookie
Most errors means nothing unless you control for how many times someone holds the ball. If you hardly ever get the ball or try much then you won't have many errors. Also there are errors and errors. If you make an error attacking 10 metres out from the opposition's try line on tackle 5 when trying something that is hardly the same as dropping the ball cold 10 metres from your own line.
Sham
Roar Rookie
Jack was a worthy winner. I watched every Raiders game this year - not sure that those critical of his choice have. To be consistent I have not watched every game for all the other key contenders but from what I did see it was hard for Cleary as he had so many others in his team to compete against. Wighton less so but that is how it works. The Raiders are hardly ever on free to air and as a result they often get left out of things.
The Barry
Roar Guru
They’re pretty similar over the last decade though 2019 Tedesco got both 2018 Ponga = RLPA, RTS = DM 2017 Tedesco = RLPA, Smith = DM 2016 JT13 v JT13/Cronk 2015 JT both 2014 JT v JT/Hayne 2013 JT v Cronk 2012 Barba 2011 Uate v Slater 2010 Boyd v Carney 2009 Hayne In 11 years the same player has won both six times Then there’s a lot of years like 2017 where would you really argue too hard about whether Teddy or Smith got the best player award? Or 2013 JT v Cronk
The Barry
Roar Guru
2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2010, 2009 I think in all those years the Dally M winner was a pretty fair representation of the best player in the comp
Tony
Roar Guru
Anything's possible. Think DEC in 2013, Luke Lewis in 2016 and Jack Wighton in 2019
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Dally M betting banned after last years fiasco. I doubt there is live betting anyway
Albo
Roar Rookie
Not Jack again ??
Albo
Roar Rookie
Centres don't win these sort of awards. Don't touch the ball enough. Dally M is for the spines !
Geoff from Bruce Stadium
Roar Rookie
Agree Baz- wouldn't have minded if Jack, Gutho or Cleary had won - either would have been worthy winners - the fact that there is only a vote or two between all three shows how close it was