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Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga has pulled off a huge shock to be named the 2023 Dally M Medallist, defeating heavily fancied Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson by a single point.
Ponga’s rise from the canvas has been nothing short of miraculous. He was widely derided this time last year after signing an expensive contract, then being caught in a pub toilet with teammate Kurt Mann after being ruled out for the year with a series of concussions.
The fullback then endured an unsuccessful reinvention as a five eighth, then another head knock, then was left out of Origin. Yet, somehow, he found the kind of form that convinced the Knights to pay him the big bucks, which was rewarded with a fairytale run to the finals and now, the NRL’s award for best player.
“I feel humbled and very lucky, there’s a lot of talent in this room,” said the star.
“I had an early holiday and thought I need to stop letting people down and I’m thankful to my family for all their support.”
It was a double win for the Knights, with NRLW fullback Tamika Upton backing up her 2022 Karyn Murphy Medal for player of the match in the NRLW Grand Final with the game’s biggest individual honour.
Both races went down to the wire: Upton won by a single point from Tarryn Aiken, the Roosters five eighth, while Ponga’s performance in the second-last game – both he and Johnson did not play the final round – proved enough to edge the Kiwi veteran.
The new scoring system may come under some criticism as a result of Ponga’s shock win. For the first time, the maximum score a player could attain in one match was six, with two judges doling out points on a 3-2-1 basis.
Ponga won despite only playing 20 matches, one of which was ended early by a head knock, meaning he got all of his points in a shorter time-frame than Johnson, racking up scores late in the year while the Wahs halfback had been consistent throughout.
He was on just six points after Round 12 – when he was sensationally ditched from the Queensland team – but picked up 50 points from there out, leading many to question whether the voting overvalued shorter bursts of exceptional form.
Again, the voting also favoured teams with one standout player. Ponga and Johnson were followed by Nicho Hynes – who himself admitted that he should be nowhere near the top – and Daly Cherry-Evans, with the likes of Nathan Cleary, Isaah Yeo, Payne Haas and Dylan Edwards from the Grand Finalist taking points off each other.
Indeed, Johnson may well have suffered from the strong showing of Addin Fonua-Blake, who came seventh. The jury process is also under fire, with Johnson receiving no points for his side’s Round 24 win over the Raiders despite kicking the winning field goal for his team.
(Photo by Phil Walter/Getty Images)
“I wasn’t (robbed),” Johnson said. “I thought Kalyn had a great year. He was the centrepiece of the Knights going on their run.
“It was a really special run that he went on, so if there was going to be a person I thought that was going to get it, I thought it was going to be him.
“As the night goes on, and they string you along and it gets your heart racing, I’m like ‘maybe I am a genuine chance of winning it. At some point in the night I started (thinking) about it, and I was like, ‘far out this is pretty cool recognition’.
“Obviously gutted I didn’t walk away with it because it would have been cool to have.”
There was, however, little doubt about Upton’s award. The Knights star has been among the very best in the NRLW for several years and can now add the Dally M to her list of achievements, before going for back-to-back Premierships on Sunday afternoon.
“This is definitely not an individual award,” she said.
“I think from the moment I stepped foot (in Newcastle), I’ve been supported by everyone involved and that spreads to my teammates.
“For my family and friends back home who have always supported me, I can feel the love so thank you.”
The Warriors didn’t go home with nothing. Johnson’s coach, Andrew Webster, was also rewarded as Coach of the Year in the men’s competition, with Karyn Murphy of Newcastle’s NRLW Grand Final opponents, the Gold Coast Titans, became the first female winner of the Coaches’ award.
Webster beat out Ivan Cleary – his old boss – and Kevin Walters, though the Panthers and Broncos did pick up gongs: Brisbane skipper Adam Reynolds picked up the Captain’s award, while Penrith’s Fijian winger Sunia Turuva was named Rookie of the Year.
In their NRLW equivalents, two of the new clubs were rewarded, with Raiders captain Simaima Taufa and Sharks rookie Annessa Biddle honoured.
Both Johnson and Ponga made the NRL Team of the Year in their respective positions, amid a host of fairytales. Ezra Mam, in just his second season of first grade, was named the NRL’s leading five eighth, while Jamayne Isaako became the first Dolphin to get an award at the Dally Ms, just a year from being dropped to state cup.
NRL
Dally M Medal – Kalyn Ponga – Newcastle Knights
Dally M Fullback of the Year – Kalyn Ponga – Newcastle Knights
Dally M Winger of the Year – Dallin Watene-Zelezniak – Warriors
Dally M Winger of the Year – Jamayne Isaako – Dolphins
Dally M Centre of the Year – Stephen Crichton – Penrith Panthers
Dally M Centre of the Year – Herbie Farnworth – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year – Ezra Mam – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Halfback of the Year – Shaun Johnson – Warriors
Dally M Prop of the Year – Payne Haas – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Prop of the Year – Addin Fonua-Blake – Warriors
Dally M Hooker of the Year – Harry Grant – Melbourne Storm
Dally M Second-Row of the Year – Liam Martin – Penrith Panthers
Dally M Second-Row of the Year David Fifita – Gold Coast Titans
Dally M Lock of the Year – Patrick Carrigan – Brisbane Broncos
Peter Frilingos Headline Moment – Dolphins’ “phin-credible” Roosters boilover
Provan-Summons Medal – Nicho Hynes – Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Dally M Coach of the Year – Andrew Webster – Warriors
Dally M Rookie of the Year – Sunia Turuva – Penrith Panthers
Dally M Captain of the Year – Adam Reynolds – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Try of the Year – Mathew Feagai – St George Illawarra Dragons
Dally M Tackle of the Year – Haumole Olakau’atu – Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles
Ken Irvine Medal – Jamayne Isaako – Dolphins
NRL Top Point Scorer – Jamayne Isaako – Dolphins
VB Hardest Working Player of the Year – Addin Fonua-Blake – Warriors
Team of the Year
1 – Kalyn Ponga
2 – Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
3 – Stephen Crichton
4 – Herbie Farnworth
5 – Jamayne Isaako
6 – Ezra Mam
7 – Shaun Johnson
8 – Payne Haas
9 – Harry Grant
10 – Addin Fonua-Blake
11 – David Fifita
12 – Liam Martin
13 – Pat Carrigan
NRLW
Dally M Medal – Tamika Upton – Newcastle Knights
Dally M Fullback of the Year – Tamika Upton – Newcastle Knights
Dally M Winger of the Year – Jakiya Whitfeld – Wests Tigers
Dally M Winger of the Year – Julia Robinson – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Centre of the Year – Isabelle Kelly – Sydney Roosters
Dally M Centre of the Year – Mele Hufanga – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year – Tarryn Aiken – Sydney Roosters
Dally M Halfback of the Year – Ali Brigginshaw – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Prop of the Year – Shannon Mato – Gold Coast Titans
Dally M Prop of the Year – Sarah Togatuki – Wests Tigers
Dally M Hooker of the Year – Destiny Brill – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Second-Row of the Year – Yasmin Clydsdale – Newcastle Knights
Dally M Second-Row of the Year – Olivia Kernick – Sydney Roosters
Dally M Lock of the Year – Simaima Taufa – Canberra Raiders
Provan-Summons Medal – Lavinia Gould – Brisbane Broncos
Dally M Coach of the Year – Karyn Murphy – Gold Coast Titans
Dally M Rookie of the Year – Annessa Biddle – Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks
Dally M Captain of the Year- Simaima Taufa – Canberra Raiders
Dally M Try of the Year – Jesse Southwell – Newcastle Knights
Dally M Tackle of the Year – Jakiya Whitfeld – Wests Tigers
NRLW Top Try Scorer – Teagan Berry – St George Illawarra Dragons
NRLW Top Point Scorer – Ali Brigginshaw – Brisbane Broncos
Team of the Year
1 – Tamika Upton
2 – Julia Robinson
3 – Isabelle Kelly
4 – Mele Hufanga
5 – Jakiya Whitfeld
6 – Tarryn Aiken
7 – Ali Brigginshaw
8 – Shannon Mato
9 – Destiny Brill
10 – Sarah Togatuki
11 – Yasmin Clydsdale
12 – Olivia Kernick
13 – Simaima Taufa
with AAP