Melbourne star halfback Jahrome Hughes has capped a career-best season with his first Dally M Medal, beating Roosters James Tedesco by a single vote.
It went down to the final round with the Roosters skipper polling six votes, but Hughes also had a standout game to take the full six points as well – and therefore a 62 to 61 win of the NRL’s top honour.
As the voting went behind closed doors after Round 12, Hughes was down the leaderboard with 16 votes, behind leader Dylan Edwards who started the year on fire with 31 votes.
But the Kiwi had a massive period after that, as he surged to the top with 27 points across six rounds but had his six-point deduction applied for accidental contact with the referee where he picked up a one-game suspension. That dropped him to third on 37 behind Daly Cherry-Evans on top at 39 and James Tedesco on 38.
Between Rounds 18-23, Tom Trbojevic was a big mover with 18 votes in those six rounds. But Hughes took the lead with 10 votes to surge to 47 overall.
Daly Cherry-Evans only picked up two to move to 41 but dropped to third behind James Tedesco gained seven to jump to second.
Tedesco then drew level with Hughes after Round 24 before the Storm star moved three points clear the next round.
2024 NRL Dally M medallist Jahrome Hughes of the Storm. (Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
It set up a thrilling final two rounds, with Hughes rested in Round 26 allowing the Rooster to cut the margin to one vote behind. Then in the final round, both players had perfect scores, with the halfback just doing enough.
In the NRLW, Olivia Kernick from the Roosters was named the NRLW Dally M Player of the Year.
When voting went behind closed doors after Round 4 Lauren Brown 12 (Titans) was the leader ahead of Abbi Church 10 (Eels), Simaima Taufa 10 (Raiders), Brooke Anderson 10 (Sharks), and Olivia Kernick 9 (Roosters).
The NRL Coach of the Year award went to Melbourne’s Craig Bellamy. The Storm wrapped up the minor premiership with games to spare and are now into another grand final, while in the NRLW the honour went to Scott Prince after his Broncos finished the regular season on top of the ladder.
Bulldogs Stephen Crichton won the NRL Captain of the Year award, after helping steer the club to their first finals since 2016, while Cronulla’s Tiana Penitani took out the NRLW captain’s honour.
Stephen Crichton of the Bulldogs celebrates with teammates after scoring a try (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images)
The Rookie of the Year titles went to Jack Bostock in the NRL and in the NRLW Dragons half Kasey Reh.
In the individual position categories for the NRL, the winners were:
FULLBACK: James Tedesco (Roosters)
WINGERS: Zac Lomax (Dragons) and Brian To’o (Panthers)
CENTRES: Stephen Crichton (Bulldogs) and Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
FIVE-EIGHTH: Tom Dearden (Cowboys)
HALFBACK: Jahrome Hughes (Storm)
HOOKER: Harry Grant (Storm)
PROPS: Addin Fonua-Blake (Warriors) and Joseph Tapine (Raiders)
SECOND-ROWERS: Angus Crichton (Roosters) and Eliesa Katoa (Storm)
LOCK: Isaah Yeo (Panthers)
The NRLW team of the year was: Fullback – Abbi Church (Eels), Wingers – Julia Robinson (Broncos) and Stacey Waaka (Broncos), Centres – Isabelle Kelly (Roosters) and Tiana Penitani (Sharks), Five-eighth – Zahara Temara (Raiders), Halfback – Lauren Brown (Titans), Hooker – Keeley Davis (Roosters), Props – Millie Elliott (Roosters) and Shannon Mato (Titans), Second-Rowers – Olivia Kernick (Roosters) and Yasmin Clydsdale (Knights), Lock – Simaima Taufa (Raiders)
In earlier awards, announced on the ‘green carpet’, Tom Dearden won the NRL tackle of the year for running down Selywn Cobbo just inches short of the line against the Broncos in Round 4 in what some have called the “tackle of the century”.
Melbourne’s Xavier Coates took out the Try of the Year, for his amazing acrobatic effort to score the matchwinner in the corner against the NZ Warriors in Round 2 that went viral and earned the label from some of being the greatest of all time.
Gold Coast Titans Alofiana Khan-Pereira took out the Ken Irvine Medal for the NRL’s top try scorer, after crossing the line 24 times this season.
In the NRLW, the leading point scorer was Broncos forward Romy Teitzel finishing the regular season with 64 points. While Brisbane teammate Julia Robinson joined Newcastle’s Sheridan Gallagher in topping the try-scoring tally with an impressive nine tries.
Parramatta’s Zali Fay won the NRLW try of the year for her four-pointer in the final round of the Roosters, while Knights Abigail Roache won the tackle of the year for her Round 5 effort against Parramatta.