2022 Dally M Preview: Favourites, contenders & outsiders for the NRL’s end-of-season awards

With the 2022 Dally M Awards set to be held Wednesday night at Randwick racecourse as a part of Grand Final week festivities, all eyes will shift to some of rugby league’s biggest stars and the game’s most-prized individual gongs. Here is how the major awards and positional honours might shake up.

Dally M Player of the Year

With the likes of Tom Trbojevic, Latrell Mitchell, Nathan Cleary and Ryan Papenhuyzen all spending lengthy periods on the sideline, the Dally M Medal is expected to be contested by several fresher faces. Dragons halfback Ben Hunt (19) found his name two points clear atop the leaderboard when voting went behind closed doors at the conclusion of Round 12 with Panthers lock Isaah Yeo (17) and Cronulla halfback Nicho Hynes (16) hot on his tail. Eels halfback Mitchell Moses (15), Roosters fullback James Tedesco (14), Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards (13) and Storm five-eighth Cameron Munster (12) were among the players in the ballpark but, in all honesty, it feels like a Hunt-versus-Hynes race to the finish given how the second half of the year played out. Hunt played in 11 of the Dragons’ final 12 games notching six wins, four tries, seven try assists and 24 tackle breaks. Hynes also played in 11 of the Sharks’ final 12 bagging 10 wins, three tries, 10 try assists and 27 tackle breaks. The success Cronulla had over the second half of the season may be enough to propel Hynes to the club’s first Dally M Medal since Preston Campbell in 2001, however, the race is expected to be a tight one.

Rookie of the Year

The crop of rookies this season produced some stellar stretches of football with several proving to be valuable contributors for their sides as the year progressed. Cowboys edge Jeremiah Nanai, Panthers winger Taylan May, Rabbitohs halfback Lachlan Ilias, Raiders fullback Xavier Savage, Rabbitohs centre Isaiah Tass, Raiders hooker Zac Woolford and Cowboys prop Griffin Neame all found themselves relied on as week-to-week contributors for finals sides by season’s end whilst the likes of Broncos five-eighth Ezra Mam, Sea Eagles centre Toluta’u Koula, Bulldogs winger Jacob Kiraz and Sea Eagles winger Christian Tuipulotu played their way into the 17s of bottom eight sides. May’s brilliant start to the season had him the early favourite after coming into the Panthers’ starting 13 in Round 3, however, Nanai’s impressive Origin campaign coupled with his freakish try-scoring ability should be enough for him to earn the nod.

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Coach of the Year

The Coach of the Year debate should be another interesting one with several masterminds bullish on their odds. North Queensland’s Todd Payten, Cronulla’s Craig Fitzgibbon, Penrith’s Ivan Cleary and Canberra’s Ricky Stuart are among the names expected to vie for the honour. Payten led North Queensland to an incredible 17 wins despite many tipping them for a bottom four finish after a putrid end to 2021. Fitzgibbon also dragged what many viewed as a borderline top eight side to 18 wins and a top two finish just 12 months on from a 10-win, ninth-placed finish. Cleary coached the Panthers to their second minor premiership in three years despite losing the likes of Matt Burton, Kurt Capewell, and Paul Momirovski over the offseason and having Nathan Cleary, Jarome Luai, Brian To’o and Moses Leota miss chunks of the season. Stuart, meanwhile, oversaw Canberra’s charge towards the postseason after sitting 15th at the end of Round 7, winning eight of their final nine to sneak into eighth spot. Payten likely enters the night as the favourite, spearheading an historic turnaround as five of his squad-members made their State of Origin debuts.

Captain of the Year

Predicting who is anointed as the premiership’s best captain is tricky as there is no widely-accepted criteria and it is an award that tends to fly under the radar. James Tedesco won it last year after the Roosters overcame a shocking injury toll to finish on the cusp of the top four, the year prior Roger Tuivasa-Sheck won it for a Warriors side that finished 10th but spent the entirety of the season away from Auckland, and the three years prior Cameron Smith claimed it for the Storm. Penrith put together another historically strong season in 2022 with Cleary and Yeo the engine that drives the men from the foot of the mountains. Cameron Murray stepped up after the departure of Rabbitohs stalwart Adam Reynolds and helped oversee one of the most effective post-Bennett transitions we have seen. Hunt put together a Dally M-calibre season and kept the Dragons in the finals race for longer than many expected whilst Chad Townsend and Jason Taumalolo captained the Cows to a top four berth after four straight years of bottom four finishes. Given the ambiguity of the award’s criteria, predicting the NRL’s Captain of the Year is a difficult task but these four appear as well-suited as any to claim the gong.

Fullback of the Year

In a piece written in late-July, Tedesco was listed as the favourite to earn Fullback of the Year honours whilst Edwards had a superb season for Penrith. Tedesco was only a point clear of Edwards at the end of Round 12 but given the Roosters’ eight-game winning streak to end the season and the fact Edwards sat out in two of Penrith’s final four, Tedesco’s chances appear strong. Parramatta’s Clint Gutherson and North Queensland’s Scott Drinkwater both enjoyed standout seasons but likely left themselves a little too much ground to cover. Tedesco is looking to join Billy Slater and Darren Lockyer as just the third fullback of the NRL era to earn a trio of Team of the Year nods.

Wingers of the Year

In the same piece, Selwyn Cobbo and Alex Johnston were the two flankers that stood out. Johnston remains a strong chance of earning the first Team of the Year nod of his career after becoming the first player in NRL history to score 30-plus tries in back-to-back seasons. Cobbo, however, missed six of Brisbane’s final 12 games as they plummeted out of the finals race. His teammate Corey Oates, however, enjoyed a superb bounce-back year whilst Josh Addo-Carr was terrific in a below-average Canterbury side. North Queensland’s Murray Taulagi and Cronulla’s Ronaldo Mulitalo both enjoyed breakout years along with Penrith rookie Taylan May, Knights gun Dominic Young, and Roosters prodigy Joseph Sua’ali’i whilst fellow Rooster Daniel Tupou has been one of the premiership’s best wingers of the past decade. Possibly the toughest position to forecast, Johnston and Addo-Carr should both go close, however, there would be little surprise if any of the names mentioned earnt a spot in the NRL’s Team of the Year.

Centres of the Year

Roosters superstar Joseph Manu is close to a lock for one of the centre vacancies despite the fact he spent a game at fullback and two at five-eighth. He has been the consensus world’s best centre for a while now and enjoyed another sensational year at the tricolours. Cronulla standout Siosifa Talakai led all centres in voting at the midway point and appears well-positioned to earn the second vacancy despite quieting down a little as the season progressed. North Queensland’s Valentine Holmes enjoyed a strong backend to 2022 whilst injuries likely dashed any hopes for South Sydney’s Campbell Graham. Manu is expected to fill one vacancy with Talakai or Holmes the other.

Five-eighth of the Year

Melbourne’s Cameron Munster led all five-eighths at the midway point and, despite Melbourne’s shaky second half of the year, the 28-year-old will be hoping to earn the third Team of the Year nod of his 173-game career. Parramatta’s Dylan Brown and South Sydney’s Cody Walker were both terrific for their respective clubs whilst Canberra’s Jack Wighton and Canterbury’s Matt Burton were major catalysts for their side’s end-of-year pushes. The five-eighth race may prove the tightest, however, Munster appears a strong chance of joining Brad Fittler, Darren Lockyer, and Johnathan Thurston as the only five-eighths of the NRL era to be named in three Teams of the Year.

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Halfback of the Year

The Halfback of the Year race and the Dally M race may prove one and the same: Hunt or Hynes? Both men started in 23 games; Hunt finished with six tries, 21 assists, and nine contributions whilst Hynes finished with six tries, 22 assists, and 15 contributions. Hunt was involved in a slightly higher percentage of his team’s tries – 44.4% to 41.7% – and edged Hynes in average possessions – 66.7 to 61.6. Hynes, meanwhile, assisted on more line breaks – 29 to 24 – and averaged more runs – 9.6 to 5.3 – and run metres – 74.8 to 40.7 – than Hunt who finished with higher line break, tackle break, and offload totals. Hunt engaged the line more and kicked more whilst Hynes was the stronger defender. Both men had superb 2022s and firm as deserving Dally M and Halfback of the Year candidates.

Props of the Year

Brisbane’s Payne Haas was the front-row leader at the midway point with Newcastle’s David Klemmer and the Warriors’ Addin Fonua-Blake not far off. Canberra’s Joseph Tapine enjoyed an unbelievable second half of the season and is expected to come well and truly into the fray whilst teammate Josh Papali’i, Parramatta’s Reagan Campbell-Gillard, and South Sydney’s Tevita Tatola find themselves in a similar boat. Veterans Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Jared Waerea-Hargreaves should have picked up points across the second half of the season also. Tapine appears a virtual lock for one of the vacancies whilst the second could come down to any of the names mentioned.

Hooker of the Year

The Hooker of the Year race looks to be another tight one with a collection of nines vying for the honour. Melbourne’s Harry Grant was the positional leader after Round 12 whilst South Sydney’s Damien Cook and Parramatta’s Reed Mahoney were within reach. Penrith’s Apisai Koroisau, North Queensland’s Reece Robson, and Cronulla’s Blayke Brailey were also among scorers expected to poll well over the second half of the season. Usurping Grant may prove a tall task for the likes of Cook, Koroisau, and Robson, however, given his lead was just two, there is an air of uncertainty surrounding the race. Should Grant come out on top, he would become the third-consecutive Storm hooker to earn a Team of the Year nod joining Brandon Smith and Cameron Smith – a wild achievement for the club.

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Second-rowers of the Year

North Queensland’s Jeremiah Nanai and Manly’s Haumole Olakau’atu were the second-row leaders at the midway point and will be in the mix come Wednesday night. Nanai passed a testing Origin period with flying colours and finished the year with an absurd 17 tries. Olakau’atu, however, was a part of a Manly side that lost their final seven games and slumped to 11th on the ladder. The 2022 crop of edge forwards was sensational and several men will be fighting for spots in the Team of the Year. Penrith’s Viliame Kikau and Parramatta’s Isaiah Papali’i – who both earnt Team of the Year nods in 2021 – will go close again after stellar campaigns whilst the likes of Canberra’s Hudson Young, Sydney’s Angus Crichton, South Sydney’s Keaon Koloamatangi, Parramatta’s Shaun Lane and Gold Coast’s Beau Fermor were brilliant throughout the backend of the year. Kikau and Crichton may be the two most likely names but this is another very difficult position to get a read on.

Lock of the Year

Whilst Yeo’s Dally M chances slid slightly as the year progressed, the Penrith stalwart’s nine-point, midyear lead over Brisbane’s Patrick Carrigan – who appeared in just 14 games – has him the surest thing of any of the positional awards. South Sydney’s Cameron Murray, North Queensland’s Jason Taumalolo, and Gold Coast’s Tino Fa’asuamaleaui all had outstanding 2022s but expect Yeo’s role as the engine of Penrith’s winning machine should net him another Team of the Year nod. Not since Ray Price in 1986 has a player won three-consecutive Lock of the Year awards but Yeo looks set to join the illustrious club.

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