Nathan Cleary has won four premierships, two Clive Churchill Medals and now a State of Origin series as its dominant player, yet the Penrith superstar is still missing the NRL’s most prestigious individual award.
That glaring omission could finally disappear in 2026.
Cleary led the Dally M Medal standings when voting went behind closed doors after Round 12 and has remained central to Penrith’s push for another minor premiership.
The 28-year-old has already established himself as the defining player of his generation. However, failing to win a Dally M across six seasons of extraordinary club dominance has increasingly become difficult to reconcile with his standing in the game.
Cleary Held the Lead When Voting Went Secret
Cleary had accumulated 38 Dally M points after 12 rounds, placing him three clear of Warriors forward Jackson Ford and six ahead of Panthers teammate Dylan Edwards.
Scott Drinkwater sat fourth on 29 points, while reigning medallist James Tedesco remained within striking distance on 27.
The official NRL leaderboard then went behind closed doors, meaning Cleary’s current total will not be revealed until the awards ceremony during grand final week.
Holding the halfway lead is no guarantee of victory.
No player between Cameron Smith in 2017 and the beginning of the 2026 season converted the public lead into the medal. Cleary knows that better than almost anyone.
He also led when voting became secret in 2021, only for a shoulder injury to cost him five matches and allow Tom Trbojevic to surge past him. Cleary ultimately finished five points behind the Manly fullback.
Still, his position in 2026 is considerably stronger because he has continued producing influential performances throughout Penrith’s run towards the finals.
Bulldogs Victory Strengthens Cleary’s Case
Cleary delivered another controlled performance as Penrith defeated Canterbury 24-10 and moved back to the top of the ladder.
He finished with 12 points, a try assist, a line break and 726 kicking metres while converting every scoring opportunity presented to him.
His towering bomb early in the second half created Liam Martin’s second try and helped Penrith establish control of a match carrying major finals implications.
The Panthers’ official statistics also showed the halfback’s importance to a highly disciplined performance in which Penrith completed 38 of 41 sets.
Cooper Cronk described Cleary as “one of the best on the planet” after the decisive kick.
That moment summarised why Cleary remains so valuable even when he is not producing spectacular running statistics. His kicking, organisation and capacity to identify a weakness can decide matches without requiring him to dominate every possession.
Whether the Dally M judges rewarded him against Canterbury remains secret, but his influence was unmistakable.
His Dally M Record Defies His Career
Cleary has finished second in the Dally M count twice, falling short behind Trbojevic in 2021 and Tedesco in 2025.
Injuries and suspensions have repeatedly damaged his chances.
He missed matches during the second half of 2021 because of a shoulder injury and was suspended for five games following a dangerous throw in 2022. Hamstring problems then restricted him to only 10 regular-season appearances in 2024.
The Dally M system rewards sustained regular-season availability. A player can be the competition’s most influential performer across several years without winning if he repeatedly misses matches during an individual campaign.
That explains Cleary’s absence from the honour roll, but it does not make the omission look any less remarkable.
Since 2020, Cleary has guided Penrith to five grand finals and four consecutive premierships between 2021 and 2024.
He won the Clive Churchill Medal in 2021 and 2023, with the second coming after he inspired one of the greatest grand-final comebacks in rugby league history against Brisbane.
Cleary has also collected multiple Dally M Halfback of the Year awards and the 2023 Golden Boot.
A player can hardly assemble a more complete résumé without winning the medal recognising the competition’s best performer.
Origin Criticism Has Also Been Silenced
Cleary entered 2026 carrying another persistent criticism: that he had never truly controlled a State of Origin series.
That argument became even louder after a poor performance in the second match of this year’s series. Cleary admitted his display had been “embarrassing” as Queensland levelled the contest.
His response was emphatic.
Cleary starred as New South Wales won the decider at Suncorp Stadium, playing a central role in the Blues reclaiming the shield in hostile territory.
The performance removed one of the few remaining qualifications attached to his career.
He had already delivered for Penrith in grand finals, survived enormous expectations as the game’s leading halfback and repeatedly produced match-winning moments under pressure. Controlling an Origin decider in Brisbane demonstrated that his influence was not confined to Penrith’s system.
Winning the Dally M would eliminate the final conspicuous gap.
Dylan Edwards Remains a Genuine Threat
Cleary is not guaranteed to win simply because his career deserves the award.
Edwards was only six points behind his teammate when voting became secret and has continued producing outstanding performances for the Panthers.
The fullback ran for 262 metres against Canterbury, broke eight tackles, created a try and made an important defensive intervention.
Having two leading contenders in the same team can work against both players because they compete for votes whenever Penrith wins. Isaah Yeo can also attract points through his organisation, defensive work and influence at the ruck.
Tedesco remains another major threat after winning the medal in 2019 and 2025. His surge from third at the halfway point last season proved how dramatically the leaderboard can change once voting disappears from public view.
Cleary therefore should not receive the medal as compensation for previous seasons. The Dally M must recognise the best regular-season performer in 2026 rather than repair his career record.
The argument is that he may finally have done enough to satisfy both requirements.
The Medal Would Complete Cleary’s Résumé
Cleary does not need a Dally M Medal to validate his greatness.
His grand-final performances and Penrith’s unprecedented modern dynasty already provide stronger evidence than an individual voting award ever could.
Darren Lockyer, Wally Lewis and Greg Inglis all completed legendary careers without winning the Dally M. The medal is important, but its absence does not prevent a player from belonging among rugby league’s elite.
Nevertheless, seeing Cleary’s name missing from its honour roll does not sit right.
He has been the most important player in the competition’s most dominant team for six years. He has repeatedly performed when premierships were decided and has now answered the remaining questions surrounding his Origin career.
Cleary led the 2026 count when it disappeared from public view and has continued guiding Penrith towards another title challenge.
If he is finally crowned during grand final week, it will not be a lifetime achievement award.
It will be overdue recognition of another outstanding season from the player who has defined this NRL era.
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