Dally M Medal Winners: Every Winner Since 1979

Who has won the most Dally M Medals? Johnathan Thurston holds the record with four, one more than Andrew Johns. Here is every Dally M Medal winner since 1979, with the records, the clubs with the most medallists and how rugby league’s player of the year is decided.

Nathan Cleary is the reigning Dally M medallist, and the Penrith halfback finally has the one major individual honour that had eluded him. Cleary won the 2026 Dally M Medal with 67 points, 14 clear of Cronulla’s Braydon Trindall (53) and his Panthers teammate Dylan Edwards (52). The ABC reported that he had the medal secured with two rounds still to play.

Cleary led the count with 38 points when voting went behind closed doors after Round 12 and held on from there, becoming only the second Penrith player to win the medal after Greg Alexander in 1985. He accepted the award from home after surgery on the compound ankle fracture he suffered in the preliminary final, and Panthers boss Andrew Hill has said the surgeon expects him back between Rounds 1 and 4 of 2027.

Plenty of former medallists are in action at the Rugby League World Cup. Kangaroos captain James Tedesco won in 2019 and 2025, and 2021 winner Tom Trbojevic has scored hat-tricks against Fiji and the Cook Islands. Across the Tasman, 2023 medallist Kalyn Ponga is chasing a semi-final return for the Kiwis after breaking his arm in the tournament opener.

Here is the full honour roll. The NRL’s official list starts with St George halfback Steve Morris in 1979, and the medal has now been awarded 48 times to 35 different players. It was not presented in 1997 or 2003, and it was shared in 2014 and 2016.

Most Dally M Medals by player

4 medals: Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland, 2005, 2007, 2014, 2015)
3 medals: Andrew Johns (Newcastle, 1998, 1999, 2002)
2 medals: Peter Sterling (1986, 1987), Gavin Miller (1988, 1989), Michael Potter (1984, 1991), Cliff Lyons (1990, 1994), Cameron Smith (2006, 2017), Jarryd Hayne (2009, 2014), Cooper Cronk (2013, 2016) and James Tedesco (2019, 2025)

Thurston is the only four-time winner, and his last two medals came in consecutive seasons, the first of them shared with Parramatta’s Jarryd Hayne in 2014. Johns won three in five seasons for Newcastle, either side of a Knights premiership in 2001.

Dally M Medal records

Most medals: 4, Johnathan Thurston (2005, 2007, 2014, 2015)
Back-to-back winners: Peter Sterling (1986-87), Gavin Miller (1988-89), Andrew Johns (1998-99) and Johnathan Thurston (2014-15)
Longest gap between wins: 11 years, Cameron Smith (2006 and 2017). Michael Potter (1984 and 1991) held the record before him
Only player to win at two clubs: Michael Potter (Canterbury-Bankstown in 1984, St George in 1991)
Shared medals: 2014 (Jarryd Hayne and Johnathan Thurston) and 2016 (Cooper Cronk and Jason Taumalolo)
Medal and premiership in the same season: Steve Morris (1979), Ray Price (1982), Michael Potter (1984), Peter Sterling (1986), Matt Orford (2008), Johnathan Thurston (2015), Cameron Smith (2017) and James Tedesco (2019)
Only winner from a club based outside Australia: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand Warriors), 2018
Hookers to win it: Danny Buderus (2004) and Cameron Smith (2006, 2017)
Every winner since Cameron Smith in 2017 has been a fullback or a half

Most Dally M Medals by club

Melbourne Storm: 6
Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks: 5
Newcastle Knights: 5
North Queensland Cowboys: 5
Parramatta Eels: 5
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles: 4
Sydney/Eastern Suburbs Roosters: 4
Canberra Raiders: 3
Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs: 2
Penrith Panthers: 2
St George Dragons: 2
Brisbane Broncos, New Zealand Warriors, South Sydney Rabbitohs, St George Illawarra Dragons and Western Suburbs Magpies: 1 each
Yet to produce a winner: Wests Tigers, Gold Coast Titans and the Dolphins

How the Dally M Medal is decided

The medal is named after Herbert Henry “Dally” Messenger, rugby league’s first superstar in Australia, and goes to the best player of the NRL regular season. Two judges each award 3, 2 and 1 points to the best three players in every game. The leaderboard is public until Round 12, then voting goes behind closed doors until the count on awards night in grand final week. Points are deducted from players who are suspended during the season.

The award was created by Sydney’s Daily Mirror newspaper, and for years it sat behind the Rothmans Medal as the second major individual award in the NSWRL. It became the competition’s official player of the year award in 1998, when the ARL and Super League merged to form the NRL.

Two years are missing from the list. There was no Dally M in 1997 because of the ARL-Super League split, and the 2003 awards night was cancelled during a pay dispute between the NRL and the Rugby League Players’ Association. According to NRL.com, Penrith halfback Craig Gower was said to be leading the voting by a point heading into the final round that year.

Dally M Medal winners: 2020s

2026: Nathan Cleary (Penrith)
2025: James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters)
2024: Jahrome Hughes (Melbourne)
2023: Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle)
2022: Nicho Hynes (Cronulla)
2021: Tom Trbojevic (Manly)
2020: Jack Wighton (Canberra)

Dally M Medal winners: 2010s

2019: James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters) – also won the premiership
2018: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand Warriors)
2017: Cameron Smith (Melbourne) – also won the premiership
2016: Cooper Cronk (Melbourne) and Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland), shared
2015: Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland) – also won the premiership
2014: Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta) and Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland), shared
2013: Cooper Cronk (Melbourne)
2012: Ben Barba (Canterbury-Bankstown)
2011: Billy Slater (Melbourne)
2010: Todd Carney (Sydney Roosters)

Dally M Medal winners: 2000s

2009: Jarryd Hayne (Parramatta)
2008: Matt Orford (Manly) – also won the premiership
2007: Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland)
2006: Cameron Smith (Melbourne)
2005: Johnathan Thurston (North Queensland)
2004: Danny Buderus (Newcastle)
2003: Not awarded (pay dispute between the players’ association and the NRL)
2002: Andrew Johns (Newcastle)
2001: Preston Campbell (Cronulla)
2000: Trent Barrett (St George Illawarra)

Dally M Medal winners: 1990s

1999: Andrew Johns (Newcastle)
1998: Andrew Johns (Newcastle)
1997: Not awarded (ARL-Super League split)
1996: Allan Langer (Brisbane)
1995: Laurie Daley (Canberra)
1994: Cliff Lyons (Manly)
1993: Ricky Stuart (Canberra)
1992: Gary Freeman (Eastern Suburbs)
1991: Michael Potter (St George)
1990: Cliff Lyons (Manly)

Dally M Medal winners: 1979-1989

1989: Gavin Miller (Cronulla)
1988: Gavin Miller (Cronulla)
1987: Peter Sterling (Parramatta)
1986: Peter Sterling (Parramatta) – also won the premiership
1985: Greg Alexander (Penrith)
1984: Michael Potter (Canterbury-Bankstown) – also won the premiership
1983: Terry Lamb (Western Suburbs)
1982: Ray Price (Parramatta) – also won the premiership
1981: Steve Rogers (Cronulla)
1980: Robert “Rocky” Laurie (South Sydney)
1979: Steve Morris (St George) – also won the premiership

NRLW Dally M Medal winners

The women’s medal was first awarded in 2018, and Brisbane fullback Tamika Upton has now won it three times. She polled 31 points in 2026 to edge out Wests Tigers halfback Raecene McGregor (29).

2026: Tamika Upton (Brisbane)
2025: Tamika Upton (Brisbane)
2024: Olivia Kernick (Sydney Roosters)
2023: Tamika Upton (Newcastle)
2022: Raecene McGregor (Sydney Roosters)
2021: Millie Boyle (Brisbane) and Emma Tonegato (St George Illawarra), shared
2020: Ali Brigginshaw (Brisbane)
2019: Jessica Sergis (St George Illawarra)
2018: Brittany Breayley (Brisbane)

Who will win the 2027 Dally M Medal?

Cleary will be the man to beat if his recovery stays on track, but only Sterling, Miller, Johns and Thurston have won the medal in back-to-back seasons. Tedesco is already a two-time winner, and the 2027 season brings an 18th team with the Perth Bears joining the competition. When the new season starts, follow the form, stats and tips for every game in TSB’s NRL Match Centre, catch up on our NRL news or download the free TSB app on iPhone and Android.

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