South Sydney’s Jai Arrow has won both the Peter Frilingos Headline Moment of the Year and the NRL Provan-Summons Award at the 2026 Dally M Awards in Sydney, while the men’s and NRLW Dally M Medals were still to be announced at the time of writing.
The NRL’s night of nights is underway at The Cutaway in Barangaroo on Wednesday, with the ceremony proper starting at about 8pm AEST, according to Zero Tackle’s live blog. NRL.com’s live blog reported the NRLW Dally M Medal count began at 8.10pm, while Fox Sports said the men’s Dally M Medallist should be announced just after 9.30pm AEST. The men’s medal is still to be announced at the time of writing.
Arrow claims two awards
NRL.com named Arrow the Peter Frilingos Headline Moment of the Year at about 7.10pm, pointing to the Round 26 game at Cbus Super Stadium when he played his 99th match for the Rabbitohs, and his 100th game against the Roosters at Allianz Stadium in Round 27, when he came to the sideline after kick-off where Wayne Bennett was holding the interchange card. Zero Tackle and Nine.com.au also reported Arrow as the Frilingos winner.
Arrow then won the NRL Provan-Summons Award, announced at 7.50pm, with NRL.com saying the honour recognised his 99th and 100th games for South Sydney as “You’ll Never Walk Alone” rang out at both grounds. Zero Tackle and Nine also reported the Provan-Summons win.
Nine reported that Rabbitohs chief executive Blake Solly read a prepared speech on Arrow’s behalf. In that speech, as reported by Nine, Arrow thanked everyone involved in the game for their support after his motor neurone disease diagnosis and medical retirement earlier this year, and singled out teammate Cody Walker as the player he believed most deserved an award for showing the spirit of rugby league.
TSB earlier covered reports that Arrow will feature in grand final pre-game entertainment on Sunday.
Johnston’s record try named Try of the Year
Alex Johnston’s record-breaking try against the Roosters in Round 2, when he crossed just after half-time to break Ken Irvine’s all-time tryscoring record, has been named the 2026 Try of the Year, NRL.com reported. Zero Tackle, which described it as Johnston’s 213th try, said it was “maybe not the ‘best’ try of the year, but certainly the most memorable”. Nine also reported the award.
Johnston also shared the Ken Irvine Medal for the NRL’s leading tryscorer with Penrith’s Thomas Jenkins after both crossed 30 times, according to NRL.com and Nine. “So honoured and so stoked to be able to receive this award and share it with Alex as well,” Jenkins told Fox League, as quoted by Nine.
NRL.com reported Dolphins sharpshooter Jamayne Isaako as the NRL’s leading pointscorer for 2026.
NRLW early winners
Broncos great Ali Brigginshaw won the NRLW Provan-Summons Award, recognising her farewell home game when Warriors players honoured her with a haka, NRL.com and Nine reported. Canberra’s Mackenzie Wiki won the NRLW Try of the Year for finishing off a Zahara Temara cross-field kick to complete a Round 9 hat-trick against the Titans, according to both outlets.
NRL.com also reported Roosters centre Jessica Sergis as the NRLW’s leading tryscorer, with the top pointscorer title shared by Broncos playmaker Jesse Southwell and Rooster Jocelyn Kelleher, who meet in Sunday’s NRLW grand final.
The NRLW Dally M Medal count was underway but no winner had been announced at the time of writing. Broncos fullback Tamika Upton led on 12 votes from Canberra’s Sheridan Gallagher and the Roosters’ Tarryn Aiken on 11 each when voting went behind closed doors after Round 4, as listed by Zero Tackle and NRL.com. NRL.com noted Upton is already a two-time winner, in 2023 and 2025.
Cleary favourite, not at the venue
Nathan Cleary is the red-hot favourite for the men’s medal after topping the Round 12 leaderboard on 38 points when voting went behind closed doors, ahead of Jackson Ford (35), Dylan Edwards (32), Scott Drinkwater (29) and James Tedesco (27), as listed by Zero Tackle. Nine’s red-carpet interviews found every player it spoke to tipping Cleary, including Cameron Murray, Joseph Tapine, Dylan Edwards and Kalyn Ponga.
Cleary is not attending. He suffered a compound ankle fracture in Penrith’s preliminary final loss to Newcastle, covered in TSB’s prelim report, and underwent surgery earlier in the week. Zero Tackle reported that Ivan Cleary and Thomas Jenkins both said he was in good spirits, and that he was home on Wednesday but due back for another round of surgery on Saturday.
Ivan Cleary told Fox League on the red carpet that Nathan was back home after spending time in hospital, Nine reported. “If that happens (he wins the Dally M), I know he’d be stoked and I’ll be super proud too,” Ivan said, as quoted by Nine.
Earlier reporting from Nine and Fox Sports outlined acceptance options if Cleary wins: a video link if he feels well enough, Ivan collecting the medal, or a pre-recorded speech. Fox Sports’ live coverage referred to a possible video link from Ivan’s house. Exact acceptance arrangements remain subject to how Cleary is feeling on the night.
Fox Sports named Cronulla’s Braydon Trindall as the strongest threat to Cleary, with Edwards also a contender, and reported that CODE Sports’ Michael Carayannis singled out Drinkwater as a “smokie” for the award.
Still to come
Coach, Captain and Rookie of the Year, as well as Team of the Year, are still to be decided across both the NRL and NRLW, according to Zero Tackle, while NRL.com said Tackle of the Year and the Ken Stephen and Veronica White Medals will also be presented. Fox Sports flagged strong interest in Coach of the Year, with Justin Holbrook and Andrew Webster both guiding their sides into the finals after injury-hit seasons. The NRL did not release a full nominee list this year.
Roosters and Knights players are among those at Barangaroo ahead of Sunday’s grand final. See TSB’s grand final team lists.
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