These stars can ruin Cleary’s legacy-defining Dally M moment
Updated . First published at
Nathan Cleary looks set to add the only piece of the puzzle missing from his Immortal status, with the Panthers star an odds-on favourite for the Dally M Medal – well, if betting was allowed.
The only problem? Cleary won’t be in attendance to accept the award if he wins on Wednesday night.
Nathan Cleary. Getty Images
In one of the most horrific and devastating injuries in recent memory, Cleary was taken off during Penrith’s preliminary final with a lower-leg compound fracture.
Cleary will have to accept the first Dally M of his career from a hospital bed after undergoing emergency surgery on Sunday, should he win it as most expect he will.
The 29-year-old had been a dominant force this season for not only Penrith but also the NSW Blues, taking out both the Wally Lewis Medal and Brad Fittler Medal for his heroics during the unlikely State of Origin series triumph.
While there are no betting odds to go with it like the AFL’s Brownlow Medal, the champion halfback is a clear front-runner for the NRL’s top individual gong.
Cleary was three points clear on the Dally M leaderboard when voting went silent after round 12 and his closest rival at the time, Warriors prop Jackson Ford, went down with a pectoral injury that hindered any chance of an unlikely win.
Panthers teammate Dylan Edwards was six points behind Cleary, while enigmatic Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater was nine votes off the lead.
Dally M leaderboard after round 12
- Nathan Cleary - 38
- Jackson Ford - 35
- Dylan Edwards - 32
- Scott Drinkwater - 29
- James Tedesco - 27
- Braydon Trindall - 23
- Haumole Olakau’atu - 22
- Adam Doueihi - 20
- Latrell Mitchell - 20
- Kalyn Ponga - 19
Due to the Dally M change in recent seasons, which sees a total of six votes handed out per game, it has become much easier for players to climb the leaderboard.
That could open the door for some smokies to enter the fray late, with the likes of Braydon Trindall and Kalyn Ponga having strong second-halves of the season.
Looking at the top-10 from the first dozen rounds, you can put a line through Latrell Mitchell, who was sidelined for three months due to injury.
Adam Doueihi and Haumole Olakau’atu were the beneficiaries of the Tigers and Sea Eagles starting the year strong, but both clubs fell away and as a result, their chances of coming near the Dally M have drastically gone down.
Trindall would have been the most likely player to come from the clouds and give the race a major shake, but a dislocated shoulder in round 24 has likely hampered any chance the Sharks playmaker had of finishing atop the leaderboard.
After voting went behind closed doors, Cronulla won eight of their next nine games, with Trindall starring in the majority of those victories.
Braydon Trindall. Getty Images
There’s reason to believe that in those eight wins, Trindall could have polled the maximum six points in at least half of them, which would catapult his standing.
Unfortunately, that shoulder injury could prove the difference between Trindall emerging as a real contender and him finishing in a respectable top-five spot.
Drinkwater is one of the most rocks and diamonds players in the NRL, but the fact is that when the Cowboys won games, he was a major reason why.
However, the issue for Drinkwater is that North Queensland only won five games after round 12, which severely limits the speedster’s chances.
Last year’s winner, James Tedesco, was high up when voting went silent, but given how many superstars are in the Roosters side and the fact he missed the last few games due to injury, the fullback probably won’t make it back-to-back wins.
Edwards is somewhat of a threat to Cleary, but the two Panthers stars probably spent a lot of games taking votes off each other, which would only help the halfback because of the six-point buffer he held after 12 rounds,
Ponga is the interesting watch from deep, but Newcastle only registered seven wins after round 12 and he was already a fair way behind the lead.
Kalyn Ponga. NRL Images/Gregg Porteous
Some losses during that period were close affairs where Ponga performed well and could gain votes, but it’s hard to see him making up enough ground – if it counted finals matches, perhaps it would be a different story, because the Knights captain has been absolutely electric amidst a fairytale run.
While there’s some fantastic players who will feature high on the leaderboard once the entire 27 rounds is done, Cleary is favourite for a reason and it would be a major surprise if he doesn’t end up with the prize on Wednesday night.
There will be plenty of other awards on rugby league’s night of nights, including the Dally M Team of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year.
To see how nine.com.au voted for our year-end awards, CLICK HERE.
