Dally M Award 2016: Johnathan Thurston earns first points for the season

FOUR-time Dally M winner Johnathan Thurston scores his first points for the season — check out the full leaderboard after round five here.

TOWNSVILLE, QUEENSLAND - APRIL 02: Johnathan Thurston of the Cowboys runs the ball during the round five NRL match between the North Queensland Cowboys and the St George Illawarra Dragons at 1300SMILES Stadium on April 2, 2016 in Townsville, Australia. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

FOUR-TIME Dally M Medal winner and Cowboys linchpin Johnathan Thurston has finally entered the race for the game’s most prestige award.

It’s taken five rounds for Thurston to register a single point, thanks in part to impressive performances from teammates Michael Morgan, Ethan Lowe and Lachlan Coote.

Current frontrunner, Canberra’s Josh Hodgson wasn’t able to extend his lead but he still maintains a four-point buffer at the top of the tally.

Tap here for the full Dally M leaderboard

The in-form hooker couldn’t manage any points from the Raiders’ impressive win over the Bulldogs at Belmore on Monday night, with the spoils going to Jack Wighton, Josh Papalii and Joseph Leuila.

Sharks forward Andrew Fifita was at his damaging best against the Tigers. In a powerful performance the metre-eater chewed up 170 metres and made 30 tackles to earn himself two points and equal second on the leaderboard.

Fifita shares second place with fellow big man Jesse Bromwich, who scored three points on Saturday for his dominant showing against the Knights. The Kiwi international is often overshadowed by the ‘Big Three’ but as the Storm struggle to find their best footy, Bromwich’s performances in the opening rounds of the season have proven he is as invaluable to Craig Bellamy’s side as Cameron Smith and Cooper Cronk.

Moses Mbye and Greg Inglis also sit on six points, with Tigers superstar James Tedesco also in the top 10 on five points.

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LEADERBOARD — Top 10

10 J Hodgson (CAN)

6 M Mbye (CBY)

6 A Fifita (CRO)

6 J Bromwich (MEL)

6 G Inglis (SOU)

5 A Tolman (CBY)

5 D Boyd (BRI)

5 J Tedesco (WST)

5 B Matulino (NZ)

5 J Papalii (CAN)

Tap here for the full Dally M leaderboard

Round 5

Sea Eagles v Rabbitohs

Judge: Brett Finch

3 A Koroisau (MAN)

2 T Trbojevic (MAN)

1 G Inglis (SOU)

Titans v Broncos

Judge: Andrew Johns

3 D Boyd (BRI)

2 A Blair (BRI)

1 Z Taia (GCT)

Storm v Knights

Judge: Gary Belcher

3 J Bromwich (MEL)

2 S Mataora (NEW)

1 C Cronk (MEL)

Tigers v Sharks

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 M Ennis (CRO)

2 A Fifita (CRO)

1 J Tedesco (WST)

Cowboys v Dragons

Judge: Kevin Walters

3 J Thurston (NQL)

2 E Lowe (NQL)

1 J Tamou (NQL)

Roosters v Warriors

Judge: Gary Belcher

3 B Matulino (NZ)

2 S Taukeiaho (SYD)

1 R Tuivasa-Sheck (NZ)

Eels v Panthers

Judge: Andrew Johns

3 B Cartwright (PEN)

2 I De Gois (PAR)

1 J Paulo (PAR)

Bulldogs v Raiders

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 J Wighton (CAN)

2 J Papalii (CAN)

1 J Leilua (CAN)

Round 4

Roosters v Sea eagles

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 S Kenny-Dowall (SYD)

2 D Walker (MAN)

1 S Taukeiaho (SYD)

Raiders v Titans

Judge: Gary Belcher

3 R James (GCT)

2 J Hodgson (CAN)

1 D Shillington (GCT)

Broncos v Cowboys

Judge: Darren Lockyer

3 A Milford (BRI)

2 L Coote (NQL)

1 J Roberts (BRI)

Rabbitohs v Bulldogs

Judge: Brett Finch

3 M Mbye (CBY)

2 A Tolman (CBY)

1 J Graham (CBY)

Dragons v Panthers

Judge: Andrew Johns

3 J Dugan (STG)

2 M Rein (STG)

1 J De Belin (STG)

Warriors v Knights

Judge: Daryl Halligan

3 S Kata (NZ)

2 B Matulino (NZ)

1 R Tuivasa-Sheck (NZ)

Tigers v Eels

Judge: Gary Belcher

3 J Paulo (PAR)

2 M Gordon (PAR)

1 J Tedesco (WST)

Sharks v Storm

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 B Barba (CRO)

2 J Bird (CRO)

1 C Munster (MEL)

Round 3

Cowboys v Roosters

Judge: Andrew Johns

3 J Tamou (NQL)

2 J Taumalolo (NQL)

1 M Morgan (NQL)

Eels v Bulldogs

Judge: Brett Finch

3 S Radradra (PAR)

2 T Moeroa (PAR)

1 M Gordon (PAR)

Knights v Raiders

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 J Hodgson (CAN)

2 J Mullen (NEW)

1 J Smith (NEW)

Panthers v Broncos

Judge: Gary Belcher

3 T Martin (PEN)

2 J McGuire (BRI)

1 B Cartwright (PEN)

Titans v Tigers

Judge: Kevin Walters

3 A Taylor (GCT)

2 A Paasi (GCT)

1 K Naiqama (WST)

Warriors v Storm

Judge: Daryl Halligan

3 J Bromwich (MEL)

2 B Matulino (NZ)

1 C Cronk (MEL)

Rabbitohs v Dragons

Judge: Andrew Johns

3 M Rein (STG)

2 J Dugan (STG)

1 T Frizell (STG)

Sea Eagles v Sharks

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 J Trbojevic (MAN)

2 A Fifita (CRO)

1 D Cherry-Evans (MAN)

Round 2

Panthers v Bulldogs

Judge: Andrew Johns

3 M Mbye (CBY)

2 S McKendry (PEN)

1 W Hopoate (CBY)

Broncos v Warriors

Judge: Darren Lockyer

3 A Glenn (BRI)

2 D Boyd (BRI)

1 S Kata (NZ)

Eels v Cowboys

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 M Ma’u (PAR)

2 C Norman (PAR)

1 L Coote (NQL)

Rabbitohs v Knights

Judge: Kevin Walters

3 S Burgess (SOU)

2 G Inglis (SOU)

1 A Gray (SOU)

Raiders v Roosters

Judge: Gary Belcher

3 J Papalii (CAN)

2 J Hodgson (CAN)

1 S Taukeiaho (SYD)

Sharks v Dragons

Judge: Brett Finch

3 C Townsend (CRO)

2 A Fifita (CRO)

1 W Graham (CRO)

Storm v Titans

3 C Munster (MEL)

2 C Smith (MEL)

1 B Green (MEL)

Tigers v Sea Eagles

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 J Tedesco (WST)

2 M Moses (WST)

1 L Brooks (WST)

Round 1

Eels v Broncos

Judge: Darren Lockyer

3 Corey Oates (BRI)

2 Matt Gillet (BRI)

1 Manu Ma’u (PAR)

Sea Eagles v Bulldogs

Judge: Brett Finch

3 A Tolman (CBY)

2 J Graham (CBY)

1 J Reynolds (CBY)

Raiders v Panthers

Judge: Gary Belcher

3 J Hodgson (CAN)

2 A Sezer (CAN)

1 B Cartwright (PEN)

Tigers v Warriors

Judge: Greg Alexander

3 M Moses (WST)

2 A Woods (WST)

1 S Sue (WST)

Cowboys v Sharks

Judge: Kevin Walters

3 M Morgan (NQL)

2 E Lowe (NQL)

1 J Bird (CRO)

Roosters v Rabbitiohs

Judge: Andrew Johns

3 G Inglis (SOU)

2 A Reynolds (SOU)

1 S Burgess (SOU)

Titans v Knights

Judge: Gary Belcher

3 G Bird (GCT)

2 A Paasi (GCT)

1 A Taylor (GCT)

Storm v Dragons

3 B Slater (MEL)

2 W Chambers (MEL)

1 B Marshall (STG)

FULL LEADERBOARD

10 J Hodgson (CAN)

6 M Mbye (CBY)

6 A Fifita (CRO)

6 J Bromwich (MEL)

6 G Inglis (SOU)

5 A Tolman (CBY)

5 D Boyd (BRI)

5 J Tedesco (WST)

5 B Matulino (NZ)

5 J Papalii (CAN)

5 M Rein (STG)

5 B Cartwright (PEN)

5 M Moses (WST)

5 J Dugan (STG)

4 M Ma’u (PAR)

4 A Taylor (GCT)

4 J Tamou (NQL)

4 S Taukeiaho (SYD)

4 M Morgan (NQL)

4 C Munster (MEL)

4 E Lowe (NQL)

4 A Paasi (GCT)

4 J Paulo (PAR)

4 S Burgess (SOU)

3 B Barba (CRO)

3 C Oates (BRI)

3 J Graham (CBY)

3 S Kenny-Dowall (SYD)

3 G Bird (GCT)

3 A Koroisau (MAN)

3 M Ennis (CRO)

3 C Townsend (CRO)

3 R James (GCT)

3 B Slater (MEL)

3 A Milford (BRI)

3 J Trbojevic (MAN)

3 J Wighton (CAN)

3 T Martin (PEN)

3 L Coote (NQL)

3 J Thurston (NQL)

3 A Glenn (BRI)

3 J Bird (CRO)

2 J Taumalolo (NQL)

2 J Mullen (NEW)

2 M Gillett (BRI)

2 C Cronk (MEL)

2 D Walker (MAN)

2 I De Gois (PAR)

2 A Sezer (CAN)

2 A Woods (WST)

2 T Trbojevic (MAN)

2 M Gordon (PAR)

2 A Reynolds (SOU)

2 A Blair (BRI)

2 W Chambers (MEL)

2 J McGuire (BRI)

2 S Mataora (NEW)

2 S McKendry (PEN)

2 C Smith (MEL)

2 C Norman (PAR)

1 J Reynolds (CBY)

1 J De Belin (STG)

1 S Sue (WST)

1 J Roberts (BRI)

1 W Graham (CRO)

1 L Brooks (WST)

1 J Leilua (CAN)

1 R Tuivasa-Sheck (NZ)

1 Z Taia (GCT)

1 T Frizell (STG)

1 K Naiqama (WST)

1 D Cherry-Evans (MAN)

1 B Marshall (STG)

1 W Hopoate (CBY)

1 D Shillington (GCT)

1 B Green (MEL)

1 S Kata (NZ)

1 J Smith (NEW)

1 A Gray (SOU)

Originally published as Dally M Award 2016: Johnathan Thurston earns first points for the season