The Players Champion voting needs to change after Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith snub

THE only thing stopping Cameron Smith from being crowned The Players’ Champion is his Melbourne postcode.

Smith’s omission caused plenty of debate. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)

THE only thing stopping Cameron Smith from being crowned The Players’ Champion must be his postcode.

Either that or the voting system is broken and needs to be looked at, immediately.

Let’s not beat around the bush, it’s embarrassing that the Melbourne Storm captain was snubbed again by his peers on Tuesday night for the Rugby League Players’ Association (RLPA) award.

West Tigers fullback James Tedesco sensationally upstaged the NRL games-record holder and unbackable $1.08 Dally M favourite.

James Tedesco named The Players’ Champion. Picture: Toby Zerna

“I didn’t think I was any chance,” Tedesco told AAP after the gala.

“I thought Cameron Smith has had a great year and he’s been the best in the game for a while.”

Tedesco isn’t to blame, here.

NRL players vote after every game on who they think were the best three players from the opposition team.

In short, standout players in struggling teams can have an advantage on rivals with stars on multiple lines.

The Storm snubs continued on Tuesday night when the Players’ 13 Dream Team was unveiled.

Fijian sensation Suliasi Vunivalu missed the cut despite leading the league in tries (23) for the second year, while Gold Coast’s Konrad Hurrell, who missed eight games, was named ahead of Storm, Australian and Maroons centre Will Chambers.

Nine of the 13 players selected in the “Dream Team” were from teams outside the eight.

Smith’s omission caused plenty of debate. (AAP Image/Joe Castro)

While Smith was the only player a top-four team, with premiership rivals Sydney, Brisbane and Parramatta friendless among peers.

Eyebrows had to be raised at Storm headquarters and rightly so.

Smith went in overwhelming The Players’ Champion favourite after he was named among 23 finalists along with Billy Slater.

Incredibly, The Players' Champion is the only individual award to elude the “Big Three” — Smith, Slater and Cooper Cronk — after 974 NRL games, countless Dally Ms, Golden Boots and Clive Churchill Medals.

This had to be the year.

Smith had been in career best form, played 21 games and helped Storm clinch the minor premiership with games in hand.

He held a commanding five-point buffer when Dally M voting went behind closed doors after Round 16 and, if anything, only extended that margin in the run home.

Originally published as The Players Champion voting needs to change after Melbourne Storm captain Cameron Smith snub