Melbourne Storm vice-captain Dale Finucane wins club’s coveted player of the year award
Dale Finucane has been rewarded for a tremendous season by taking home his first Melbourne Storm player of the year award, finishing just ahead of Cameron Smith.
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Mr Consistency Dale Finucane stunned Cameron Smith to win the Melbourne Storm player of the year for the first time in his career.
The popular Storm lock polled 32 votes to edge out Cameron Smith (30) and Jesse Bromwich (23) last night at Crown Palladium.
Smith led for the bulk of the count but Finucane reeled in the skipper polling seven votes in the finals alone.
Finucane, 28, played all 26 games last season, recording career highs in runs, metres and tackle busts.
The standout season culminated in a breakthrough NSW Blues Origin jersey after living on the cusp of selection for the best part of five seasons.
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The reliable defender averaged 29.9 tackles at a career-high 93.5 per cent effectiveness.
Durable Finucane, runner-up to Cameron Munster in last year’s player of the year count, has emerged as a constant in the vaunted Storm forward pack in recent years, alongside Smith, Jesse Bromwich and Nelson Asofa-Solomona.
Master coach Craig Bellamy gushed about Finucane during the Origin block.
“The big part about Dale is he’s one of the best clubmen I’ve ever coached,” Bellamy said last May.
“Whatever the team needs him to do he’s only too happy to do it.
The coveted Storm award capped a big week for the 28 year-old former Bega junior on standby Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga for the upcoming Tests against New Zealand and Tonga.
The Storm also confirmed respected football manager Frank Ponissi has signed a three-year extension.
Ponissi, who first joined Storm at the end of the 2017 season, has been instrumental in the club’s sustained success, working closely with Bellamy in a number of areas, including recruitment and match day operations.
In other awards, captain Smith was named best forward, and Jahrome Hughes best back.
Speedster Ryan Papenhuyzen was named Billy Slater Rookie of the Year after rising from third-string to starting fullback inside 22 appearances.
Tui Kamikamica took home the most improved trophy, while Storm, NSW and now Australian winger Josh Addo-Carr won try of the year for his 70m semi-final sizzler against Parramatta.
Storm also farewelled Joe Stimson (Bulldogs), Billy Walters (Wests Tigers), Solomone Kata (rugby union).
STORM PLAYER OF THE YEAR
1. Dale Finucane 32
2. Cameron Smith 30
3. Jesse Bromwich 23
4. Jahrome Hughes 21
5. Ryan Papenhuyzen 20
Originally published as Melbourne Storm vice-captain Dale Finucane wins club’s coveted player of the year award