Monday Buzz: Dally Ms dilemma as battle heats up
In almost every position it is nearly impossible to predict before the awards are handed out in five weeks. Check out Phil Rothfield’s Dally M form guide and VOTE FOR YOUR TEAM
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The battle for this year’s Dally M Awards is as tight as the race for the top eight. Is James Tedesco the No.1 man and is Dessie Hasler the coach?
In almost every position it is nearly impossible to predict before the awards are handed out in five weeks. Here’s our form guide.
COACH OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Des Hasler, Ricky Stuart, Craig Bellamy, Brad Arthur
How can you possibly separate them? Bellamy looks like winning another minor premiership with a side that has lost champions Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk in the past two years.
Stuart has lifted the Raiders into genuine premiership contention on the back of the best two buys of the season, John Bateman and Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad. The switch of Jack Wighton to five-eighth was a coaching masterstroke. They’ve gone from 10th last year to fourth.
And Dessie? At the beginning of the year Manly were more likely to finish in the bottom four than the finals. Trent Barrett had walked out over backyard furniture and poor facilities. They signed no player of any significance. And they’ve incredibly gone from 15th to fifth.
And at Parramatta, Arthur has gone from 16th to sixth.
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FULLBACK OF THE YEAR
Nominations: James Tedesco, Tom Trbojevic, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
This field is so hot we couldn’t even find room among the nominations for Kalyn Ponga, who started the year at five-eighth at the Newcastle Knights and then missed several games after Origin. When you take Origin form into account, Tedesco has to be the favourite, not just for fullback but also the player of the year.
WINGER OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Blake Ferguson, Maika Sivo, Ken Maumalo, Josh Addo-Carr
Too close to call. Form over the final five rounds will be the decider. Addo-Carr was sensational against the Broncos on Friday. Maumalo has been outstanding considering where the Warriors are on the ladder and the struggles they have faced all season.
CENTRE OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Kotoni Staggs, Jarrod Croker, Latrell Mitchell, Joseph Manu
A shortage of great centres forced the NSW Blues to play a five-eighth and fullback in the three and four jerseys in State of Origin. The fact we’ve included Roosters star Mitchell even after an average season by his standards shows there are no real standouts. Staggs is a potential superstar but was average against Melbourne Storm on Friday night.
FIVE-EIGTH OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Jack Wighton, Cameron Munster, James Maloney, Benji Marshall
Wighton’s move to five-eighth is one of the major reasons why we’re all talking about the Raiders as serious premiership threats. Munster is pure class and Maloney has recovered from a sluggish start to rescue Penrith’s season. And Benji. He is still a wonderful player at 34. It will come down to the final rounds.
HALFBACK OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Daly Cherry-Evans, Mitchell Pearce, Adam Reynolds, Mitchell Moses
It’s hard to go past the Manly captain. He missed six weeks with syndesmosis but burst back into Origin and has been outstanding each week. Pearce had an exceptional eight weeks but has dropped off. Reynolds is Mr Consistent at the Rabbitohs and Moses has played some magnificent football for the Eels.
LOCK OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Cameron Murray , Jason Taumalolo , Jake Trbojevic , Dale Finucane , J ai Arrow
Another of the most competitive awards. How can you go past Murray at Souths? Then again, you could say the same about Trbojevic. A dead-heat would be fair. Finucane has also been outstanding for Melbourne. Taumalolo’s form has been slightly down in a struggling team.
SECOND-ROWER OF THE YEAR
Nominations: John Bateman, Sam Burgess, Curtis Sironen, Kenny Bromwich, Ryan Matterson
Sironen is the most-improved player in the competition and has been devastating on Manly’s right edge. Bateman will be awfully hard to beat. English players normally need at least a full season to adjust to the furious demands of the NRL. Not this guy. He’s so tough and a great competitor.
FRONT-ROWER OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Josh Papalii, Addin Fonua-Blake, Dave Klemmer, James Tamou, Marty Taupau, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves
With the Pommy forwards getting most of the credit at the Raiders, Papalii has gone under the radar in the national capital. At Manly, Fonua-Blake and Taupau have laid the platform for this year’s revival.
HOOKER OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Damien Cook, Josh Hodgson, Cameron Smith
Did you catch Hodgson’s game against the Warriors on Friday night? It was a 9.5. Yet it’s hard to go past Cook because he turns up and performs brilliantly every week.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Nominations: Payne Haas, Bronson Xerri, Briton Nikora, Ryan Papenhuyzen, Reuben Garrick
We haven’t seen an outside back as explosive as Xerri for years. The step and the acceleration are amazing. He’s made a huge impression.
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