What’s the Buzz: Changes to end Dally M Medal controversy

The NRL will form an advisory panel to discuss and then recommend changes to the voting system for the game’s highest individual honour.

Canberra's Jack Wighton took out the 2020 Dally M Medal. Picture: Brett Costello

Rugby League’s Dally M Awards are facing a major overhaul after years of controversy.

The NRL will form an advisory panel of media experts before the start of the season to discuss and then recommend changes to the voting system.

The 3-2-1 judging system could be replaced by a voting structure in which every player would be given a rating out of 10 for their performances.

This would stop players at the stronger clubs from often missing out on points because they are competing against better players each week for the 3-2-1 votes.

Jack Wighton won last year’s Dally M Medal. Picture: Brett Costello

Other contentious issues including players being deducted three points for each game they miss because of a foul play suspension will be reviewed.

Last year Penrith Panthers halfback Nathan Cleary kept all of his points despite being suspended for two weeks at the beginning of the year for his COVID-19 breach.

Cleary was a red-hot favourite to win last year’s Dally M Medal but was knocked off in a major shock by Canberra Raiders and NSW Blues five-eighth Jack Wighton.

There are other points the NRL will throw to the advisory panel that will include senior journalists from News Corp and Nine Entertainment, including broadcast legends Ray Warren and Ray Hadley.

The NRL wants the panel to consider the tight deadlines in which expert judges and former players are required to vote right on full-time.

An extra 24 hours to watch a replay and study match statistics would be more beneficial if every player on the field needed to be rated.

The panel is expected to meet in the next fortnight so that the changes and restructure will be introduced for the start of the season on March 11.