POLL: Our experts name their Dally M 2016 teams of the year

POLL: Thurston or Cronk? Rapana or Mansour? It’s no mean feat to name a Dally M Team of the Year for 2016 but our experts have each given it a shot.

• Fox Sports experts pick their Dally M teams of the year

JOHNATHAN Thurston or Cooper Cronk at halfback?

Jordan Rapana or Josh Mansour on the wing?

Jason Taumalolo or ... okay, so one position seems like a lock. But it’s no mean feat to name a Dally M Team of the Year for 2016.

With the Dally M Medal night coming up next week, we’ve asked the experts to name their Team of the Year.

Check out what they each came up with below.

Who will make your Dally M team of the year?

PHIL ROTHFIELD	POSITION	DAVID RICCIO
Darius Boyd	FULLBACK	James Tedesco
Suliasi Vunivalu	WING	Suliasi Vunivalu
Joey Leilua	CENTRE	Joey Leilua
James Maloney	FIVE-EIGHTH	James Maloney
Cooper Cronk	HALFBACK	Johnathan Thurston
Jason Taumololo	LOCK	Jason Taumalolo
Sam Thaiday	2ND ROW	Wade Graham
Josh Hodgson	HOOKER	Cameron Smith
Jesse Bromwich	PROP	Jesse Bromwich
Jason Taumololo. No other lock in the game this season has gotten close to him.	NO-BRAINER	Canberra’s Joey Leilua. By far the most devastating player both in attack and defence. NSW would’ve won this year’s State of Origin series had he been selected.
Not picking four-time champion Johnathan Thurston because Cooper Cronk has been so exceptional at halfback for Melbourne Storm.	CRUELEST CUT	Paul Gallen. Another incredible season statistically, man of the match in the Anzac Test and was pivotal to Cronulla’s charge to the finals.

DEAN RITCHIE	POSITION	PAUL CRAWLEY
James Tedesco	FULLBACK	James Tedesco
Marika Koroibete	WING	Jordan Rapana
Joey Leilua	CENTRE	Joey Leilua
Blake Austin	FIVE-EIGHTH	James Maloney
Johnathan Thurston	HALFBACK	Cooper Cronk
Jason Taumololo	LOCK	Trent Merrin
Josh Jackson	2ND ROW	Josh Papalii
Josh Hodgson	HOOKER	Josh Hodgson
Jesse Bromwich	PROP	Jesse Bromwich
Josh Hodsgon. Been superb. Shocked everyone with his speed and creativity.	NO-BRAINER	Josh Hodgson, what a player, what a year.
Wade Graham. Just couldn’t find a spot for this champion player ahead of Canterbury’s Josh Jackson.	CRUELEST CUT	Josh Mansour loses out to Rapana for winger of the year but I’d have him in green and gold for Four Nations.

BARRY TOOHEY	POSITION	MATT LOGUE
James Tedesco	FULLBACK	James Tedesco
Josh Mansour	WING	Jordan Rapana
Joey Leilua	CENTRE	Joey Leilua
James Maloney	FIVE-EIGHTH	James Maloney
Cooper Cronk	HALFBACK	Cooper Cronk
Jason Taumololo	LOCK	Jason Taumalolo
Tohu Harris	2ND ROW	Josh Papalii
Josh Hodgson	HOOKER	Josh Hodgson
Jesse Bromwich	PROP	Jesse Bromwich
Cameron Smith and Mick Ennis have been great all year but Hodgson has been the most influential player in the NRL. The Raiders have plenty of striker power but he is the player most responsible for their surge into second spot against all predictions.	NO-BRAINER	Joey Leilua. From tries to run metres and one freakish flick pass against the Tigers at Leichhardt Oval in the final round of the regular season, Leilua has done it all in season 2016. Easily the most destructive centre in the NRL.
I’ve gone for Mansour on the wing but Jordan Rapana is only a hair’s breath behind given his outstanding form all season. His combination with Leilua is the most lethal in the competition.	CRUELEST CUT	Cameron Smith. Hodgson has been a revelation for the Raiders this season, but Smith continues to maintain his high standards. The Storm skipper has been all class again in 2016.

CHRISTIAN NICOLUSSI	POSITION	NICK WALSHAW
James Tedesco	FULLBACK	James Tedesco
Josh Mansour	WING	Suliasi Vunivalu
Joey Leilua	CENTRE	Joey Leilua
Anthony Milford	FIVE-EIGHTH	James Maloney
Johnathan Thurston	HALFBACK	Cooper Cronk
Jason Taumololo	LOCK	Jason Taumalolo
Josh Jackson	2ND ROW	Boyd Cordner
Cameron Smith	HOOKER	Josh Hodgson
Jesse Bromwich	PROP	Ryan James
Cameron Smith somehow improves with age, and goes to another level when the stakes get higher. An Immortal in waiting.	NO-BRAINER	Found most picks to be a race in two, or three this year. However Cowboys No.13 Jason Taumololo could egg the coach of this side and still keep his place.
Josh Hodgson has been outstanding for Canberra, but how do you get the nod ahead of Cameron Smith? He’s the Stuart MacGill of the 2016 NRL season.	CRUELEST CUT	Jack de Belin’s top knot wasn’t great. And Jordan Rapana, at times, looked like Don Mattingly from that episode of The Simpsons. The Canberra winger was also unlucky to miss out on this side.

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Originally published as POLL: Our experts name their Dally M 2016 teams of the year