Dally M Rookie of the Year: Ash Taylor edges Nathan Cleary, Suliasi Vunivalu

TITANS ace Ash Taylor has held off a hot field including Nathan Cleary, Suliasi Vunivalu and Latrell Mitchell to be crowned Dally M rookie of the year.

• Ricky’s rebirth continues with top coach award
• Magic Milford moment tops the lot
• Kezie Apps bags female Dally M medal
• 2016 Dally M team of the year revealed
• NRL odd couple Cronk, Taumalolo in Dally M double
• Dally M 2016: Top five players at every club
• Buzz: Cronk knocking on door of greatness

DAY one of pre-season training at the Gold Coast couldn’t have gone worse when halfback Kane Elgey ruptured his ACL and was immediately rubbed out for the 2016 campaign.

Titans fans would have never ­imagined newcomer Ash Taylor would step up and have the year he had in the No. 7 jumper.

Taylor has been crowned Dally M rookie of the year in a hotly contested race that also featured Penrith teen whiz Nathan Cleary, the NRL’s leading try-scorer in Storm winger Suliasi Vunivalu, Eels excitement machine Bevan French and Roosters ace Latrell Mitchell.

Rookie of the Year Ash Taylor at the Dally M awards night. Picture: Gregg Porteous

The 21-year-old was cut loose by Wayne Bennett at Brisbane, and would have been unsure when he would be injected into the Titans’ top grade.

But Taylor showed tremendous skill and composure to help guide the club to an unlikely finals series.

Many experts tipped the Titans to fight it out for the wooden spoon.

Taylor finished with five tries, 15 try assists and 21 forced line dropouts.

Ash Taylor helped guide the Titans to the NRL finals. Picture: Peter Wallis

Coach Neil Henry will benefit with the return of Elgey next year, while Jarryd Hayne and Nathan Peats will also appreciate a full pre-season at the club.

Taylor became the fifth playmaker in the past six NRL seasons to be crowned the rookie of the year, with Jack Bird, Luke Brooks, Adam Reynolds and Daly Cherry-Evans also ­recognised in their first years.

Team Of The Year Dally M Interactive

CLICK HERE

Cleary, another halfback, surprised many with his maturity at Penrith and ability to handle the intense public interest because of his name.

The son of former Panthers coach Ivan Cleary was shown enough faith by club supremo Gus Gould and coach Anthony Griffin to be thrown into the top grade at such a young age, and eventually forced Jamie Soward to find another club in England.

Copy: Dally M Leaders
Create bar charts

####

Originally published as Dally M Rookie of the Year: Ash Taylor edges Nathan Cleary, Suliasi Vunivalu