Malcolm Turnbull makes uncomfortable Dally M speech

PRIOR to Johnathan Thurston’s Dally M win, things got off to an uncomfortable start, as one speech left players scratching their heads.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at the Dally M awards at The Star , Darling Harbour .Picture Gregg Porteous

IN what would be his first address to the majority of the rugby league community, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull delivered a speech that managed to leave the crowd speechless, however not for the reasons he may have intended.

Following Jack Bird’s acceptance of the Dally M Rookie of the year, host Tony Squires got the ball rolling when he asked the PM what he thought of the Sydney Roosters’ semi-final loss to the Brisbane Broncos — by the looks of it, a question a number of the players were wishing he hadn’t asked.

“The Roosters had very bad luck,” Turnbull said.

“I thought that was a very good pass Shaun Kenny-Dowall’s pass, it just went to the wrong person.

“There’s a lot of luck in rugby league and there’s a lot of luck in politics. Shaun Kenny-Dowall’s pass was intercepted by Darius Boyd and then Ben Hunt did not (throw) quite so long a pass and of course set up a try. It’s the result of course that matters.”

Turnbull, an avid Roosters fan, may have been trying to express his sympathy for the Sydney playmaker for his role in the defeat, however his cringeworthy speech gave the impression he had been given a run-down of the match’s biggest blunders minutes before taking the stage.

The look on the faces of Rooster Mitchell Pearce and the Broncos’ Ben Hunt said it all.

This is a fantastic train wreck speech, player reaction shots, best ever! #TurnbullReactions #DallyM pic.twitter.com/KILWaXjk7U

— Elle Allsop (@Elsifer_3) September 28, 2015

The PM managed to make amends however by doing the unthinkable and getting a smile out of the reserved Broncos coach Wayne Bennett when asked his predictions for the coming grand final.

“Well I think the prudent course for a prime minister would be to be a bit like Wayne Bennett at a press conference and say as little as possible,” Turnbull said.

Fans on Twitter reacted to the new prime minister’s uncomfortable address.

Ben Hunt looking confused during Malcolm Turnbull the speech.. probly confused who the PM is #DallyM

— Alicia Ames (@aliciiames) September 28, 2015

Wind it up Malcolm #DallyM

— Mike M (@michaeldarren79) September 28, 2015

lol Turnbull giving it to skd nice. #DallyM

— Gareth (@zarbicore) September 28, 2015

Ben Hunt be like "You mean the one that hit my winger on the chest Malcolm?" #JustStop #DallyM #NRL

— Scott Bailey (@scottybailey313) September 28, 2015

Malcolm Turnbull talking rugby league. Cringe factor through the roof! #DallyM #NRLGF

— Elijah (@ElijahLing) September 28, 2015

He made Wayne smile. Malcolm for PM.. Oh wait.. #DallyM

— Nicole Wilson (@nicaree55) September 28, 2015

Luckily for the PM, the heat died down pretty quickly as actress Tessa James delivered one of the biggest roasts of the season, on none other than her own husband Nate Myles.

Host Squires asked the 24-year-old what she thought of her husband’s acting talent in reference to the television ad he featured in with Paul Gallen.

James responded swiftly.

“Well we don’t want him to get a bigger head do we?”

Ouch.

And the roasting of the year goes to... Tessa James #DallyM

— Anthony (@gc_anthony) September 28, 2015

Tessa James with the call of the night!!! #DallyM

— RandomKnightlyRants (@Knights_Crusade) September 28, 2015

THE RESULTS

JOHNATHAN Thurston has won his record fourth Dally M Player of the Year award.

After leading the Cowboys to this year’s NRL grand final against Brisbane at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, Thurston was an unbackable favourite to take out the gong, for the NRL’s best player in 2015 and those predictions proved true.

After 26 rounds Thurston gained 32 votes, well ahead of the three-way tie for second between Benji Marshall, Aaron Woods and Michael Ennis, who earned 21 votes each. Broncos halfback Ben Hunt rounded out the top five with 18 votes.

Australian and Queensland representative Thurston wasn’t in Sydney to receive the award, instead he was with his Cowboys teammates at a function at Townsville’s Jupiter’s Casino.

“I’m a little bit nervous,” Thurston said via video link.

“I can’t say what this means to me (to win this) in front of family and friends.” Thurston soon turned his focus to Sunday’s match-up with the Broncos.

“They have been the form side of the season and they have a coach that knows how to win big games and players that know how to win big games,” he said.

Thurston took out his fourth Dally M medal.

Thurston has previously taken home the award in 2005 and 2007 and was equal winner last year with Jarryd Hayne.

Thurston, 32, has overtaken Rugby League Immortal Andrew Johns as the greatest winner of the award. Johns won the award in 1998, 1999 and 2002.

Thurston led the Dally M count on 19 points when voting went behind closed doors after round 16 and regularly picked up points from there to run out a deserved winner of the award.

Cameron Smith and James Maloney were equal sixth on 17 votes. Blake Austin, Corey Norman, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and James Tedesco, who all finished the 2015 season on 16 votes rounded out the top 10.

Player of the Year: Johnathan Thurston

Fullback: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

Winger: Semi Radradra

Centre: James Roberts

Five-eighth: Blake Austin

Halfback: Johnathan Thurston

Prop: Aaron Woods

Hooker: Michael Ennis

Second-rower: Josh Jackson

Lock: Jason Taumalolo

Coach: Wayne Bennett

Rookie of the year: Jack Bird

Representative player of the year: Corey Parker

Under-20s player of the year: Ashley Taylor

Womens’ player of the year: Jenni Sue Hoepper

— with AAP