All the winners from the NRL NT 2022 night of nights

A Nightcliff Dragons player won his second Frank Johnson in a row, while a Litchfield young gun was judged best of the women. See all the pictures and winners from the 2022 Frank Johnson awards here.

Nathaniel Chambers

3 min read

September 13, 2022 - 8:26PM

Sport

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Nightcliff Dragons’ Robbie Butcher and Litchfield Bears’ Kiyanah Toy picked up the top accolades on the NRL NT’s night of nights, the 2022 Frank Johnson awards.

It’s the second year in a row the sport’s highest accolade, the Frank Johnson, has gone to Butcher, the standout in a Nightcliff A-grade side which has struggled in 2022.

Butcher also has three Eric Johnston’s to his name for being the best and fairest in Darwin Rugby Union.

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It will be somewhat bittersweet for the award winner after Dragons missed out on finals, but there is plenty of hope among the side to get back in the top four come 2023.

“I’m massively honoured and grateful. I wasn’t expecting it and was surprised when I got called up,” Butcher said.

“We didn’t have the greatest season results wise, but for us to pull it all together and still play week-in week-out as part of our 60th year meant a lot to the club.

“We struggled through the year, but the boys just ripped in and had some fun when we could and that’s what it’s all about really.

“We just have to get around each other now and move forward. We will come back next year and just hope our 61st is a bigger and better year than our 60th was.”

Toy, 19, was the latest winner of the Gaynor Maggs medal for consistent strong performances for an at-times depleted Litchfield Bears in the women’s competition.

Toy has been around the game since she was four and has been a standout in the halves or backline since joining the senior side.

It’s been a somewhat difficult year for the Litchfield women with work commitments culling their numbers, but their motto of big hearts is one they’ve more than lived up to.

Despite being down in numbers they made finals suffering through games where they had to play with only 10 on the field.

“I’ve been around NRL since I was four and this is the greatest honour you can get up here, it’s huge,” Toy said.

“Just to see the smile on my grandparents’ face. They’ve done so much for me, so much for the club and to bring something home is really special.

“It’s been a difficult year. We’ve had girls away and some playing despite being injured so to make finals this year was a huge achievement and shows the effort.

“The girls helped me a lot. It was a real team effort, they all showed big hearts and came together for each other.”

Meanwhile Coach PD Downes was named the Coach of the Year after leading his Northern Sharks side to an undefeated regular season and straight into the grand final.

Kyro Ahmat from Darwin Brothers was named the Rising Star of 2022 after showing his skills on the field in the third placed Brothers team.