NRL 2021: Ranking the top five contenders in every position for the Dally M Team of the Year

South Sydney’s Cody Walker is sure to be named the five-eighth of the year, writes Paul Crawley, but has he done enough to break the Rabbitohs’ Dally M drought?

Can anyone catch Tommy Turbo? Picture Boo Bailey/Daily Telegraph

At the start of this season there was a debate about who would be the NRL’s next generational player.

There were a few obvious contenders such as James Tedesco and Cameron Munster but no one really had a clear idea about who would take over from Cameron Smith as the game’s best.

Let’s remember, Smith’s retirement had come on the back of losing the likes of Cooper Cronk, Billy Slater, Johnathan Thurston and Greg Inglis in quick succession, all of whom were in the conversation as future Immortals.

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Can anyone catch Tommy Turbo? Picture Boo Bailey/Daily Telegraph

But fast forward six months and how quickly times have changed — because here we are heading into the finals and a new generation of genuine superstars have emerged led by Tom Trbojevic and Nathan Cleary who both could one day earn their place in that Immortal debate.

From what we’ve seen this year Trbojevic has the potential to be the best fullback we’ve ever seen if he stays fit, while at 23 Cleary is going as well as any halfback at the same age, and that includes Andrew Johns, Thurston, Allan Langer, Ricky Stuart and Peter Sterling before them.

BELOW: Vote for your team of the year and check out Paul Crawley’s best XIII

Yet what is most exciting for the game is that across every position there has just been this avalanche of change with young players jumping out of the pack.

And it is highlighted by the leading contenders for this year’s Dally M team of the year.

The only certainty to win the same award from last year is Cleary, while James Fisher-Harris and Isaah Yeo would be right in the mix.

To kick off a debate I’ve picked my top five players in order for each position on form this season.

Tom Trbojevic has been the standout player of 2021 – and has usurped James Tedesco as the best fullback in the competition. Picture: Getty

FULLBACK

1. Tom Trbojevic

2. James Tedesco

3. Latrell Mitchell

4. Nicho Hynes

5. Will Kennedy

Crawley says: Tedesco’s form and leadership has been inspirational for the wounded Roosters and if you were picking an end-of-season Test team he’d still be wearing the No. 1 with Turbo in the centres. Yet there is just no disputing Turbo has him covered for fullback of the year. His 15 games is the best run of form I’ve ever seen, with a phenomenal 25 tries, 30 try assists, 115 tackle busts and 29 line breaks. Rounding out the top five for a great crop of fullbacks I have Latrell, Nicho Hynes and Cronulla’s Will Kennedy. That leaves out the likes of Kalyn Ponga, Ryan Papenhuyzen and last year’s fullback of the year Clint Gutherson.

Brian To'o has taken incredible strides in 2021, making his Origin debut and raising his game to new levels.

WINGER

1. Brian To’o

2. Reuben Garrick

3. Alex Johnston

4. Josh Addo-Carr

5. Jason Saab

Crawley says: It’s so tough to nail the top five wingers in order because every one of these guys could easily have place in the team of the year. I just can’t go past Brian To’o and Reuben Garrick as the top two. The Penrith pocket rocket only played 18 games and scored 14 tries but made 113 tackle busts while averaging an unbelievable 235m. Garrick finished with the most points ever in a regular season (304) which included 21 tries and 110 goals. Those two just pip leading tryscorer Alex Johnston (who finished with 27), Josh Addo-Carr and Jason Saab.

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A stellar season has cemented Joseph Manu’s place as the best centre in the game. Picture: Brett Costello

CENTRE

1. Joey Manu

2. Justin Olam

3. Matt Burton

4. Campbell Graham

5. Dane Gagai

Crawley says: You can’t deny the clear standouts centres are Joey Manu and Justin Olam, although young Matt Burton has had a ripper of a year and I think Campbell Graham is the most underrated centre in the competition whose defensive decision-making just gets completely overlooked.

Jarome Luai has been central to Penrith’s premiership push … but is he top of the five-eighths? Picture: Getty

FIVE-EIGHTH

1. Cody Walker

2. Jarome Luai

3. Cameron Munster

4. Adam Doueihi

5. Kieran Foran

Crawley says: The knock on Cody Walker is that he’s never aimed up in the big games but his form in the regular season has undoubtedly earned him five-eighth of the year and potentially South Sydney’s first Dally M Medal since Robert ‘Rocky’ Laurie in 1980. He’s scored 12 tries but his bread and butter is setting them up, leading the NRL with 37 try assists and 54 line break assists. Next on my list would be Jarome Luai and Cameron Munster but I want to make special mention of Adam Doueihi who has been the standout for the disappointing Wests Tigers, while Kieran Foran has played a huge part in Manly’s success.

The wild veteran and the young pup – Souths’ Adam Reynolds and Penrith's Nathan Cleary have steered their teams to the top. Picture: Brett Costello

HALFBACK

1. Nathan Cleary

2. Jahrome Hughes

3. Daly Cherry-Evans

4. Adam Reynolds

5. Mitchell Moses

(Honourable mention Ben Hunt)

Crawley says: Cleary was unlucky not to win the Dally M Medal last year and if he didn’t injure his shoulder and miss some games he’d be the clear favourite again. While every facet of his game just continues to evolve it’s his kicking game, as Cooper Cronk said this week, that’s “death by a thousand cuts”. Meanwhile, Jahrome Hughes is now indisputably an NRL top 10 player (who hardly ever gets the praise he deserves) while DCE has had a cracker of a season too.

Payne Haas is raising the benchmark of what props can do on the football field. Picture: Getty

PROP

1. Payne Haas

2. James Fisher-Harris

3. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

4. Christian Welch

5. Junior Paulo

Crawley says: Payne Haas has the potential to finish his career alongside legends such as Glenn Lazarus and Arthur Beetson but really needs the Broncos to be successful. Otherwise, I’d totally understand why he’d want out. Think about it, he’s still only 21 and what he offers is unlike any other prop we’ve ever seen. James Fisher-Harris has had another terrific season and for mine just edges out the old warhorse Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.

He fights every week to be the starting hooker at Melbourne, but is Brandon Smith the best No. 9 in the competition? Picture: Getty

HOOKER

1. Brandon Smith

2. Damien Cook

3. Harry Grant

4. Reed Mahoney

5. Api Koroisau

Crawley says: Last year it was Cameron Smith, this year it’s Brandon with Harry Grant also in the top five hookers. It’s just crazy how Melbourne keeps churning out superstar after superstar. But the biggest shock for me has been that “The Cheese” has been the clear winner in his head-to-head battle with Harry for the Storm starting spot.

The Gold Coast Titans’ $1.2 million man David Fifita has been unstoppable at times this season. Picture: Getty

SECOND-ROW

1. Isaiah Papali’i

2. David Fifita

3. Haumole Olokau’atu

4. Viliame Kikau

5. Angus Crichton

Crawley says: The toughest position to rank highlighted by the fact I’ve left out Felise Kaufusi, Josh Schuster, Josh Curran and Keaon Koloamatangi from the shortlist. But over the course of the season I can’t go past these five, headed by Isaiah Papali’i and David Fifita. Before Brad Arthur moved Papali’i into the middle he was the comp’s form backrower and buy of the season. While Fifita has spent his recent weeks sitting on the bench, when it comes to impact he’s freakish. Just look at his stats — he has scored 17 tries and leads the NRL in tackle busts (151). Although it wouldn’t surprise me if Manly’s boom youngster Haumole Olokau’atu wins a spot in the official team of the year.

Two of the game’s finest: Cameron Murray of the Rabbitohs is tackled by Manly’s Jake Trbojevic. Picture: AAP

LOCK

1. Cam Murray

2. Isaah Yeo

3. Jake Trbojevic

4. Victor Radley

5. Dale Finucane

Crawley says: You could go either way with Cam Murray or Isaah Yeo and I wouldn’t complain. I just reckon the job Murray does for Souths is so important that without him there’s no way their pack would even compete with the comp’s top sides. That’s not undervaluing what Yeo does for the Panthers because he’s been equally as brilliant, hardworking and consistent.

Originally published as NRL 2021: Ranking the top five contenders in every position for the Dally M Team of the Year