Dally M Medal puts Tedesco on cusp of greatest season

James Tedesco will head into the NRL grand final with a Dally M Medal added to his collection.

James Tedesco shows off the Dally M Medal at the Hordern Pavillion in Sydney. Picture: Brett Costello

James Tedesco will head into the grand final on the cusp of completing one of the most remarkable seasons in modern history after adding the Dally M Medal to his collection of honours at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion on Wednesday night.

Tedesco, having won the Brad Fittler and Wally Lewis medals as not only NSW’s best, but the best player full stop in this year’s State of Origin series, was a runaway favourite to win the game’s most prestigious individual honour.

Dally M Awards red carpet

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The bookies nailed it as Tedesco strolled to victory, strengthening his claims on the mantle as the No 1 player in rugby league heading into Sunday night’s decider against Canberra at ANZ Stadium.

Tedesco started the night as a $1.30 favourite to win the award, having been a standout for the Roosters over the course of the season.

Tedesco and Cameron Smith were the only players in single figures in the betting market and the pair ended up going down to the wire before the Roosters custodian prevailed.

“Everyone was telling me I was a big chance of winning, and I was a bit nervous there at the end,” Tedesco admitted.

“I actually thought Cameron was going to get the three at the end there. He has played so good for so many years now.

“I actually thought he was going to win. I’m glad it’s done now, I can just focus on Sunday.”

Parramatta half Mitchell Moses was in third place and young Brisbane prop Payne Haas completed a remarkable season by finishing in fourth, Storm star Cameron Munster rounding out the top five. Last year’s winner Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the Warriors was in sixth.

Smith, who missed the ceremony after being struck down by a virus, couldn’t close the gap on the Roosters superstar over the final weeks of the season.

He had the chance to draw level with Tedesco in the final round, but both players walked away with one point as the evening ended on a dramatic note.

Tedesco’s end-of-season streak after Origin is the most impressive, considering players often fall into a lull after the representative period.

“When it came up mid-year and I was still eight or so points behind, I didn’t think I would score that well,” Tedesco said.

“Robbo (coach Trent Robinson) was pretty important in all that. He gave me two breaks not playing in games through that Origin period.

“That rest of getting away from footy (was crucial). Because Origin, the camps and games are so energy sapping.”

He will now also have the chance to become just the sixth player in history to win a Dally M and premiership in the same year if the Roosters beat Canberra on Sunday.

Smith had to be content with winning captain of the year and hooker of the year awards as Tedesco became the fourth fullback in the past eight years to win the accolade, handing the Roosters a major boost ahead of the grand final.

The NSW and Australia No 1 will head into the grand final as the favourite to win the Clive Churchill Medal and should he claim the award and the Roosters win the decider, he can lay claim to the greatest individual season the game has seen.

The Roosters have seemingly had a seamless preparation, although coach Trent Robinson still has to make a decision on the playing status of hooker Jake Friend as he recovers from a calf injury.

Tedesco’s teammate Latrell Mitchell was named centre of the year while coach of the year was awarded to Melbourne mentor Craig Bellamy, beating a hot field that included Manly’s Des Hasler and Canberra’s Ricky Stuart.

Bellamy led Melbourne to one of the greatest seasons in the game’s history, the Storm finishing six points clear as minor premiers only to stumble in the finals when they were beaten by the Roosters in the preliminary final.

Haas was unsurprisingly named rookie of the year after an outstanding season for the Broncos.

Meanwhile Canberra’s John Bateman was the only Raiders player to pick up an award on the game’s night of nights, named second rower of the year.

Bateman, whose future has come under the spotlight in recent days amid revelations he may look for an upgrade, has been a standout for Canberra this season.

The Englishman is understood to have a clause in his contract that allows him to renegotiate at the end of the season. However, he has opened talks with the Raiders over a contract extension beyond his current deal, that comes to an end after the 2021 year. He and his teammates boarded a bus on Wednesday morning for Sydney, co-captain Josh Hodgson joining the team as they made their way up the highway.

Hodgson had been quarantined from the playing group after contracting a virus but trained on Wednesday morning and is expected to be fit to play on Sunday night.

“He was here this morning at training,” assistant coach Brett White said.

“He will be on the bus and travel up to Sydney. The medical staff will keep an eye on him. We’ll see how he goes for training later in the week.

“We will assess him on the run and hopefully all goes well for him. It is great he will get to enjoy the bus ride out of here.

“Hodgson is a pretty professional guy so he will make sure he can do everything he can if not close to. He has led from the front. he is a small guy in front of the big guys.

“I think this year he became one of the best leaders in the comp.”