Claims of Dally M ‘robbery’ as Shaun Johnson makes classy Ponga call

A teammate of Shaun Johnson has blown up about his Dally M loss, comparing the result to one of the year’s biggest referee howlers.

Shaun Johnson fell short by one vote during the Dally M Awards at The Winx Stand, Royal Randwick Racecourse on September 27, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Warriors forward Jazz Tevaga has taken aim at teammate Shaun Johnson losing the Dally M Medal to Kalyn Ponga amid debate over whether the award’s voting system needs another overhaul.

The 2023 award saw votes doubled from three to six points, but some felt the system wasn’t effective because players were rewarded with maximum points even in substandard teams or games.

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Johnson was widely regarded the most consistent player all season, but lost the Dally M Medal by a single vote when Ponga stormed home with six points in the final round when the Warriors halfback was rested.

“Congrats Kalyn but everyone knows it. SJ (Shaun Johnson) was robbed. That is almost as bad as that forward pass. Congrats to all our boys for their awards. Cracker season brothers,” Tevaga wrote on his Instagram story.

Shaun Johnson fell short by one vote during the Dally M Awards at The Winx Stand, Royal Randwick Racecourse on September 27, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

However, Johnson denied any robbery took place in a classy response to the heart-breaking one point loss, while also revealing what he and Ponga spoke about on-stage during the tense final rounds.

“I wasn’t (robbed) – Kalyn had a great year, he was the centrepiece of the Knights going on their run, and it was a really special run they went on,” Johnson told the Sydney Morning Herald.

“If there was going to be a person I thought was going to get it, it was him.

“When I got asked before the night what it would mean to me (to win), I hadn’t put much thought into it.

Jazz Tevaga (right) has spoken out in support of his Warriors teammate. (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)

“As the night goes on, and they string you along (with the results), your heart gets racing, and I was like, ‘maybe I am a genuine chance of winning it’.

“At some point in the night I started caring about it. I said to Kalyn up there, ‘did you play the last two rounds?’ He said, ‘I didn’t play the last one’, and I was like, ‘neither did I’.

“When they gave me my points (for the last game), I asked him, ‘how well did you play? Did you kill it?’ He said, ‘I played good, but I didn’t kill it’. I was like, ‘OK’.

“Then six points popped up, and I was like, ‘bro, you killed it, you little liar’.”

Moley just watched highlights of the game where Shaun Johnson got ZERO points... he TOTALLY dominated.
Whoever the NZ PM is these days should order an official inquiry!

— The Mole (@9_Moley) September 27, 2023

The Dally M system is broken. It was broken last year and the year before that & doubling the points created the same outcome. I love Kalyn Ponga and he was excellent in the final few weeks, but he wasn't the best player over the whole year. Just switch to MVP voting, it works

— Matt Bungard (@TheMattBungard) September 27, 2023

System needs a PROPER overhaul... clearly broken. https://t.co/mdXTpMgrYX

— The Mole (@9_Moley) September 27, 2023

Doubling the points for the Dally M makes the problem with it worse - a stand out player in a rubbish game will always get 6 points.

— Aaron Wallace (@wallyscr) September 27, 2023

Didn’t get 3 points from both judges in this Titans game. Pain https://t.co/qpQQBVjvod

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 27, 2023

SJ: "How did you go in round 26 bro?

Ponga: "Smashed it bro" pic.twitter.com/yp1CFj9IbK

— Roast (@thenrlroast) September 27, 2023

It aint right man pic.twitter.com/swjMLEQnG0

— Nick Campton (@campo37) September 27, 2023

"How did Ponga win that?"#DallyMpic.twitter.com/NlXg5WefZm

— Sportsbet.com.au (@sportsbetcomau) September 27, 2023

SJ getting zero points when he provided two try assists and three line break assists in a 30-22 win over the tigers is a bit suss.

— Meat Axe (@macktruck81) September 27, 2023

Also devastated for my guy SJ tho 😭😭

— NRL PHYSIO (@nrlphysio) September 27, 2023

Wow!

Shaun Johnson misses out on the Dally M medal by one point to Kalyn Ponga.

56-55.

Got to feel for him.

Ponga was very good this season but....I don't feel anyone had more of an impact on their team in 2023 than SJ for @NZWarriors@nzheraldsporthttps://t.co/93ZQ3NmrpX

— Michael Burgess (@mikeburgess99) September 27, 2023

The hard thing for Shaun is that everyone around him was telling him he was going to win it all night. It would have been really hard to take.

— Anton Posa (@antonposa) September 27, 2023

If Shaun Johnson doesn’t
win the Dally M. It’s the biggest
robbery of all time imao #DallyM

— Warriors NRL Fanatics (@FanaticsNrl) September 27, 2023

Social media blew up with many calling for a change to the Dally M system.

Experts believe Johnson was denied points in a number of crucial games that could have swayed the result in his favour.

Ponga also missed a large chunk of the season through injury.

“Moley just watched highlights of the game where Shaun Johnson got ZERO points... he TOTALLY dominated. Whoever the NZ PM is these days should order an official inquiry,” The Mole tweeted.

Originally published as Claims of Dally M ‘robbery’ as Shaun Johnson makes classy Ponga call