NRL player of the year awards: Find out who won the top gong at your club
A fast-finishing winger and hardworking hooker are among the NRL’s award-winners at their clubs. See your team’s standout player of the year.
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From the fast-finishing winger to the hardworking hooker and the tough-as-nails prop, here are the best and fairest award winners so far in NRL club land.
Storm
Cameron Smith player of the year: Xavier Coates
A surprising pick to many outsiders, but Coates had a stellar year scoring 16 tries,
equalling his career high.
Warriors
Simon Mannering medal: Shaun Johnson
Was unlucky not to take out the Dally M Medal as the league’s best player this year. Johnson wound clock back and found career best form, leading the Warriors to within one game of a grand final.
Knights
Danny Buderus Medal: Kalyn Ponga
After a start which saw many think he was done, Ponga had one of the best second halves to the season the competition has ever seen, picking up the Dally M player of the year.
Sharks
Porter Gallen Medal: Blayke Brailey
An unsung hero for the Sharks, Brailey took his game to a new level in 2023, including a surprise inclusion in the Blues’ extended squad for State of Origin.
Roosters
Jack Gibson Medal: Lindsay Collins
Few will forget his remarkable leap over clubmate James Tedesco in Origin. Collins emerged as one of the game’s elite props and has been rewarded with Kangaroos selection.
Raiders
Mal Meninga Medal: Joseph Tapine
Backed up last year’s stellar season with another befitting of one of the best props in the game. Has become the cornerstone of the Raiders’ forward pack.
Eels
Ken Thornett Medal: Clint Gutherson
An underwhelming year for the Eels, but their fullback and captain was once again a shining light, popping up everywhere on the field and leading his team courageously week in and out.
Cowboys
Paul Bowman Medal: Scott Drinkwater
Establishing himself as one of the best fullbacks in the game, Drinkwater is just reaching his ceiling of what he is capable of.
Sea Eagles
Roy Bull Medal: Daly Cherry-Evans
One of the oldest players in the league proved that age is just a number after producing arguably the best season of his career, highlighted by a decisive role for Queensland in Origin.
Dolphins
Arthur Beetson Medal: Jamayne Isaako
Another career resurgence, Isaako has proved to everyone he can still mix it with the best, scoring the most tries and points in the entire competition.
Titans
Paul Broughton Medal: Moeaki Fotuaika
From being called back into Origin camp, to being crowned Titans player of the year in a forward pack that included Tino Fa’suamaleaui and David Fifita.
Bulldogs
Dr George Peponis Player of the Year Award: Jacob Preston
Jacob Preston managed to clear almost every gong at the Bulldogs awards night, announcing himself as a star of the future and was unlucky not to get Dally M rookie of the year.
Dragons
Dragons Medal: Blake Lawrie
A hard worker who has been rewarded after years of passion and dedication, and being one of the Dragons most consistent players in a rough year.
Tigers
Kelly-Barnes Medal: Jahream Bula
Not even starting the year in the NRL, Bula has shown the Tigers have the power to make something out of their young crop of players coming through, winning the best and fairest award in his first year at the club.
Panthers
Merv Cartwright Medal: Isaah Yeo
Lock Isaah Yeo beat a red-hot field, which included grand final hero Nathan Cleary, livewire fullback Dylan Edwards and Canterbury-bound Stephen Crichton, to clinch the best and fairest at the all-conquering club.
Cleary, Edwards pipped for Penrith player of year award
-Matt Encarnacion
The best of the best?
Just days after co-skippering Penrith to arguably the greatest grand final win in premiership history, Isaah Yeo took out the club’s best-and-fairest award on Wednesday night.
The 28-year-old beat a hot field, which included grand final hero Nathan Cleary, fullback Dylan Edwards and departing centre Stephen Crichton, for the Merv Cartwright medal.
It caps off an unforgettable week for the Dubbo product, who has also been named alongside Cleary and Liam Martin in the Kangaroos squad for the upcoming Pacific Championships, although Cleary was forced to withdraw due to injury.
The Panthers’ dramatic comeback win over Brisbane in Sunday’s decider not only completed the league’s first threepeat in 40 years, but ignited debate over whether they can be considered the best team in premiership history.
Yeo can now claim to be best of the best.
He tallied a career-high 55 tackle busts and averaged 111 metres and 35 tackles in 77 minutes per game – his highest minutes count since his days as a second-rower in 2017.
Edwards could consider himself unlucky not to claim his second straight medal after finishing third in the league in tackle busts (134) and average metres (173), and had two more games.
Cleary, who previously won the award on two occasions, finished third in pointscoring, fifth in try assists, third in average kick metres, and equal first in 40-20 kicks.
Crichton also had a career-year in try assists (10), line break assists (10), and tackle busts (74), while cementing his status as a big-game player with a key try in the decider.
But all three couldn’t outpoll Yeo in the 3-2-1 voting system, rewarding the Panthers lock for another year of consistent and reliable play in both attack and defence this season.
Winger Sunia Turuva took out the club’s rookie of the year award, Moses Leota won the John Farragher Award for Courage and Determination, while Edwards was named Members Player of the Year.
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