NRL grand final: Betting tips, history and facts on the Clive Churchill Medal

JOHNATHAN Thurston is a record favourite for the Clive Churchill Medal this Sunday and we’ve got all the key info on grand final day’s highest honour.

NRL GRAND FINAL

WHO will win the 2015 Clive Churchill Medal?

Perhaps the greatest compliment that be given to a player is that they performed well on the biggest stage, and in terms of club football the stage doesn’t get any bigger than grand final day.

Since it was first awarded in 1986, the Clive Churchill Medal reads like a who’s who of rugby league stardom and on Sunday another name will join the list.

We’ve got all the relevant stats around the medal, plus a few insights into who might add their name to the list on Sunday.

HALVES DOMINATE, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS YOU THINK

As with all individual awards, halfbacks have taken the lion’s share of Churchill Medals.

Peter Sterling was the inaugural winner in 1986 and he’s since been followed by Ricky Stuart (1990), Allan Langer (1992), Geoff Toovey (1996), Brett Kimmorley (1999), Scott Prince (2005), Cooper Cronk (2012) and Daly Cherry-Evans (2013).

With seven victories, halfbacks have the most of any position, but only lead lock forwards by a single win. Sam Burgess in 2014 was the sixth lock to win the medal and the second in the past four years after Glenn Stewart won in 2011.

Hookers are also well represented with five winners — Shaun Berrigan (2006) and Luke Priddis (2003) are the most recent.

Four fullbacks have won, second-rowers and props have three each, five-eighths have two and wingers and centres have none.

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Peter Sterling won the first medal in 1986.

MULTIPLE WINNERS

The only man to win more than one Clive Churchill Medal is Raiders legend Bradley Clyde. Clyde claimed the award for the first time in Canberra’s epic extra-time victory over Balmain in 1989 and at 19 years of age he’s also the youngest winner.

Clyde was controversially awarded his second medal in 1991, becoming the first player to be presented with it in a losing side after the Raiders went down 19-12 to Penrith.

At the time, the medal was decided upon 10 minutes before fulltime, and as such, the late heroics of Panthers duo Royce Simmons and Mark Geyer were overlooked.

Broncos fullback Darius Boyd has a chance to join Clyde as a multiple winner after he won the medal in the Dragons’ grand final win over the Roosters in 2010.

CONSOLATION PRIZE

Clyde was the first man to win the medal on the losing side, but he’s since been joined by Brad Mackay in 1993 and Daly Cherry-Evans in 2013.

Mackay was St George’s best in their dour 14-6 defeat to Brisbane in 1993, but the award could just as easily have gone to Brisbane’s Kevin Walters.

The 2013 decision to give the medal to Cherry-Evans also raised eyebrows. While DCE had some nice moments with the ball, the Roosters’ James Maloney, Sonny Bill Williams and Sam Moa also put forward strong claims for the winners.

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Daly Cherry-Evans was a shock winner in 2013.

UNLUCKY CONTENDERS

Over the years the Churchill Medal has thrown up a couple of wild ones that have left some fans scratching their heads to this day.

Because Andrew Johns is Andrew Johns, nobody looks back on his 2001 medal as anything but another highlight in his already glittering career. However, at the time there was considerable support for Knights backrower Ben Kennedy to win the medal after he barged over for an early try and helped dominate the Parramatta forwards.

Similarly, Tawera Nikau in 1999 was a clear choice for the medal as his powerful charges helped bring the Storm back into the contest after they trailed the Dragons at halftime, but the judges again went for the flashier choice in halfback Brett Kimmorley. While Kimmorley did set up the infamous Craig Smith penalty try, he wouldn’t have been in a position to do so without Nikau’s contribution.

RETROSPECTIVE

As part of the Centenary of League celebrations in 2008, the NRL retrospectively awarded Clive Churchill Medals for each match since mandatory grand finals were introduced in 1954. While rarely counted alongside the post-1986 medals, they’re worth examining.

Of the medals awarded between 1954 and 1985, Les Johns was the only man to win from the losing side for his efforts in the Bulldogs’ defeat to the Rabbitohs in 1967.

Norm Provan was judged to be best on ground three times in the Dragons’ legendary 11 consecutive premierships from 1956 to 1966, and won back-to-back medals in 1957 and 1958. Peter Provan, Norm’s younger brother, also won a medal in 1959.

Immortals Clive Churchill (1954), Graeme Langlands (1964), Johnny Raper (1966), Bob Fulton (1973) and Arthur Beetson (1974) were all awarded medals, with Fulton the only centre to take out the prize. Steve Gearin of Canterbury was the only winger to win in 1980, while Brett Kenny was awarded back-to-back medals in 1982 and 1983.

SUNDAY

Johnathan Thurston is the favourite because — well of course he is.

But he’s also the shortest priced favourite in the history of the medal at $2.75 and will be aiming to become the first player since Peter Sterling in 1986 to win the Dally M and Churchill Medals.

Ben Hunt is second favourite at $7 while Michael Morgan is the next best Cowboy at $11.

Darous Boyd is $17 to win his second medal, while retiring Brisbane skipper Justin Hodges looks like a bit of value at $17, as does North Queensland pair Jason Taumalolo at $21 and Gavin Cooper at $51.

The top ten as of Thursday are (via TAB.com.au):

Johnathan Thurston $2.75

Ben Hunt $7

Anthony Milford $8

Corey Parker $9

Michael Morgan $11

Matt Scott $13

Darius Boyd $17

Justin Hodges $17

Sam Thaiday $21

Matt Gillet $21

Lachlan Coote $21

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Originally published as NRL grand final: Betting tips, history and facts on the Clive Churchill Medal