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Dally M Medal winners by year

Rugby league's player of the year since 1979, judged match by match through the season.

No medal is shown for 1997, when the game was split between two competitions and none was awarded, or for 2003, when the awards night was called off. 2014 and 2016 were shared and list both winners.

  • 45 years listed, 1979 to 2025. That is 47 medals in all, because some years have more than one.
  • Earliest year listed: Steve Morris (1979).
  • Latest year listed: James Tedesco (2025).
  • 34 different player names appear on the list, 1979 to 2025.
  • Every Dally M Medal winner since 1979, year by year

    Dally M Medal winners in the 2020s

    Year

    Medallist

    2025

    James Tedesco

    2024

    Jahrome Hughes

    2023

    Kalyn Ponga

    2022

    Nicho Hynes

    2021

    Tom Trbojevic

    2020

    Jack Wighton

    Dally M Medal winners in the 2010s

    Year

    Medallist

    2019

    James Tedesco

    2018

    Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

    2017

    Cameron Smith

    2016

    Cooper Cronk

    2016

    Jason Taumalolo

    2015

    Johnathan Thurston

    2014

    Jarryd Hayne

    2014

    Johnathan Thurston

    2013

    Cooper Cronk

    2012

    Ben Barba

    2011

    Billy Slater

    2010

    Todd Carney

    Dally M Medal winners in the 2000s

    Year

    Medallist

    2009

    Jarryd Hayne

    2008

    Matt Orford

    2007

    Johnathan Thurston

    2006

    Cameron Smith

    2005

    Johnathan Thurston

    2004

    Danny Buderus

    2002

    Andrew Johns

    2001

    Preston Campbell

    2000

    Trent Barrett

    Dally M Medal winners in the 1990s

    Year

    Medallist

    1999

    Andrew Johns

    1998

    Andrew Johns

    1996

    Allan Langer

    1995

    Laurie Daley

    1994

    Cliff Lyons

    1993

    Ricky Stuart

    1992

    Gary Freeman

    1991

    Michael Potter

    1990

    Cliff Lyons

    Dally M Medal winners in the 1980s

    Year

    Medallist

    1989

    Gavin Miller

    1988

    Gavin Miller

    1987

    Peter Sterling

    1986

    Peter Sterling

    1985

    Greg Alexander

    1984

    Michael Potter

    1983

    Terry Lamb

    1982

    Ray Price

    1981

    Steve Rogers

    1980

    Robert Laurie

    Dally M Medal winners in 1979

    Year

    Medallist

    1979

    Steve Morris

    Most Dally M Medals since 1979

    How we counted: each line in the year by year tables counts for the player name exactly as the table writes it, so a player the table writes two ways counts separately under each. 2014 and 2016 have more than one line, and every player named in those years gets one medal. Nothing is listed for 1997 and 2003, so no medal is counted for those years.

    Out in front: Johnathan Thurston, 4 medals.

    Player

    Medals under this name

    Years

    Johnathan Thurston

    4

    2005, 2007, 2014, 2015

    Andrew Johns

    3

    1998, 1999, 2002

    Cameron Smith

    2

    2006, 2017

    Cliff Lyons

    2

    1990, 1994

    Cooper Cronk

    2

    2013, 2016

    Gavin Miller

    2

    1988, 1989

    James Tedesco

    2

    2019, 2025

    Jarryd Hayne

    2

    2009, 2014

    Michael Potter

    2

    1984, 1991

    Peter Sterling

    2

    1986, 1987

    24 more player names appear once.

    Play with this history

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  • Where this comes from

    Each table was verified against at least two independent sources, and the checks run on every build: winner lists are audited answer by answer, split titles and vacated seasons are pinned so they can never quietly change, and a blank cell means the detail was never verified rather than papered over. Spot something that looks wrong anyway? The Report a bug button below lands straight in our inbox.

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