Jahrome Hughes is on the verge of completing the perfect season after the Melbourne halfback won the Dally M Medal days out from his appearance in the NRL grand final.
The unheralded Storm star, who was widely predicted to win heading into the night, edged out James Tedesco for the prestigious award by just one point 62-61.
Hughes’s six-point effort for Melbourne against Brisbane in the final round was enough to see the Storm star claim the crown, with Sydney Roosters star Tedesco also polling six votes in round 27.
He was also named the Halfback of the Year.
Manly halfback Daly Cherry-Evans finished third, with his teammate Tom Trbojevic fourth despite missing large parts of the season.
Roosters second-rower Olivia Kernick won the women’s Dally M, taking her first major prize by finishing two points clear of Parramatta fullback Abbi Church and Gold Coast halfback Lauren Brown.
Hughes became the first Kiwi to win the award in more than three decades after Shaun Johnson was cruelly denied the honour which went to Kalyn Ponga.
The former fullback has been the architect of the Storm’s best season since Cameron Smith retired, steering the club to the minor premiership amid Cam Munster and Ryan Papenhuyzen’s injury lay-offs.
He most recently parlayed his well-known running abilities into three tries during the 48-18 thrashing of the Sydney Roosters to book the Storm a grand-final date with Penrith.
But other aspects of Hughes’s game flourished in 2024, the 29-year-old recording career-highs in try assists (26) and kick metres (351 per game).
Hughes was part of the Storm’s last NRL premiership winning team in 2020 against the Panthers.
“He’s been a pleasure to watch all year, he’s been on fire. He’s been the best player this year for sure,” said Cleary – Hughes’s rival halfback on grand-final day,” his grand final rival Nathan Cleary said before the awards.
“He’s definitely the best running halfback I’ve just about ever seen. The way he takes on the line, he’s constantly a threat.
“I think he’s added a lot of other stuff to his game as well just in terms of game management and ball playing.”
When voting for the Dally M Medal went behind closed doors at the end of round 12, Hughes sat in equal-15th spot and had lost six points following a one-match ban for touching referee Chris Butler.
But it was only after Munster began a 10-week injury lay-off in round 11 that Hughes truly began to take charge at the Storm and cement himself as a candidate for the NRL’s top individual prize.
Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards led the count in round 12, his 31 points well ahead of Hughes’ 16, but missed seven regular season games through injury and State of Origin absences.
The win capped off a strong night for the Storm with coach Craig Bellamy pipping Ivan Cleary for coach of the year and Xavier Coates winning the Peter Friilingos Headline moment of the Year for his unbelievable match-wining try against New Zealand in round two.
Dolphins winger Jack Bostock won the NRL Rookie of the Year and Stephen Crichton’s impact in leading the Bulldogs into the finals was rewarded with the former Panther taking our the NRL Captain of the Year award.
In the NRLW, Cronulla skipper Tiana Pentani was named Captain of the Year, Scott Prince the Coach of the Year after the Broncos took out the minor premiership and Dragon young gun Kasey Reh won the NRLW Rookie of the Year.
MEN’S DALLY M LEADERBOARD:
Jahrome Hughes – 62
James Tedesco – 61
Daly Cherry-Evans – 51
Tom Trbojevic – 46
Scott Drinkwater – 45
Team of the year: James Tedesco, Zac Lomax, Stephen Crichton (capt), Herbie Farnworth, Brian To’o, Tom Dearden, Jahrome Hughes, Joseph Tapine, Harry Grant, Addin Fonua-Blake, Angus Crichton, Elisa Katoa, Isaah Yeo. Coach: Craig Bellamy. Rookie: Jack Bostock.
WOMEN’S DALLY M LEADERBOARD
Olivia Kernick – 22
Abbi Church – 20
Lauren Brown – 20
Tamika Upton – 19
Julia Robinson, Simaima Taufa, Yasmin Clydsdale – 17
Team of the year: Abbi Church, Julia Robinson, Isabelle Kelly, Tiana Penitani (capt), Stacey Wacka, Zahara Tamara, Lauren Brown, Shannon Mato, Keeley Davis, Millie Elliott, Olivia Kernick, Yasmin Clydsdale, Simaima Taufa. Coach: Scott Prince. Rookie: Kasey Reh.
With AAP
