Jahrome Hughes has been crowned the NRL Dally M winner for 2024, taking the best and fairest award by the slimmest of margins, beating James Tedesco by a single point.
Olivia Kernick was crowned the NRLW Dally M winner, beating the Eels’ Abbi Church and the Raiders’ Simaima Taufa to the award.
Hughes, who hopes to guide Storm to Grand Final glory on Sunday afternoon, said he was left “speechless” after claiming the award.
Tensions could not have been higher at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Wednesday as voting for the men’s Dally M Awards went down to the wire with Tedesco and Hughes vying for victory.
Tedesco took a five-point lead in the final round of voting, beating Hughes by 61 votes to 56, after his outstanding performance against the Rabbitohs (scoring two tries and setting up two more) during his team’s 28-36 victory. in Round 27. .
But Hughes, who scored 12 tries this season and assisted 26, would sensationally usurp the Roosters fullback with a score of six points for his performance in the Storm’s victory over the Broncos in Round 27.
Fans were also outraged during the ceremony after Hughes was docked six votes following his suspension earlier in the season. The 29-year-old running back had received a two-game suspension after he appeared to accidentally collide with referee Chris Butler during the Storm’s win against the Warriors in the second round.
Despite that, he won the award with
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