The Dally M Awards received mixed reception from fans following Wednesday Night's broadcast, and it seems the league's largest figures felt the same.
While Coach of the Year recipient Ricky Stuart, of the Canberra Raiders, and nominee Cameron Ciraldo of the Canterbury Bulldogs, both attended the prestigious awards, they joined a short list of those who bothered to show up.
This season's awards was one of the least-attended ceremonies by coaches in years, highlighting an uncomfortable culture shift towards one of the NRL's biggest events.
The only coaches interested in the award show were the aforementioned Ciraldo and Stuart, as well as New Zealand Warriors' Andrew Webster and Cronulla Sharks' Craig Fitzgibbon, and Dolphins' Kristian Woolf.
This left a whopping 12 coaches turning their backs on the Dally M's including both of this weekend's Grand Final mentors, Craig Bellamy and Michael Maguire.
While Des Hasler and Adam O'Brien, who were both sacked from the Gold Coast Titans and Newcastle Knights respectively, were not expected to show up at the ceremony, the rest of the league's absentees has sparked worry around the award show's level of prestige and reputation across the NRL.
In addition to the lack of coaches in attendance, the entire Newcastle Knights' squad was absent from the show, resulting in an uneasy atmosphere.
