The NRL's 2026 Dally M Medal ceremony will take place on Wednesday evening, with two Penrith Panthers stars the clear front-runners.
In the lead-up to the ceremony, we asked our team here at Zero Tackle to name their winner, their runner up, and all the key awards, before picking a team of the year.
Nathan Cleary is the cleary front-runner to take out the overall award, but there were a number of mixed views on who would crack the team of the year, and sweep the other awards.
Justin Holbrook has been largely backed in for team of the year, while Ethan Sanders is the lead contender to take out the coveted rookie of the year award.
Here are the tips from our team.
Lee Addison
Dally M winner: Dylan Edwards
Dally M runner-up: Nathan Cleary
Biggest surprise in top 10: Jake Clifford
Coach of the year: Ivan Cleary
Captain of the year: Stephen Crichton
Rookie of the year: Zane Harrison
Team of the year
Fullback: Dylan Edwards
Wingers: Selwyn Cobbo and Mark Nawaqanitawase
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Casey McLean
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Payne Haas and Naufahu Whyte
Hooker: Phoenix Crossland
Second-rowers: Dylan Lucas and Tallis Duncan
Lock: Isaah Yeo
Matt Clements
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: Dylan Edwards
Biggest surprise in top 10: Jackson Ford
Coach of the year: Andrew Webster
Captain of the year: James Fisher-Harris
Rookie of the year: Cooper Clarke
Team of the year
Fullback: Dylan Edwards
Wingers: Thomas Jenkins and Mark Nawaqanitawase
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Casey McLean
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Payne Haas and James Fisher-Harris
Hooker: Harry Grant
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Tallis Duncan
Lock: Isaah Yeo
Kye Ferreira
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: Herbie Farnworth
Biggest surprise in top 10: Sua Fa'alogo
Coach of the year: Ivan Cleary
Captain of the year: James Fisher-Harris
Rookie of the year: Ethan Sanders
Team of the year
Fullback: Dylan Edwards
Wingers: Thomas Jenkins and Mark Nawaqanitawase
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Robert Toia
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Naufahu Whyte and Stefano Utoikamanu
Hooker: Reece Robson
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Tallis Duncan
Lock: Erin Clark
Bella Gillespie
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: James Tedesco
Biggest surprise in top 10: Nicho Hynes
Coach of the year: Justin Holbrook
Captain of the year: Kalyn Ponga
Rookie of the year: Cooper Clarke
Team of the year
Fullback: James Tedesco
Wingers: Mark Nawaqanitawase and Thomas Jenkins
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Casey McLean
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Payne Haas and James Fisher-Harris
Hooker: Harry Grant
Second-rowers: Tallis Duncan and Haumole Olakau'atu
Lock: Isaah Yeo
Magdalena Murdoch
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: James Tedesco
Biggest surprise in top 10: Tallyn Da Silva
Coach of the year: Justin Holbrook
Captain of the year: Kalyn Ponga
Rookie of the year: Ethan Sanders
Team of the year
Fullback: James Tedesco
Wingers: Selwyn Cobbo and Alex Johnston
Centres: Robert Toia and Herbie Farnworth
Five-eighth: Fletcher Sharpe
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Naufahu Whyte and Toby Couchman
Hooker: Wayde Egan
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
Lock: Erin Clark
Daniel Nichols
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: Dylan Edwards
Biggest surprise in top 10: William Kennedy
Coach of the year: Kristian Woolf
Captain of the year: James Fisher-Harris
Rookie of the year: Francis Manuleleua
Team of the year
Fullback: Dylan Edwards
Wingers: Mark Nawaqanitawase and Thomas Jenkins
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Bradman Best
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Naufahu Whyte and James Fisher-Harris
Hooker: Blayke Brailey
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Isaiah Papali'i
Lock: Erin Clark
Scott Pryde
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: Scott Drinkwater
Biggest surprise in top 10: William Kennedy
Coach of the year: Kristian Woolf
Captain of the year: James Fisher-Harris
Rookie of the year: Ethan Sanders
Team of the year
Fullback: Scott Drinkwater
Wingers: Mark Nawaqanitawase and Selwyn Cobbo
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Robert Toia
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Naufahu Whyte and James Fisher-Harris
Hooker: Blayke Brailey
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Tallis Duncan
Lock: Erin Clark
Hugh Regan
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: Isaiya Katoa
Biggest surprise in top 10: Scott Drinkwater
Coach of the year: Justin Holbrook
Captain of the year: James Tedesco
Rookie of the year: Ethan Sanders
Team of the year
Fullback: James Tedesco
Wingers: Thomas Jenkins and Mark Nawaqanitawase
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Robert Toia
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Payne Haas and James Fisher-Harris
Hooker: Blayke Brailey
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Leka Halasima
Lock: Erin Clark
Samuel Sartori
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: Dylan Edwards
Biggest surprise in top 10: Fletcher Sharpe
Coach of the year: Justin Holbrook
Captain of the year: James Tedesco
Rookie of the year: Ethan Sanders
Team of the year
Fullback: Dylan Edwards
Wingers: Selwyn Cobbo and Mark Nawaqanitawase
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Robert Toia
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Naufahu Whyte and James Fisher-Harris
Hooker: Wayde Egan
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Hamish Stewart
Lock: Erin Clark
Leo Twemlow
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: Kalyn Ponga
Biggest surprise in top 10: Naufahu Whyte
Coach of the year: Justin Holbrook
Captain of the year: Isaah Yeo
Rookie of the year: Cooper Clarke
Team of the year
Fullback: Kalyn Ponga
Wingers: Jamayne Isaako, Mark Nawaqanitawase
Centres: Robert Toia and Ferbie Farnworth
Five-eighth: Chanel Harris-Tavita
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Naufahu Whyte and Payne Haas
Hooker: Wayde Egan
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Leka Halasima
Lock: Erin Clark
Total picks
Dally M winner: Dylan Edwards (1), Nathan Cleary (9)
Dally M runner-up: Nathan Cleary (1), Dylan Edwards (3), Herbie Farnworth (1), James Tedesco (2), Isaiya Katoa (1), Kalyn Ponga (1), Scott Drinkwater (1)
Biggest surprise in top 10: Jake Clifford (1), Jackson Ford (1), Sua Fa'alogo (1), Nicho Hynes (1), Tallyn Da Silva (1), William Kennedy (2), Scott Drinkwater (1), Fletcher Sharpe (1), Naufahu Whyte (1)
Coach of the year: Ivan Cleary (2), Andrew Webster (1), Justin Holbrook (5), Kristian Woolf (2)
Captain of the year: Stephen Crichton (1), James Fisher-Harris (4), Kalyn Ponga (2), James Tedesco (2), Isaah Yeo (1)
Rookie of the year: Zane Harrison (1), Cooper Clarke (3), Ethan Sanders (5), Francis Manuleleua (1)
Team of the year
Fullback: Dylan Edwards (5), James Tedesco (3), Kalyn Ponga (1), Scott Drinkwater (1)
Wingers: Selwyn Cobbo (4), Mark Nawaqanitawase (9), Thomas Jenkins (5), Alex Johnston (1), Jamayne Isaako (1)
Centres: Herbie Farnworth (10), Casey McLean (3), Robert Toia (6), Bradman Best (1)
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall (8), Fletcher Sharpe (1), Chanel Harris-Tavita (1)
Halfback: Nathan Cleary (10)
Props: Payne Haas (5), Naufahu Whyte (7), James Fisher-Harris (6), Stefano Utoikamanu (1), Toby Couchman (1)
Hooker: Phoenix Crossland (1), Harry Grant (2), Reece Robson (1), Wayde Egan (3), Blayke Brailey (3)
Second-rowers: Dylan Lucas (1), Tallis Duncan (5), Haumole Olakau'atu (9), Kulikefu Finefeuiaki (1), Isaiah Papali'i (1), Leka Halasima (2), Hamish Stewart (1)
Lock: Isaah Yeo (3), Erin Clark (7)
Popular picks
Dally M winner: Nathan Cleary
Dally M runner-up: Dylan Edwards
Biggest surprise in top 10: William Kennedy
Coach of the year: Justin Holbrook
Captain of the year: James Fisher-Harris
Rookie of the year: Ethan Sanders
Team of the year
Fullback: Dylan Edwards
Wingers: Mark Nawaqanitawase and Thomas Jenkins
Centres: Herbie Farnworth and Robert Toia
Five-eighth: Braydon Trindall
Halfback: Nathan Cleary
Props: Naufahu Whyte and James Fisher-Harris
Hooker: Blayke Brailey / Wayde Egan
Second-rowers: Haumole Olakau'atu and Tallis Duncan
Lock: Erin Clark
