It's the penultimate week of Finals Footy, and with it comes two groups of fans.
If your team is still alive, it's all about who makes the Grand Final and who ultimately lifts the trophy.
But after prelims weekend, when two of the four remaining sides bow out, more people turn their attention elsewhere — beyond a potential Panthers five-peat — to the Dally M awards.
Speculation has always existed around the Dally M nomination process. When I asked several rugby league fans in my community for their views, I heard comments like “It's not my favourite” and “Yeah… but it works, I guess.”
It's a regular talking point on shows like NRL360, Fox League, and around the pub table.
Claims of a “corrupted” system have long been dismissed with a grain of salt, but in recent years I've found myself asking: how fair is the Dally M really?
The Dally M Medal is awarded to the “best and fairest” player of the year, based on a 3-2-1 voting system.
After each match, impartial commentators give three points to the best player, two to the next, and one to the third. Everyone else gets nothing. At the end of the season, the player with the most points takes home the award.
Sounds fair enough, right? In my opinion, the biggest flaw isn't the 3-2-1 system itself — it's the impact of State of Origin.
Players chosen for Queensland or New South Wales sacrifice club matches and training to attend Origin camps, travel and preparations.
Clubs accept it because representing your state is one of the game's highest honours. But while the NRL community rightly celebrates the achievement, the Dally M voting system doesn't take it into account at all.
Let's face it: Origin players don't get anything to boost their Dally M tally.
They don't earn points simply for being selected, and because they miss club games during the series, their chances of collecting 3-2-1 votes actually drop compared to non-Origin players. Just look at the most recent winners.
In 2024, it was Jahrome Hughes. In 2023, Kalyn Ponga.
In 2022, Nicho Hynes. None of them played a significant role in Origin during their Dally M years, aside from Hynes being 18th man once in 2022.
Meanwhile, genuine Origin stars had fewer opportunities to accumulate points. The Dally M is meant to reward the "best and fairest," yet right now players almost have to choose: maximise your club game count to stay in the hunt for the medal, or play Origin. Those two things shouldn't be mutually exclusive.
So what's the fix? Here's my proposal...
Players selected for Origin should automatically receive three Dally M points for every game they make the roster.
For example, if Daly Cherry-Evans was picked for Game One only, he'd get three points.
If Robert Toia was chosen for all three games, he'd receive nine points in total. Voluntary withdrawals or suspensions would remove the bonus, while injuries wouldn't.
Would this solve everything? Maybe not.
Some argue it would unfairly disadvantage players ineligible for Origin due to birthplace.
But those players still have the chance to earn their votes the traditional way — by performing every week for their clubs while Origin stars are away. The truth is, the Dally M will never be perfect.
There will always be debate, and maybe that's part of its charm. But if we want the award to truly reflect the very best of our game, we should look at ways to improve it.
Recognising players not only at club level but also for their representative contributions would be a step forward.
Our players give years of blood, sweat and tears to reach this level. They deserve a system that honours every part of their journey.
And for that reason alone, the Dally M needs fixing.
Do you think the Dally M needs fixing? Let me know right here ⬇️