Dally M Team of the Year predictions

It will fly under the radar for a lot of fans but the Dally M awards will be presented this Wednesday night. Earlier in the month I named the team (13) I would name at the team of the season. It was the team I judged the best across the NRL season prior to the finals. The below are the players I expect to win based on Dally M votes. The Dally M team of the year is judged on points. That isn't always a fair reflection but it is the process. Although a player can poll well in horrible games while a far more consistent player doesn't poll in a game where there are four stand outs, this is based purely on how I think Wednesday's awards will go. Fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck Although I named Valentine Holmes in my team of the season, I see the Warriors number one polling higher than Holmes and Kalyn Ponga. Ponga missed too many games to be in the running despite his efforts. Holmes may have seen too many points taken off him by the likes of Andrew Fifita and Matt Moylan. RTS had a stretch where he would have polled in possibly four or five games in a row. Big points too. He was a stand out for the Warriors even in losing efforts. The winner of this positional award may have the top award draped around his neck by the end of the night such was the stand out performers in the number one. RTS to edge Holmes and Ponga. [caption id="attachment_33440" align="alignnone" width="696"] AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - MAY 12: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the Warriors in action during the round 10 NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Sydney Roosters at Mt Smart Stadium on May 12, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Anthony Au-Yeung/Getty Images)[/caption] Wing Josh Addo-Carr Addo-Carr made my team of the season and for mine has been the stand out winger across the competition. The top try scorer in David Fusitu'a may push him close but I believe RTS will take too many points off him to really push the Storm and Blues superstar. Addo-Carr had a series of match-winning efforts. His making breaks and scoring highlight reel tries stay in your memory and they stand out. That equals points. Blake Ferguson will likely push the Storm speedster and may pip him late but Addo-Carr has a point awarding style of play and was incredible all season. [caption id="attachment_32036" align="alignnone" width="696"] PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 10: Josh Addo-Carr of the Storm runs the ball during the round one NRL match between the Canterbury Bulldogs and the Melbourne Storm at Perth Stadium on March 10, 2018 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Will Russell/Getty Images)[/caption] Centre Latrell Mitchell An absolute lock in my mind. No one was more dominant out wide this season than Mitchell. Yes, he did have games where you had to re-watch to see if he actually played, but there were six or seven games I can remember where he'll pick up at least two points. Euan Aitken started well and Greg Inglis has been great all season but there has been no stand out centre apart from the Roosters megastar. He scored tries, he made match-saving tackles, he broke defences apart and busted tackles with ease. All very memorable. If there's one position without doubt, it's this one. Mitchell by a mile for mine. [caption id="attachment_32584" align="alignnone" width="696"] SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - SEPTEMBER 23: Latrell Mitchell of the Roosters scores a try during the NRL Preliminary Final match between the Sydney Roosters and the North Queensland Cowboys at Allianz Stadium on September 23, 2017 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)[/caption] Five-Eighth Cameron Munster This one will be very tough to decide. James Maloney polled very, VERY well in the opening rounds but trailed off toward the middle of the season and missed games late. Munster has Billy Slater, Addo-Carr and Cameron Smith taking points off him but a quick run through the games has Munster beating Cody Walker and Maloney late on. Gareth Widdop lead early on but missed too many games to feature. Moylan had three/four man of the match performances but not much else otherwise. Blake Green could feature, but again, missed too many games. Munster to be the second Storm player named in the team of the season. [caption id="attachment_35914" align="alignnone" width="696"] MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 12: Cameron Munster of the Storm looks on during the round 22 NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the Cronulla Sharks at AAMI Park on August 12, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Graham Denholm/Getty Images)[/caption] Halfback Luke Brooks This was the most thought I had to put into any positional award. Brooks wasn't a massive stand out but he was brilliant in the majority of the Tigers wins. Cooper Cronk, Adam Reynolds and even Chad Townsend will poll well, but I can't remember then putting together too many man of the match efforts in a row. Brooks had a career best year and although he fell away late, I think there might just have been enough points picked up, even in losses, to get the Tigers number seven home. I named Reynolds in my team of the year and believe he was the most consistent half, but Brooks good games were better than Reynolds good games. [caption id="attachment_36261" align="alignnone" width="696"] CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 12: Luke Brooks of the Tigers in action during the round 22 NRL match between the Canberra Raiders and the Wests Tigers at GIO Stadium on August 12, 2018 in Canberra, Australia. (Photo by Mark Nolan/Getty Images)[/caption] Prop Andrew Fifita This will cause some controversy but the Sharks firebrand was, for mine, the best prop in the game and will poll the most points. His playing style is destructive and his numbers impressive. That spells points. There will be games that the Sharks lost where Fifita will pick up points. There was a six week period when the Sharks experienced forwards were out where Fifita played big, BIG minuted and will probably pick up two or three maximum points. David Klemmer will push him close. Marty Taupau was great but Manly didn't win enough games to feature. Lodge may also feature. [caption id="attachment_34421" align="alignnone" width="696"] SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 05: Andrew Fifita of the Sharks is tackled during the round nine NRL match between the Cronulla Sharks and the Parramatta Eels at Southern Cross Group Stadium on May 5, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt Blyth/Getty Images)[/caption] Second Row Viliame Kikau The head says Tyson Frizell and but my money is on the Panthers superstar. For mine Kikau was the most damaging wide-running second rower across the entire season. Frizell will poll extremely well early but the Dragons lack of form will hurt him. Kikau was dominant even when the Panthers lost. Frizell's numbers may pip the Fijian monsters but Kikau busted defenses and stood out far more often. Tohu Harris was well on track until his injury. He may still have done enough to feature but probably falls two or three games worth of points short. [caption id="attachment_34851" align="alignnone" width="696"] PENRITH, AUSTRALIA - JULY 13: Viliame Kikau of the Panthers is tackled during the round 18 NRL match between the Panthers and the Sharks at Panthers Stadium on July 13, 2018 in Penrith, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)[/caption] Lock Jason Taumalolo I named Sam Burgess in my side and I stand by that, but Taumalolo's numbers were so massive that he'll pick up one point in a series of losses as a result. No one can say Taumalolo isn't the best number 13 in the game. The Cowboys just lost too many games for him to poll huge points and feature in the Dally M race, but there were no players taking points off him as Burgess had. Jake Trbojevic had a brilliant season but again, Manly didn't win enough games for him to poll three points often, if ever. Taumalolo to edge out Burgess. Victor Radley came on the scene too late to feature. [caption id="attachment_36598" align="alignnone" width="696"] SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - MAY 31: Jason Taumalolo of the Cowboys is tackled during the round 13 NRL match between the Manly Sea Eagles and the North Queensland Cowboys at Lottoland on May 31, 2018 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)[/caption] Hooker Damien Cook Mitchell is my lock for the positional award but Cook is a very close second. You can never count out Smith. He polls in games you wouldn't expect such are his numbers and style of play. Cook has been my player of the season. I'd have him wearing the medal by the half way point of the season but it doesn't work like that. He has Walker, Reynolds, Inglis, Burgess and John Sutton taking points off him but I still expect him to reign supreme here in this position. Cook has had an incredible season and deserves this. He'll beat Smith and Issac Luke. Cameron McInnes fell away with the Dragons. [caption id="attachment_36486" align="alignnone" width="696"] GOSFORD, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 21: Damien Cook of the Rabbitohs in action during the round seven NRL match between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Canberra Raiders at Central Coast Stadium on April 21, 2018 in Gosford, Australia. (Photo by Ashley Feder/Getty Images)[/caption] Dally M Medal Roger Tuivasa-Sheck Running a quick look over results and performances since the Dally M counting went behind close doors, the Warriors' number one will be the man to be named the best in 2018. If Holmes wins the fullback of the year award, he wins the Dally M. Same if Ponga polls enough points early on to hold on. I think RTS pips Damien Cook by three/four points, and Holmes by a similar margin. They're the top three. In which order is anyone's guess but for mine RTS is the man. [caption id="attachment_35614" align="alignnone" width="696"] AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND - APRIL 14: Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the Warriors makes a break during the round six NRL match between the New Zealand Warriors and the Brisbane Broncos at Mt Smart Stadium on April 14, 2018 in Auckland, New Zealand. (Photo by Martin Hunter/Getty Images)[/caption]