MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - APRIL 02: Tesi Niu of the Broncos tackles Justin Olam of the Storm during the round four NRL match between the Melbourne Storm and the Brisbane Broncos at AAMI Park, on April 02, 2021, in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

The NRL have confirmed the nominees for the team of the year, to be announced at tonight's Dally M Medal ceremony.

Each position has either four or five nominees to be picked for the team, which, after last year's success, will be announced as a one to 13, instead of the old method where only one player would be announced per position.

All five contenders for the Dally M Medal are named in Tom Trbojevic, Daly Cherry-Evans, James Tedesco, Cody Walker and Nathan Cleary.

Given Cleary and Cherry-Evans, and Trbojevic and Tedesco play in the same positions however, a maximum of three will be picked for the final team.

RELATED: How to watch or live stream the Dally M Medal in Australia

After reportedly being controversially overlooked last week, Justin Olam has also been included in the list of nominees for centre of the year.

A total of 40 players were ultimately named in the nominees list, with 14 of them coming from either the Penrith Panthers or South Sydney Rabbitohs, who are set to contest the grand final this Sunday evening in Brisbane.

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JULY 02: Viliame Kikau of the Panthers offloads the ball to Apisai Koroisau of the Panthers during the round 16 NRL match between the Penrith Panthers and the Parramatta Eels at BlueBet Stadium on July 02, 2021, in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)

Only three players came from the non-finals teams in William Kennedy, Adam Doueihi and Payne Haas.

The biggest name to miss out is arguably David Fifita, who is ineligible due to suspensions, while Parramatta Eels' trio Reagan Campbell-Gillard, Junior Paulo and Clint Gutherson were also surprisingly not among the candidates.

Full list of nominations

Fullback
William Kennedy (Cronulla Sharks)
Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights)
Ryan Papenhuyzen (Melbourne Storm)
James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters)
Tom Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles)

Winger
Josh Addo-Carr (Melbourne Storm)
Reuben Garrick (Manly Sea Eagles)
Alex Johnston (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Jason Saab (Manly Sea Eagles)
Brian To'o (Penrith Panthers)

Centre
Bradman Best (Newcastle Knights)
Matt Burton (Penrith Panthers)
Dane Gagai (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Joseph Manu (Sydney Roosters)
Justin Olam (Melbourne Storm)

Five-eighth
Adam Doueihi (Wests Tigers)
Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers)
Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm)
Cody Walker (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Halfback
Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles)
Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers)
Jahrome Hughes (Melbourne Storm)
Adam Reynolds (South Sydney Rabbitohs)

Prop
James Fisher-Harris (Penrith Panthers)
Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos)
Daniel Saifiti (Newcastle Knights)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Sydney Roosters)
Christian Welch (Melbourne Storm)

Hooker
Damien Cook (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm)
Apisai Koroisau (Penrith Panthers)
Brandon Smith (Melbourne Storm)

Second-row
Viliame Kikau (Penrith Panthers)
Haumole Olokau'atu (Manly Sea Eagles)
Isaiah Papali'i (Parramatta Eels)
Sitili Tupouniua (Sydney Roosters)

Lock
Dale Finucane (Melbourne Storm)
Cameron Murray (South Sydney Rabbitohs)
Jake Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles)
Isaah Yeo (Penrith Panthers)