Penrith Panthers captain Nathan Cleary claimed his maiden Dally M Medal at the 2026 Dally M Medal Awards in Sydney on September 30, 2026, finishing 14 points clear of Cronulla half Braydon Trindall. Meanwhile, Warriors mentor Andrew Webster secured NRL Coach of the Year honors at the ceremony held at Barangaroo.
Unable to attend the event due to a horror ankle injury sustained in Penrith’s preliminary final loss, Cleary accepted the award from his couch after leaving hospital following emergency surgery. The Panthers champion polled 67 votes to finish ahead of Trindall on 53 points and teammate Dylan Edwards on 52 points.
Major Medal Winners
In the NRLW, Brisbane fullback Tamika Upton claimed her third Dally M Medal as player of the year, defending her crown by polling 31 points to hold off a challenge from Wests Tigers half Raecene McGregor on 29 points and Tarryn Aiken on 23 points. Upton’s victory comes ahead of a grand final appearance against the Sydney Roosters.
Other major award winners included Canberra playmaker Ethan Sanders, who was named NRL rookie of the year, while Newcastle winger Mercedez Taulelei-Siala picked up the NRLW rookie of the year award. Titans mentor Karyn Murphy was awarded the NRLW coach of the year.
Additional Awards and Honors
South Sydney’s Jai Arrow was recognized with the Peter Frilingos headline moment of the year and the Provan-Summons spirit of the game award for his approach to his battle with motor neurone disease. Rabbitohs veteran Alex Johnston won the NRL try of the year for his record-breaking score against the Roosters in Round 2.
The event also marked the announcement of the official team of the year selections for both competitions, honoring standout performers from the regular season before the grand finals.
