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Manly’s Matt Orford has etched his name in Rugby League history after winning a dramatic final round race to be named the Dally M Player of the Year. In a thrilling finale to the medal count, three players remained in contention to win the Dally M Medal coming into Round 26 of the Centenary year’s Telstra Premiership. Orford, Billy Slater and Cameron Smith each had their chance at glory in the final game but it was the Sea Eagles halfback who would receive the highest individual honour in Rugby League. Orford’s victory followed his superb start to the season that saw him race to the lead in voting before it went behind closed doors after Round 16. Behind the scenes he faced challenger after challenger, not only from Smith and Slater but from the likes of Raiders five-eighth Terry Campese and Knights captain Danny Buderus. Team of the Century five-eighth and Rugby League Immortal Wally Lewis presented Orford with the Dally M Medal while Slater was left to rue his Round 19 suspension that cost him the chance to win the award (players lose three points for every week’s suspension incurred and are ruled ineligible if they receive two suspensions). Unable to attend the ceremony at Sydney’s Hordern Pavilion because of a thigh injury, 2006 winner Cameron Smith was forced to endure further discomfort in what proved a nail-biting final countdown – but he was rewarded with the Dally M trophy for Hooker of the Year, while Slater was named Dally M Fullback of the Year. It was a memorable night for the Storm, with Israel Folau named Dally M Centre of the Year and Greg Inglis named both the Dally M Five-Eighth and Representative Player of the Year, giving the Minor Premiers five Dally M Awards. Inglis also received the Peter Frilingos Memorial Award for Headline Moment of the Year for his freakish overhead pass to set up a try in the Centenary Test. Canberra was the other club to dominate, claiming four awards, including Neil Henry’s Coach of the Year award, presented by Judy Gibson. In a reflection of the wide-spread talent in the NRL, every position in this year’s Dally M Team of the Year featured a different winner from the 2007 team. The list of 2008 winners is: Fullback: Billy Slater (Storm) |