The Voting Process /

The Dally M Medal is determined by a 3-2-1 voting system from two independent judges each game. The judges are tasked with assessing the contribution of each player and submitting their votes to the NRL.

This process takes place across every Premiership match across the regular season with two judges independently analysing each match allowing for a balanced adjudication of player performance across each match.

Judges allocate three points to the player they believe is the best on field. Two points are then assigned to the player they believe was second-best, and one point to the player they consider the third-best. 

The NRL collates the votes and maintains the leaderboard, both of which are made public up to and including Round 12. From Round 13, voting goes ‘behind closed doors’ for the remainder of the regular season with anticipation building towards the announcement of the winner at the Dally M Awards.

The player who polls the highest number of votes over the regular season is crowned the winner of the Dally M Medal.

The Dally M Team of the Year recognises the best player(s) in each position across all rounds of the regular season. Since 2020, the NRL has named a full team, from one through to 13.

The judges vote on the best player(s) in each position at regular intervals throughout the season. A further vote is conducted at the conclusion of the regular season.

The player(s) who polls the highest number of votes in each position is included in the Team of the Year, with one exception – players who finish in the top 3 of the Dally M Medal automatically receive their position in the Team of the Year.

Ineligibility

The NRL has confirmed Dally M eligibility and penalty in the event of on-field suspensions in line with this year’s innovation of two judges adjudicating each match

Under the new judging system (two judges per game), each match of suspension will invoke a 6-point deduction, rather than the previous 3-point deduction for each match.

This brings the suspension deduction in line with the maximum number of points a Player can receive in a given week, based on two judges and a three-point vote for each.

Eligibility rules will remain unchanged, with any player who is suspended from two (2) or more matches in any one season immediately becoming ineligible for the Dally M Awards.

These Rules will be mirrored in the NRLW. 

By way of example, a Player suspended for one match will have six points deducted from his/her Dally M Point tally. A Player suspended for two or more matches (either in one go or as a result of two or more suspensions) will be deemed ineligible for Dally M Award properties.