James Tedesco clinched a second Dally M medal by a whopping 22 votes, while Brisbane’s Tamika Upton was crowned the game’s female champion – the first NRLW player to claim the medal twice.
Tedesco had been regarded the raging Dally M favourite for several months given his blistering form at the back for the Sydney Roosters.
It helps one of his main rivals in early polling, New Zealand Warriors playmaker Luke Metcalf, ruptured his ACL, and another late threat, Melbourne’s Harry Grant, was ruled ineligible because of a two-match suspension.
The evergreen Tedesco finished with 67 points, well ahead of Penrith’s Nathan Cleary on 45 points, with Dolphins’ halfback Isaiya Katoa and Broncos prop Payne Haas third on 44 points.
For what it is worth, Tedesco polled 61 points last year to fall just one vote short of Melbourne’s Jahrome Hughes. Newcastle’s Kalyn Ponga stormed home to pinch the prize in 2023 with 56 points, one ahead of early favourite and Warriors star Shaun Johnson.
Tedesco, who won the Dally M in 2019, also took home fullback of the year and captain of the year.
It has already been a big week for Tedesco who announced he would pass on the chance to play for Australia so he could attend his brother’s wedding, and also undergo minor surgery on his knee.
When asked about his chances of taking out the Dally M on the red carpet before the event -- and how many months he had his acceptance speech prepared -- Tedesco told this masthead: “You’ve had me down as the winner since June.
“The players who have won this award multiple times are legends of the game. If I was to win it a second time it would be very special.
“The goal at the start of the year was to win the grand final, and all I want to do is play the best footy I know I can produce. I’m happy I could do that most of the year.”
Fellow Roostrer Rob Toia won the rookie of the year, and teammate Mark Nawaqanitawase, who was not allowed to win the first-year award because he had already played professional rugby and represented the Wallabies, won winger of the year and try of the year for his memorable put-down against the Bulldogs in round 11.
Upton, who will play against the Roosters in Sunday’s grand final, clinched 35 points to finish three clear of fellow Bronco Julia Robinson, with Newcastle playmaker Jesse Southwell one behind on 31 points.
NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo, who joined the game’s best players at Royal Randwick on Wednesday night, said: “2025 is the story of a record-breaking season – more viewers, bigger crowds, higher engagement, and more kids playing than ever before in the game’s history.
“None of this would be possible [without] the players who produce the miracles and the magnificence.”
In other awards, Raiders young gun Ethan Strange took out five-eighth of the year, along with tackle of the year, while Ricky Stuart, Canberra’s favourite son, won coach of the year.
John Strange took out NRLW coach of the year, while Isabelle Kelly won captain of the year, after the Roosters duo led the team through the regular season undefeated.