Dally M Medal 2026 Tips & Predictions - Medal Winner, Team of the Year, Coach of the Year
- Full predictions for Dally M Medal night, which takes place on Wednesday September 30
- Predictions include Medal Winner, Team of the Year & Coach of the Year
- Nathan Cleary tipped for first Dally M Medal; Justin Holbrook in line for best coach
The 2026 Dally M Awards will recognise the standout performers from another huge NRL season, with the Medal itself shaping as a fascinating battle after voting disappeared behind closed doors following Round 12.
Nathan Cleary held the lead with 38 votes at that stage, ahead of Jackson Ford on 35, Dylan Edwards on 32 and Scott Drinkwater on 29. James Tedesco was next on 27, while Braydon Trindall had collected 23 and Harry Grant sat on 18.
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From Round 13 onwards, every vote has remained secret, leaving second-half form, availability and team performances as the biggest clues to how the final leaderboard could unfold.
- Read more: Dally M Medal Mock Odds in Full
We've assessed the leading Dally M contenders as well as the Team of the Year positional awards, Rookie of the Year and Coach of the Year to produce our predictions ahead of the 2026 ceremony.
| Prediction | Player | Mock Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Dally M Medal Winner | Nathan Cleary | $1.50 |
| 2nd | Dylan Edwards | $5.00 |
| 3rd | Scott Drinkwater | $8.00 |
Dally M Medal Winner: Nathan Cleary
Cleary is our pick to finally add the Dally M Medal to his already extensive list of individual and team achievements.
The Panthers halfback was the man to catch when voting went secret, sitting on 38 points after Round 12. That gave him a six-point advantage over teammate Dylan Edwards and a nine-point buffer over Scott Drinkwater.
Cleary continued to play a central role in Penrith's success during the second half of the campaign, with the Panthers ultimately securing the minor premiership.
There is a danger that Edwards and other Panthers take votes away from him, but Cleary had already created valuable separation before the count went behind closed doors. Given his influence on Penrith's results and his ability to produce maximum-vote performances, he is the player we expect to be sitting on top when the final votes are revealed.
Dally M Top 3: Dylan Edwards
Edwards was already right in the contest when voting went silent, sitting third with 32 points and only six behind Cleary.
His consistency gives him every opportunity to remain near the top of the count. Edwards continued to generate huge metres from fullback and played an important role in Penrith's run to the minor premiership.
The biggest obstacle is the same one facing Cleary: vote sharing. With two genuine Dally M contenders playing in the same side, there will inevitably be matches where one takes points away from the other.
We still expect Edwards to have polled consistently enough across the hidden rounds to finish inside the top three.
Dally M Top 3: Scott Drinkwater
Drinkwater is our selection to complete the podium.
The Cowboys fullback entered Round 13 with 29 votes, leaving him nine behind Cleary but within striking distance if he could put together a big second half of the season.
His importance to North Queensland's attack gives him considerable Dally M appeal. Drinkwater is the type of player who can dominate a match through his running, ball-playing and involvement in attacking opportunities, making him capable of collecting significant votes when the Cowboys win.
James Tedesco and Braydon Trindall also warrant consideration, but we have Drinkwater doing enough across the hidden rounds to complete the top three.
Dally M Fullback of the Year: Dylan Edwards
Fullback is arguably the deepest positional race at the 2026 Dally M Awards, with Edwards facing competition from Drinkwater, Tedesco, Kalyn Ponga and several other elite No.1s.
Our selection is Edwards.
He already had 32 Dally M votes after Round 12, putting him ahead of every other fullback at the point voting became private. Drinkwater was only three points behind, making this one of the most interesting positional battles of the night.
Edwards' consistency, work rate and influence in a Panthers side that finished on top of the ladder gives him the narrow edge.
Dally M Wingers of the Year: Mark Nawaqanitawase & Thomas Jenkins
Nawaqanitawase earns the first wing position after another outstanding campaign for the Roosters. His combination of finishing ability, tackle-breaking power and yardage work has established him as one of the NRL's most dangerous outside backs.
The second spot goes to Penrith's Thomas Jenkins after a remarkable try-scoring season.
Jenkins crossed for 30 tries in 25 regular-season appearances while producing 35 line breaks, 93 tackle breaks and almost 4,900 running metres. He also became the first player in premiership history to score multiple tries in seven consecutive matches.
His ability to consistently turn Penrith's attacking opportunities into points makes him impossible to overlook for one of the two wing positions.
Dally M Centres of the Year: Herbie Farnworth & Casey McLean
Farnworth takes the first centre position after another dominant campaign for the Dolphins. His combination of power, yardage, tackle-breaking ability and attacking output makes him one of the most complete centres in the competition.
McLean gets our second centre spot following an outstanding season with Penrith.
The young Panther demonstrated his Dally M polling potential early in the year when he collected four votes against Parramatta in Round 4 and remained a dangerous part of Penrith's backline throughout the campaign.
McLean also finished the regular season in superb touch after returning to the side, scoring a hat-trick against the Wests Tigers in Round 27 as Penrith wrapped up the minor premiership.
With his size, speed and finishing ability, McLean has developed into one of the competition's leading young centres and gets the nod alongside Farnworth.
Dally M Five-Eighth of the Year: Braydon Trindall
Trindall is our Five-Eighth of the Year prediction following an outstanding individual campaign for Cronulla.
The Sharks playmaker was already sitting on 23 Dally M points when voting went behind closed doors, putting him firmly among the leading players on the published leaderboard.
His attacking numbers strengthened his case throughout the remainder of the season. Trindall finished with 33 try assists from 23 appearances and remained the focal point of Cronulla's attack.
His kicking game, creativity and ability to manufacture points make him our selection ahead of a strong group of five-eighth contenders.
Dally M Halfback of the Year: Nathan Cleary
If our prediction for the overall Medal is correct, Halfback of the Year should follow automatically.
Cleary was already the competition's leading Dally M vote-getter when voting became private and remained the key organiser of a Penrith side that went on to claim the minor premiership.
We have him winning the Medal, making him the straightforward selection at halfback.
Dally M Hooker of the Year: Harry Grant
Grant is our selection at hooker after another hugely influential season as Melbourne's captain.
The Storm No.9 had already accumulated 18 Dally M points by the time voting went behind closed doors and continued to provide attacking creativity and an enormous defensive workload through the middle of the field.
Grant finished the regular season with 10 try assists from 21 appearances while making 802 tackles. His ability to control the ruck, create opportunities around tired defenders and maintain a huge defensive output remains central to Melbourne's success.
That combination gives Grant our vote for Hooker of the Year, but an honourable mention must go to Warriors hooker Wayde Egan.
Dally M Props of the Year: Payne Haas & James Fisher-Harris
Haas earns one of the two front-row positions after once again demonstrating why he is regarded among the competition's premier middle forwards.
His combination of running metres, post-contact production and defensive workload makes him a constant presence through the middle and a natural contender for another Team of the Year appearance.
James Fisher-Harris joins him in the front row following an enormous season for the Warriors.
Fisher-Harris played 23 regular-season matches, averaged 140 running metres and finished with 3,238 metres in total. He was equally important defensively, making 699 tackles, while also producing almost 1,200 post-contact metres.
His physical influence extends beyond the raw numbers, with Fisher-Harris setting the standard for the Warriors through his carries, defensive intensity and leadership.
Haas and Fisher-Harris form our predicted Dally M front row.
Dally M Second-Rowers of the Year: Tallis Duncan & Dylan Lucas
Tallis Duncan earns our first second-row position after developing into one of South Sydney's most productive forwards.
Duncan combined work rate with genuine attacking output throughout 2026, scoring 12 tries in 22 appearances while averaging 133 running metres. He also registered 16 line breaks, 10 line-break assists and 541 tackles.
Those numbers highlight the versatility of his contribution. Duncan has been able to generate attacking opportunities on an edge while still handling the defensive workload expected of a high-level back-rower.
Dylan Lucas takes the other second-row position after another impressive campaign for Newcastle.
Lucas scored 10 tries in 17 appearances and averaged 116 running metres, while his defensive numbers were particularly impressive with 611 tackles across the regular season.
His Dally M credentials were already evident before voting went secret. Lucas collected three points in Newcastle's Round 11 victory over the Titans, underlining his ability to stand out even alongside the Knights' high-profile spine players.
Duncan and Lucas are our selections for the two second-row positions.
Dally M Lock of the Year: Isaah Yeo
Yeo remains the benchmark for ball-playing locks and gets our nod after another influential season for Penrith.
His value cannot always be captured through tries or assists. Yeo's decision-making, defensive work and ability to connect Penrith's middle forwards with Cleary and the Panthers' outside backs remain fundamental to how the minor premiers play.
With his consistency, leadership and influence through the middle, Yeo is again our prediction for Lock of the Year.
Dally M Rookie of the Year: Cooper Clarke
Storm forward Cooper Clarke shapes as our Rookie of the Year selection after an impressive first full campaign at NRL level.
Clarke established himself as a regular member of Melbourne's forward rotation and showed an ability to handle the physical and defensive demands of first grade across the season.
There are several young players capable of challenging for the award, but Clarke's consistency and ability to contribute in a high-performing Storm side gives him our vote.
Dally M Coach of the Year: Justin Holbrook
Justin Holbrook is our prediction for Coach of the Year after overseeing a major turnaround at Newcastle in 2026 after the club finished bottom of the ladder last season.
The Knights entered 2026 under a new head coach following a difficult 2025 campaign, but Holbrook quickly transformed their fortunes and guided Newcastle back into finals contention. The improvement was particularly significant given the challenge of implementing a new system while reshaping the side around its established core.
Newcastle's performances across the season put Holbrook firmly in the Coach of the Year conversation, with the Knights becoming a much more competitive and consistent team under his leadership.
Ivan Cleary also has a compelling case after guiding Penrith to the minor premiership, while several other coaches produced impressive seasons. However, the scale of Newcastle's improvement in Holbrook's first year in charge gives him our selection for the 2026 award.
Bets.com.au 2026 Dally M Awards Predictions
| Award | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Dally M Medal | Nathan Cleary |
| Dally M Medal – 2nd | Dylan Edwards |
| Dally M Medal – 3rd | Scott Drinkwater |
| Fullback of the Year | Dylan Edwards |
| Wingers of the Year | Mark Nawaqanitawase & Thomas Jenkins |
| Centres of the Year | Herbie Farnworth & Casey McLean |
| Five-Eighth of the Year | Braydon Trindall |
| Halfback of the Year | Nathan Cleary |
| Hooker of the Year | Harry Grant |
| Props of the Year | Payne Haas & James Fisher-Harris |
| Second-Rowers of the Year | Tallis Duncan & Dylan Lucas |
| Lock of the Year | Isaah Yeo |
| Rookie of the Year | Cooper Clarke |
| Coach of the Year | Justin Holbrook |
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