{"id":288552,"date":"2023-09-03T23:44:56","date_gmt":"2023-09-03T23:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/?p=288552"},"modified":"2023-09-03T23:44:56","modified_gmt":"2023-09-03T23:44:56","slug":"the-2023-nrl-awards-the-good-bad-and-ugly-of-a-drama-packed-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportslifetale.com\/rugby-league\/the-2023-nrl-awards-the-good-bad-and-ugly-of-a-drama-packed-season\/","title":{"rendered":"The 2023 NRL awards: The good, bad and ugly of a drama-packed season"},"content":{"rendered":"
By <\/span>Michael Chammas<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mitchell Moses, Kalyn Ponga, Reece Walsh and Latrell Mitchell<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.<\/p>\n The NRL regular season has come to an end. The Herald<\/em> looks back at all the defining moments throughout the year to determine which players (and clubs) deserve to have their names up in lights.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Broncos fullback Reece Walsh.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Returned to the Brisbane Broncos after a stint with the New Zealand Warriors. Walsh has set the competition alight in 2023 and has arguably been the best player in the competition on a deal worth just $400,000.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Eels player J\u2019maine Hopgood during Indigenous Round.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>NRL Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n Hopgood struggled for game time at the Penrith Panthers behind the likes of Liam Martin, Isaah Yeo and Villiame Kikau. Signed for the Eels on a deal worth just $150,000. He was on the cusp of Origin selection during the season and has been rewarded with an extension at the Eels until the end of 2025.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Villiame Kikau has been plagued by injury in his first season at the Bulldogs.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Kikau was arguably the biggest off-season signing in the competition, coming off back-to-back premierships with the Penrith Panthers and joining the Bulldogs on a deal worth around $750,000. Unfortunately for Kikau, a pectoral injury at training back in March cost him most of the season. By the time he returned Canterbury\u2019s season was over.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wayde Egan has been superb for the Warriors this year.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Left Penrith for an opportunity at the end of 2019 given Api Koroisau had a stranglehold on the Penrith No.9 jersey. Egan has been at the Warriors ever since and has been consistently solid without spiking too much fear in opposition. His transformation under Andrew Webster this year has him in line for a potential hooker of the year award at the Dally M Medal celebrations.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Jahream Bula has been a revelation for the Wests Tigers<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Louise Kennerley<\/cite><\/p>\n Bula didn\u2019t get a crack until round eight, but the teenager has set the competition alight since. There hasn\u2019t been so much excitement surrounding a young player at the Wests Tigers since James Tedesco\u2019s debut over a decade ago.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Josh Schuster has re-signed with the Sea Eagles for another three seasons.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n The Sea Eagles moved Kieran Foran out of the club to accommodate Schuster\u2019s desire to play five-eighth. He even missed last year\u2019s World Cup to concentrate on getting fit. Unfortunately he didn\u2019t appear to address those issues and struggled for form in the No.6 role, culminating in the club signing Luke Brooks to do so next year. Criticism of his performances peaked when he signed a lucrative long-term extension midway through the year despite no other club making him an offer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Cameron Murray has learned plenty during a tumultuous season at Souths.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Started the season as premiership favourites and validated that position with the bookies over the first three months of the competition. They were sitting atop the ladder after 11 rounds but managed just four wins in their final 13 games of the season to miss out on the finals altogether. It\u2019s one of the greatest falls from grace in recent memory, compounded by the dramatic walkout of club legend and assistant coach Sam Burgess.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Warriors halfback Shaun Johnson after landing the match-winning penalty goal against the Bulldogs back in March.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Not many predicted they would play finals football this season, let alone finish inside the top four. It\u2019s been an incredible transformation under rookie coach Andrew Webster, who has finally found a way to harness the raw talent at the club and turn it into consistent football.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Lachlan Ilias has struggled at times in his second season.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>SMH<\/cite><\/p>\n Had some people asking \u2018Adam who\u2019 with the way he performed in his debut season last year. Unfortunately, he hasn\u2019t been able to take the next step in 2023, leaving those very people questioning the club over the decision to let Adam Reynolds walk. Can\u2019t be blamed for South Sydney\u2019s woes but didn\u2019t help the cause with underwhelming performances at stages in 2023.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Andrew Webster has been superb for the Warriors in his rookie season in the NRL.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>NRL Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n All the hype out of Penrith surrounded assistant coach Cameron Ciraldo. It was a shock to many that Andrew Webster even got the job at the Warriors as the successor to Nathan Brown. He has repaid the club for the faith they have shown him by unlocking the potential at the Warriors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Shaun Johnson has turned back the clock at the Warriors this year.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n The Warriors halfback started the season in what many thought would be his final campaign in the NRL. It didn\u2019t take him long to demand an extension through his performances. Consistency has long been Johnson\u2019s downfall, but there has been a maturity in his game over the past 12 months that could see him remain in the NRL for years to come. Was close to the best player in the competition this year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Reed Mahoney during happier times at the Eels last year.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>NRL Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n Left the Parramatta Eels after a dispute in contract negotiations. His management company felt as though he was disrespected by the Eels\u2019 original offer and signed a deal with the Bulldogs. While the Bulldogs have struggled, the Eels missed Mahoney\u2019s direction around the ruck and leadership in the middle of the field, compounded by the injuries to the now retired hooker Josh Hodgson.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Damien Cook filled in in the centres for NSW.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>NRL Photos<\/cite><\/p>\n It was a double whammy in Origin II. The season-ending injury to Tom Trbojevic was hard enough to watch given his wretched luck in recent years. It was compounded by watching back-up hooker Damien Cook thrown into the centres as cover, prompting a savage attack from sections of the media on the NSW Blues brains trust for a decision that came back to bite them.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Alex Twal is swarmed by Tigers teammates after scoring the first try of his career against the Melbourne Storm at Leichhardt Oval back in round 16<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n A rare scene of joy out at the Wests Tigers this year. Alex Twal\u2019s 116-game try-scoring drought came to an end, much to the delight of his ecstatic teammates and fans. It was a moment to savour for the big Lebanese forward.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Sam Burgess left the Rabbitohs in controversial circumstances last month.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Kate Geraghty<\/cite><\/p>\n Sam Burgess walked out on the Rabbitohs one week out from the finals series after the Herald<\/em>\u2019s revelations that he was behind a push to hold coach Jason Demetriou to account for perceived lack of accountability around Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker. The public fallout led to the Englishman hopping off the bus with the Bunnies\u2019 season on the line.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Ryan Matterson missed the start of the season for the Eels.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n Whoever at Parramatta agreed to allow Ryan Matterson to accept a three-game suspension instead of a fine for an indiscretion in last year\u2019s grand final would be feeling terrible right about now. It\u2019s hard, though, to blame anyone but Matterson. Him playing in the opening three rounds could have been the difference in the Eels playing finals football, with the club losing each of those three matches by four points and going on to finish just one win outside the top eight.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Tim Sheens with Benji Marshall and Robbie Farah.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>The Sydney Morning Herald<\/cite><\/p>\n Tim Sheens went from general manager to head coach to the rugby league wilderness all in the space of 12 months. The Tigers went all-in on Sheens, but it didn\u2019t take long for the alarm bells to start ringing. When the opportunity to move him on presented itself towards the end of the season, the club didn\u2019t hesitate.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Kalyn Ponga was in mercurial form in the back half of the year.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n The decision from Kalyn Ponga to make himself unavailable for Queensland Origin selection is one of the most unselfish acts in recent times. It was the catalyst for Newcastle\u2019s incredible run home, winning nine straight games to finish the season as the hottest team in the competition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Nathan Cleary kicks a two-point field goal to send the match into golden point.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n The two-point field goal, right on the stroke of full-time, to take the round 4 match against the Eels into golden point was described by Matthew Johns as \u201cjust about the greatest clutch play I\u2019ve ever seen in rugby league\u201d.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for the Panthers, Parramatta\u2019s Mitchell sealed the win with a field goal of his own in golden point, but it took nothing away from the execution of Cleary just moments earlier.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Greg Marzhew scored a hat-trick for the Knights against the Rabbitohs last month.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Started the year on a contract worth around $180,000. He missed the first three rounds of the competition with coach Adam O\u2019Brien instead opting for Hymel Hunt. Marzhew been a mainstay in the team since being given a shot, culminating in a contract extension and an argument that he should be in discussions for winger of the year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Wests Tigers\u2019 original Anzac jersey design featured a stock image of American soldiers.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Instagram @nrl_weststigers<\/cite><\/p>\n The Tigers were forced to apologise for the botched release of a commemorative jersey to mark Anzac Round and had to re-design a new one. The club was criticised for using a stock image of American soldiers on the front of the jersey. The fact the Raiders did the same thing the year before got lost in the attack of the embattled club.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Mitchell Moses celebrates the win against the Tigers on Easter Monday.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n The show-and-go Mitchell Moses sold the Wests Tigers culminated in him becoming one of the highest-paid players in the history of the sport. The Tigers later felt they were used as leverage to drum up his price at Parramatta in a protracted contract negotiation that proved a distraction for an Eels team that failed to fire in 2023.<\/p>\nSave articles for later<\/h3>\n
Most valuable recruit<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Best value for money recruit<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Least value for money signing<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Most improved player<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Rookie of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Most underwhelming player<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
<\/ul>\n
<\/ul>\n
Biggest underachieving team<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Biggest overachieving team<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
<\/ul>\n
Second year syndrome award<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Coach of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
Team of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
Sydney Morning Herald\u2019s 2023 NRL team of the year<\/h3>\n
The Steve Menzies award: Veteran player of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
The James Tedesco award: Player missed most by their old club<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
The Phil Gould award: \u2018No, no, no, no, no\u2019 moment of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
The Ray Warren award: \u2018That\u2019s not a try, that\u2019s a miracle\u2019 moment of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
The Ivan Cleary award: \u201cOff the bus\u201d moment of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
The Geoff Toovey award: \u2018There needs to be an investigation\u2019 moment of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
<\/ul>\n
The Daly Cherry-Evans award: Biggest backflip of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
The Jamie Lyon award: Player who benefited most from missing Origin<\/h3>\n
\n
The Cooper Cronk award: \u2018The every sinew in my body coming together in one perfect whole\u2019 moment of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
The \u2018why didn\u2019t you start me sooner\u2019 player of the year award<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
\n
The Manly Pride award: Biggest jersey scandal of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
The Johnathan Thurston award: Best dummy sold of the year<\/b><\/h3>\n
\n
The Oshay Olay award: The \u2018regret what you said\u2019 moment of the year<\/h3>\n
\n