Dally M Medal: Kelly in pole position as voting goes silent

Champion centre Isabelle Kelly is positioned to become the third Rooster in four years to secure the esteemed Dally M Medal, as the voting process shifts to a closed format for the rest of the season.

In the Roosters' Magic Round victory against the Wests Tigers, Kelly earned five votes, increasing her total to 23 and putting her six votes ahead of Newcastle's Jesse Southwell, who holds second place.

Broncos winger Julia Robinson is currently in third with 16 votes, followed by Cowboys fullback Jakiya Whitfeld with 15 votes in fourth place.

If Kelly succeeds in winning this prestigious individual accolade, she would join the ranks of Olivia Kernick (2024) and Raecene McGregor (2022) as a Roosters recipient.

Among the standout players during a challenging weekend in Newcastle were Bulldogs halfback Tayla Preston and Broncos fullback Tamika Upton, both of whom achieved the maximum six votes in their respective games.

As voting transitions to a 'behind closed doors' format for the remainder of the regular season, excitement is mounting for the announcement of the winner at the Dally M Awards during Grand Final week.