LeagueNews.co | Cooper McEnroe
James Tedesco has secured his second Dally M Medal, finishing impressively 22 points ahead of his closest competitor.
During the awards ceremony, Tedesco was also honored as the captain and fullback of the Dally M team. Mark Nawaqanitawase, who won the try of the year, was named on the wing.
Additionally, Roosters centre Robert Toia received the rookie of the year accolade after making a stunning debut for Queensland in the State of Origin.
However, the spotlight shone brightly on Tedesco on this special night.
His achievements came just a day after he withdrew from the Kangaroos squad for the Ashes to serve as best man at his brother's wedding. After facing setbacks that saw him dropped from both NSW's State of Origin side and the Australian Test team last year, Tedesco demonstrated his worthiness for a Kangaroos return by leading a Roosters team that lost almost 1000 games of NRL experience during the offseason.
At the gala event held at Randwick Racecourse, Tedesco achieved a remarkable score of 67 points, significantly surpassing Nathan Cleary (45), and Isaiya Katoa and Payne Haas (both with 44 points).