LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy
Since its inception in 2004, the Wally Lewis Medal has celebrated the best player of the State of Origin series, with Queensland notably excelling, securing 15 victories compared to NSW's six.
According to nrl.com.au, Maroons legends Cameron Smith and Billy Slater stand out as the only multiple winners of this prestigious award.
Smith has been honored four times-"2007, 2011, 2013 and 2016"-while current coach Slater has claimed the medal twice in "2010 and 2018."
This year, Cameron Munster, Pat Carrigan, and Reuben Cotter have the opportunity to earn a second Wally Lewis Medal if they perform well in the upcoming match in Sydney.
Munster earned his first medal in 2020 during a remarkable 2-1 series win when the Maroons were expected to be underdogs.
Carrigan followed suit in 2022, receiving the award after a 2-1 triumph under Slater's coaching debut.
Meanwhile, Cotter displayed outstanding form in 2023, marking him as the second Cowboy, after Johnathan Thurston in 2008, to win the award.
Since the medal was first awarded to Craig Fitzgibbon in 2004, the Blues have seen just five other winners: Anthony Minichiello (2005), Paul Gallen (2014), James Tedesco (2019), Tom Trbojevic (2021), and Angus Crichton (2024).
This highlights Queensland's ongoing dominance in the series and the significance of the Wally Lewis Medal as a benchmark of individual excellence in State of Origin history.