'Most confused player' who left club hanging

1 year ago 91

It was an entertaining and full-on twelvemonth successful rugby league, with plentifulness of highlights and lowlights to inhabit the headlines.

NRL PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Dylan Edwards - led the league successful tally metres and footwear instrumentality metres but much than that, saved tries with his last-ditch defence and got the premiers connected the beforehand foot.

His expansive last show was superb. Ran further with the shot successful 2022 than immoderate subordinate successful 7 years.

NRLW PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Sydney Roosters playmaker Raecene McGregor, who came up with 10 effort assists during the 2022 season. In a stellar year, McGregor besides won the women's Dally M Medal and Golden Boot.

COACH OF THE YEAR

Plenty of alleged experts - including myself - tipped the Cowboys to tally past successful 2022. Remarkably, Todd Payten took a squad that finished good down the ladder successful 2021 to wrong a crippled of the expansive final, unearthing immoderate breathtaking endowment on the way.

DUMBEST QUESTION OF THE YEAR

The Dragons asking fans past week if they should driblet the connection "Illawarra" from their rubric - a determination that saw supporters successful Wollongong up successful arms. Club officials rapidly distanced themselves from the question.

WORST ATTACK OF THE YEAR

Wests Tigers managed conscionable 63 tries successful 2022, the fewest of immoderate NRL team. The bully quality for agelong suffering Tigers fans is that supremo Tim Sheens has decided capable is capable and performed large country connected his team, bringing successful a big of large names.

UPSET OF THE YEAR

Last-placed Canterbury started arsenic fertile $8 outsiders against the Eels successful circular 14 but came up with a stunning 34-4 triumph astatine Accor Stadium. Parra changeable retired to agelong likelihood with the bookies to marque the expansive last from determination - but someway turned it each around.

NRL Highlights: Bulldogs v Eels - Round 14

TEAM PERFORMANCE OF THE YEAR

The Jillaroos bushed their nemesis - a beardown Kiwi broadside - to triumph the World Cup last 54-4 astatine Manchester's celebrated Old Trafford ground. Simply stunning.

TRY OF THE YEAR

Josh Addo-Carr's unthinkable kick-and-chase four-pointer for Australia aft Matt Burton's betwixt the legs walk implicit the sideline astatine the World Cup. One successful a million.

MOST IMPROVED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Few radical figured Jeremiah Nanai would play overmuch apical people shot successful 2022 aft a fistful of games successful his debut play successful 2021. But the 19-year-old proved a revelation, starring not lone for the Cowboys but besides for Queensland and Australia. Set a grounds for astir tries by a Cowboys guardant for bully measure.

MOST DRAMATIC DAY OF THE YEAR

In a rugby league first, 2 coaches were sent packing connected the aforesaid time successful aboriginal June. In Sydney, the Tigers dumped Michael Maguire aft a dreadful commencement to the play portion crossed the Tasman, Nathan Brown parted ways with the Warriors. Both teams continued to conflict contempt the changes and had underwhelming seasons.

MOST CONFUSED PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Payne Haas asked for an contiguous merchandise from the Broncos mid-season - and was promptly booed by the Brisbane faithful astatine Suncorp that weekend. Then successful September helium decided to honour his affluent contract, which runs until the extremity of 2024.

MYSTERY OF THE YEAR

Prop Matt Lodge's $700,000 "termination payout" aft he discontinue the Warriors mid-season pursuing a enactment with proprietor Mark Robinson. There were galore theories, but nary mentation was ever fixed for the monolithic payout, with Lodge past signing with the Roosters.

CARETAKER COACH OF THE YEAR

In a play wherever coaches came and went, Mick Potter excelled erstwhile thrown into the blistery spot astatine the Bulldogs aft Trent Barrett was sent packing. Club fable Potter instantly got the Dogs playing agleam attacking shot and helium did specified a bully occupation determination were calls for him to clasp the station full-time adjacent season.

SLEDGE OF THE YEAR

Raiders manager Ricky Stuart labelled Panthers inferior Jaeman Salmon a "weak-gutted dog" aft an on-field enactment betwixt the Panthers and Raiders. The brace person past and Stuart didn't clasp back. Neither did the NRL, suspending Stuart for a week and fining him $25,000 for his outburst.

MOST BRUTAL THREE MINUTES OF THE YEAR

The opening stages of the Origin decider astatine Suncorp, wherever players ripped successful similar determination was nary tomorrow. Three players were forced disconnected with concussion - Maroons Selwyn Cobbo and Lindsay Collins, and Blue Cameron Murray.

2022 State of Origin Highlights: NSW v QLD - Game III

MOST LUDICROUS DECISION OF THE YEAR

The NRL suspended Panthers winger Taylan May for 2 matches aft helium was recovered blameworthy of battle — but delayed the prohibition until adjacent season. The determination outraged galore fans, portion different players besides tried having their bans postponed.

COVER-UP OF THE YEAR

A suspicious video emerged precocious successful the play of Knights stars Kalyn Ponga and Kurt Mann, who were some successful wounded rehab, leaving a toilet cubicle together aft a time connected the drink. Ponga's begetter declared his lad wasn't feeling good and Mann was checking connected his well-being - and that was the extremity of the matter.

DUDDING OF THE YEAR

The luckless Tigers were denied a deserved triumph implicit the Cowboys successful what would person been a monolithic upset successful a bizarre decorativeness to a circular 19 clash successful Townsville. Referee Ashley Klein awarded the location broadside a dubious punishment aft the siren, which proved the difference. Klein was sacked - for a week - but returned successful clip to beryllium handed the expansive final.

Tigers mistake hands Cowboys try

MOST SPITEFUL GAME OF THE YEAR

It was connected for young and aged erstwhile accepted rivals the Roosters and Rabbitohs locked horns successful the elimination last astatine the caller Allianz Stadium. A grounds 7 players were sent to the misdeed bin, including Victor Radley and Taane Milne doubly each!

BEST FINISHER OF THE YEAR

Josh Addo-Carr is unchallenged arsenic the champion winger successful the crippled - but peculiar notation has to beryllium made of Rabbitohs flyer Alex Johnston, who became the archetypal antheral to people 30-plus tries successful consecutive seasons successful a mighty show implicit the past 2 years.

SUPER LEAGUE FINISHER OF THE YEAR

While we are connected tryscorers, erstwhile Eel Bevan French deserves a rap for mounting a caller Super League grounds for astir tries successful crippled with 7 for Wigan against Hull. Bring him backmost to the NRL!

VOICE OF THE YEAR

The legendary Ray Warren officially retired from commentary aft 45 years of calling the shots arsenic the dependable of rugby league. Rabs remains a beloved fig successful the game.

BIGGEST OOPS OF THE YEAR

Dragons centre Zac Lomax is simply a people enactment - but helium committed 44 errors during the play - the astir successful the NRL. He'll chopped that fig radically successful 2023 - conscionable needs immoderate bully direction.

MESSIEST SAGA OF THE YEAR

Manly's play imploded erstwhile seven players boycotted a clash with the Roosters arsenic a protestation against wearing pridefulness jerseys, claiming it went against their religion. The Roosters won 20-10 and Manly mislaid each crippled for the remainder of the season.

SADDEST MOMENT OF THE YEAR

The termination of erstwhile Cronulla prima and Cowboys premiership-winning manager Paul Green astatine 49 years of age. Former Dally M Medallist Rocky Laurie besides passed distant aft a agelong conflict with his intelligence health. Johnny Raper, Barry Muir, Tony Townsend, Bill Ashurst, Olsen Filipaina and Paul Broughton were others to walk connected successful a bittersweet twelvemonth for the game.

FEEL-GOOD STORY OF THE YEAR

Samoa reaching the last of the World Cup - signalling a changing of the defender successful the rugby league world. They were ne'er going to bushed the Aussies - but conscionable getting determination was a mighty feat.

If you oregon anyone you cognize needs contiguous support, interaction Lifeline connected 13 11 14 oregon via lifeline.org.au. In an emergency, telephone 000.

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