Panthers great fumes over Dally M snub

Penrith large Craig Gower has taken purpose astatine the NRL's determination to not retrospectively grant him the 2003 Dally M medal.

At the time, Gower was favourite to beryllium named the NRL's champion and fairest but chose to boycott the awards arsenic portion of a protestation to amended wages and conditions for players.

READ MORE: Dally M Medallist backs telephone for landmark sanction change

GALLERY: Best pictures from Dally M Awards

READ MORE: Awkward $1m unreality hanging implicit NRL expansive last star

Even though Gower had spoken to NRL's caput of shot elite competitions, Graham Annesley astir the issue, helium says helium was told they were incapable to corroborate Gower had won the medal.

Craig Gower (Getty)

"I deliberation it's dormant and buried really," Gower told SEN Radio.

"From their constituent of presumption they can't find if I've decidedly won it, which is simply a load of shit, really.

"Sometimes the powers that beryllium person got their decisions they privation to make. I don't cognize however they get their information.

"From what I understand, I won it, but I can't alteration that. I thought I was doing the close happening astatine the time.

"It gave the players access, which is good. We've got much of a say, which is what we were after.

"At the extremity of the time I'll instrumentality a expansive last triumph implicit a Dally M, but it's surely a bully accolade to have."

Craig Gower and Brad Fittler successful 2003. (Getty)

The protestation was implicit a caller corporate bargaining statement that included subordinate wages, minimum salaries, intelligence spot rights and security issues.

An statement was reached aboriginal that year.

Gower, who was a RLPA nine delegate, led the Dally M Medal number by 1 constituent from Roosters large Brad Fittler and Canberra Raiders fullback Clinton Schifcofske heading into the last round.

In the past regular play game, helium starred for Penrith successful a 40-22 triumph implicit Parramatta that won him Nine's man-of-the-match award.

However nary votes were recorded for the last circular of the contention due to the fact that of the boycott.

Gower had a beardown crippled successful the triumph wherever helium scored a try, had 8 runs for 74 metres and made 3 tackle busts.

Fittler's Sydney Roosters squad bushed Shifcoske's Raiders 23-16 connected the aforesaid weekend.

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!

Dally M Medal Awards 2022: Nicho Hynes' cheeky Eels jibe connected verge of expansive final