NRL's biggest stars are usually upstaged by their partners on the Dally M Awards red carpet but regular showman Sam Thaiday had different ideas.
Arriving in a navy blue blazer adorned with colourful flower patterns, the retiring Broncos forward made sure he was noticed in his final appearance as a player at the end-of-season ceremony.
Thaiday was adamant he wasn't trying to draw attention away from wife Rachel, who also turned heads with what she described as a "beautiful jumpsuit with a cape".
"She's trying to out-do me," he said.
"You've gotta get it right!"
Rachel said her husband's decision to go with a red pocket square inspired her custom-made red satin frock.
The pair have been matching outfits since their high school formal 16 years ago and Thaiday had come a long way, Rachel said.
"The shirt was much tighter around the neck and, instead of doing the square, he decided it would be an amazing canary yellow shirt to match my dress," she said.
"It wasn't his best colour."
Rachel Thaiday said her beautiful red satin one-piece had been created in little over a week by Brisbane boutique Toscano.
"They're just a beautiful little Brisbane team," she said.
South Sydney star Greg Inglis also pushed boundaries, ignoring the black-tie dress code with an open-neck white shirt after getting, what he said, was some style advice from a fashion expert.
Nicole Slater, wife of Melbourne fullback Billy, turned heads in her Jason Grech-designed pale blue and gold ball gown featured scorpions in its pattern.
"I feel like a princess," she posted online.
Meanwhile, Newcastle poster boy Kalyn Ponga's date was equally the most nervous and proud of the ceremony.
"I'm just enjoying the night," mum Adine Ponga said.
