Melbourne Storm’s Cooper Cronk was presented with his first Dally M Player of the Year medal last night at Sydney’s Star City Casino.
The Storm star led by one point when the voting went behind closed doors, and with the leader board squared up on 26 points Cronk just needed one more point from the final game.
The medal count was intense with a host of players putting their claims forward.
Making late charges was North Queensland's Johnathan Thurston who guided the Cowboys into the finals as well as Cronulla's Todd Carney who came from nowhere to pounce.
But there was no denying Melbourne halfback, Cooper Cronk, who is well deserving of the games highest honour.
Earlier in the night, Cronulla forward, Andrew Fifita, capped off a marvellous season taking home the Dally M Prop of the Year.
Johnathan Thurston was named a co-winner of the Dally M five-eighth of the year alongside Todd Carney, while South Sydney's Greg Inglis took home the Provan-Summons People's Choice and also the Dally M Fullback of the Year.
Although the night is about the players, they were almost upstaged by their partners who took the chance to shine on the red carpet before the medal count got underway.
Among these special guests was singer songwriter Jessica Mauboy, who sung this year's NRL anthem.
