Rookie of the Year

The Players’ Awards are the Rugby League Players’ Associations awards and are voted for by NRL and NRLW players.

The Players’ Awards consist of:

(a) The Players’ Champion (NRL & NRLW)

(b) The Players’ Rookie of the Year (NRL & NRLW)

(c) The Players’ Dream Team (NRL & NRLW)

(d) The Dennis Tutty Award (NRL & NRLW)

An online survey is distributed to all contracted NRL and NRLW players.

For the individual The Players’ Champion award, players are asked to nominate in a 3/2/1 point system (3 being allocated to the player they believe has performed the best) their choice for the best performers in that season from the Contenders List (opposition players only).

Players also enter one vote for the Players’ Rookie of the Year, and a one (1) vote for each of the nine (9) positions to make up The Players’ Dream Team (13 players will make the final list).

This revised voting process was implemented in 2022.

To streamline the voting process, four players from each club are nominated as Contenders to be eligible for The Players’ Champion. This process takes place prior to the voting period, with RLPA Delegates and Player Leaders at each Club asked to put forward the three best players from their own team. An RLPA Working Group nominates a fourth player to round out the nomination process. In total, 64 players (four from each team) are eligible to receive votes in the end of season poll.

The Players’ Dream Team (NRL and NRLW) are awarded each season to the 13 best players voted by position, and players are eligible for selection in a position they primarily played for the relevant season.

This means a player cannot be eligible for selection in more than one position.

Each player will be able to nominate a maximum of one (1) player per position, out of the list of eligible players. Players can only vote for opposition players.

This revised voting process was revised and implemented for the 2021 NRLW season and 2022 NRL season.

The RLPA Board of Directors determine the winner of the Dennis Tutty award each year based on the following criteria.

The Dennis Tutty Award will be awarded annually to a current Rugby League Player who has demonstrated outstanding:

1. Leadership on and off the field;
2. Commitment to his fellow Players and to the advancement and protection of their rights; and
3. Service and dedication to the game of Rugby League

RLPA staff are eligible to nominate a player for the Dennis Tutty Award and may do so by written application to the RLPA Board addressing the criteria above, with the final determination made by the RLPA Board.