Call off the Dally Ms ... the race has already been run and won
It is only June, but we should call off the Dally M race already and just hand rugby league's top gong to James Tedesco.
Voting for the NRL player of the year award went behind closed doors after round 12, with Warriors playmaker Luke Metcalf leading the pack on 31 points, followed by Cronulla's Will Kennedy on 29 and Roosters skipper Tedesco on 28 points.
Wests Tigers prop Terrell May (27), and Dolphins playmaker Isaiya Katoa and Broncos prop Payne Haas, both on 23, rounded out the leading group.
If you look at performances since then, you can almost put a line through Kennedy, whose form the past month has dipped. Cronulla have dropped two of their past three games, Kennedy remains without a deal, and some will argue he could yet lose his No.1 jersey to Nicho Hynes.
May burst out of the blocks but, while his form has remained consistent, he has also struggled to poll points in a Tigers side that has now lost five straight games.
Metcalf was outstanding against the Sharks, when he would have polled a full six points, but was hampered by a corked quad in the weekend loss to Penrith. The leg issue remains a worry moving forward, starting with Saturday's trip to Suncorp Stadium where a revitalised Broncos await.
Tedesco, meanwhile, is enjoying one of his best seasons in years. For all the talk about the young talent at Bondi, their 32-year-old leader is the one setting the standards for them.
He is breaking tackles, scoring tries and seems to have finally found the perfect balance of when to call for the ball and when to have faith in those around him.
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