By Jeff Wall, Crikey’s rugby league writer

There are times when one is entitled to be cynical about the
various end of season awards that are handed out in rugby league, or
any sport for that matter. But the 2005 Dally M Awards are a most
welcome exception thanks to its two major awards – Player of the Year
and Coach of the Year – which couldn’t have gone to more worthy or
deserving recipients.

Andrew
Johns was widely regarded as a shoe-in for The Player of the Year even
though he played just 16 of the 26 matches in which points
were awarded (he also gained some points for Origin Two and Three).
Ordinarily, a player who missed over a third of the season would have
no
hope of winning an award based on points given over 26 rounds. But not
Johns – and even though he did not win, the fact he was runner up with
31 points is testament to his absolute “class.”

The Dally M Player of the Year award was won by the Cowboys’
half back, Johnathan Thurston, who scored well right throughout the season (in
which he played in 22 rounds and the State of Origin series). There could hardly be a more worthy winner of rugby
league’s most prestigious award than Thurston.

He began his junior football with the All Whites Club in Toowoomba
before being recruited by the Canterbury Bulldogs where he played for
three seasons. He was released by the Bulldogs for salary cap reasons
at the end of last season and was snapped up by the Cowboys. The rest
is history.

He has been the standout player for the Cowboys this year and was the
Maroons half back in all three Origin Games. He is also an ornament to
the game on and off the field. Definitely one the best
buys of the season.

The Coach of the Year went to someone who could hardly
be more different in terms of experience. Whereas Thurston is one of the new stars of
the game, Wests Tigers coach Tim Sheens is truly a veteran of the coaching ranks. And he deserves
his award as Coach of the Year thoroughly. The Wests Tigers have finished the premiership rounds in
4th spot – a remarkable result given that at the
start of the season many commentators thought they would be in the race for the wooden
spoon.

Andrew Johns did not miss out, being named the
representative player of the year and picking up the Peter Frilingos Headline Moment of the
Year Award, while the Rookie of the Year Award deservedly went to the Eels’ Tim
Smith.

I found little to quibble about with the rest of the
awards with one exception. That the Roosters’ Anthony Minichiello could miss out
completely astounds me. Not only was he a star for the Blues in the Origin
series, he has been the standout player in a very disappointing Roosters
outfit.

But when a player like Johnathan Thurston and a coach
like Tim Sheens take out the major awards, justice has been done. It does not always happen, but this year’s major rugby
league awards have been a true victory for the good guys!