Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards has moved to the outright lead in the race for the 2024 Dally M Medal as voting goes behind closed doors after Round 12.
Heading into Indigenous Round in equal first spot with Nicho Hynes, the Panthers' No.1 gun picked up one point to move to 31 as the premiers belted the Sharks 42-0 at PointsBet Stadium on Saturday night.
Edwards ran for 250 metres from 24 runs and had seven tackle breaks to catapult himself into the Blues Origin side for Game One on June 5, where he will be joined by Hynes, who sits second in Dally M voting on 30 points.
If Edwards can go on to win the game's most coveted individual honour he will become just the second Panther to win the Dally M after Greg Alexander in 1985.
Hynes is looking to collect his second Dally M Medal in the space of three years after winning in 2022 while last year's winner Kalyn Ponga is sitting equal eighth on 17 points having missed the Knights' past four games due to injury.
Among a host of Origin stars who shone in Round 12, Maroons skipper Daly Cherry-Evans picked up five points in Manly's win over Melbourne to sit outright third in Dally M voting on 27 points.
Edwards' Panthers and NSW teammate Isaah Yeo is fourth on 24 points after collecting three points against the Sharks.
Roosters skipper James Tedesco was at his dazzling best in Canberra on Saturday, running for 153 metres and laying on three tries to earn maximum Dally M points. He sits equal fifth on the standings with Bulldogs back-rower Viliame Kikau on 23 points.
From Round 13, the weekly Dally M votes and leaderboard go ‘behind closed doors’ for the remainder of the regular season with anticipation building towards the announcement of the winner at the Dally M Awards in Grand Final week.
Dally M Leaderboard after Round 12
- 31 points — Dylan Edwards (Panthers)
- 30 points — Nicho Hynes (Sharks)
- 27 points — Daly Cherry-Evans (Sea Eagles)
- 24 points — Isaah Yeo (Panthers)
- 23 points — James Tedesco (Roosters)
- 23 points — Viliame Kikau (Bulldogs)
- 21 points — Zac Lomax (Dragons)
- 21 points — Patrick Carrigan (Broncos)
- 21 points — Tom Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)
- 21 points — Isaiya Katoa (Dolphins)
- 18 points — Scott Drinkwater (Cowboys)
- 17 points — Ben Hunt (Dragons)
- 17 points — Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow (Dolphins)
- 17 points — Kalyn Ponga (Knights)
