Nathan Cleary has won the Dally M Medal, claiming the NRL’s highest individual honour for the first time.
The Panthers star was unable to attend Wednesday night’s ceremony in Sydney as he recovered from the horror broken leg he suffered in Penrith’s preliminary final loss to Newcastle.
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Cleary accepted the Dally M Medal from home on the couch and a pre-recorded video message was played as he gave a classy speech, which you can watch above.
The NRL shared photos of Cleary in a wheelchair, and his dad and coach Ivan Cleary revealed Nathan would be wheelchair bound for a few more days and will undergo a second round of surgery later this week.
Brisbane Broncos fullback Tamika Upton won the NRLW Dally M Medal for the third time, and the NRL and NRLW teams of the year were also announced.
There was plenty of glitz and glamour as NRL and NRLW stars and their partners stepped out on the red carpet in Sydney.
Catch up on all the awards and red carpet pics below.
Originally published as Dally M Medal: Nathan Cleary accepts medal at home in wheelchair