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Joey Manu dudded as NRL fans blow up over Dally M votes for opening round

The Dally M voting system has once again caused uproar after round one.

riley morgan
Sports Reporter
·5-min read

NRL fans have been left bewildered after Joey Manu did not receive a single vote for lighting up Las Vegas with the Roosters, while Nicho Hynes picking up a maximum of six points has also baffled supporters. The superstars of the game were back on show in Australia this weekend with a number of upsets taking centre stage in the NRL.

And the Dally M votes were released on Monday after the completion of round one. Unfortunately, the recent rule change to allow two judges to score three, two and one has again caused drama with a number of standout players missing out.

Nicho Hynes runs the ball and Joey Manu celebrates.
NRL fans have been left bewildered after the Dally M votes were released with Nicho Hynes (pictured left) and Joey Manu (pictured right) at the centre of the controversy.

The biggest exclusion was Roosters centre Manu. The exciting back produced arguably the moment of the round with his sensational try assist for the Roosters as they stunned the Broncos in Las Vegas. Manu also scored a try himself and made seven tackle breaks to showcase his enormous talent in front of an American audience.

However, Manu's performance was deemed not good enough to score a single point in the Dally M voting. While few could argue James Tedesco deserved five points, losing rival Adam Reynolds was awarded a vote over Manu. Many would argue Reynolds wasn't close to the top five players on the field with the Roosters dominating the game. The Las Vegas games were not the only issue NRL fans had with the voting over round one.

Nicho Hynes scores six points in Sharks win

The Sharks' defence proved immense against the Warriors and the away side was able to come up with an unlikely 16-12 victory on Saturday. Despite the Sharks winning an epic duel in New Zealand, fans were left stunned 2022 Dally M winner Hynes was granted three points from both judges in the contest. Hynes helped command the Sharks around the park in the second half in the epic comeback victory.

However, fans could argue rival halfback Shaun Johnson outshone Hynes in a losing side. Veteran forwards Addin Fonua-Blake and Tohu Harris also combined for 324 running metres and were arguably best on ground. Hynes will be one of the favourites to win another Dally M in 2024, but there was plenty of confusion from fans who watched the game in New Zealand.

Nicho Hynes celebrates with Ronaldo Mulitalo.
Nicho Hynes was awarded six points in the Dally M voting after the Sharks defeated the Warriors.

Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow earns a point after horror moment

Another game that caused controversy was the Cowboys' 43-18 demolition of the Dolphins. Maroons star Hamiso Tabuai—Fidow was not at his best for the Dolphins, but managed to earn a point from one of the judges, despite the brutal scoreline. This is despite Tabuai-Fidow gifting the Cowboys a try after a moment of madness at the back. Murray Taulagi put in a grubber kick that the Dolphins fullback looked to have easily covered.

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But instead of diving on the ball and taking the tackle from the Cowboys players rushing in, Tabuai-Fidow bizarrely tried to kick the ball off the ground. He kicked it into the hands of a Cowboys player who ran to score a try. Last year, the Dally M switched to the two judges voting system to try and eliminate a rogue vote. Despite the move from the NRL, fans have taken aim at some of the round one scores to start the season.

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