Jahrome Hughes left 'speechless' as Storm star clinches 2024 Dally M medal despite shock vote deduction... as Roosters' Olivia Kernick crowned NRLW winner

Jahrome Hughes has been crowned the NRL Dally M winner for 2024, clinching the best and fairest award by the barest of margins, pipping James Tedesco by a single point. 

Olivia Kernick was crowned the NRLW Dally M winner, beating the Eels' Abbi Church and Simaima Taufa of the Raiders to the award.

Hughes, who will be hoping to guide Storm to Grand Final glory on Sunday afternoon, said he was 'speechless' after clinching the award. 

Tensions could not have been any higher at the Royal Randwick Racecourse on Wednesday as the votes for the men's Dally M awards went right down to the wire with Tedesco and Hughes vying for the win.

Tedesco took a five point lead into the final round of votes, gaining the edge on Hughes 61 votes to 56, after his standout performance against the Rabbitohs - scoring two tries and setting up two more - during his side's 28 - 36 victory in Round 27.

But Hughes, who has scored 12 tries this season and assisted a whopping 26, would go on to sensationally usurp the Roosters fullback with a score of six points for his performance in Storm's win over the Broncos in Round 27. 

Fans were also left feeling outraged during the ceremony after Hughes had been deducted six votes following his suspension earlier at the beginning of the season. The 29-year-old halfback had been given a two-game suspension after he appeared to accidentially collide with referee Chris Butler during the Storm's victory against the Warriors in round two. 

Despite that, he still went on to win the award with 62 votes. 

'It's quite surreal to be honest,' Hughes said. 'I didn't think I'd ever get the opportunity to win this award. I've got butterflies at the moment.

'I'm so honoured to be able to win it, I'm speechless.'

Kernick, meanwhile, did not poll a single vote in the final game of the NRLW season, but climbed to the top of the ladder to be crowned the women's Dally M winner for 2024. 

Kernick has enjoyed an excellent season so far, scoring four tries and 1.632 running metres for the Roosters and will be hoping to lead her side to Grand Final glory against the Sharks later this week. 

'Really grateful and honoured to get this award and really grateful to the club Sydney Roosters, providing me the opportunity,' Kernick said. 

'I definitely didn't expect that this year,' she added.

Elsewhere, the Ken Stephen Medal was handed to Nicho Hynes who added he should chop his medal into small pieces and hand it out to all the other NRL stars who are doing great work in their communities. 

Kimberley Hunt, meanwhile, won the Veronica White Medal, after her work with Indigenous grassroots programmes around the country. 

Dolphins star Jack Bostock pipped Wests Tigers Lachlan Galvin to the NRL rookie of the year award while Kasey Reh was crowned NRLW best newcomer. 

Craig Bellamy was also announced as the NRL's coach of the season.