Queensland NRL player Sam Thaiday was mildly satisfied with his first Frownlow Medal nomination.
The Brisbane Broncos forward popped his Frownlow cherry with an allusion to his love life following Queensland’s equally unspectacular 6-4 victory over NSW in Game 1 of State of Origin.
The Frownlow Medal is awarded to the player whose off field demeanour epitomises the values of the modern day footballer and draws attention to the status of footballers as role models to young Australians. It covers Australia’s four major football codes; the National Rugby League (NRL), Australian Football League (AFL), the A-League (Football) and Rugby Union’s Super Rugby competition. The first medal was awarded to Sydney Roosters and New Zealand representative Shaun Kenny-Dowall in 2015.
Thaiday’s performance was sufficient to earn him a nomination for the award that every player yearns for, but it remains to be seen whether it was good enough to persuade the judges to invite him back for a repeat performance at The Frownlow Medal awards ceremony in October this year.
Thaiday himself has promised to perform better in game 2 and 3 of Origin, if indeed he earns the right to play again.
“I’ve learnt a lot from this experience. Hopefully I can put that into practice next time, if I get another chance.”
Thaiday’s first partner was largely unmoved by the news of the nomination, simply stating;
“It wasn’t me who gave him the nick-name Slammin”
First published in June 2016.
Image: Nuna
The Frownlow Medal 