The greatest honour for any NRL player is not wining the Dally M medal, it’s being named in The Frownlow Medal team of the year. So prestigious is it that in 2021, three full NRL teams have been formed with players who have been nominated for Frownlow honours in this calendar year.
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. NRL player Shaun Kenny-Dowall won the inaugural medal in 2015, while AFL player Elijah Taylor is the most recent recipient.
The Frownlow Medal Team of 2021 includes superstars such as rapist Jarryd Hayne, as well as some of the games hottest prospects in Kotoni Staggs, Jai Arrow and Victor Radley. Prop Payne Haas and hooker Brandon Smith are the only players to make the Frownlow team and the Dally M team of the year in 2021.
The Frownlow Medal Team of 2021.
Fullback – Jarryd Hayne
Wing – David Nofoaluma
Centre – Kotoni Staggs
Centre – Stephen Crichton
Wing – Will Smith
Five-Eighth – Cameron Munster
Halfback – Lachlan Lewis
Lock – Jack de Belin
Second row – Corey Harawira-Naera
Second row – Jai Arrow
Prop – Payne Haas
Hooker – Brandon Smith
Prop – George Burgess
Interchange – Josh McGuire, Zane Musgrove, Blake Lawrie, Matt Dufty
TEAM 1 will play in a Tri-Series against teams 2 and 3, also made up of NRL Frownlow nominees from 2021.
TEAM 2
Fullback – Reece Walsh
Wing – Gerard Beale
Centre – Zac Lomax
Centre – Curtis Scott
Wing – Aaron Schoup
Five-Eighth – Corey Norman
Halfback – Brandon Wakeham
Lock – Victor Radley
Second row – Jamil Hopoate
Second row – Adam Elliott
Prop – Paul Vaughan
Hooker – Api Koroisau
Prop – Josh Kerr
Interchange – Sione Katoa, Kaide Ellis, Chris Lewis, Dylan Napa
TEAM 3
Fullback – James Tedesco
Wing – Tesi Niu
Centre – James Roberts
Centre – Jack Bird
Wing – Tristan Sailor
Five-Eighth – Anthony Milford
Halfback – Phoenix Crossland
Lock – Toby Rudolf
Second row – Corey Waddell
Second row – Tyrell Fuimaono
Prop – Tui Kamikamica
Hooker – Manase Fainu
Prop – Kane Evans
Interchange – Daniel Alvaro, Corey Horsburgh, T C Robati, Tyrone May, Josh Dugan
The Tri-Series will be played over the Christmas holidays in front of packed stadiums, without masks or social distancing, in whichever city is in the middle of a strict COVID-19 lockdown.
Image: NuNa
The Frownlow Medal 