NRL: Matai more deserving at Dally Ms?

Steve Matai would have been a good shout for centre of the year at the Dally M awards. Photo / Getty

The results of last night's Dally M awards night have sparked debate over the judging criteria, particularly around the positional awards.

Unlike the supreme Player of the Year award, the best player in each position is decided on by a panel of journalists rather than points accrued throughout the season.

Manly leader Jamie Lyon was considered deserving recipient of the Captain of the Year award, after his side finished runners-up in the minor premiership despite rumours of great divisions within the Sea Eagles camp. However, questions hang over him also bagging the title of the NRL's best centre.

Many Sea Eagles fans were surprised the accolade did not go instead to his midfield partner Steve Matai who produced some of his best form while Lyon's year was something of a mixed bag.

The 30-year-old former Kiwis representative played 25 games for his club, making a mockery of the perception he is an injury-prone veteran nearing the end of his time at the top.

Matai ranked fourth in Manly's Dally M player standings with seven points, leaving him behind halfback Daly Cherry-Evans (23), five-eighth Kieran Foran (19) and fullback Brett Stewart (12), while Lyon failed to enter that top echelon.

Time and again throughout the year, Matai demonstrated his ability to create try-scoring opportunities and set up his outsides or simply score himself. Furthermore, he was almost always on hand to collect the ball on the first or second tackle to help his side work off their own line with a strong and direct surge straight into the opposition's forwards.

Defensively he was as sound as ever and regularly lived up to his reputation as a punishing tackler, making sure opposition runners generally steered clear of attacking Manly's left edge.

Admittedly, Lyon was no slouch either, scoring seven tries and 71 goals, while he also racked up 11 try assists and 14-line-break assists, but one can't help but feel that sentiment ruled over form in allowing the 32-year-old to sweep the Centre of the Year title for a record fourth time.