At first glance, it’s hard to understand how Shaun Johnson isn’t flying back to Auckland with the Dally M medal around his neck.

He was the pick of most pundits, along with former
players, after a remarkable season.

Johnson didn’t just wind back the clock in 2023, he entered a new stratosphere with his all-round game. He was remarkably consistent, playing 26 straight matches before he was rested for the final round.

He helped the Warriors to 16 wins – the second most in club history – and was the difference in many matches. Johnson seemed a laydown misère for the NRL’s most prestigious award, joining Gary Freeman (1992) and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (2018) as the only other Kiwis to be honoured.

He set up more tries than any other player (27) along with 24 line-break assists, 10 line-breaks and eight tries. Johnson recorded the most kicks, most kick metres and second most short dropouts. He also had his best defensive season.

But he missed out – by a single point – to Newcastle fullback Kalyn Ponga, who missed six games and struggled to make an impact in five others, as a five-eighth at the start of the season.

Confused? You are not the only one.

While Ponga had a superb second half of the season, Johnson fell victim to an imperfect system. Every awards scheme has flaws but the Dally M is more imperfect than most, as it often doesn’t reward the best player across a particular campaign.

That is what has happened here. Ponga was brilliant but also benefitted from being among a modest supporting cast at the Knights. In contrast, the Warriors had plenty of players who enjoyed career seasons, which diluted Johnson’s ability to score voting points.

The system

In every game, the three best performers are awarded points, on a 3-2-1 basis, by two judges. In theory it works, until it doesn’t, as it favours big-name players among more anonymous teammates.

Johnson maintained constant high levels this season but so did Addin Fonua-Blake, who polled 44 points to finish seventh overall in the voting. Tohu Harris was outstanding, Dallin Watene-Zelezniak blazed like a comet, Charnze Nicholl-Klokstad turned heads most week.

So in any given match, Johnson had much more internal competition for points than someone like Ponga. It’s the same issue for Nathan Cleary at Penrith. This is not the first controversial result – and it won’t be the last, as Nicho Hynes (2022) and Jack Wighton (2021) were also criticised.

The mystery of round 25

On Friday, August 18, this year, the Warriors played the Manly Sea Eagles at Mt Smart Stadium, in the third last match of the regular season.

In a hard-fought game, Johnson had three try assists, combined with Nicholl-Klokstad to set up two other tries and kicked well, before slotting a 79th-minute field goal to make the game safe. But he missed out on any voting points.

That is hard to explain, even if Daly Cherry-Evans, Nicholl-Klokstad, Watene-Zelezniak and Harris also impressed that night.

The round 24 voting was also baffling. While the Warriors huffed and puffed to a 30-22 win over the Tigers, Johnson set up three tries, kicked well and banged over a crucial late penalty. To the eye test, only Addin Fonua-Blake was better that night in Hamilton, but the halfback was ignored by one judge and got just a single point from another.

The most awkward interview of the year

Wednesday night was slickly produced, with a staged reveal of points accumulated, which added to the hype and excitement. But the treatment of Johnson was poor. After the votes had been revealed up until round 23, they got Johnson up on stage.

The 33-year-old was leading the voting, with 51 points ahead of a clutch of others, while Ponga was back on 43 points. The host then asked the Warriors halfback how he thought he was going and what his chances were – like he was halfway through a boxing match or at halftime in a big game.

What was he supposed to say? “Well, yes, I’m the best … I think I am going to win.” But the event organisers already knew the final result, as did the NRL and probably indeed the host.

Braith Anasta’s gaffe

It wasn’t the only fumble. As votes were disclosed, round by round, those in the top 10 who had added to their tally were announced. But right at the climax, co-host Braith Anasta decided to highlight that Warriors halfback had completely missed out in round 25, saying ‘Shaun Johnson zero points’. That brought embarrassed laughter around the room and a baffled look from Johnson. Thanks, Braith.

Pele and Maradona

The situation reminds of a common refrain in Argentina when you ask a local for their opinion on the debate about the merits of Pele v Maradona. “Yes, Pele was the best,” they always say, “but Maradona was better.”

It’s a shame that Johnson’s feats couldn’t be officially recognised, especially as he will likely only have one more chance. It’s also a shame that there is some doubt over the award, even for Ponga.

But in the end, it doesn’t really matter. What Johnson – and the Warriors – have done this season – will never be forgotten and live longer in hearts and minds than any medal.

Michael Burgess has been a sports journalist since 2005, winning several national awards and covering Olympics, Fifa World Cups and America’s Cup campaigns. He has also reported on the Warriors and NRL for more than a decade.