2 Oct 2013

Cronk honoured with Dally M medal

5:57 am on 2 October 2013

The Melbourne Storm halfback Cooper Cronk has secured rugby league's prized Dally M Medal in one of the closest finishes in the award's history.

Cronk finished with 28 votes, just two ahead of fellow playmakers Daly Cherry-Evans, Johnathan Thurston and Todd Carney, who all tied for second on rugby league's night of nights in Sydney.

Cronk, the Storm, Queensland and Kangaroos general, needed the two votes he earned in Melbourne's final-round golden point win over the Gold Coast to earn the game's highest honour.

He's the third Storm player to win the Dally M, after Billy Slater in 2011 and Cameron Smith in 2006.

The Sydney Roosters first year coach Trent Robinson took out the coach of the year award, but Sonny Bill Williams was a shock omission from the list of award winners.