Tom Trbojevic has put the Brad Fittler Medal close to the top of his pile of individual accolades for 2021 after capping his stunning season with another major prize.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Trbojevic was named NSW's State of Origin player of the year on Friday night, while also being handed the people's choice award.
They were the 12th and 13th individual awards of Trbojevic's stellar season, after the Manly fullback claimed virtually every prize on offer to him.
Trbojevic has become the first man to claim NSW's top award while playing at centre, after injecting himself into the game throughout the Blues' 2-1 series win.
"It means a lot. Brad Fittler is a legend of the game and NSW," Trbojevic said.
"Now to be coached by him and win an award named after him is pretty surreal. I am honoured.
"It's obviously nice to win individual accolades. It's not why you play the game but it's obviously nice."
Trbojevic's crowning as Blues' player of the year puts an exclamation mark on his record-breaking season.
He won the Dally M Medal, RLPA Players' Champion, Wally Lewis Medal for best player in Origin and scooped the pool at Manly's awards night.
The regular fullback also broke try-scoring records at the Sea Eagles with 28 in just 18 games, while also setting up 31.
The 25-year-old will return to Sea Eagles training next week, with the potential of a rare full pre-season after an injury-free end to the year.
"Obviously staying on the field helps," Trbojevic said when asked of the key to his form clicking in 2021.
"The last few years I haven't been able to do that so doing that definitely helped.
"At Manly, we played some good footy and some good boys come through and really excelled for us and made my life a bit easier.
"It was good to play finals footy with Manly, we'd like to go further but that's what we'll try to do next year."
TOM TRBOJEVIC'S 2021 ACCOLADES:
* NRL Dally M Player of the Year
* Dally M Fullback of the Year
* Dally M Try of the Year
* RLPA Players' Champion
* RLPA Dream Team Fullback
* Wally Lewis Medal
* NSW State of Origin Brad Fittler Medal
* NSW People's Choice award
* Manly's Roy Bull Best and Fairest
* Manly Players' Player
* Manly leading try-scorer
* Gordon Willoughby Medallion (Manly members' player of year)
* NRL Academic Player of the Year
Australian Associated Press
