The Dally M Awards 2026 coverage focuses on two main developments: the race for league honours and the build-up to the NRL grand final. Multiple outlets report that Nathan Cleary is tipped to claim the first-ever Dally M Medal, despite being in hospital.
Alongside the awards narrative, outlets say Newcastle Knights fans are arriving in large numbers for an open training session at McDonald Jones Stadium. The session is held ahead of this Sunday’s grand final, with the expectation that attendance will be heavy and the event will be swamped by supporters.
While the outlets frame the live updates as a way to follow both the awards and the club preparations, the emphasis differs slightly in wording rather than substance. Across coverage, the shared facts are the hospital-bed medal speculation around Cleary and the large, anticipatory crowd at the Knights’ open training event at their home ground.
