The 2026 Dally M Awards ceremony is underway with several key winners announced tonight. South Sydney's Jai Arrow has been awarded the Peter Frilingos Headline Moment of the Year for his 100th appearance with the club, while Alex Johnston and Thomas Jenkins jointly won the Ken Irvine Medal as the NRL's leading tryscorers with 30 tries each. Dolphins' Jamayne Isaako leads the NRL's pointscoring, and the NRLW top pointscorer title was shared by Brisbane Broncos' Jesse Southwell and Sydney Roosters' Jocelyn Kelleher. Ali Brigginshaw received the NRLW Provan-Summons Award. Johnston also claimed the NRL Try of the Year, while Canberra's Mackenzie Wiki won the NRLW Try of the Year. Newcastle Knights coach Justin Holbrook expressed his delight at the 12,000 fans attending their open training session at McDonald Jones Stadium, calling it 'unreal' and highlighting the community connection to rugby league in the Hunter region. Penrith's Nathan Cleary is the favourite to win the Dally M Medal, with his father and coach Ivan Cleary reflecting on the emotional week following Nathan's broken leg suffered in Sunday's loss to Newcastle. Ivan stated that Nathan would be 'absolutely thrilled' to win the award, though he would prefer to be playing in the grand final. The event also featured notable red carpet appearances, including Mimi Bowell, partner of Newcastle Knights' Kalyn Ponga, who wore a custom white Tulle Addict gown, and Courtney Cook, wife of South Sydney Rabbitohs' Damien Cook, who wore a semi-sheer bustier gown with a feathered train. The ceremony is being held at a venue with a focus on celebrating the achievements of players and the community impact of rugby league.

The news article reports on an emotional moment during the Dally M awards ceremony, where Ivan Cleary, the coach of the Penrith Panthers, was seen close to tears as his son Nathan Cleary won his first Dally M Medal. The Dally M Medal is awarded to the best player in the National Rugby League (NRL) for the season. The article mentions that the event took place on September 30, 2026, at 9:59pm. The piece is part of a sports section on a news website, with the headline 'Ivan close to tears as Nathan wins Dally M' and includes a brief description of the event. The article also references other news items in the 'Latest in Videos' section, such as a flight emergency landing in Saudi Arabia and a man accused of running naked through streets. However, the main focus of the article is on the emotional father-son moment at the Dally M awards. The Dally M Medal is a prestigious award in rugby league, recognizing the player who has demonstrated the highest level of performance throughout the season. The article does not provide further details about Nathan's performance or the specific circumstances of the award, but it highlights the personal significance of the moment for Ivan Cleary, who is a well-known coach in the NRL. The emotional reaction of Ivan Cleary underscores the personal connection between coaches and players, and the pride that comes with seeing a family member succeed in the sport. The article is brief, focusing on the human interest angle of the event rather than detailed sports analysis. It is part of a larger sports coverage on the website, with other related stories and sections. The piece is written in Australian English, as indicated by the context of the NRL and the location of the news source. The article does not contain any false information or sensationalism, and it is a standard sports news report highlighting a personal moment in the rugby league community.

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