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NRL fans are demanding changes to the Dally M voting system after Ivan Cleary was again snubbed from the list of finalists for the Coach of the Year award.
The Panthers coach lifted his side from the bottom of the ladder to a sixth-straight preliminary final against the Broncos, which they almost won.
Cleary has won the award once, in 2020, but hasn't repeated the victory since the Panthers' historic four-peat dynasty began.
Ricky Stuart, Cameron Ciraldo and Michael Maguire have made the shortlist for the award on Wednesday night – and fans have taken to social media to blast the system for not recognising the Penrith coach, who took his team from last on the ladder after 12 rounds to a close loss to Brisbane in the preliminary final.
'Ivan Cleary not receiving a single Coach of the Year award during the whole 4peat shows what a joke this whole award ceremony is,' posted one X user.
'Ivan not being nominated for coach of the year is absolutely criminal,' said another.
Panthers coach Ivan Cleary (pictured with wife Rebecca) has once again been snubbed from the list of finalists for the Dally M Coach of the Year Award
Pictured: Some of the angry posts from footy fans who are stunned that Cleary isn't in the running for the NRL's top coaching gong
'To have lost the amount of talent that they have, since their 1st GF in 2020 and every year since, and to still be challenging is his greatest feat,' posted another.
'When you think about it….its a bit ridiculous that during Penrith's 4 year reign, Ivan Cleary has never been crowned the Dally M coach of the year. Ricky Stuart is the favourite, but the way Cleary has turned this season around, he deserves recognition,' said another.
Speaking last week, Panthers back-rower Luke Garner said the snub didn't make sense.
'I don't quite understand it,' he said.
'I don't know who votes and what it's based on.
'I don't know how he has not won it the past four years in a row. Whenever you win the grand final and the coach doesn't win it, it doesn't make sense to me.'
The coach of the year is selected by the same panel that votes on the Dally M Medal for the league's best and fairest player.
But while that prize is determined by collating 3-2-1 MVP votes for each game in the regular season, the coach of the year is decided by a single 3-2-1 vote from each panellist.
Canberra Raiders star Hudson Young and his partner Kelsea are pictured on the red carpet at last year's event
Brisbane Broncos star Ali Brigginshaw (left) is pictured with and wife Kate at the awards in 2024. Brigginshaw will star in Sunday's NRLW grand final
That process takes place at the end of the regular season – finals matches have never been included in voting.
The 2024 Dally M awards ceremony takes place on Wednesday night at Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.
The players leading the charge for the top gong on the leaderboard at the end of Round 12 are: Luke Metcalf, Will Kennedy, James Tedesco, Terrell May and Payne Haas.
After that point, the voting goes behind closed doors, but Roosters fullback James Tedesco is one of the favourites to win the game's biggest individual award.
