A host of True Blues have claimed Player of the Year honours for their respective NRL and NRLW teams with the conclusion of every club’s annual awards events this past weekend, headlined by 2025 Premiership winner Payne Haas.
Haas secured a record sixth Paul Morgan Medal as the Broncos’ best this season making 166 average run metres and 35 tackles per game along with 130 tackle-busts and 70 offloads.
The 25-year-old also received the True Blue Award at this year’s Brad Fittler Medal for his efforts for the Westpac NSW Blues in the Ampol State of Origin Series, where he was named Player of the Match for Game One at Suncorp Stadium.
Haas was joined by five other True Blues to earn Player of the Year for 2025, with Bulldogs skipper Stephen Crichton winning the Dr George Peponis Medal, Panthers co-captain Nathan Cleary with his third Merv Cartwright Medal, Roosters captain James Tedesco claiming a record seventh Jack Gibson Medal, Clint Gutherson winning the Dragons Medal, and Knights prop Jacob Saifiti the Danny Buderus Medal.
In the NRLW, lock forward Olivia Kernick was named the Roosters’ best for 2025 adding to this year’s Nellie Doherty Medal as the Women’s State of Origin Player of the Series.
Parramatta fullback and 2025 Westpac NSW Blues Women’s debutant Abbi Church was the Eels’ Player of the Year, having also won the NSW Blues Women’s Award at the Brad Fittler Medal.
Joining them were four other members of the 2025 series-winning side, including front-row pairing Simaima Taufa (Raiders) and Sarah Togatuki (Tigers), second-rower Yasmin Clydsdale (Knights) and fullback Emma Verran (Sharks)
The NSWRL congratulates all Westpac NSW Blues and Blues Women representatives for their performances in 2025.
