Quincy Dodd and Will Kennedy took home the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks 2026 Player of the Year Awards at Thursday’s Porter Gallen presentation night.
The duo accepted their medals at Doltone House Sylvania as more than 400 players, officials, sponsors and VIP guests celebrated another outstanding year.
Other winners included Braydon Trindall (NRL Members Player of the Year), Ellie Johnston (NRLW Members Player of the Year), Jacinta Carter (NRLW Players' Player), Niwhai Puru (Steve Rogers Rookie of the Year) and Madison Ashby (NRLW Rookie of the Year). Kennedy also took out the Tommy Bishop Players' Player Award.
He last claimed the club’s top gong in 2021, a breakout year for Kennedy, who has since been one of the Sharks' best.
The 29-year-old fullback played every game this season and has missed just one match in the last three years.
After finishing second three years in a row in the NRL’s most kick return metres stat, Cronulla’s fullback cracked the top spot in 2026, along with his most try assists in a season (17) and 11 tries on top of that.
Addin Fonua-Blake, Nicho Hynes, Braydon Trindall and Billy Burns were the other nominees, as Burns received the NRL Iron Man award alongside Kennedy for playing every game this season.
Trindall’s incredible season also earned him the Member’s Player of the Year after he broke Hynes’ record for most try assists in a season with 33.
Meanwhile, Quincy Dodd got to live out another childhood dream; the lifelong Shark who grew up down the road from Ocean Protect Stadium won the club’s Player of the Year award for the first time.
The Indigenous All Stars captain and Cronulla vice-captain scored her most tries in an NRLW season, with 4, but also set up 3 and assisted 5-line breaks while leading the league in dummy half runs in the 10 games she played.
The non-stop number 9 didn’t shirk her work in defence either, with an incredible 94% tackle efficiency in a team that finished in the lower end of the ladder.
Most impressive, though, was her return from a fractured arm after missing just one game, helping her beloved Sharks win their final two matches and avoid the dreaded wooden spoon.
Cronulla’s engine room again featured heavily; recent Blues Women’s Award winner Ellie Johnston jagged the Member’s Player of the Year, and young tearaway prop Jacinta Carter claimed the Players’ Player.
While Dodd’s 2018 Tarsha Gale Cup partner in crime, Madison Ashby, returned to the club after an incredible Aussie 7s career, the versatile hooker, half or centre saw the NRLW Rookie of the Year award come her way.
Niwhai Puru received Cronulla’s NRL Rookie of the Year title after the 24-year-old half seamlessly slotted into the side when injuries hit, won the first four games of his NRL career before being thrust into the side’s recent semi-final due to injury, and did himself, his family and the club proud.
Cronulla’s Jersey Flegg trophies were again dominated by the forwards in 2026; Prop Jai Davies was named the Gavin Miller Player of the Year, and U19s New South Wales lock Tom Dellow received the Greg Pierce Players' Player award after standout efforts at the under-21 level.
Captain Georgia Willey took home the NSW Women's Premiership Player of the Year after playing every game this season and leading the team for tries, while young lock Leilani Ah Sam was named the NSW Women's Premiership Players' Player.
Full List of Porter Gallen Medal Award Winners
Porter Gallen Medal and Pontifex Jewellers Player of the Year
Will Kennedy
Tommy Bishop Players' Player
Will Kennedy
Steve Rogers Rookie of the Year
Niwhai Puru
Sharks Have Heart Community Award
Tom Hazelton
NRL Members' Player of the Year
Braydon Trindall
NRL Iron Men: Players who have played all 26 games this season
Will Kennedy and Billy Burns
NRL Wellbeing and Education Excellence
Billy Burns
NRLW Player of the Year
Quincy Dodd
NRLW Players' Player
Jacinta Carter
NRLW Rookie of the Year
Madison Ashby
Sharks Have Heart Community Award
Jada Taylor
NRLW Members' Player of the Year
Ellie Johnston
NRLW Wellbeing and Education Excellence
Grace Lee-Weekes
NSW Women's Premiership Player of the Year
Georgia Willey
NSW Women's Premiership Players' Player
Leilani Ah Sam
NSW Women's Premiership Wellbeing and Education Excellence
Georgia Willey
Gavin Miller Player of the Year
Jai Davies
Greg Pierce Players' Player
Thomas Dellow
Jersey Flegg Wellbeing and Education Excellence
Richard Whalebone
Andrew Ettingshausen Club Person of the Year
Luke Koutrodimos
