Ethan Sanders has won the 2026 Dally M Rookie of the Year award after taking on Canberra's halfback role in his first full NRL season.
His year began with a moment that was hard to forget. Against Manly in Round 1, Sanders kicked a long range field goal in golden point to give the Raiders a 29-28 win. He was playing just his fifth NRL game and received the maximum six Dally M votes for his performance.
Sanders' passing and kicking produced more highlights as the season went on.
In a notable 40-16 win over the Bulldogs in Round 19, Sanders set up tries with a pass, a high kick and a grubber into the in goal. Two weeks later, he scored a long range try and supplied four try assists against Wests Tigers as Canberra won 56-10.
Across 23 appearances, Sanders finished with 18 try assists, 17 line break assists, three tries and 81 goals.
The Raiders named him their Peter Mulholland Rookie of the Year, and he placed third in voting for the club's Meninga Medal.
From that opening round field goal to his work creating chances for teammates, Sanders gave Canberra plenty of reasons to be hopeful for the future as he celebrated his breakthrough season.