Marika Koroibete has won the John Eales Medal for a second time despite missing a third of the vote-attracting Tests last year.
The Japan-based Wallabies winger is the sixth player to win the peer-voted honour – the highest in Australian rugby – more than once, having first won it in 2019.
He played in the three-Test England series and the Rugby Championship but missed the spring tour due to club commitments in Japan.
Despite that, Koroibete won easily, having established a huge lead in the voting after a player of the series award for the England tour and on-field heroics against South Africa in the Rugby Championship. He finished the Rugby Championship with 202 votes to beat Rob Valetini (170) and Allan Alaalatoa (168).
The Fijian-born winger’s work rate, power running and defence made him a dressing-room favourite and one of former Wallabies coach Dave Rennie’s most prized players.
He scored a try against the Springboks in Australia’s win in Adelaide, but has spawned a thousand gifs with a try-saving bullet of a tackle on opposite number Makazole Mapimpi.
He also notched his 50th Test for Australia against New Zealand in Melbourne. He finished as the top ball-carrying back across the Rugby Championship and the highest-ranked Wallaby for both defenders beaten and offloads.
He joins George Smith, Nathan Sharpe, Michael Hooper, Israel Folau and David Pocock as players who have won the award on multiple occasions.
“It’s an honour to be awarded the 2022 John Eales Medal, especially in a season where so many players played well in the Wallabies jersey,” Koroibete said.
“Rugby is a team sport first and foremost, so I’d like to thank my teammates and to know they were the ones who voted for me to win this award means a lot.
“It’s been a dream come true to represent the Wallabies and I hope I can continue to contribute to the team in what’s a massive year ahead.”
