The family of the great Dally Messenger has accused the NRL of disrespecting the rugby league pioneer by rejecting repeated requests to present the Dally M player of the year award.
Dally Messenger III - Messenger's grandson - says he has written to NRL chief executive Todd Greenberg for the past two years asking to be involved in rugby league's night of nights, only to be turned down each time.
Rugby league was born when Messenger defected from rugby union to a "rebel league" in the late winter of 1907. If not for his involvement, it's unlikely the 13-man game would ever have taken off.
"I don't like putting myself forward but I do it for the family's sake and they're a little pissed off that they keep us out of the presentations," Messenger III, 79, told Fairfax Media. "Why haven't we been invited [to present an award]? It's a mystery and it's wrong.
"If I was lined up to award the Dally M, and if someone of real eminence was there like a prime minister, of course I would step aside. But the NRL just refuses. I'm a little distressed about it to tell you the truth. Almost every member of the family feels the same way.
"It means a lot to the family to have its place in rugby league honoured and respected. The game would not exist if not for Dally."
Storm captain Cameron Smith is widely tipped to win his second Dally M player of the year award at a gala presentation at The Star on Wednesday night.
Greenberg replied in writing to Messenger III last week, explaining players will present the awards at this year's ceremony - which is ironic given the RLPA regularly threatened to boycott the night during its drawn-out pay dispute with the NRL.
He wrote: "This year our theme is promoting the spirit, camaraderie and respect between players themselves and as such will be providing players an opportunity to present the awards including Dally M medal winner. You will see a current great player bestow this honour on a fellow player for the first time."
It's been speculated injured Cowboys captain Johnathan Thurston could present the main award to Australian and Queensland teammate Smith, should he poll the most votes.
The Dally Ms are a News Corp creation and have been awarded since 1980 after the family allowed the use of the founding father's name. News and the NRL shared ownership of the awards post-Super League but this year complete control has been handed over to the NRL.
All manner of people have delivered the player of the year award in recent years, from prime ministers to Hollywood actor Russell Crowe in 2014 and Immortal Andrew Johns last year.
In 2015, Messenger III was rushed to Townsville at the 11th hour to present to Thurston, who did not fly to Sydney for the ceremony because the Cowboys had qualified for the grand final. He says this is the only time a member of the Messenger family has presented any award.
"I learnt later they couldn't get someone else to go," Messenger III said. "I put myself out but it was something that I loved to do. It's getting harder in the last couple of years [to be ignored]. I thought 2015 would be a game-changer.
"Everyone asks me if I'm going to award the Dally M this year, just like Joyce Churchill [the widow of South Sydney great Clive Churchill] does with the Churchill Medal.
"Either my brother Ken or myself or my nephew, Cameron Dally [a great grandson], as direct descendants of Dally should be asked every year, or at least regularly, to confer the award."
Messenger III and his family are always invited to the ceremony. He will be in there on Wednesday night, flying up from his home in Melbourne to attend.
Greenberg said he would always recognise the history of the game and the Messenger family.
"We are seeking to move towards a system where current players take a bigger role in the medal countdown and the presentation," Greenberg said. "That is not meant to disrespect the Messenger name in any way. It is simply a move towards what we already see in other sports where champions and former champions are more involved in the presentation ceremony."
