Dally M Medal be established in rugby league in Australia. The medal was sponsored by Rothmans, Benson & Hedges Inc., a tobacco production company. There were two Rothmans Medals awarded each year: one for the best player in the New South Wales Rugby League, and one for the best player in the Brisbane Rugby League. The voting for the Rothmans Medal was the same basic format as the modern day Dally M, except that the votes were determined by the referees, rather than the media. The two Rothmans Medals were first awarded in 1968, and were awarded each year until 1996. In 1997,
The Matty Johns Show has been described as a "smut-free" version of it. Being on the Seven Network, "The Matty Johns Show" cannot incorporate NRL footage (the rights to which are currently held by the Nine Network, and put to use on "The Footy Show"). "The Matty Johns Show" is not sanctioned by the NRL, while "The Footy Show" is. The main cast of "The Matty Johns Show" was initially not invited to the 2010 Dally M Awards night (an annual ceremony to honour the best NRL players of the year), while the cast of "The Footy Show" was invited. Johns said of the