Despite taking NZ Warriors from 15th on the NRL ladder to one game away from a Grand Final place, Andrew Webster should not win the Dally M coach of the year award, argues Paul Gallen.
Since arriving at Mt Smart, Webster has completely revitalised the Warriors, after 2022 saw the club suffer its worst season.
But from winning just six games in the entirety of last season, 2023 saw the club - and rugby league in New Zealand along with it - reborn.
The Warriors this season notched 16 regular season wins, as well as defeated Newcastle Knights to reach the NRL's preliminary final, where their campaign was ended by Brisbane Broncos.
That success sees Webster on a three-man shortlist to win the Dally M coach of the year title, alongside his former mentor Ivan Cleary of Penrith Panthers, and Kevin Walters of the Broncos.
For ex-New South Wales and Cronulla Sharks captain Gallen, though, Cleary should be named coach of the year, as a reward for consistency.
"I don't know how you can go past the team with the minor premiership, I don't know how Cleary doesn't get it," Gallen told Channel Nine.
"Andrew Webster is a great coach and he's done a great job, but it's not the improvement award, it's the best coach of the year.
"We saw it last year when Todd Payten won it because they finished 15th the year before and third last year, and they ran nowhere this year.
"From my point of view I think we should have an improvement award. But I think Webster will get it.
"I'm not trying to discredit what he's done."
Cleary has led the Panthers to the last three NRL Grand Finals, winning two of them.
On Saturday, Penrith will look to become the first club since the Parramatta side of 1981-1983 to win three successive premierships.
Aside from Webster, the Warriors have Shaun Johnson (halfback of the year), Tohu Harris (captain of the year), Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (winger of the year), Wayde Egan (hooker of the year) and Addin Fonua-Blake (prop of the year) in contention to take home honours.
