Lachlan Galvin has created Bulldogs history, becoming the youngest-ever recipient of the Dr. George Peponis Medal as Player of the Year for 2026.
2026 Dr George Peponis Player of the Year and 2026 Carroll & O’Dea Members NRL Player of the Year: Lachlan Galvin
Halfback Lachlan Galvin (Bulldog no.874) has been awarded both the 2026 Dr George Peponis Medal as Bulldogs Player of the Year, as well as the Members NRL Player of the Year.
Galvin, 21, has had arguably his best year in the NRL in 2026 in what was just his first full season at the Club after arriving mid-way through 2025.
The Bulldogs no.7 stamped his authority as the side’s dominant playmaker and was a guiding force throughout the season in the famous Blue and White, making him a clear choice for Bulldogs Members as their Player of the Year.
Playing every single match at halfback for the Bulldogs, Galvin was a magician with the ball in hand, producing 16 try assists, 22 linebreak assists, 22 forced drop-outs and 17 offloads.
He proved to be a running threat as well, averaging 116 metres per game and scoring 10 tries – topping the charts for the Club. Few opposition players were able to get past him as he averaged 23 tackles with an impressive 91.4% efficiency as well.
Durability proved to be no issue for Galvin, playing every single minute of every single match, averaging over 80 minutes per game.
He now joins an exclusive list of halves to have won the prestigious award, including Steve Mortimer (1985) Terry Lamb (1986, 1987, 1989, 1992), Ewan McGrady (1991), Brent Sherwin (2002), Brett Kimmorley (2010) and Kieran Foran (2020).
"It's about as good as it gets," Galvin said.
"I'm pretty grateful to get this award. It's a team sport at the end of the day, and full credit goes to all the boys and the players I'm playing with.
"They make me look good out there, but I'm incredibly honoured to receive this medal as well. Over the year and a half I've been here, I've learned so much and I'm forever grateful for that and I want to keep learning.
"Our Members are pretty cool. I think obviously coming last year and obviously this year we are a loyal fan base, and yeah, really grateful every time they turn up at our home games and our away games.
"They're the best in the comp."
Recipients of the Dr. George Peponis Medal:
1985 - Steve Mortimer
1986 - Terry Lamb
1987 - Terry Lamb
1988 - Andrew Farrar
1989 - Terry Lamb
1990 - Darren Smith
1991 - Ewan McGrady
1992 - Terry Lamb
1993 - Jim Dymock
1994 - Jim Dymock
1995 - Jim Dymock
1996 - Darren Britt
1997 - Matthew Ryan
1998 - Jason Hetherington
1999 - Rod Silva
2000 - Hazem El Masri
2001 - Darren Britt
2002 - Brent Sherwin
2003 - Steven Price
2004 - Andrew Ryan
2005 - Roy Asotasi
2006 - Luke Patten
2007 - Luke Patten
2008 - Andrew Ryan
2009 - David Stagg
2010 - Brett Kimmorley
2011 - Aiden Tolman
2012 - Ben Barba
2013 - James Graham
2014 - James Graham & Sam Perrett
2015 - Aiden Tolman & Brett Morris
2016 - David Klemmer
2017 - Josh Jackson
2018 - David Klemmer
2019 - Will Hopoate
2020 - Kieran Foran
2021 - Josh Jackson
2022 - Jeremy Marshall-King
2023 – Jacob Preston
2024 – Viliame Kikau
2025 – Stephen Crichton
2026 – Lachlan Galvin
2026 NRL Players’ Player of the Year: Max King
Max King (Bulldog no.826) has been named by his peers as the 2026 NRL Players’ Player of the Year.
A popular figure at the Club amongst both the football squad and commercial departments, King led the Bulldogs from the front in his fifth season at the Club.
The 29-year-old was a cornerstone of the Bulldogs’ forward pack in 2026, playing in 20 matches, all of which were starting in the front row.
King's high work-rate and consistency saw him rack up 2433 running metres and 681 tackles at a whopping 94.7% tackle efficiency.
He kept the momentum going in attack for the Bulldogs, making 27 tackle breaks and offloading 23 times.
He also scored two memorable tries, the highlight being his four-pointer against the Gold Coast Titans in the Round 17 victory, which also doubled as his 100th game for the Club and 150th NRL appearance.
"I love the environment that I'm in," King expressed.
"We've had a rollercoaster of a year and obviously there have been some mixed emotions, but going and training every day has always been a pleasure with the staff and the players.
"I just love my job and love being around the environment."
2026 NRL Coaches Award: Enari Tuala
Enari Tuala (Bulldog no.875) has been acknowledged by Cameron Ciraldo with the 2026 NRL Coaches Award.
In what was his best season since joining the Club, Tuala played 19 matches and scored five tries as a standout member of the side.
Tuala proved to be a metre-eater in attack with an average of 163 per game and a rock in defence with 257 tackles at an impressive 88% efficiency.
The 28-year-old was one of Cameron Ciraldo's most reliable players, featuring both in the centres and on the wing throughout the season when required.
"It's been a crazy journey," Tuala reflected on his time at the Club.
"Coming here last year, I had some bad injuries and it was nice to get nearly a full campaign this year. I'm pretty happy with that.
"It's nothing like anything I've been part of before being here, so yeah it's really special and we're going in the right direction. Bring on 2027."
2026 NRL Community Award: Viliame Kikau
Viliame Kikau (Bulldog no.838) has been awarded the 2026 NRL Community Award for his standout work as a community leader both within and beyond his Club commitments.
The 31-year-old was also acknowledged for his services to the local community with a nomination for the 2026 Ken Stephen Man of the Year Award.
His incredible work in the Fijian community has been highlighted by the launch of the Kikau Academy in 2023, which has provided local players in Fiji a pathway to chasing their Rugby League dreams.
The Kikau Academy has seen a number of young prospects attend and participate in training sessions at Belmore Sports Ground alongside the Bulldogs’ senior squads, gaining valuable insight and experience into the demands of the NRL.
In partnership with Australian toy brand Kidstuff, the Kikau Academy also spread joy to over 200 kids over the Christmas period, delivering toys to orphanages, women’s shelters and children’s charities.
"This is for my Academy," Kikau said.
"My name is on it, but there's a lot of people that are doing the work behind the scenes, and I think getting this award is just saying thank you to all those people."
2026 Steve Mortimer Rookie of the Year: Alekolasimi Jones
Alekolasimi Jones (Bulldog no.879) has been named the 2026 Steve Mortimer Rookie of the Year.
The 21-year-old forward made his long-awaited NRL debut in Round 9 against the North Queensland Cowboys, featuring in a total of six NRL matches throughout the season.
Averaging 22 minutes per game, Jones was a constant threat with the ball, averaging 54 metres a game and taking some tough carries along the way.
The young New Zealander proved to be just as formidable in defence, missing just four tackles across the season with a 95.6% efficiency.
His versatility from the bench saw him shift between the middle of the field and out wide, making him a valuable addition to Cameron Ciraldo’s side each time he donned the Blue and White.
"It's really surreal, I'm just truly grateful to even play in the first grade side," he said.
"I just want to thank the coaching staff as well, and the older boys like Leo Thompson, Max King, Jacob Preston and Sitili Tupouniua."
