Melbourne halfback Cooper Cronk and North Queensland back-rower Jason Taumalolo became just the second joint winners of the Dally M Medal after a gripping count at The Star on Wednesday night.
Cronk, who will be looking to steer the Storm to a premiership in the grand final against Cronulla on Sunday, won the highest individual honour in the NRL for a second time, having received the gong in 2013.
Cowboys wrecking ball Taumalolo, whose status as the game's most feared ball runner has only been enhanced this season, won his first Dally M and is tipped to be the highest paid forward in the game when he negotiates a new contract for the 2018 season.
"I was pretty cool walking down the red carpet and when the votes started tallying up I was quite nervous to be fair," Cronk said after the pair both failed to record points in the last round.
"We had a little special moment when it went to the last round we were sort of asking each other, 'did you play well? What did you do?' At the end of it we couldn't work out whether we gained points or not and had a little shake of the hands and said, 'I hope I share it with you'.
"That was the best result for both of us. I'm not surprised he's standing here tonight."
Cowboys skipper Johnathan Thurston and then Parramatta star Jarryd Hayne were the first joint winners of the award in 2014.
Cronk, who has helped lead Craig Bellamy's men into another decider, was duly rewarded for his consistency despite many judges tipping Storm skipper Cameron Smith to take votes off him.
Cronk becomes the first multiple Dally M winner to emerge from the Storm with teammates Smith (2006) and Billy Slater (2011) previous winners.
Cronk now only trails Taumalolo's teammate and four-time winner Thurston and Immortal Andrew Johns, who won the Dally M three times.
Cronk was also awarded the halfback of the year title, while Taumalolo was named lock of the year.
"It's something special," Taumalolo said. "I'm so proud of the year I've had, but in saying that it's a team sport and I wouldn't be here without everyone else that takes the field with me week in week out.
"I've obviously grown up seeing him run around and he's been dominating the game for a while now. To share this moment with him is unbelievable."
Added Cronk: "I met him at a shopping centre a few years ago and he was with his family and I was with mine. Apart from that the only connection we've had is him running over the top of me for the last two years.
"Other than that we've obviously played against each other and respected each other and we've got to share a pretty special bond not too many other people get to do."
The battle between Cronk and Taumalolo made for enthralling viewing throughout the night as minor premiers Melbourne dominated the awards.
Smith didn't go home empty handed. He was named hooker of the year and representative player of the year with the other man considered Slater's replacement in the Storm's modern day "big three", barnstorming front-rower Jesse Bromwich, named prop of the year.
Melbourne's vanquished preliminary final opponents, the Canberra Raiders, were the other side to feature prominently at the gala function.
Their skipper, Jarrod Croker, was named captain of the year, was the Provan Summons People's Choice winner and the competition's leading scorer.
Ricky Stuart's revival of the Raiders earned him the coach of the year nod ahead of Bellamy, Sharks mentor Shane Flanagan and Gold Coast's Neil Henry, while Joey Leilua, who is angling for a spot on the Kangaroos tour, was crowned centre of the year.
The Titans' Ashley Taylor beat Nathan Cleary and Suliasi Vunivalu for the rookie of the year title.
The Sharks didn't go home empty handed with James Maloney named five-eighth of the year.
Wests Tigers' James Tedesco (fullback), Penrith's Josh Mansour (wing) and Brisbane's Matt Gillett (second-rower) won the other positional awards.
St George Illawarra's Joel Thompson was recognised for his tireless community work with the Ken Stephen Medal.
