Daly Cherry-Evans said helium was embarrassed and shocked to triumph the Clive Churchill Medal successful 2013, aft the Roosters bushed Manly 26-18.
Roosters fans booed arsenic Cherry-Evans was announced arsenic the winner, the archetypal subordinate from the losing broadside to person the grant since St George's Brad Mackay successful 1993.
The crowd's absorption drew the ire of erstwhile Roosters manager Brian Smith, who took 4 teams to expansive finals during his career.
"Booing the referees is ever childish but booing the champion subordinate of the lucifer arsenic helium receives his grant connected centre signifier is downright disrespectful and precise atrocious form," Smith wrote aft the match.
"Not lone is it demeaning to the subordinate but besides to those who made the enactment and of the game's past and lasting successful the broader community.
"A worldwide assemblage has taken that distant with them arsenic the mode we dainty our astir outstanding performer connected the biggest time of the season."
The grant was decided by the 4 Australian selectors, Bob McCarthy, Bob Fulton, Des Morris and Alan Smith.
Many felt Sonny Bill Williams should person won the medal for his show successful the closing stages of the match, but McCarthy said that didn't marque up for a lacklustre start.
"Sonny was atrocious successful the archetypal half," helium told the Sydney Morning Herald.
"Cherry-Evans was conscionable the champion player. I cognize it didn't look each that good, but that's the mode it is. We're similar the referees; we're not going to delight everyone."
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