James Segeyaro’s year of agony and ecstasy as hooker is named in Dally M Team of the Year

The Daily Telegraph 

FINALLY, some joy for James Segeyaro.

His life punctuated by grief over the past 18 months, the Panthers hooker was the most sentimental member of this season’s Dally M Team of the Year.

More impressive than holding off Origin rakes Cameron Smith and Robbie Farah for the dummy half prize, Segeyaro did so after farewelling two of his favourite people.

Midway through last season he lost good friend and former Cowboys team mate, Alex Elisala, to suicide.

And just last month Segeyaro buried his father, Iffy, who died of a sudden stroke in Papua New Guinea.

In between the feisty 23-year-old has been forced to fight his way into the Panthers starting line-up.

After signing a contract extension last season in the belief he would be Penrith’s top rake, Segeyaro was shocked to learn the club had also re-signed his main rival, Kevin Kingston.

As co-captain, the elder Kingston was given the starting jersey to start the season, leaving Segeyaro a frustrated observer from the bench at kick-off.

But when injury knocked Kingston out of the team, Segeyaro grabbed his chance and never looked back, forcing Kingston to finish his career in the NSW Cup.

All this after recovering from a torn pectoral suffered while representing the Kumuls in last September’s PMXIII clash.

He scored tries from dummy half — particularly to open games — with monotonous ease.

His decision to switch allegiance from Papua New Guinea looks set to pay huge dividends, with Segeyaro now eyeballing Roosters hooker Jake Friend to succeed Smith for Queensland.

Friend’s omission was somewhat controversial, given his game also went to another level at Bondi this year.

The remaining forwards — Sam Burgess, Beau Scott and James Graham — were all popular selections, leaving winger Semi Radradra as the bolter.

The Fijian was barely known at the start of the year, but shot to prominence with his freakish try-scoring strike rate and blockbusting kick returns.