A tense Dally M count went down to the wire with New Zealand Warriors skipper Roger Tuivasa-Sheck finishing over the top of young star Kalyn Ponga to claim the honour.

He becomes the first ever player from the Warriors to claim the prize and did so with 29 votes after polling three in the final round of the season.

A stellar season from the Warriors leader was capped with not only the Dally M award, but also the Fullback of the Year award.

In a sign of the changing times, none of the top five — which also included Luke Brooks and Mitchell Pearce — have previously polled in the top five positions at the Dally Ms during their career.

He became the first fullback to win the award since Ben Barba in 2012, as he averaged 167 metres a match and busted through a total of 92 tackles.

The highlight of the night however came after Tuivasa-Sheck had collected his Dally M trophy and lined up alongside the team of the year.

As a round of applause broke out for the players on the podium, Tuivasa-Sheck's teammates Issac Luke, Jazz Tevaga and David Fusitu'a stood in the middle of the room and pulled out an impromptu haka.

The incredible moment had the skipper fighting back tears and left every person in attendance and watching on with goosebumps.

"This is crazy," said an emotional Tuivasa-Sheck after accepting his trophy and medal.