South Sydney halfback Adam Reynolds capped off a tremendous season when he landed the Dally M rookie of the year gong on Tuesday night.

Reynolds is the second Rabbitoh in recent years to take out the award after livewire Chris Sandow’s breakout season in 2008.

The 22-year-old also follows in the footsteps of last year’s brilliant season by Manly’s Daly Cherry-Evans, who went on to guide his team to the premiership and was rewarded with an Australian debut.

Reynolds has been crucial to the Rabbitohs charge to a top four finish, giving fans hope he can help end a 41-year premiership drought.

He shot to prominence with a match-winning field goal over St George Illawarra in round 11 and finished as the competition’s leading goal kicker and second-highest points scorer, behind Canberra’s Jarrod Croker.

Reynolds, who has won games for the Rabbitohs in 2012 with tries, goals and even a field goal in golden point extra time, said this year his goal was to simply play first grade – which makes sense considering he missed all of last season with a serious knee injury,

But there’s still one more challenge he wants to tick off and that’s reaching the grand final.

“I’m looking forward to it, we’ve got a good, talented team,” Reynolds said of the finals.

Reynolds was a runaway winner from teammate Andrew Everingham, despite impressive end of season form from Canterbury’s Josh Jackson.