Dane Gagai

[Super Freak]

Is Gagai the first player from a wooden spoon team to win player of the series?

No.

Billy Slater won it in 2010.

While the Sharks weren't wooden spooners at the time when Gallen won it in 2014, they did get their 3rd wooden spoon that very year.

The same with the Cowboys in 2008 when Thurston won it that year, they were joint wooden spooners with the Bulldogs that year.