The first bye week ahead of the first State of Origin game for 2022 has come and gone, and while fans were left wanting more due to a lack of action, the games we did see provided one of the best individual performances of the season, a new star arrive and top teams continue their march.
Of those players in the top ten, none of Cameron Munster, James Tedesco, Isaah Yeo, Ben Hunt, Nicho Hynes, Damien Cook, Payne Haas or Ryan Papenhuyzen took to the field.
Dylan Edwards did, however, claiming enough votes to stay in touch with the top five, while a standout performance from Joseph Manu in a losing side has seen the Roosters centre climb into the top ten for the first time this year at the expense of Papenhuyzen.
Another standout performance from Scott Drinkwater also has him on approach to the top ten, now just a single vote behind the mulleted Storm star, while strong games from Joseph Tapine and Viliame Kikau have them within a single perfect game of moving into the top ten.
Here are all the votes from Round 12.
The Titans, at home, seemingly came into this game with something of an opportunity to arrest their form slide against an in-form, but without multiple Origin troops, Cowboys outfit. It didn't help the Titans though, who struggled at both ends of the park before eventually falling to Todd Payten's side by 26 points, with Scott Drinkwater having a blinder of a game for the men from Townsville.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Jack Blyth | |
| 5 | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater |
| 4 | Jason Taumalolo | Jason Taumalolo | Jason Taumalolo | Jason Taumalolo |
| 3 | Reece Robson | Reece Robson | Reece Robson | Murray Taulagi |
| 2 | Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | Tom Gilbert | Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | Reece Robson |
| 1 | Murray Taulagi | Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | Tom Gilbert | Tom Gilbert |
Friday brought with it another opportunity for a side at the bottom of the ladder to grab a rare win against an upper-echelon team, but the system the Panthers have built was again proven to be beyond anything else in the competition, with debutant Kurt Falls and fill in Sean O'Sullivan leading the Panthers past the Bulldogs in, for the most part at least, commanding fashion.
Viliame Kikau was also superb on the edge for Penrith, causing Canterbury's defence headaches all night long.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Jack Blyth | |
| 5 | Sean O'Sullivan | Sean O'Sullivan | Kurt Falls | Sean O'Sullivan |
| 4 | Viliame Kikau | Viliame Kikau | Viliame Kikau | Kurt Falls |
| 3 | Kurt Falls | Kurt Falls | Dylan Edwards | Viliame Kikau |
| 2 | Matt Burton | Matt Burton | Matt Burton | Dylan Edwards |
| 1 | James Fisher-Harris | Dylan Edwards | Sean O'Sullivan | Matt Burton |
The New Zealand Warriors' season continues to go from bad to worse, and this time it was Haumole Olakau'atu giving them all sorts of headaches on the right edge. His first half was comparable to that of Siosifa Talakai's against Manly earlier this year, and by the time it was all said and done, he recorded double-digit tackle busts to go with almost 200 metres. The Warriors conceded 44 and will be looking ahead on the calendar to their return to Auckland against the Tigers in Round 16.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Jack Blyth | |
| 5 | Haumole Olakau'atu | Haumole Olakau'atu | Haumole Olakau'atu | Haumole Olakau'atu |
| 4 | Reuben Garrick | Reuben Garrick | Reuben Garrick | Reuben Garrick |
| 3 | Lachlan Croker | Lachlan Croker | Lachlan Croker | Lachlan Croker |
| 2 | Toafofoa Sipley | Toafofoa Sipley | Martin Taupau | Josh Aloiai |
| 1 | Martin Taupau | Martin Taupau | Josh Aloiai | Josh Schuster |
Joseph Manu was shifted to fullback for the Roosters on Sunday afternoon against the Green Machine, and despite 14 tackle breaks and 300 metres to his name, he couldn't inspire his team past Ricky Stuart's side. Canberra had to survive a late scare as the tri-colours ran on back-to-back tries through Paul Momirovski and Joseph Suaalii, but with the performances of Joseph Tapine and Xavier Savage leading the way, Canberra's resurgence is continuing in a big way.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Jack Blyth | |
| 5 | Joseph Tapine | Joseph Tapine | Xavier Savage | Joseph Tapine |
| 4 | Joseph Manu | Joseph Manu | Joseph Manu | Xavier Savage |
| 3 | Xavier Savage | Xavier Savage | Joseph Tapine | Joseph Manu |
| 2 | Adam Elliott | Adam Elliott | Hudson Young | Adam Elliott |
| 1 | Ryan Sutton | Hudson Young | Adam Elliott | Hudson Young |
| 1 | Cameron Munster | 0 | 119 |
| 2 | James Tedesco | 0 | 115 |
| 3 | Isaah Yeo | 0 | 106 |
| 4 | Dylan Edwards | 6 | 105 |
| 5 | Ben Hunt | 0 | 104 |
| 6 | Nicho Hynes | 0 | 94 |
| 7 | Damien Cook | 0 | 93 |
| 8 | Payne Haas | 0 | 87 |
| 9 | Joseph Manu | 15 | 86 |
| 10 | Harry Grant | 0 | 84 |