Scott Drinkwater has shot to a narrow one-vote lead in Zero Tackle's NRL MVP at the end of Round 12.
The North Queensland Cowboys' fullback takes the lead from the injured Tom Trbojevic, who will now likely slide down the leaderboard over the coming weeks.
Dylan Edwards, on the back of a 14-vote performance, is just one vote behind him, while another fullback in Sydney Roosters' captain and overlooked New South Wales hopeful James Tedesco sits fourth.
Tedesco, who is just six votes off Drinkwater's lead, has been in the top ten each of the last two seasons and could use his lack of an Origin selection to fire into the lead over the coming weeks.
Tedesco was one of four players to score a perfect 20 over Round 12, joined by Valentine Holmes, Jarome Luai and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak.
Jacob Kiraz, Josh Curran, Tommy Talau, Luke Brooks, Lehi Hopoate, David Fifita and Keano Kini split the top spots over the rest of the games.
To remind you how this works, each week, our panel - made up of Matt Clements (Zero Tackle founder), Dan Nichols and Ethan Lee Chalk (Zero Tackle writers) and myself as editor will cast votes on each game in a 5-4-3-2-1 scoring system.
The best player on-field receives five votes, the next four, and so on. That means a player could realistically gain 20 votes in a single game, although no one was on that level in the first half of Round 1.
Here are all the votes from Round 12.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Jacob Kiraz | Josh Curran | Jacob Kiraz | Jacob Kiraz |
| 4 | Jacob Preston | Jacob Kiraz | Josh Curran | Reed Mahoney |
| 3 | Bronson Xerri | Jacob Preston | Bronson Xerri | Matt Burton |
| 2 | Josh Curran | Bronson Xerri | Connor Tracey | Connor Tracey |
| 1 | Reed Mahoney | Connor Tracey | Reed Mahoney | Bronson Xerri |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Valentine Holmes | Valentine Holmes | Valentine Holmes | Jeremiah Nanai |
| 4 | Chad Townsend | Chad Townsend | Chad Townsend | Chad Townsend |
| 3 | Scott Drinkwater | Tom Dearden | Scott Drinkwater | Valentine Holmes |
| 2 | Lachlan Galvin | Scott Drinkwater | Lachlan Galvin | Lachlan Galvin |
| 1 | Tom Dearden | Lachlan Galvin | Tom Dearden | Reuben Cotter |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Tommy Talau | Luke Brooks | Luke Brooks | Lehi Hopoate |
| 4 | Lehi Hopoate | Lehi Hopoate | Reuben Garrick | Luke Brooks |
| 3 | Jahrome Hughes | Reuben Garrick | Sua Fa'alogo | Eliesa Katoa |
| 2 | Eliesa Katoa | Sua Fa'alogo | Jahrome Hughes | Sua Fa'alogo |
| 1 | Taniela Paseka | Jahrome Hughes | Lehi Hopoate | Tommy Talau |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | James Tedesco | James Tedesco | James Tedesco | James Tedesco |
| 4 | Sam Walker | Sam Walker | Sam Walker | Sam Walker |
| 3 | Joseph Manu | Joseph Manu | Joseph Manu | Naufahu Whyte |
| 2 | Angus Crichton | Naufahu Whyte | Angus Crichton | Victor Radley |
| 1 | Naufahu Whyte | Angus Crichton | Terrell May | Joseph Manu |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Jarome Luai | Jarome Luai | Jarome Luai | Jarome Luai |
| 4 | Jack Cole | Isaah Yeo | Dylan Edwards | Dylan Edwards |
| 3 | Dylan Edwards | Dylan Edwards | Isaah Yeo | Mitch Kenny |
| 2 | Isaah Yeo | Jack Cole | Mitch Kenny | Isaah Yeo |
| 1 | Liam Henry | Mitch Kenny | Jack Cole | Jack Cole |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Keaon Koloamatangi | Keaon Koloamatangi | Keaon Koloamatangi | Latrell Mitchell |
| 4 | Latrell Mitchell | Latrell Mitchell | Latrell Mitchell | Keaon Koloamatangi |
| 3 | Dylan Brown | Davvy Moale | Dylan Brown | Dylan Brown |
| 2 | Maika Sivo | Dylan Brown | Maika Sivo | Bryce Cartwright |
| 1 | Davvy Moale | Kelma Tuilagi | Davvy Moale | Davvy Moale |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Keano Kini | David Fifita | Keano Kini | David Fifita |
| 4 | David Fifita | Keano Kini | Reece Walsh | Reece Walsh |
| 3 | Reece Walsh | Reece Walsh | David Fifita | Keano Kini |
| 2 | Beau Fermor | Payne Haas | Payne Haas | Beau Fermor |
| 1 | Payne Haas | Beau Fermor | Beau Fermor | Ezra Mam |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak |
| 4 | Herbie Farnworth | Mitch Barnett | Herbie Farnworth | Herbie Farnworth |
| 3 | Te Maire Martin | Herbie Farnworth | Mitch Barnett | Kodi Nikorima |
| 2 | Mitch Barnett | Te Maire Martin | Kodi Nikorima | Mitch Barnett |
| 1 | Kodi Nikorima | Kodi Nikorima | Te Maire Martin | Jamayne Isaako |
Top Ten
| PLAYER | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scott Drinkwater |
8 | 108 |
| 2 | Dylan Edwards |
14 | 107 |
| 3 | Tom Trbojevic |
0 | 104 |
| 4 | James Tedesco |
20 | 102 |
| 5 | Zac Lomax |
0 | 91 |
| 5 | Patrick Carrigan |
0 | 91 |
| 7 | Viliame Kikau |
0 | 84 |
| 8 | Jahrome Hughes |
6 | 83 |
| 8 | Isaah Yeo |
11 | 83 |
| 8 | Jacob Kiraz |
19 | 83 |
Click here to view the full leaderboard.
Leaderboard correct as at May 28.
