Terrell May's barnstorming start to the season has seen him shoot to the early lead of Zero Tackle's NRL MVP race.
The Wests Tigers' off-season recruit has been maybe the competition's most improved player over the opening couple of rounds, and he managed another impressive points tally during the Tigers' heavy win over the Parramatta Eels on Sunday afternoon.
It was a weekend without clear cut top performers though, with only Kalyn Ponga in Newcastle's heavy win over the Dolphins, and James Tedesco in the Sydney Roosters' stunning upset win over the Penrith Panthers managing to score a perfect 20.
Elsewhere, all of Luke Metcalf, Wayde Egan, Clint Gutherson, Jye Gray, Kayal Iro, William Kennedy, Sebastian Kris, Corey Horsburgh, Sunia Turuva, Terrell May, Connor Tracey and Viliame Kikau were voted as the best on ground by at least one of our four judges.
Of that list, it's Tracey and Gray who have had the best starts to the season, sitting equal second, while Kalyn Ponga's perfect score lands him in a healthy position early on.
During every round of the 2025 NRL season, four judges from Zero Tackle's team (founder Matt Clements, writers Ethan Lee Chalk and Dan Nichols, and myself as editor), will assign votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis for every game during the season, with results to be published on a Monday or Tuesday each week here on Zero Tackle.
Without any further ado, here are the votes from Round 1.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Kalyn Ponga | Kalyn Ponga | Kalyn Ponga | Kalyn Ponga |
| 4 | Fletcher Sharpe | Bradman Best | Bradman Best | Fletcher Sharpe |
| 3 | Greg Marzhew | Fletcher Sharpe | Fletcher Sharpe | Dylan Lucas |
| 2 | Bradman Best | Greg Marzhew | Dylan Lucas | Bradman Best |
| 1 | Dylan Lucas | Dylan Lucas | Adam Elliott | Adam Elliott |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Luke Metcalf | Wayde Egan | Luke Metcalf | Luke Metcalf |
| 4 | Wayde Egan | Luke Metcalf | Wayde Egan | Wayde Egan |
| 3 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | Jason Saab | Jason Saab |
| 2 | Jason Saab | James Fisher-Harris | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck |
| 1 | James Fisher-Harris | Jason Saab | Lehi Hopoate | James Fisher-Harris |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | James Tedesco | James Tedesco | James Tedesco | James Tedesco |
| 4 | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Connor Watson | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Connor Watson |
| 3 | Connor Watson | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Paul Alamoti | Mark Nawaqanitawase |
| 2 | Daniel Tupou | Naufahu Whyte | Daniel Tupou | Naufahu Whyte |
| 1 | Paul Alamoti | Daniel Tupou | Connor Watson | Daniel Tupou |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Clinton Gutherson | Jye Gray | Jye Gray | Jye Gray |
| 4 | Jye Gray | Clinton Gutherson | Clinton Gutherson | Jamie Humphreys |
| 3 | Christian Tuipulotu | Jamie Humphreys | Jamie Humphreys | Clinton Gutherson |
| 2 | Jamie Humphreys | Tyrell Sloan | Christian Tuipulotu | Christian Tuipulotu |
| 1 | Tyrell Sloan | Sean Keppie | Tyrell Sloan | Tyrell Sloan |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Kayal Iro | William Kennedy | William Kennedy | William Kennedy |
| 4 | William Kennedy | Kayal Iro | Kayal Iro | Kayal Iro |
| 3 | Sam Stonestreet | Nicho Hynes | Sam Stonestreet | Nicho Hynes |
| 2 | Nicho Hynes | Teig Wilton | Cameron McInnes | Sam Stonestreet |
| 1 | Teig Wilton | Sam Stonestreet | Nicho Hynes | Briton Nikora |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Sebastian Kris | Sebastian Kris | Sebastian Kris | Corey Horsburgh |
| 4 | Jamal Fogarty | Corey Horsburgh | Jamal Fogarty | Sebastian Kris |
| 3 | Matty Nicholson | Jamal Fogarty | Corey Horsburgh | Jamal Fogarty |
| 2 | Jesse Arthars | Payne Haas | Jesse Arthars | Jesse Arthars |
| 1 | Payne Haas | Matty Nicholson | Josh Papalii | Tom Starling |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Sunia Turuva | Terrell May | Sunia Turuva | Terrell May |
| 4 | Lachlan Galvin | Sunia Turuva | Lachlan Galvin | Sunia Turuva |
| 3 | Terrell May | Lachlan Galvin | Terrell May | Jahream Bula |
| 2 | Jeral Skelton | Jahream Bula | Jeral Skelton | Lachlan Galvin |
| 1 | Adam Doueihi | Adam Doueihi | Adam Doueihi | Jeral Skelton |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Connor Tracey | Viliame Kikau | Connor Tracey | Viliame Kikau |
| 4 | Marcelo Montoya | Connor Tracey | Marcelo Montoya | Stephen Crichton |
| 3 | Max King | Stephen Crichton | Viliame Kikau | Connor Tracey |
| 2 | Beau Fermor | Marcelo Montoya | Max King | Marcelo Montoya |
| 1 | Tino Fa'asuamaleaui | Max King | Beau Fermor | Max King |
Top ten
| PLAYER | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Terrell May |
16 | 35 |
| 2 | Connor Tracey |
17 | 34 |
| 2 | Jye Gray |
19 | 34 |
| 4 | Kalyn Ponga |
20 | 32 |
| 5 | Jamie Humphreys |
12 | 25 |
| 5 | Fletcher Sharpe |
14 | 25 |
| 7 | Payne Haas |
3 | 23 |
| 8 | Xavier Savage |
0 | 20 |
| 8 | Tom Trbojevic |
0 | 20 |
| 8 | Ryan Papenhuyzen |
0 | 20 |
| 8 | Clinton Gutherson |
16 | 20 |
| 8 | Sebastian Kris |
19 | 20 |
| 8 | James Tedesco |
20 | 20 |
