The torch has been passed at the top of Zero Tackle's NRL MVP from one surprise leader to the next at the end of Round 5.
Terrell May had held the lead over the opening rounds of the season, but he could only manage four votes in Round 5, and has paid for it with the lead.
Instead, Jye Gray, with his fourth big points tally of the season and first perfect 20, has slid into the lead.
His performances made it impossible for Wayne Bennett to drop him from fullback, and that's where he will play again this weekend.
It's a little bit further back after that, with a 19-vote haul in Round 5 sending Clint Gutherson into third place ahead of Payne Haas, who scored zero in the Broncos' win over the Wests Tigers.
Connor Tracey rounds out the top five, while impressive points hauls for Patrick Carrigan, who was voted unanimous man of the match, James Tedesco and Keaon Koloamatangi have the trio inside the top ten.
Gray and Carrigan were joined by Isaiya Katoa as the only perfect 20-vote getters for the weekend, with Hudson Young, Joseph Tapine, Tom Dearden, Scott Drinkwater, Clint Gutherson, Isaiah Iongi, Jahrome Hughes, Cameron Munster, Bronson Xerri, Connor Tracey and Max King all being voted as best on ground in the other games by at least one judge during Round 5.
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 5.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Hudson Young | Joseph Tapine | Hudson Young | Hudson Young |
| 4 | Joseph Tapine | Hudson Young | Addin Fonua-Blake | Addin Fonua-Blake |
| 3 | Addin Fonua-Blake | Addin Fonua-Blake | Savelio Tamale | Joseph Tapine |
| 2 | Mawene Hiroti | Savelio Tamale | Sebastian Kris | Sebastian Kris |
| 1 | Sebastian Kris | Jamal Fogarty | Mawene Hiroti | Savelio Tamale |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Tom Dearden | Tom Dearden | Tom Dearden | Scott Drinkwater |
| 4 | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater | Jaxon Purdue | Tom Dearden |
| 3 | Daine Laurie | Daine Laurie | Scott Drinkwater | Jaxon Purdue |
| 2 | Jaxon Purdue | Robert Derby | Daine Laurie | Daine Laurie |
| 1 | Isaah Yeo | Paul Alamoti | Murray Taulagi | Reece Robson |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Jye Gray | Jye Gray | Jye Gray | Jye Gray |
| 4 | Keaon Koloamatangi | Keaon Koloamatangi | James Tedesco | Latrell Mitchell |
| 3 | James Tedesco | James Tedesco | Tevita Tatola | James Tedesco |
| 2 | Siua Wong | Tevita Tatola | Keaon Koloamatangi | Keaon Koloamatangi |
| 1 | Tevita Tatola | Angus Crichton | Siua Wong | Lachlan Hubner |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Clinton Gutherson | Clinton Gutherson | Isaiah Iongi | Clinton Gutherson |
| 4 | Isaiah Iongi | Isaiah Iongi | Clinton Gutherson | Isaiah Iongi |
| 3 | Dylan Brown | Dylan Brown | Junior Paulo | Zac Lomax |
| 2 | Junior Paulo | Zac Lomax | Dylan Brown | Ryley Smith |
| 1 | Zac Lomax | Junior Paulo | Zac Lomax | Dylan Brown |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Isaiya Katoa | Isaiya Katoa | Isaiya Katoa | Isaiya Katoa |
| 4 | Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | Herbie Farnworth | Jeremy Marshall-King |
| 3 | Herbie Farnworth | Jeremy Marshall-King | Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow | Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow |
| 2 | Daniel Saifiti | Kodi Nikorima | Kodi Nikorima | Kodi Nikorima |
| 1 | Kodi Nikorima | Daniel Saifiti | Daniel Saifiti | Daniel Saifiti |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Patrick Carrigan | Patrick Carrigan | Patrick Carrigan | Patrick Carrigan |
| 4 | Jahream Bula | Jahream Bula | Kobe Hetherington | Xavier Willison |
| 3 | Ben Hunt | Ben Hunt | Ben Hunt | Selwyn Cobbo |
| 2 | Xavier Willison | Kobe Hetherington | Jahream Bula | Terrell May |
| 1 | Terrell May | Terrell May | Lachlan Galvin | Ben Hunt |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Cameron Munster | Jahrome Hughes | Jahrome Hughes | Cameron Munster |
| 4 | Jahrome Hughes | Stefano Utoikamanu | Grant Anderson | Jahrome Hughes |
| 3 | Stefano Utoikamanu | Grant Anderson | Eliesa Katoa | Grant Anderson |
| 2 | Grant Anderson | Eliesa Katoa | Stefano Utoikamanu | Eliesa Katoa |
| 1 | Tolutau Koula | Cameron Munster | Tolutau Koula | Tolutau Koula |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Bronson Xerri | Connor Tracey | Bronson Xerri | Max King |
| 4 | Jacob Kiraz | Jacob Kiraz | Max King | Bronson Xerri |
| 3 | Connor Tracey | Bronson Xerri | Jacob Kiraz | Jacob Kiraz |
| 2 | Jacob Preston | Jacob Preston | Kurt Mann | Reed Mahoney |
| 1 | Kurt Mann | Toby Sexton | Toby Sexton | Toby Sexton |
Top Ten
| PLAYER | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jye Gray |
20 | 71 |
| 2 | Terrell May |
4 | 69 |
| 3 | Clinton Gutherson |
19 | 57 |
| 4 | Payne Haas |
0 | 55 |
| 5 | Connor Tracey |
8 | 51 |
| 6 | Patrick Carrigan |
20 | 49 |
| 7 | James Tedesco |
13 | 47 |
| 8 | Keaon Koloamatangi |
12 | 45 |
| 9 | Haumole Olakau'atu |
0 | 44 |
| 9 | Cameron Munster |
11 | 44 |
