The 2024 NRL season is fading into the rear-view mirror, but the storylines to come out of it will continue for months.
One of the questions that gets bandied around every season is just who was the best player during the year just gone.
We here at Zero Tackle have the answer, and will countdown the top 50 players over the next five days.
Each day, we will unveil a list of ten players on our way to number one, with it starting today with players 50 through to 41.
There are plenty of new entries on the list, and players who wouldn't have come anywhere near a list like this at the end of last season, while the season also saw a shake up of some of last season's best.
Here is the start of Zero Tackle's Top 50 players from the 2024 NRL season.
50. Terrell May (Sydney Roosters)
A real breakout season for the Roosters' prop, who played with fire and impact every time he walked onto the park.
Played in all 27 of the Roosters' games throughout 2024, averaging 110 metres per game and tackling at an outstanding 98 per cent, while also adding 40 offloads and 64 tackle breaks.
Really found a home bringing impact off the bench.
49. Alofiana Khan-Pereira (Gold Coast Titans)
Finished 2024 as the NRL's leading try-scorer, which is no easy feat given the finishing ability of a number of players throughout the competition.
24 tries in 21 games, but it wasn't just that, as he added 118 metres per game and 59 tackle breaks. Has the ability to work further up this list if his defence improves, although it's tough for a winger when your team are letting you down all over the park.
48. Luke Keary (Sydney Roosters)
Some will raise eyebrows at Keary - in his final NRL season before heading to the English Super League - being included in this list, but he was phenomenal for the tri-colours.
Wound up in the top five for try assists at the end of the campaign with 21, but also demonstrated his running ability and added six forced drop outs, while, for a half, defending as well as any.
47. Clint Gutherson (Parramatta Eels)
Gutherson might be in a real spot of uncertainty over his future in blue and gold, but that doesn't mean he wasn't among the struggling Eels' best again in 2024.
Across 21 games, he had 24 try involvements - 9 tries and 15 assists - added 53 tackle busts, 9 line breaks, all while making 168 metres per game, and was often the difference in defence.
There is simply no quit in one of the NRL's hardest workers.
46. Matt Burton (Canterbury Bulldogs)
Burton's performances were in many ways overlooked this year at Canterbury as Stephen Crichton took over the captaincy and led the team back to the finals for the first time in eight years.
That said, the Bulldogs wouldn't have wound up there if it wasn't for Burton's attacking play, with the five-eighth becoming particularly strong when he was able to link up with Toby Sexton at the back-end of the year.
Finished the campaign with 13 try assists.
45. Tyran Wishart (Melbourne Storm)
Wishart is one of the players who wouldn't have registered a mention in the Top 100 if you did this list during the pre-season, but he became a crucial cog in a side who went all the way to the grand final.
Playing all over the park - whether it be in the halves, at fullback, at hooker, or elsewhere, Wishart became the mr.Fix It for coach Craig Bellamy, and will only continue to find new levels in the years to come.
A serious talent.
44. Jesse Ramien (Cronulla Sharks)
Ramien was brilliant for Cronulla throughout the course of the campaign in the centres.
A powerful weapon at the worst of times, he wound up with six tries and 13 try assists throughout the course of the campaign, but also added 84 tackle busts.
163 metres per game was also a major factor in Cronulla's run to the preliminary finals.
43. Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters)
The selection of Tupou in this list will undoubtedly raise some eyebrows, as it did with my colleagues in the Zero Tackle offices when I ran through the Top 50 with them.
But it's hard to deny what a superb season he had. The veteran winger was third for tries, first for line breaks, ninth for run metres and 16th for post-contact metres, while he also tackled at north of 80 per cent - a solid mark for a winger - and was able to limit errors.
Fair to say the Roosters were justified in extending his career.
42. Jaydn Su'A (St George Illawarra Dragons)
A barnstorming year for Jaydn Su'A, who capitalised on his good form to be recalled to the Queensland State of Origin team.
One of the Dragons' most important as they had their best campaign in a number of seasons under Shane Flanagan, the second-rower finished with nine tries and 117 metres per game.
41. Patrick Carrigan (Brisbane Broncos)
It was, to put it nicely, a horror season for the Broncos.
That has seen Patrick Carrigan drop a long way down this list, although it goes without saying he was again among Brisbane's best, and you shiver to think where the club may have wound up without the inspirational lock forward.
He finished the year with 170 metres per game.
