Stars steal show as Hunt climbs to top five: Zero Tackle’s NRL MVP, Round 12

The halfway point of the NRL season has arrived with 12 rounds now in the books, and it’s Cameron Munster and James Tedesco who have established themselves at the head of Zero Tackle’s NRL MVP count.

Both players had a perfect game in Round 12, registering the full 20 out of 20 votes, which means Munster leads Tedesco by just four points in what is still turning into a close race.

Isaah Yeo is now third on the leaderboard, having polled 15 votes during Round 12, while a perfect 20 has Ben Hunt all the way up to fourth, pushing ahead of Dylan Edwards, who managed 15.

Nicho Hynes’ poor effort against the Roosters means he falls to sixth, while there is a log jam around the edge of the top ten, with no players between eighth and seventeenth scoring a single vote during Round 12.

With the bye rounds and State of Origin now upon us, expect further shake-ups in the coming weeks.

Here are all the Round 12 votes.

Melbourne Storm vs Manly Sea Eagles

The Melbourne Storm might have come into Thursday’s game against the Manly Sea Eagles on the back of two straight losses, but it was a run of form which wasn’t going to be continuing as a dramatic return to Cameron Munster led them past Des Hasler’s struggling outfit.

Penrith Panthers vs North Queensland Cowboys

The Penrith Panthers just keep winning. They had one minor slip up in Round 9, but other than that, have been completely and utterly flawless so far this year. Their win against the Cowboys - where they held Todd Payten’s side to zero - was just another string to the bow for Penrith, with Dylan Edwards, Apisai Koroisau and Isaah Yeo leading the way.

Brisbane Broncos vs Gold Coast Titans

The Titans put on a show early on against the Broncos, before slipping up as only the Titans seem to be able to do, inviting the Broncos back into the game. Despite being without Adam Reynolds, it was Ezra Mam, Payne Haas and Patrick Carrigan, along with their crop of outside backs, who carried Brisbane to an eventual win.

New Zealand Warriors vs Newcastle Knights

The Warriors and Knights put on a rather dour affair on Saturday afternoon, with the Knights eventually claiming the two competition points. David Klemmer led the way in the middle, Kalyn Ponga contributed heavily, and despite the best efforts of Tohu Harris, the Warriors shot themselves in the foot with silly errors time and time again.

South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Wests Tigers

The Rabbitohs made something of a statement against the struggling Tigers, with Michael Maguire’s job back under pressure after conceding 44 points - following scores of 36 and 36 in their last two losses. Damien Cook, Campbell Graham and Cameron Murray were among South Sydney’s best.

Cronulla Sharks vs Sydney Roosters

James Tedesco’s form over the last month has been simply phenomenal. He has risen to second overall in the MVP voting on the back of another perfect performance as the Roosters blew out the Sharks. He has now claimed 83 out of a possible 100 votes in the last five weeks.

Canterbury Bulldogs vs St George Illawarra Dragons

A strong display from Matt Dufty was unable to steer his new club over the line against his old club, with the Dragons winning the Back to Belmore clash. Ben Hunt was the best on ground and has risen to the top five of MVP voting, while Cody Ramsey, Zac Lomax and Jack de Belin were also outstanding.

Canberra Raiders vs Parramatta Eels

Dylan Brown was the star of the show for the Parramatta Eels on Sunday afternoon as they starved off the Raiders, despite the best efforts of Joseph Tapine who ran for 230 metres in the contest.

Top ten

RANK			LAST ROUND	TOTAL
1		Cameron Munster	20	119
2		James Tedesco	20	115
3		Isaah Yeo	17	106
4		Ben Hunt	20	104
5		Dylan Edwards	15	99
6		Nicho Hynes	0	94
7		Damien Cook	12	93
8		Payne Haas	11	87
9		Harry Grant	0	84
10		Ryan Papenhuyzen	0	81