Tied at the top as Cleary climbs again: Zero Tackle’s NRL MVP – Round 8

A strong performance from Cameron Munster in the Melbourne Storm’s demolition of the Newcastle Knights on Sunday afternoon has seen the star claim enough votes to join Dylan Edwards at the top of Zero Tackle’s NRL MVP leaderboard.

Munster managed to poll 12 votes from the game, while former outright leader Dylan Edwards only managed one, meaning the duo are now tied on 83 votes.

The Storm continue their outright domination at the top, holding second spot, third spot, fifth spot and ninth spot through Munster, Jahrome Hughes, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Harry Grant respectively.

Many of those at the top failed to register big votes this week, closing the gap between first and 13th place to just 26 votes.

Six separate players managed unanimous man of the match votes from our panel, with one of those being Nathan Cleary, meaning he has claimed 58 votes in the last three weeks out of a possible 60 to now sit in 11th place on the leaderboard.

Here are all of the Round 8 votes.

Brisbane Broncos vs Cronulla Sharks

In what was, for the most part, a weekend of upsets, the Broncos got things off to a flying start with a win over the high-flying Sharks. It was, to a large extent, the Kotoni Staggs show, although he was backed up strongly by Herbie Farnworth, Kurt Capewell and Adam Reynolds in a much-needed win for Kevin Walters' side.

Gold Coast Titans vs Penrith Panthers

Nathan Cleary has come away with another perfect round, scoring 20 votes in the Panthers' 18 points to 4 beating of the Titans, despite the fact they came into the match off a five-day turnaround. It means he has claimed 58 votes in three weeks as he approaches the top ten, with Viliame Kikau and James Fisher-Harris also among Penrith's best.

South Sydney Rabbitohs vs Manly Sea Eagles

Karl Lawton's send off for a horrendous tackle on Cameron Murray stole all of the headlines from the Rabbitohs' win over a 12-man Sea Eagles, but it was Cody Walker and Damien Cook's form which was most impressive as the men from Redfern ran up 40 points over their opponents.

New Zealand Warriors vs Canberra Raiders

The Raiders' dismal first third of the 2022 NRL season continues, with the club falling to another second half fade out and eventual golden point field goal against the Warriors. Shaun Johnson kicked it, but it was Euan Aitken and Daejarn Asi who were best on ground for the winners, while Jack Wighton - who now faces a two-week suspension - was the best for Canberra.

Canterbury Bulldogs vs Sydney Roosters

A unanimous man of the match performance from James Tedesco - who made double-digit tackle busts - wasn't enough to inspire the Sydney Roosters past a gallant Canterbury Bulldogs on Saturday evening, with Josh Addo-Carr and Paul Vaughan among the best for the blue and white.

Parramatta Eels vs North Queensland Cowboys

In the weekend's biggest shock, the Eels were pounced on by the Cowboys, falling 35 points to 4. The Cowboys put on an attacking masterclass at times, with Scott Drinkwater making himself virtually undroppable with another man of the match performance, despite the return of Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow on the bench. Selection headaches a plenty for Todd Payten!

Newcastle Knights vs Melbourne Storm

It was a case of another week, another big win for the Storm on Sunday as they put a half-century worth of points on the hapless Newcastle Knights, who haven't scored a single try in their last two games. Justin Olam led the way for Melbourne with a couple of tries.

St George Illawarra Dragons vs Wests Tigers

The St George Illawarra Dragons had no right to win Sunday's game with the Tigers, judging by the stats alone, but they found a way in a game with split MVP votes. Jackson Hastings led the way for the Tigers, but it was Ben Hunt and Moses Suli who got the job done for the Red V.

Top Ten

RANK			LAST ROUND	TOTAL
1		Dylan Edwards	1	83
2		Cameron Munster	12	83
3		Jahrome Hughes	0	79
4		Mitchell Moses	0	77
5		Ryan Papenhuyzen	0	77
6		Siosifa Talakai	0	67
7		Isaah Yeo	7	66
8		Harry Grant	0	64
9		Damien Cook	13	63
10		Ben Hunt	18	59