2024 NRL Finals

Tight at the top as perfect Tedesco claims lead: Zero Tackle’s NRL finals MVP, semi-finals

Six players are separated by just three votes.

Published by
Scott Pryde

Sydney Roosters champion fullback James Tedesco has claimed a perfect 20 votes to fly to the top of Zero Tackle's NRL Finals MVP race after Week 2.

That, in the grand scheme of things, could mean very little for the overall race though if the Roosters can't claim a win this weekend when they head to Melbourne to play the Storm in a sudden death preliminary final.

Tedesco's lead comes after he claimed a single vote in the opening week of the finals, and puts him ahead of Daly Cherry-Evans, who was perfect in Week 1 but didn't claim a vote in Week 2 and is now eliminated, and Braydon Trindall, who was also voted to have had a perfect game in Week 2 as the Cronulla Sharks overcame the North Queensland Cowboys.

Nathan Cleary and Harry Grant, who claimed significant votes in Week 1 before their week off, are also still well in the race, while Kalyn Ponga is next but is eliminated.

As a reminder how this works, 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 finals, as we did during the regular season.

Given the finals are a much shorter campaign, it's likely only players who make the grand final will be able to take out the final prize.

Here are all the votes from semi-final weekend.

2024-09-20T09:50:00Z
Allianz Stadium
CRO
26
FT
18
NQL
Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Ethan Lee Chalk
5 Braydon Trindall Braydon Trindall Braydon Trindall Braydon Trindall
4 Ronaldo Mulitalo Valentine Holmes Valentine Holmes Valentine Holmes
3 Cameron McInnes Kayal Iro Kayal Iro Reece Robson
2 Valentine Holmes Reece Robson Reece Robson Briton Nikora
1 Sione Katoa Ronaldo Mulitalo Toby Rudolf Cameron McInnes

 

2024-09-21T09:50:00Z
Allianz Stadium
SYD
40
FT
16
MAN
Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Ethan Lee Chalk
5 James Tedesco James Tedesco James Tedesco James Tedesco
4 Connor Watson Connor Watson Connor Watson Joseph Manu
3 Joseph Manu Joseph Manu Joseph Manu Joseph Suaalii
2 Angus Crichton Joseph Suaalii Luke Keary Luke Keary
1 Terrell May Angus Crichton Terrell May Angus Crichton

Top ten

1. James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters) - 21 votes
2. Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles) - 20 votes
2. Braydon Trindall (Cronulla Sharks) - 20 votes
4. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers) - 19 votes
5. Harry Grant (Melbourne Storm) - 18 votes
5. Kalyn Ponga (Newcastle Knights) - 18 votes
7. Dylan Edwards (Penrith Panthers) - 16 votes
7. Jahrome Hughes (Melbourne Storm) - 16 votes
9. Viliame Kikau (Canterbury Bulldogs) - 15 votes
9. Kyle Feldt (North Queensland Cowboys) - 15 votes

Leaderboard correct as at September 18.
Head to Zero Tackle's NRL finals hub for the full leaderboard
.

Published by
Scott Pryde