The votes for Round 27 in Zero Tackle's NRL MVP race have been tallied, and we can now announce the top ten from the 2024 NRL season.
To remind you of the state of play, James Tedesco held a two-vote lead ahead of Jahrome Hughes heading into the final round, while Scott Drinkwater also a mathematical chance of picking up top spot, but would need a lot to go right.
Tom Trbojevic was locked into fourth spot, while there was a logjam at the bottom of the top ten with Isaah Yeo, Jacob kiraz, Sam Walker, Dylan Edwards, Daly Cherry-Evans and Addin Fonua-Blake rounding out the top ten, but all within 20 votes of each other, with Ben Hunt, Patrick Carrigan and Clint Gutherson all close behind.
To remind you how this has worked all season, each week, our panel - made up of Matt Clements (Zero Tackle founder), Dan Nichols, Ethan Lee Chalk (Zero Tackle writers) and myself as editor will cast votes on each game in a 5-4-3-2-1 scoring system.
The best player on-field receives five votes, the next four, and so on. That means a player could realistically gain 20 votes in a single game.
10th place
Daly Cherry-Evans (Manly Sea Eagles)
Games played: 22 games
Total votes: 141 votes
Cherry-Evans - easily Manly's most important player in their run back to the finals - picked up 18 votes in the first round, and had 74 votes in the bag by the end of Round 8.
A slow middle and end of the season cost the veteran halfback, although he managed strong vote tallies in Round 15, Round 18 and Round 24.
9th place
Sam Walker (Sydney Roosters)
Games played: 21 games
Total votes: 148 votes
Walker, unlike Cherry-Evans, had a slow start to the season, and was only on 18 votes at the end of Round 7. A perfect game in Round 8 kick started his season with another six games in double digit votes through to the end of Round 22.
He failed to record a vote thereafter, dropping a number of spots down the final leaderboard.
8th place
Kalyn Ponga
Games played: 15
Total votes: 149
Another exceptional season for Ponga. One of the competition's most important players. Basically, if the Knights win with him on the field, he almost always features in the votes. Despite playing only 15 games, he makes the top ten again.
7th place
Jacob Kiraz
Games played: 24
Total votes: 151
A breakout season for Kiraz in the outside backs at Canterbury. Superb performances all the way along in a successful season for the blue and white, with the outside back winding up in seventh spot at the end of the season, despite no unanimous man of the match performances.
6th place
Isaah Yeo
Games played: 22
Total votes: 156
The first of two Panthers in the top ten, Yeo has put together another convincing season as one of the best lock forwards in the game.
Has had some slow stretches during the season, but polled 72 votes over the final seven rounds.
5th place
Dylan Edwards
Games played: 17
Total votes: 160
A New South Wales State of Origin debut headlined the 2024 season for Edwards. Without his injury, he may well have been further up this leaderboard too, only polling twice after Round 15.
His start to the season was exceptional, going on a run between Round 7 and Round 12 where he picked up 14 or more votes in five out of six games.
4th place
Tom Trbojevic
Games played: 18
Total votes: 197 votes
Trbojevic managed to get through 18 games this year, and averaged almost 11 votes per contest. Manly's most important player with a staggering 34 try involvements, the fullback was in the mix for the win at one point before a mid-season injury crueled him.
3rd place
Scott Drinkwater
Games played: 24
Total votes: 237 votes
Back-to-back years of third place finishes in Zero Tackle's NRL MVP for Drinkwater. He finishes 30 votes behind second place, but on the back of another consistent season, it'll be a case of whether he can break through in the coming years or not.
2nd place
Jahrome Hughes
Games played: 20
Total votes: 267 votes
Being rested in a Round 26 game against the Cowboys has likely cost Hughes the overall crown. A stunning season for the New Zealander, racking up 34 try involvements with eight unanimous man of the match performances.
1st place
James Tedesco
Games played: 22
Total votes: 269
Could it have been anyone else? Tedesco has been on song all year in the NRL's best attacking outfit. A clear message to the doubters, Tedesco has polled regularly all season, putting on performance after performance for the finals-bound Roosters.
Round 27 votes
All votes to be revealed at 3pm (AEST)
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Jahrome Hughes | Jahrome Hughes | Jahrome Hughes | Jahrome Hughes |
| 4 | Will Warbrick | Will Warbrick | Will Warbrick | Will Warbrick |
| 3 | Harry Grant | Harry Grant | Sua Fa'alogo | Sua Fa'alogo |
| 2 | Sua Fa'alogo | Eliesa Katoa | Harry Grant | Eliesa Katoa |
| 1 | Eliesa Katoa | Sua Fa'alogo | Eliesa Katoa | Harry Grant |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Will Penisini | Will Penisini | Will Penisini | Will Penisini |
| 4 | Reagan Campbell-Gillard | Bryce Cartwright | Bryce Cartwright | Bryce Cartwright |
| 3 | Maika Sivo | Kelma Tuilagi | Daejarn Asi | Daejarn Asi |
| 2 | Bryce Cartwright | Reagan Campbell-Gillard | Kelma Tuilagi | Maika Sivo |
| 1 | Kelma Tuilagi | Maika Sivo | Reagan Campbell-Gillard | Reagan Campbell-Gillard |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | James Tedesco | James Tedesco | James Tedesco | James Tedesco |
| 4 | Angus Crichton | Angus Crichton | Angus Crichton | Luke Keary |
| 3 | Terrell May | Cody Walker | Luke Keary | Angus Crichton |
| 2 | Connor Watson | Luke Keary | Cody Walker | Cody Walker |
| 1 | Junior Pauga | Connor Watson | Connor Watson | Sitili Tupouniua |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Hudson Young | Hudson Young | Hudson Young | Hudson Young |
| 4 | Jacob Liddle | Jacob Liddle | Jacob Liddle | Jacob Liddle |
| 3 | Albert Hopoate | Albert Hopoate | Albert Hopoate | Jamal Fogarty |
| 2 | Matthew Timoko | Moses Suli | Matthew Timoko | Albert Hopoate |
| 1 | Corey Horsburgh | Corey Horsburgh | Jack de Belin | Corey Horsburgh |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Heilum Luki | Tom Dearden | Heilum Luki | Heilum Luki |
| 4 | Tom Dearden | Heilum Luki | Murray Taulagi | Tom Dearden |
| 3 | Kyle Feldt | Murray Taulagi | Tom Dearden | Kyle Feldt |
| 2 | Scott Drinkwater | Kyle Feldt | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater |
| 1 | Murray Taulagi | Scott Drinkwater | Kyle Feldt | Viliami Vailea |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Dylan Edwards | Lindsay Smith | Dylan Edwards | Dylan Edwards |
| 4 | Lindsay Smith | Dylan Edwards | Jayden Campbell | Brian To'o |
| 3 | Brian To'o | Jayden Campbell | Lindsay Smith | Lindsay Smith |
| 2 | Jayden Campbell | Brian To'o | Brian To'o | Jayden Campbell |
| 1 | Isaah Yeo | Alofiana Khan-Pereira | Beau Fermor | Beau Fermor |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Briton Nikora | Briton Nikora | Briton Nikora | Briton Nikora |
| 4 | Teig Wilton | Teig Wilton | Teig Wilton | Teig Wilton |
| 3 | Braydon Trindall | Braydon Trindall | Braydon Trindall | Braydon Trindall |
| 2 | Ronaldo Mulitalo | Thomas Hazelton | Tolutau Koula | Ronaldo Mulitalo |
| 1 | Thomas Hazelton | Kayal Iro | Thomas Hazelton | Kayal Iro |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Kalyn Ponga | Kalyn Ponga | Kalyn Ponga | Kalyn Ponga |
| 4 | Herbie Farnworth | Herbie Farnworth | Greg Marzhew | Trai Fuller |
| 3 | Adam Elliott | Adam Elliott | Herbie Farnworth | Greg Marzhew |
| 2 | Trai Fuller | Dylan Lucas | Adam Elliott | Herbie Farnworth |
| 1 | Greg Marzhew | Trai Fuller | Trai Fuller | Daniel Saifiti |
