North Queensland Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater has used a perfect game to surge into the top five of Zero Tackle's NRL MVP at the end of Round 25.
The star was one of six players to claim a perfect 20 votes during Round 25, and while it strengthens his position, it doesn't do anything to change the fact James Tedesco is the likely winner.
He didn't register a vote in Round 25, but the only other player who could knock him out of top spot Terrell May didn't either, meaning the 25-vote gap between the pair remains.
With just two games to play, Tedesco only needs to register 16 more votes in total to ensure he will take out our MVP for the second year in a row.
Despite being injured, Herbie Farnworth remains in third spot, while Drinkwater is joined by Payne Haas (who scored 16 votes) in moving into the top five.
Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Joseph Tapine are the other players who have moved into the top 10, with the Warriors' star winger managing 100 votes over his last seven games.
Tuivasa-Sheck and Drinkwater were joined by Jye Gray, Ethan Strange, Tom Trbojevic and Reece Walsh as the perfect 20-vote getters during Round 25, while the other two games saw Viliame Kikau and Cameron Munster split votes as Melbourne beat the Bulldogs. Josh Addo-Carr and Mark Nawaqanitawase were named to the top spot as the Eels upset the Roosters.
During every round of the 2025 NRL season, 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 season, with results to be published each week here on Zero Tackle.
Without any further ado, here are the votes from Round 25.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Jye Gray | Jye Gray | Jye Gray | Jye Gray |
| 4 | Tallis Duncan | Tallis Duncan | Tallis Duncan | Tallis Duncan |
| 3 | Thomas Fletcher | Keaon Koloamatangi | Keaon Koloamatangi | Keaon Koloamatangi |
| 2 | Keaon Koloamatangi | Cody Walker | Thomas Fletcher | Thomas Fletcher |
| 1 | Jai Arrow | Jai Arrow | Cody Walker | Ashton Ward |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Ethan Strange | Ethan Strange | Ethan Strange | Ethan Strange |
| 4 | Kaeo Weekes | Kaeo Weekes | Kaeo Weekes | Kaeo Weekes |
| 3 | Joseph Tapine | Joseph Tapine | Hudson Young | Joseph Tapine |
| 2 | Brian To'o | Hudson Young | Brian To'o | Brian To'o |
| 1 | Corey Horsburgh | Brian To'o | Joseph Tapine | Hudson Young |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Viliame Kikau | Cameron Munster | Cameron Munster | Cameron Munster |
| 4 | Cameron Munster | Eliesa Katoa | Viliame Kikau | Viliame Kikau |
| 3 | Eliesa Katoa | Viliame Kikau | Eliesa Katoa | Connor Tracey |
| 2 | Connor Tracey | Connor Tracey | Connor Tracey | Eliesa Katoa |
| 1 | Stefano Utoikamanu | Stefano Utoikamanu | Stefano Utoikamanu | Stefano Utoikamanu |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic |
| 4 | Lehi Hopoate | Daly Cherry-Evans | Daly Cherry-Evans | Daly Cherry-Evans |
| 3 | Daly Cherry-Evans | Tolutau Koula | Lehi Hopoate | Lehi Hopoate |
| 2 | Tolutau Koula | Ben Trbojevic | Tolutau Koula | Ben Trbojevic |
| 1 | Ben Trbojevic | Lehi Hopoate | Luke Brooks | Tolutau Koula |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Josh Addo-Carr | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | Josh Addo-Carr |
| 4 | Josh Addo-Carr | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Chanel Harris-Tavita | Mark Nawaqanitawase |
| 3 | J'maine Hopgood | J'maine Hopgood | Tino Fa'asuamaleaui | Jack Williams |
| 2 | Jack Williams | Jordan Samrani | Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad | J'maine Hopgood |
| 1 | Jordan Samrani | Mitchell Moses | AJ Brimson | Dylan Brown |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Reece Walsh | Reece Walsh | Reece Walsh | Reece Walsh |
| 4 | Payne Haas | Payne Haas | Payne Haas | Payne Haas |
| 3 | Deine Mariner | Deine Mariner | Deine Mariner | Deine Mariner |
| 2 | Josiah Karapani | Gehamat Shibasaki | Gehamat Shibasaki | Gehamat Shibasaki |
| 1 | Gehamat Shibasaki | Josiah Karapani | Josiah Karapani | Josiah Karapani |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater |
| 4 | Taylan May | Taylan May | Taylan May | Taylan May |
| 3 | Braidon Burns | Braidon Burns | Jason Taumalolo | Braidon Burns |
| 2 | Jarome Luai | Jason Taumalolo | Jahream Bula | Jahream Bula |
| 1 | Jahream Bula | Jahream Bula | Braidon Burns | Jarome Luai |
Top Ten
| RANK | PLAYER | LAST ROUND | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Tedesco |
0 | 231 |
| 2 | Terrell May |
0 | 206 |
| 3 | Herbie Farnworth |
0 | 169 |
| 4 | Scott Drinkwater |
20 | 158 |
| 5 | Payne Haas |
16 | 156 |
| 6 | Connor Tracey |
9 | 150 |
| 7 | Addin Fonua-Blake |
0 | 146 |
| 8 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck |
20 | 143 |
| 9 | Joseph Tapine |
10 | 141 |
| 10 | Clinton Gutherson |
0 | 140 |
