The last of the major bye weeks is behind us, but five games played over the weekend were enough to hand another shake up to Zero Tackle's NRL MVP standings.
At the very top, James Tedesco was only able to score five votes for the Sydney Roosters, but Terrell May managed 17 to strengthen his grip on second spot and move to within 11 votes of the top.
Connor Tracey's 10 votes was enough to move him into fourth spot on the standsings, with the Bulldogs fullback continuing to churn out consistent performances.
Scott Drinkwater was the other major mover, shuffling into the top ten on the back of a 15-vote display.
Further down the pecking order, Kaeo Weekes managed his second perfect game in a row and now sits just outside the top 20 ahead of a potential second half of the year push.
The Canberra fullback was joined by Brisbane five-eighth Ezra Mam, and Manly now centre Tom Trbojevic as the unanimous best on ground players for the weekend, while the other games were split, with Nick Meaney and Eliesa Katoa being named by at least one judge for the Melbourne Storm, and all of Naufahu Whyte, Terrell May and Latu Fainu being named in the Roosters loss to the Wests Tigers.
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 18.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Ezra Mam | Ezra Mam | Ezra Mam | Ezra Mam |
| 4 | Xavier Willison | Xavier Willison | Xavier Willison | Xavier Willison |
| 3 | Viliame Kikau | Connor Tracey | Connor Tracey | Billy Walters |
| 2 | Connor Tracey | Billy Walters | Kotoni Staggs | Connor Tracey |
| 1 | Kobe Hetherington | Matt Burton | Bronson Xerri | Josiah Karapani |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Kaeo Weekes | Kaeo Weekes | Kaeo Weekes | Kaeo Weekes |
| 4 | Matthew Timoko | Tyrell Sloan | Matthew Timoko | Matthew Timoko |
| 3 | Tyrell Sloan | Matthew Timoko | Tyrell Sloan | Tyrell Sloan |
| 2 | Moses Suli | Corey Horsburgh | Moses Suli | Moses Suli |
| 1 | Jaydn Su'A | Moses Suli | Corey Horsburgh | Zac Hosking |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Nick Meaney | Eliesa Katoa | Nick Meaney | Nick Meaney |
| 4 | Scott Drinkwater | Nick Meaney | Scott Drinkwater | Scott Drinkwater |
| 3 | Shawn Blore | Scott Drinkwater | Shawn Blore | Shawn Blore |
| 2 | Thomas Mikaele | Shawn Blore | Jaxon Purdue | Eliesa Katoa |
| 1 | Eliesa Katoa | Thomas Mikaele | Bronson Garlick | Thomas Mikaele |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Naufahu Whyte | Naufahu Whyte | Terrell May | Latu Fainu |
| 4 | Terrell May | Terrell May | Naufahu Whyte | Terrell May |
| 3 | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Latu Fainu | Sunia Turuva | Naufahu Whyte |
| 2 | James Tedesco | Mark Nawaqanitawase | James Tedesco | Tristan Hope |
| 1 | Latu Fainu | James Tedesco | Latu Fainu | Mark Nawaqanitawase |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic |
| 4 | Tallis Duncan | Tallis Duncan | Reuben Garrick | Tallis Duncan |
| 3 | Reuben Garrick | Reuben Garrick | Tolutau Koula | Reuben Garrick |
| 2 | Tolutau Koula | Daly Cherry-Evans | Tallis Duncan | Keaon Koloamatangi |
| 1 | Keaon Koloamatangi | Alex Johnston | Keaon Koloamatangi | Tolutau Koula |
Top Ten
| PLAYER | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Tedesco |
5 | 182 |
| 2 | Terrell May |
17 | 171 |
| 3 | Herbie Farnworth |
0 | 147 |
| 4 | Connor Tracey |
10 | 125 |
| 5 | Payne Haas |
0 | 124 |
| 5 | Isaiya Katoa |
0 | 124 |
| 7 | Keaon Koloamatangi |
4 | 121 |
| 8 | Hudson Young |
0 | 115 |
| 9 | Scott Drinkwater |
15 | 106 |
| 10 | Clinton Gutherson |
0 | 103 |
