The Penrith Panthers continue to dominate the start of the 2026 NRL season, and it's carrying over to Zero Tackle's MVP in a big way.

After five rounds, Nathan Cleary stands alone at the top of the three, with his 17 votes against the Melbourne Storm on Friday propelling him to a total of 65 from five games.

The star replaces Tanah Boyd at the top of affairs, with the Warriors halfback not in the lead (or equal lead) for the first time this season. He failed to score for a second straight week as the Warriors fell to the Sharks.

Dylan Edwarss and Thomas Jenkins, who both polled agains the Storm, have moved into second and third spot respectively, while North Queensland Cowboys fullback Scott Drinkwater had his third strong week on the bounce to sit in fourth spot.

It was a round of mixed opinions, with no unanimously voted man of the match players selected. Instead, all of Haumole Olakau'atu, Tolutau Koula, Jye Gray, Tallis Duncan, Casey McLean, Dylan Edwards, Jaxon Purdue, Scott Drinkwater, Ezra Mam, Patrick Carrigan, Nicho Hynes, William Kennedy, Dane Gagai, Jacob Saifiti, Kai Pearce-Paul and Jock Madden were awarded five votes by at least one judge.

As a reminder of how this works, our panel, comprising Zero Tackle founder Matt Clements, journalist Leo Twemlow, and writer Dan Nichols, alongside myself as editor, will cast votes on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis from each game of the premiership season.

Here are the Round 5 votes.

 2026-04-02T09:00:00Z 
Sea Eagles WON BY 34 POINTS
Kayo Stadium
DOL   
18
FT
52
   MAN
   Crowd: 10,023
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Haumole Olakau'atu Haumole Olakau'atu Haumole Olakau'atu Tolutau Koula
4 Tolutau Koula Tolutau Koula Ben Trbojevic Ben Trbojevic
3 Ben Trbojevic Jamal Fogarty Tolutau Koula Haumole Olakau'atu
2 Lehi Hopoate Lehi Hopoate Lehi Hopoate Tom Trbojevic
1 Tom Trbojevic Ben Trbojevic Corey Waddell Lehi Hopoate

 

 2026-04-03T05:05:00Z 
Rabbitohs WON BY 8 POINTS
Accor Stadium
SOU   
32
FT
24
   CAN
   Crowd: 49,813
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Tallis Duncan Jye Gray Tallis Duncan Jye Gray
4 Jye Gray Tallis Duncan Jye Gray Cameron Murray
3 Keaon Koloamatangi Cameron Murray Keaon Koloamatangi Latrell Mitchell
2 Cameron Murray Jacob Preston Latrell Mitchell Alex Johnston
1 Enari Tuala Keaon Koloamatangi Cameron Murray Marcelo Montoya
 2026-04-03T09:00:00Z 
Panthers WON BY 40 POINTS
CommBank Stadium
PEN   
50
FT
10
   MEL
   Crowd: 20,204
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Dylan Edwards Casey McLean Nathan Cleary Nathan Cleary
4 Casey McLean Nathan Cleary Casey McLean Casey McLean
3 Nathan Cleary Isaah Yeo Dylan Edwards Thomas Jenkins
2 Thomas Jenkins Dylan Edwards Thomas Jenkins Isaah Yeo
1 Isaah Yeo Freddy Lussick Isaah Yeo Brian To'o

 

 2026-04-04T06:30:00Z 
Cowboys WON BY 32 POINTS
St George Venues Stadium
STI   
0
FT
32
   NQL
   Crowd: 8,491
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Jaxon Purdue Scott Drinkwater Jaxon Purdue Scott Drinkwater
4 Scott Drinkwater Jaxon Purdue Scott Drinkwater Jaxon Purdue
3 Tom Dearden Tom Dearden Tom Dearden Tom Dearden
2 Jake Clifford Jake Clifford Thomas Mikaele Braidon Burns
1 Heilum Luki Tom Chester Jake Clifford Thomas Mikaele

 

 2026-04-04T08:30:00Z 
Broncos WON BY 14 POINTS
Cbus Super Stadium
GLD   
12
FT
26
   BRI
    #NRLTitansBroncos
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Ezra Mam Ezra Mam Patrick Carrigan Ezra Mam
4 Patrick Carrigan Patrick Carrigan Ezra Mam Kotoni Staggs
3 Kotoni Staggs Tino Fa'asuamaleaui Kotoni Staggs Patrick Carrigan
2 Xavier Willison Jesse Arthars Tino Fa'asuamaleaui Reece Walsh
1 Beau Fermor Kotoni Staggs Reece Walsh Jayden Campbell

 

 2026-04-05T04:00:00Z 
Sharks WON BY 14 POINTS
Ocean Protect Stadium
CRO   
36
FT
22
   NZW
   Crowd: 13,112
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Nicho Hynes Nicho Hynes Nicho Hynes William Kennedy
4 William Kennedy William Kennedy William Kennedy Nicho Hynes
3 Sione Katoa KL Iro KL Iro KL Iro
2 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak Sione Katoa Dallin Watene-Zelezniak Braydon Trindall
1 KL Iro Blayke Brailey Sione Katoa Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
 2026-04-05T06:05:00Z 
Knights WON BY 20 POINTS
McDonald Jones
NEW   
32
FT
12
   CBR
   Crowd: 23,002
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Dane Gagai Dane Gagai Jacob Saifiti Dane Gagai
4 Greg Marzhew Jacob Saifiti Dane Gagai Jacob Saifiti
3 Dominic Young Dominic Young Sandon Smith Fletcher Hunt
2 Jacob Saifiti Fletcher Hunt Greg Marzhew Greg Marzhew
1 Dylan Lucas Sandon Smith Fletcher Hunt Dominic Young

 

 2026-04-06T06:05:00Z 
Wests Tigers WON BY 2 POINTS
CommBank Stadium
PAR   
20
FT
22
   WST
   Crowd: 29,397
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Kai Pearce-Paul Jock Madden Jock Madden Jock Madden
4 Alex Twal Kai Pearce-Paul Kai Pearce-Paul Kai Pearce-Paul
3 Jahream Bula Alex Twal Jahream Bula Adam Doueihi
2 Jack Williams Mitchell Moses Adam Doueihi Samuela Fainu
1 Te Hurinui Twidle Jahream Bula Bailey Simonsson Jahream Bula

Top Ten

 

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