Penrith Panthers star Dylan Edwards has closed to within a single vote of the lead in Zero Tackle's NRL MVP after putting in a stellar performance during a victory over the Dragons at Magic Round.
Edwards polled 18 votes for the men from the foot of the mountains, 12 more than teammate Nathan Cleary to move to within a single vote.
Cleary still holds the lead after managing to poll 6.
Behind them, James Tedesco, Scott Drinkwater, Jackson Ford and Latrell Mitchell all failed to poll, so the gap to the top has opened up, while Haumole Olakau'atu has moved into seventh spot by grabbing a perfect 20 votes.
He was joined by five others as a unanimously voted MVP over the weekend, with Herbie Farnworth, Jake Clifford, Cameron Munster, Dane Gagai and Erin Clark all earning a perfect 20, while in the other games, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Nicho Hynes, William Kennedy, Dylan Edwards and Brian To'o were voted top of the charts 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 11 votes.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Leo Twemlow | |
| 5 | Ronaldo Mulitalo | Nicho Hynes | Ronaldo Mulitalo | William Kennedy |
| 4 | Nicho Hynes | William Kennedy | William Kennedy | Ronaldo Mulitalo |
| 3 | Braydon Trindall | Ronaldo Mulitalo | Jesse Colquhoun | Nicho Hynes |
| 2 | William Kennedy | Braydon Trindall | Hohepa Puru | Hohepa Puru |
| 1 | Addin Fonua-Blake | Addin Fonua-Blake | Braydon Trindall | Addin Fonua-Blake |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Leo Twemlow | |
| 5 | Herbie Farnworth | Herbie Farnworth | Herbie Farnworth | Herbie Farnworth |
| 4 | Max Plath | Jack Bostock | Jack Bostock | Jack Bostock |
| 3 | Selwyn Cobbo | Max Plath | Max Plath | Max Plath |
| 2 | Tallis Duncan | Tallis Duncan | Tallis Duncan | Tallis Duncan |
| 1 | Jack Bostock | Kodi Nikorima | Kodi Nikorima | Kodi Nikorima |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Leo Twemlow | |
| 5 | Haumole Olakau'atu | Haumole Olakau'atu | Haumole Olakau'atu | Haumole Olakau'atu |
| 4 | Clayton Faulalo | Clayton Faulalo | Clayton Faulalo | Clayton Faulalo |
| 3 | Jason Saab | Jason Saab | Luke Brooks | Jason Saab |
| 2 | Lehi Hopoate | Taniela Paseka | Jason Saab | Luke Brooks |
| 1 | Taniela Paseka | Ben Trbojevic | Taniela Paseka | Lehi Hopoate |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Leo Twemlow | |
| 5 | Jake Clifford | Jake Clifford | Jake Clifford | Jake Clifford |
| 4 | Naufahu Whyte | Tom Chester | Naufahu Whyte | Tom Chester |
| 3 | Tom Chester | Naufahu Whyte | Tom Chester | Naufahu Whyte |
| 2 | Braidon Burns | Reed Mahoney | Reuben Cotter | Reuben Cotter |
| 1 | Reuben Cotter | Braidon Burns | Braidon Burns | Braidon Burns |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Leo Twemlow | |
| 5 | Cameron Munster | Cameron Munster | Cameron Munster | Cameron Munster |
| 4 | Harry Grant | Harry Grant | Harry Grant | Harry Grant |
| 3 | Jack Howarth | Jack Howarth | Jack Howarth | Jack Howarth |
| 2 | Cooper Clarke | Ativalu Lisati | Ativalu Lisati | Ativalu Lisati |
| 1 | Jahrome Hughes | Cooper Clarke | Cooper Clarke | Cooper Clarke |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Leo Twemlow | |
| 5 | Dane Gagai | Dane Gagai | Dane Gagai | Dane Gagai |
| 4 | Sandon Smith | Kalyn Ponga | Kalyn Ponga | Kalyn Ponga |
| 3 | Dominic Young | Trey Mooney | Greg Marzhew | Dominic Young |
| 2 | Kalyn Ponga | Dylan Lucas | Sandon Smith | Sandon Smith |
| 1 | Dylan Lucas | Dominic Young | Dominic Young | Dylan Lucas |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Leo Twemlow | |
| 5 | Erin Clark | Erin Clark | Erin Clark | Erin Clark |
| 4 | Dallin Watene-Zelezniak | James Fisher-Harris | Wayde Egan | Wayde Egan |
| 3 | Te Maire Martin | Wayde Egan | James Fisher-Harris | James Fisher-Harris |
| 2 | Wayde Egan | Te Maire Martin | Te Maire Martin | Te Maire Martin |
| 1 | James Fisher-Harris | Mitchell Barnett | Leka Halasima | Leka Halasima |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Leo Twemlow | |
| 5 | Dylan Edwards | Dylan Edwards | Brian To'o | Dylan Edwards |
| 4 | Brian To'o | Moses Leota | Moses Leota | Brian To'o |
| 3 | Nathan Cleary | Brian To'o | Dylan Edwards | Nathan Cleary |
| 2 | Thomas Jenkins | Toby Couchman | Isaiah Papali'i | Moses Leota |
| 1 | Moses Leota | Isaiah Papali'i | Toby Couchman | Damien Cook |
Top ten
| RANK | PLAYER | LAST ROUND | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan Cleary |
6 | 126 |
| 2 | Dylan Edwards |
18 | 125 |
| 3 | James Tedesco |
0 | 117 |
| 4 | Scott Drinkwater |
0 | 113 |
| 5 | Jackson Ford |
0 | 107 |
| 6 | Latrell Mitchell |
0 | 100 |
| 7 | Haumole Olakau'atu |
20 | 97 |
| 8 | Tolutau Koula |
0 | 90 |
| 9 | Herbie Farnworth |
20 | 78 |
| 9 | Nicho Hynes |
12 | 78 |
