New Zealand Warriors halfback Tanah Boyd has stamped his authority as the best player in the game over the opening fortnight of the season, claiming the early lead in Zero Tackle's NRL MVP.

After claiming maximum votes in Round 1, Boyd backed it up in Round 2 by playing a starring role in the Warriors' home win over the Canberra Raiders, with Andrew Webster's side getting off to a flying start despite not having Luke Metcalf available.

Round 2 saw an even mix of unanimous man of the match performances and split decisions.

Jonah Pezet for the Eels, Jarome Luai for the Tigers, Sua Fa'alogo for the Storm and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow for the Dolphins were the easy decisions for our four-person judging panel.

In the other games, Boyd, Leka Halasima, Naufahu Whyte, James Tedesco, David Fifita, Dylan Edwards, Blaize Talagi, Nathan Cleary, Bradman Best and Sandon Smith were all rated as best on ground by at least one judge.

The big scores for Dylan Edwards and Harry Grant mean they round out the top three at the end of a fortnight, while Sua Fa'alogo's perfect 20 has him knocking on the door.

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 2 votes.

 2026-03-12T09:00:00Z 
Eels WON BY 8 POINTS
Suncorp Stadium
BRI   
32
FT
40
   PAR
   Crowd: 39,015
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Jonah Pezet Jonah Pezet Jonah Pezet Jonah Pezet
4 Reece Walsh Isaiah Iongi Isaiah Iongi Reece Walsh
3 Isaiah Iongi Reece Walsh Reece Walsh Kelma Tuilagi
2 Kelma Tuilagi Kelma Tuilagi Kelma Tuilagi Isaiah Iongi
1 Patrick Carrigan Payne Haas Payne Haas Payne Haas

 

 2026-03-13T07:00:00Z 
Warriors WON BY 34 POINTS
Go Media Stadium
NZW   
40
FT
6
   CBR
   Crowd: 23,067
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Leka Halasima Tanah Boyd Tanah Boyd Tanah Boyd
4 Erin Clark Roger Tuivasa-Sheck Leka Halasima Leka Halasima
3 Jackson Ford Jackson Ford Erin Clark Jackson Ford
2 Tanah Boyd Leka Halasima Roger Tuivasa-Sheck Erin Clark
1 Simi Sasagi Erin Clark Jackson Ford Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

 

 2026-03-13T09:00:00Z 
Roosters WON BY 8 POINTS
Allianz Stadium
SYD   
26
FT
18
   SOU
   Crowd: 41,424
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 David Fifita Naufahu Whyte Naufahu Whyte James Tedesco
4 Naufahu Whyte James Tedesco David Fifita Daly Cherry-Evans
3 Daniel Tupou David Fifita James Tedesco Naufahu Whyte
2 Keaon Koloamatangi Daly Cherry-Evans Keaon Koloamatangi David Fifita
1 James Tedesco Keaon Koloamatangi Lindsay Collins Latrell Mitchell

 

 2026-03-14T04:00:00Z 
Wests Tigers WON BY 28 POINTS
Leichhardt Oval
WST   
44
FT
16
   NQL
   Crowd: 17,367
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Jarome Luai Jarome Luai Jarome Luai Jarome Luai
4 Kai Pearce-Paul Luke Laulilii Kai Pearce-Paul Kai Pearce-Paul
3 Jeral Skelton Jeral Skelton Samuela Fainu Luke Laulilii
2 Samuela Fainu Kai Pearce-Paul Jeral Skelton Samuela Fainu
1 Luke Laulilii Samuela Fainu Luke Laulilii Jeral Skelton

 

 2026-03-14T06:30:00Z 
Storm WON BY 26 POINTS
WIN Stadium
STI   
20
FT
46
   MEL
   Crowd: 11,511
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Sua Fa'alogo Sua Fa'alogo Sua Fa'alogo Sua Fa'alogo
4 Stefano Utoikamanu Stefano Utoikamanu Harry Grant Harry Grant
3 Will Warbrick Harry Grant Will Warbrick Stefano Utoikamanu
2 Harry Grant Jaydn Su'A Daniel Atkinson Toby Couchman
1 Ativalu Lisati Clinton Gutherson Stefano Utoikamanu Clinton Gutherson

 

 2026-03-14T08:30:00Z 
Panthers WON BY 20 POINTS
Carrington Park
PEN   
26
FT
6
   CRO
   Crowd: 12,000
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Blaize Talagi Dylan Edwards Nathan Cleary Dylan Edwards
4 Brian To'o Nathan Cleary Blaize Talagi Nathan Cleary
3 Nathan Cleary Blaize Talagi Brian To'o Brian To'o
2 Dylan Edwards Brian To'o Dylan Edwards Thomas Jenkins
1 Thomas Jenkins Thomas Jenkins Thomas Jenkins William Kennedy

 

 2026-03-15T05:05:00Z 
Knights WON BY 20 POINTS
4 Pines Park
MAN   
16
FT
36
   NEW
   Crowd: 17,107
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Bradman Best Bradman Best Sandon Smith Sandon Smith
4 Dominic Young Sandon Smith Bradman Best Trey Mooney
3 Fletcher Hunt Dominic Young Dominic Young Dominic Young
2 Sandon Smith Dylan Lucas Tom Trbojevic Dylan Brown
1 Dylan Brown Dane Gagai Dylan Brown Dylan Lucas

 

 2026-03-15T07:15:00Z 
Dolphins WON BY 4 POINTS
Suncorp Stadium
DOL   
18
FT
14
   GLD
   Crowd: 16,073
MATCH CENTRE ▶︎   
  Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Leo Twemlow
5 Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
4 Kulikefu Finefeuiaki Keano Kini Kulikefu Finefeuiaki Kulikefu Finefeuiaki
3 Herbie Farnworth Kulikefu Finefeuiaki Keano Kini Kodi Nikorima
2 Keano Kini Herbie Farnworth Jake Averillo Herbie Farnworth
1 Tom Gilbert Siale Faeamani Phillip Sami Keano Kini

Top ten

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