NSW v QLD - State of Origin Game 2
PERTH, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 26: James Tedesco of the Blues is tackled by Kurt Capewell of the Maroons during game two of the State of Origin series between New South Wales Blues and Queensland Maroons at Optus Stadium on June 26, 2022 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

James Tedesco has been crowned the runaway Zero Tackle State of Origin MVP champion, polling votes in all three games of the series.

Despite the Blues falling to a series loss last night in Brisbane, Tedesco was the Blues' best player yet again, as he was in Game 1 and 2.

Polling nine votes in Game 1 and another 17 in Game 2, Tedesco already held a lead that was going to be hard to catch and left most players already out of mathematical range to do so in Game 3.

Tedesco's ten votes, as well as Cameron Munster's absence due to coronavirus, put the decision beyond doubt, with Tedesco taking the crown.

Kalyn Ponga shot up the leaderboard with 19 out of a possible 20 votes in the decider, going from zero to equal second place at the end of the series alongside Munster, Nathan Cleary (who scored all his votes in Game 2) and Patrick Carrigan, who added seven votes to his 12 scored in Game 2.

Ponga, who was voted man of the match officially, had a superb game for the Maroons in the 22 points to 12 win, breaking double digit tackles and scoring a try while he also had almost 300 metres to his name by the time it was all said and done.

Ben Hunt was another big vote winner in the decider, scoring a total of 12 to move himself into the top ten, where he sits equal on 12 votes with Matt Burton, Valentine Holmes and Daly Cherry-Evans.

The top ten is completed by Brian To'o, who scored eight votes in Game 2, while a total of 17 players registered at least one vote across the course of the series, with Jacob Saifiti and Reuben Cotter the only two players outside of the top ten to register more than a single vote throughout the series.

Here are all the Game 3 votes from our panel, as well as the final leaderboard in full.

Game 3 votes

Matt Clements Scott Pryde Dan Nichols Jack Blyth
5 Ben Hunt Kalyn Ponga Kalyn Ponga Kalyn Ponga
4 Kalyn Ponga Patrick Carrigan Daly Cherry-Evans James Tedesco
3 Patrick Carrigan Ben Hunt James Tedesco Daly Cherry-Evans
2 Daly Cherry-Evans James Tedesco Ben Hunt Ben Hunt
1 James Tedesco Daly Cherry-Evans Jacob Saifiti Jacob Saifiti

Final leaderboard

Rank Player State Votes
1 James Tedesco NSW 36
2 Cameron Munster QLD 19
2 Nathan Cleary NSW 19
2 Patrick Carrigan QLD 19
2 Kalyn Ponga QLD 19
6 Matt Burton NSW 12
6 Valentine Holmes QLD 12
6 Daly Cherry-Evans QLD 12
6 Ben Hunt QLD 12
10 Brian To'o NSW 8
11 Reuben Cotter QLD 5
12 Jacob Saifiti NSW 2
13 Daniel Tupou NSW 1
13 Jack Wighton NSW 1
13 Jake Trbojevic NSW 1
13 Jarome Luai NSW 1
13 Junior Paulo NSW 1