It has been confirmed that Sydney Roosters star fullback James Tedesco will take out Zero Tackle's NRL MVP for the second year in a row after polling 15 votes during Round 26.
Tedesco already had a lead which was close to unassailable ahead of Round 26, but his 15 votes in the Roosters' shock win over the Melbourne Storm in the Victorian capital, while Terrell May didn't poll a point for the Wests Tigers against the Canberra Raiders, has ended the race.
The champion fullback has been a picture of consistency for the Roosters, winning the top spot this year by the length of the straight after beating Melbourne Storm star Jahrome Hughes by just two votes last year.
Tedesco also won the award in 2022, and was fifth in 2021, while finishing ninth in 2023.
May had the lead earlier this season, but has registered just 35 votes since Round 19, with his form declining at the back end of the year.
He has enough votes to have locked up second spot, with Payne Haas now jumping Herbie Farnworth for third spot after locking up 16 votes, and Joseph Tapine jumping into fifth with 18 votes.
It was a week of predominantly unanimous MVPs, with Jacob Preston, Isaiah Iongi, Mark Nawaqanitawase, Daly Cherry-Evans, Reece Walsh and Trai Fuller all earning a perfect 20, while Joseph Tapine, Jamal Fogarty, William Kennedy and Ronaldo Mulitalo were also named best on ground by at least one judge.
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 26.
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Jacob Preston | Jacob Preston | Jacob Preston | Jacob Preston |
| 4 | Sitili Tupouniua | Daine Laurie | Lachlan Galvin | Daine Laurie |
| 3 | Lachlan Galvin | Sitili Tupouniua | Stephen Crichton | Sitili Tupouniua |
| 2 | Matt Burton | Stephen Crichton | Sitili Tupouniua | Lachlan Galvin |
| 1 | Jacob Kiraz | Jacob Kiraz | Samuel Hughes | Jacob Kiraz |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Isaiah Iongi | Isaiah Iongi | Isaiah Iongi | Isaiah Iongi |
| 4 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | J'maine Hopgood | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck |
| 3 | J'maine Hopgood | Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad | Chanel Harris-Tavita | Zac Lomax |
| 2 | Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck | Jack Williams | Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad |
| 1 | Jack Williams | Zac Lomax | James Fisher-Harris | Josh Addo-Carr |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Mark Nawaqanitawase | Mark Nawaqanitawase |
| 4 | James Tedesco | Robert Toia | James Tedesco | James Tedesco |
| 3 | Robert Toia | James Tedesco | Robert Toia | Robert Toia |
| 2 | Victor Radley | Victor Radley | Victor Radley | Siua Wong |
| 1 | Siua Wong | Hugo Savala | Hugo Savala | Victor Radley |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Joseph Tapine | Jamal Fogarty | Jamal Fogarty | Joseph Tapine |
| 4 | Jamal Fogarty | Joseph Tapine | Joseph Tapine | Jamal Fogarty |
| 3 | Hudson Young | Corey Horsburgh | Corey Horsburgh | Hudson Young |
| 2 | Corey Horsburgh | Ethan Strange | Hudson Young | Corey Horsburgh |
| 1 | Ethan Strange | Hudson Young | Josh Papalii | Jarome Luai |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Daly Cherry-Evans | Daly Cherry-Evans | Daly Cherry-Evans | Daly Cherry-Evans |
| 4 | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic | Tom Trbojevic |
| 3 | Corey Waddell | Christian Tuipulotu | Corey Waddell | Corey Waddell |
| 2 | Christian Tuipulotu | Corey Waddell | Christian Tuipulotu | Christian Tuipulotu |
| 1 | Tommy Talau | Tolutau Koula | Tolutau Koula | Siosiua Taukeiaho |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Reece Walsh | Reece Walsh | Reece Walsh | Reece Walsh |
| 4 | Payne Haas | Payne Haas | Payne Haas | Payne Haas |
| 3 | Gehamat Shibasaki | Jason Taumalolo | Jason Taumalolo | Gehamat Shibasaki |
| 2 | Jason Taumalolo | Gehamat Shibasaki | Gehamat Shibasaki | Josiah Karapani |
| 1 | Josiah Karapani | Josiah Karapani | Deine Mariner | Jason Taumalolo |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Ronaldo Mulitalo | William Kennedy | William Kennedy | William Kennedy |
| 4 | William Kennedy | Thomas Hazelton | Ronaldo Mulitalo | Ronaldo Mulitalo |
| 3 | Addin Fonua-Blake | Ronaldo Mulitalo | Thomas Hazelton | Addin Fonua-Blake |
| 2 | Billy Burns | Siosifa Talakai | Siosifa Talakai | Billy Burns |
| 1 | Bradman Best | Nicho Hynes | Nicho Hynes | Siosifa Talakai |
| Matt Clements | Scott Pryde | Dan Nichols | Ethan Lee Chalk | |
| 5 | Kodi Nikorima | Trai Fuller | Trai Fuller | Trai Fuller |
| 4 | Trai Fuller | Kurt Donoghoe | Kodi Nikorima | Kodi Nikorima |
| 3 | Tevita Naufahu | Kodi Nikorima | Tevita Naufahu | Tevita Naufahu |
| 2 | Tino Fa'asuamaleaui | Tino Fa'asuamaleaui | Tino Fa'asuamaleaui | Tino Fa'asuamaleaui |
| 1 | Kurt Donoghoe | Tevita Naufahu | Kurt Donoghoe | Kurt Donoghoe |
Top Ten
| RANK | PLAYER | LAST ROUND | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Tedesco |
15 | 246 |
| 2 | Terrell May |
0 | 206 |
| 3 | Payne Haas |
16 | 172 |
| 4 | Herbie Farnworth |
0 | 169 |
| 5 | Joseph Tapine |
18 | 159 |
| 6 | Scott Drinkwater |
0 | 158 |
| 7 | Roger Tuivasa-Sheck |
14 | 157 |
| 8 | Addin Fonua-Blake |
6 | 152 |
| 9 | Connor Tracey |
0 | 150 |
| 10 | Reece Walsh |
20 | 148 |
