Zero Tackle's NRL team of the year based on team of the week votes

Every week this year, Zero Tackle has ran a Team of the Week series, highlighting the best performances from every round.

Based on those nominations, we now present a team of the year. This may not show the most consistently performing team of the year, but it will show those players who had the most individually strong performances for the season.

To make this easier reading, we have removed all the players from each position with only one nomination.

In the event of a tie-breaker being needed, we have gone to our season-long MVP votes to confirm which player got the nod. In terms of selecting a bench, we have used one outside back, one half and two forwards as those players with the most votes not selected.

For every Team of the Week (composed each week by Jarryd Hackett), you can click here.

Fullback

Tom Trbojevic played 15 games in the regular season. He was named in our team of the week for ten of them. This position was never really in doubt.

It's a run of form the likes of which we have never seen before.

James Tedesco was next best, while only four fullbacks were named more than once.

Full nominations
Tom Trbojevic - 10 (Round 6, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 20, 22, 24, 25)
James Tedesco - 4 (Round 1, 2, 19, 23)
Latrell Mitchell - 2 (Round 5, 21)
Nicho Hynes - 2 (Round 12, 18)

Wingers

The best wingers in the competition have made the team, with Brian To'o receiving the equal highest number of nominations (ten alongside Trbojevic), and Josh Addo-Carr getting the nod.

The two Blues' Origin wingers were outstanding at representative level, and have been consistent forces for the Panthers and Storm respectively.

Reuben Garrick was the highest backline player without a spot (edging out Brett Morris on an MVP tie-breaker), so gets the nod for a bench spot.

Morris having five nominations without playing half the season is also an incredible accomplishment, just quietly.

Full nominations
Brian To'o - 10 (Round 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 18, 19, 25)
Josh Addo-Carr - 6 (Round 9, 10, 12, 16, 19, 23)
Reuben Garrick - 5 (Round 6, 15, 21, 22, 25)
Brett Morris - 5 (Round 1, 2, 4, 5, 8)
Alex Johnston - 4 (Round 12, 14, 17, 24)
Maika Sivo - 3 (Round 2, 7, 13)
Blake Ferguson - 2 (Round 3, 24)

Centres

Melbourne gets its first entry in the team of the year thanks to Justin Olam, who has had a barnstorming year on the edge for the Victorian outfit.

Matt Burton claims the other spot. He had five nominations at centre which puts him ahead of the rest anyway, but also had nominations in the halves.

The Bulldogs have found a seriously good player for 2022. The field dropped away quickly after the two leaders, but Dane Gagai and Bradman Best were the next two.

Full nominations
Justin Olam - 6 (Round 2, 4, 9, 18, 19, 21)
Matt Burton - 5 (Round 4, 6, 11, 15, 22)
Dane Gagai - 4 (Round 6, 12, 15, 24)
Bradman Best - 3 (Round 1, 2, 20)
Josh Morris - 2 (Round 1, 8)
Herbie Farnworth - 2 (Round 3, 25)
Zac Lomax - 2 (Round 3, 5)
Reimis Smith - 2 (Round 7, 8)
Adam Doueihi - 2 (Round 10, 13)
Waqa Blake - 2 (Round 14, 23)
Kotoni Staggs - 2 (Round 16, 20)
Brian Kelly - 2 (Round 18, 21)

Five-eighth

Cody Walker has maybe unsurprisingly won the race for five-eighth in convincing fashion. His seven nominations, sparked by a staggering amount of try assists has left him as one of the best halves in the competition.

He will be pivotal to the Rabbitohs' finals push, with Cameron Munster and, incredibly, Matt Burton tying for second.

Burton was named in half the games he played at five-eighth to the team of the week.

Full nominations
Cody Walker - 7 (Round 3, 4, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22)
Cameron Munster - 3 (Round 1, 6, 16)
Matt Burton - 3 (Round 13, 14, 21)
Jarome Luai - 2 (Round 2, 5)
Benji Marshall - 2 (Round 7, 10)
Adam Doueihi - 2 (Round 9, 18)
Anthony Milford - 2 (Round 23, 24)

Halfback

Only three halfbacks claimed more than one nomination to the team of the week, with a long, long list of individual entrants.

Nathan Cleary has taken it out despite not having a team of the week nomination since Round 11. Daly Cherry-Evans made a late charge, but couldn't fall over the line into the team. The Manly star will get a spot on the bench though as the highest-ranking half without a gig.

Jahrome Hughes was the only other halfback with more than one nomination.

Full nominations
Nathan Cleary - 5 (Round 1, 6, 9, 10, 11)
Daly Cherry-Evans - 4 (Round 14, 19, 22, 25)
Jahrome Hughes - 2 (Round 15, 18)

Props

Payne Haas was the standout prop this season, and maybe the only surprise is that he didn't feature more than he did. A superb finish to the season though saw him named five times in an eight-week period.

He is joined by James Fisher-Harris, who had four nominations in a row earlier in the season and edges out the fast-finishing Warriors' recruit Addin Fonua-Blake on MVP votes.

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and Daniel Saifiti weren't far away, while Thomas Burgess surprisingly also had three nominations.

Full nominations
Payne Haas - 6 (Round 8, 16, 18, 19, 20, 23)
James Fisher-Harris - 5 (Round 7, 8, 9, 10, 15) ** MVP rank 21 (114 votes)
Addin Fonua-Blake - 5 (Round 1, 3, 18, 21, 22) ** MVP rank 56 (66 votes)
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves - 4 (Round 5, 12, 14, 17)
Daniel Saifiti - 4 (Round 1, 12, 15, 21)
Thomas Burgess - 3 (Round 6, 19, 20)
Josh Papalii - 2 (Round 4, 14)
Reagan Campbell-Gillard - 2 (Round 3, 10)
Junior Paulo - 2 (Round 2 9)

Hookers

Melbourne's hookers have been named to the team of the week on 13 out of 25 times. Given they only played 24 games, the ratio is even better than it appears.

Harry Grant has edged out his teammate Brandon Smith, who makes it onto the bench. A strong start has Reed Mahoney in third spot for hookers, although it would have been intriguing to see if he could have muscled his way in without injuries late in the season.

Grant's season has been phenomenal, making seven appearances in 13 games. It's almost Tom Trbojevic levels, so no surprise he has snuck into the team.

Full nominations
Harry Grant - 7 (Round 5, 6, 8, 20, 21, 23, 25)
Brandon Smith - 6 (Round 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 22)
Reed Mahoney - 4 (Round 1, 2, 7, 18)
Damien Cook - 2 (Round 4, 19)
Jayden Brailey - 2 (Round 9, 10)

Second rowers

David Fifita might have been relegated to the bench for the Titans late in the season, but that doesn't stop him appearing in this team. He has been simply outstanding, even off the bench.

He is joined by Isaiah Papali'i, who is widely expected to be named second rower of the year when the Dally M Medal rolls around, despite barely being anything more than a depth signing early in the year.

The rest of the second row field isn't even close, with Papali'i doubling the next vote getters in Angus Crichton, Tyson Frizell, Sitili Tupouniua and boom youngster Haumole Olokau'atu.

Full nominations
David Fifita - 8 (Round 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 16, 19, 25)
Isaiah Papali'i - 6 (Round 5, 6, 8, 14, 15, 16)
Angus Crichton - 3 (Round 8, 10, 25)
Tyson Frizell - 3 (Round 1, 6, 9)
Sitili Tupouniua - 3 (Round 12, 17, 19)
Haumole Olokau'atu - 3 (Round 14, 23, 24)
Hudson Young - 2 (Round 1, 2)
Kurt Capewell - 2 (Round 3, 11)
Viliame Kikau - 2 (Round 4, 24)
Keaon Kolomatangi - 2 (Round 7, 17)
Luciano Leilua - 2 (Round 12, 21)
Euan Aitken - 2 (Round 20, 22)
Josh Curran - 2 (Round 21, 22)

Lock

Cameron Murray edges out a narrow win in the lock stakes. There were no individual standouts, and 16 individual locks registering a nomination at some point during the year.

Murray just sees off competition from Isaah Yeo and Dale Finucane, with all three selected for New South Wales during the Origin series this year, and all three heading into the finals in the coming weeks.

Full nominations
Cameron Murray - 4 (Round 2, 6, 18, 24)
Isaah Yeo - 3 (Round 12, 21, 23)
Dale Finucane - 3 (Round 13, 15, 16)
Jason Taumalolo - 2 (Round 9, 11)
Jake Trbojevic - 2 (Round 10, 25)
Joe Tapine - 1 (Round 1)

Team of the year based on team of the week nominations

1. Tom Trbojevic (10 nominations)
2. Brian To'o (10 nominations)
3. Justin Olam (6 nominations)
4. Matt Burton (5 nominations, with an extra 3 at five-eighth and 1 at halfback)
5. Josh Addo-Carr (6 nominations)
6. Cody Walker (7 nominations)
7. Nathan Cleary (5 nominations)
8. Payne Haas (6 nominations)
9. Harry Grant (7 nominations)
10. James Fisher-Harris (5 nominations - MVP tiebreaker over Addin Fonua-Blake)
11. David Fifita (8 nominations)
12. Isaiah Papali'i (6 nominations)
13. Cameron Murray (4 nominations)

Interchange
14. Back: Reuben Garrick (5 nominations - MVP tiebreaker over Brett Morris)
15. Half: Daly Cherry-Evans (4 nominations)
16. Forward: Brandon Smith (6 nominations)
17. Forward: Addin Fonua-Blake (5 nominations)