LeagueNews.co | Jason Patrick
The NRL regular season has concluded, and with the finals imminent, it's an opportune moment to reflect on the events of the past year.
Throughout this season, Zero Tackle's team-comprising founder Matt Clements, writers Ethan Lee Chalk and Dan Nichols, alongside myself as the editor-has assigned weekly votes for every game using a 5-4-3-2-1 system.
This year, James Tedesco emerged as the clear winner, accumulating an impressive total of 266 votes, leading by a remarkable 60 votes. The top 10 was closely contested, and we are now ready to unveil the MVP team for the 2025 regular season.
To qualify for this team, a player must have started more (or at least the same number of) games in their position compared to others.
1. James Tedesco (Sydney Roosters) - 1st place, 266 votes
2. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand Warriors) - 6th place, 160 votes
3. Herbie Farnworth (The Dolphins) - 4th place, 169 votes
4. Kotoni Staggs (Brisbane Broncos) - 38th place, 103 votes
5. Mark Nawaqanitawase (Sydney Roosters) - 14th place, 140 votes
6. Ethan Strange (Canberra Raiders) - 26th place, 122 votes*
7. Nathan Cleary (Penrith Panthers) - 11th place, 146 votes
8. Terrell May (Wests Tigers) - 2nd place, 206 votes
9. Blayke Brailey (Cronulla Sharks) - 23rd place, 130 votes
10. Payne Haas (Brisbane Broncos) - 3rd place, 188 votes
11. Eliesa Katoa (Melbourne Storm) - 13th place, 142 votes
12. Hudson Young (Canberra Raiders) - 20th place, 131 votes
13. Erin Clark (New Zealand Warriors) - 25th place, 123 votes
*For the five-eighth position, Ethan Strange and Cameron Munster ended up tied with 122 votes. However, Strange received three 20-point votes compared to Munster's one, which led to Strange being awarded the position as a tie-breaker.
This year's team of the year has seen a complete overhaul from last year's selection, with only Tedesco and Farnworth retaining their spots in the starting 13.