Dylan Edwards claims the 2026 NRL MVP award for Penrith

Penrith Panthers fullback Dylan Edwards secured the 2026 Zero Tackle NRL MVP award, finishing three votes ahead of his teammate Nathan Cleary. The conclusion of the regular season featured the tightest MVP race in the six-year history of the system, with five players remaining in contention entering the final round. Edwards earned two votes in the final match of the season, a victory over the Tigers, while Cleary earned three. Haumole Olakau'atu finished in third place, two votes behind Cleary. Naufahu Whyte remained in fourth place despite not playing in the final round, while Scott Drinkwater secured fifth position following the Cowboys' loss to the Raiders. The voting panel, consisting of Matt Clements, Leo Twemlow, Dan Nichols, and the editor, cast ballots on a 5-4-3-2-1 basis for every game of the premiership season.

• 4:41 AMZero Tackle NRL — Panthers claim top two spots after tightest race in history: Zero Tackle’s NRL MVP, Round 27