With the 2023 NRL season kick-off looming closer, The Roar is counting down until the footy starts with a ranking of each position on the field.
Not just who had a great 2022, but those that are the best in their role currently in the NRL.
Next on the list, those guys that need to be everything to everyone – Locks.
1. Isaah Yeo (Panthers)
Wowzers.
The Penrith co-captain has been rising up the ranks over the last few years, and his close-to-faultless 2022 puts him at the top of this list.
His ability to create second-phase plays for his backs is unmatched, and his defensive efforts are never-ending.
Yeo made 816 tackles, 2373 running metres with 1167 post-contact metres for the season. He also notched up 37 tackle busts and 14 offloads.
He cemented his spot as a crucial member of the NSW Origin side and earned himself a Kangaroos jersey at the World Cup.
Yeo thoroughly deserved his Dally M Lock of the Year award the past three years running, along with his back-to-back premierships.
2. Cameron Murray (Rabbitohs)
Just another year of Cam Murray doing Cam Murray things.
His sixth season at Redfern saw him honoured with the role of captain, and he just took it all in his stride and never skipped a beat.
Murray has built up a reputation as being one of the game’s most defensive and damaging ball-playing backs, and just seems to get better each year.
Head knocks were a concern for the 24-year-old this season, and he ended up playing fewer minutes than in the past few years. But the 2019 Dally M Lock of the Year still finished with 860 tackles, 44 tackle busts and 35 offloads, and will be raring to go in 2023.
(Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
3. Jason Taumalolo (Cowboys)
All the haters from 2021 would have choked on their humble pie after last season.
Everything once again fell into place for the three-time Dally M Lock of the Year, 2016 Dally M and RLPA player of the Year winner
One of the most rampaging forwards in the NRL during his 13 years in the top grade, JT13 reminded us exactly why he is worth $10 million over 10 seasons, and why he deserves to be high on this list.
He showed us all once again how hard those tree trunk legs are to stop, making the most running metres out of any number 13 this year with 3638 and 1626 post-contact metres. He also made 86 tackle busts, 21 offloads and was back to enjoying his footy and playing out of his skin.
4. Jake Trbojevic (Sea Eagles)
While everyone loves watching his flashy brother Turbo, the older and wiser Jurbo continues to work away, doing all the hard yards.
Known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, refusing to give up and always being there in the tackle, Trbojevic has proved what an asset he is to the game during his eight seasons at Brookvale. As well as being one of the nicest guys on the planet, he is one hell of a player.
Always dependable for his club, state and country, the 28-year-old is one of those players anyone would be happy to have on their team.
Don’t let the terrible season Manly have just endured take anything away from this absolute workhorse. He finished his Aussie World Cup campaign with 413 running metres and a 99 per cent tackle efficiency, and who can forget the performance he put on in Game Two of the State of Origin?
Pretty sure he made around 1500 tackles in that one.
(Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
5. Ryan Matterson (Eels)
Each year Matto just gets better and better.
A premiership winner during his three years at the Roosters, he got his first Origin call-up as 18th man while at the Tigers in 2019, and the sky has been the limit for the past three seasons with the Eels, making the 17-man squad for the Blues in this year’s Origin series.
This season he made the most offloads from any lock with 48, and ran a whopping 2875 metres.
His constant go-forward led the way for the Eels’ backs to work their magic, and he was a huge reason for their success in 2022.
He will be out to go one better in 2023 – just not sure what game he will start the season in after his game of ‘do I take the three-week ban or the fine?’
6. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Titans)
The captain of the Titans. The heart of the Gold Coast. And sometimes the only player who turns up.
While his team may have let him down, no one could ever suggest the same of him. His fourth season at the Titans saw him become the youngest skipper ever for the club at just 21, and he more than earnt that title.
He ran for over 160 metres each game, made 54 tackle breaks 22 offloads and eight line breaks. He scored four ties with one assist and averaged over 30 tackles.
Fa’asuamaleaui has played for Queensland on nine occasions and showed his versatility by playing across the park for the Maroons during their 2022 series win. He represented Samoa in 2019, and made his Kangaroos debut at the recent World Cup.
The now 22-year-old still has a lifetime ahead of him on the field, and he’s only going to get better.
Tino Fa’asuamaleaui (Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
7. Patrick Carrigan (Broncos)
After an ACL injury saw him only play eight games last season, Carrigan was out to make amends in 2022.
He was on a mission and busted out of the gates. He was one of if not the best players at the Broncos, helping them soar up the ladder early on in the season. He made a phenomenal Origin debut where he took home the Wally Lewis Medal, and finished the year with a Kangaroos jersey.
It was the later stages of the regular season when the wheels fell off, after he was suspended for five weeks for a hip drop tackle on Jackson Hastings.
He made 401 tackles during the 14 games he played, along with 20 offloads 16 tackle busts and averaged 150 running metres.
Carrigan gets suspended towards the end of the season, and the Broncos self-destruct. Coincidence?
8. Victor Radley (Roosters)
Good old Victor the Inflictor. He is somehow crazy, scary, passionate and talented all at the same time.
A local junior who has played all of his six seasons in the top grade at Bondi. He was the RLPA Rookie of the Year in 2018, won back-to-back grand finals with the Roosters in 2018 and 2019 and has become one of the fiercest ball-playing forwards we have in the game.
No stranger to being in the naughty corner, Radley can let his emotions get the better of him. But when he can keep them at the optimal level, he is brilliant.
He made 557 tackles, 15 tackle busts and two offloads during his 18 games this season. The 24-year-old also played in all five games for England at the World Cup.
In a team full of superstars, Radley remains that crazy cousin that you just have to invite to the party.
(Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images)
9. Dale Finucane
If you ever needed any more convincing on how special this guy is, it would have only taken Craig Bellamy admitting he would be devastated if Finucane ever left the Storm for you to join the rest of us.
Unfortunately for Bellamy, after seven seasons at the club, Finucane headed back across the border and set up camp in the Shire. While 2022 was not his best year thanks to injury and suspension, the 31-year-old remains one of the most reliable forwards and strongest leaders in the game.
The 235-game veteran has four grand finals under his belt, taking home the trophy twice in 2017 and 2020 with Melbourne. He was named Storm player of the Year in 2019, and as long as he can stay on the field in 2013 he will be back to showing everyone just how good he really is.
10. Adam Elliott
This guy has a lot to prove which should motivate him no end.
After being let go by the Bulldogs in 2021 after yet another drama in his six years at the club, the Raiders offered him a lifeline. He knuckled down, did the work and became a driving force in the Green Machine in 2022.
He was strong up the middle and worked well off the back of the Raiders’ strong forwards. He made 54 line breaks, 22 offloads and eight line breaks. He averaged 103 run metres and 27 tackles.
He begins a new adventure in 2023 with the Knights, so he will be out to prove how good he can be, as well as keep getting better.
steveng
Roar Rookie
I'm not biased, but Cam Murry for me is hands down the No1 lock in the NRL, the bloke has it all, fitness, speed, backs up and sets up plays and is just as good if not better tackler than the old Jonny Raper or Ron Coote for that matter. If you look at Cam's game, he's just everywhere in every game and never ever stops for 80min, that is if he survives and doesn't knock himself out with them kamikaze tackles in the first 5min :laughing:. He's definitely my No1 and favorite player at the Bunnies, he's humble, modest and just an 80min goer and a game changer and deserves all the wraps he gets and to be right up there in the SOO and the Kangaroo sides :thumbup:
Albo
Roar Rookie
100% Dean ! Yeo, Murray, Taumalolo and Jurbo are four completely different locks, but all vital to their team's set up. Yeo & Murray are more dynamic, whilst JT13 is a prime metre eater for the Cows and Jurbo a rock in defence for Manly.
jimmmy
Roar Rookie
Exactly my thoughts both are better than Jurbo.
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
Isaiah Yeo is amazing and played a near faultless season, but it's a lot easier to do that when your team has stars across the board. Tino looked incredible all year virtually as a one man team, and no-one could fault his on-field leadership at the Titans. If I needed a team to play for my life, Tino would be my lock.
Muzz
Guest
3 R M, If I don't perform at my best consistently day in day out my business would suffer. This would effect more than just me is what I was trying to convey.
Gags
Roar Rookie
Matterson, ah no. Maybe scrape into top ten
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
Not in a first world country like Australia. I mean, any of us could try to emigrate to Chad, Congo, or Burkina Faso - but there is a reason why we don’t.
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
There’s just no excuse for a poor wine list these days, is there HY?
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
Murray reminds me a bit of the great Ron Coote from the Rabbitohs back in the 1960s. But, I think he’ll be forced out this year or next with brain injury. Really, he should quit while he has a life still to be lived. Yeo is always going to be better than the next man, unless the next man is Jurbo. You really have to admire his work rate and mind regardless of the jersey he wears. And then there is the great JT13. Great, but he’s basically retired and playing exhibition games these days. They should see what they can do about the dough they pay him, and invest it into a decent wine list at the Cows Leagues Club in town. I’d fly up there again to see Manly give them a hiding if they had some decent refreshments on offer.
Matt
Guest
Finucane has 6 grand finals, not 4. 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020
Red Rob
Roar Rookie
Yes by years’ end I don’t think there’ll be much between the top 3 and Carrigan and Tino. Just a matter of horses for courses.
3 R M
Roar Rookie
Yeh sure muzz . I can see you running 4 kilometres into the teeth of NRL defences With over 1 1&2 kilometres of that with a bunch of muscle bound fitness freaks climbing all over you. Time for a reality check , mate.
3 R M
Roar Rookie
Max you are going to have to stop forming your opinions off information from NRL 360 Buzz tends to construct his own narrative. HE WAS INJURED FOR 9 WEEKS WITH 3 DIFFERENT BONE BREAKS IN BOTH HANDS. AND THEN PLAYED THE REST OF THE SEASON WITH INJECTIONS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HEAL.
Big Daddy
Roar Rookie
I think most clubs would take any of these guys in a heartbeat . Yeo and Murray and Taumololo appear to be the top 3 followed by Finucane, Carrigan and Tino and Jake T are next level whereas Radley has discipline issues and Matterson while he is good obviously isn't good enough for Arthur who thinks he's a bench player , talent is there but I don't think he focuses on football 100% and is side tracked by non football issues .
Muzz
Guest
I want a job like that.
Tony
Roar Guru
Plus Matterson is essentially a bench player these days. Only started a game at lock on a handful of occasions last year
Tony
Roar Guru
Why would JT exert himself. He picks up $1m just for turning up
matth
Roar Guru
I’d have Carrigan now ahead of Jake T and Matterson. Maybe Tino up there as well
Muzz
Guest
Murray Yeo Radley Taumalolo Daylight I still think that Taumalolo is the most underutilized talent in the comp. Payten needs to get him firing!
Dean
Roar Rookie
The salient point is that there is no longer a template for the essential lock, it has become a position that enables an exceptional player to become a point of difference. Take the first four names from this list and it is hard to find a set of more diverse playstyles and individual strengths in the same position: Yeo, Murray, Taumalolo and Jurbo. In the evolution of team structures, lock can be argued as a spine position particularly amongst the top-tier teams. Yeo is absolutely critical to Penrith's success, the Bunnies generate their momentum and speed of backline transition of Murray's play-the-balls, the Cows get yardage and second phase of Taumalolo, Robinson persisted with the development of Radley into a ball player. The notable exception here are the Storm, where Bellamy wasn't able to replace Finucane. The ability of teams to find a point of difference lock will contribute significantly to success or failure over the next 5 to 10 years and will lag not far behind the halfback. Teams like the Dragons and Tigers, who respectively used a revolving mix of back rowers or treated the position as just another middle are cases in point.