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Opinion
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, are the high-flying entertainers out wide – Wingers.
Look away Freddy.
A lethal weapon from his six seasons with the Storm, this try-scoring machine was close to unstoppable.
Yes, the highlight reel wasn’t as extensive during his first year at the Bulldogs. But no one can deny the impact the Foxx had at his new club and their climb off the bottom of the ladder after claiming the wooden spoon in 2021.
He tallied 16 tries with six assists during his 23 games, with a whopping 96 tackle breaks, 16 line breaks and nine offloads.
Addo-Carr also grabbed 12 tires in his five matches wearing the green and gold and held onto his title as one of the fastest men on the planet during Australia’s successful World Cup campaign.
Was he the missing ingredient to the Blues success this season? We will never know.
Hampered by injury in 2022, everyone still knows the type of player he is.
The 2021 Dally M Winger of the Year was phenomenal that season, with 15 tries, averaging 245 running metres and making 800 kick return metres.
He still scored 13 tries in his 18 matches last year, as well as making 78 tackle breaks, 14 line breaks and 351 runs.
The Panthers know how good he is, that’s why they recently locked him down until the end of the 2027 season.
This one will divide the masses. There are those that believe Johnston is one of the best wingers ever, and others that feel anyone would look like a star standing out wide of a magnificent Souths backline.
Nevertheless, the stats don’t lie. He touched down for 30 tries in the 2022 season to make it 83 over the past three years. He holds the record as South Sydney’s greatest-ever try scorer and took out the Dally M awards for leading try scorer and Winger of the Year.
Throw in 43 line breaks and 91 tackle breaks throughout his 25 appearances and an average of 106 running metres.
Take a bow, Mr Johnston.
Injury may have shortened his season, but he is still one of the most electrifying wingers whenever he gets to lace up the boots.
A former star for the Broncos, he didn’t miss a step during the first half of the season at his new home in Melbourne. But an ankle injury during Game One of the Origin series for Queensland saw him miss out on the next seven rounds.
He still managed 17 tries in 16 games, four assists and averaged 168 running metres. He also made 75 tackle busts, 28 offloads and 13 line breaks.
One of the fastest men in the NRL, who can forget his 2021 Dally M Tackle of the Year? There will be more where that came from in 2023.
Slotting into the star-studded Panthers side like he’d been there forever, May had a brilliant debut season in the top grade out wide for the premiers.
He scored 16 tries in 21 games, as well as averaging 134 running metres.
May was a menace to the opposition, proving difficult to pull down with his 87 tackle breaks and 17 line breaks for the season.
Star of the future.
This kid is something special, and he is only going to get better. No wonder rugby union want him back so badly.
Suaali’i scored 15 tries in his 19 appearances last season, and made 62 tackle breaks and 24 offloads. He averaged 14 runs and 148 metres each game. The talented 19-year-old not only secured a starting spot for the Tricolours but earned a spot in the NSW Origin extended squad before representing Samoa at the World Cup.
He took out was part of the 2022 Dally M Team of the Year on the wing next to Johnston, and won ‘Roosters Try of the Year’ for one of his two four-pointers against the Eels at Magic Round.
The towering teen may shift into centre this season or Roosters coach Trent Robinson may keep him out on the flank.
He has been carving it up for his past ten seasons at the Broncos, and last year was the second-highest try scorer of the season behind Johnston, bagging a solid 20 tries in his 22 games.
He averaged 158 running metres, made 18 line breaks and 66 tackle breaks during his 22 games.
There was an uproar when the lanky winger was left out of the Maroons’ Game One side for State of Origin, but he made his way back in for Game Three to help his state clinch the series.
He’s still one of the best.
The Cowboys were the surprise packet of the competition, with Taulagi making the highlight reel on more than one occasion. And this should become a regular occurrence for years to come.
The 23-year-old has a bright future in the NRL, showing his talent in both attack and defence on the wing for Noth Queensland.
Scoring 17 tries in his 25 appearances for his club, as well as making his debut for the Kangaroos at the World Cup, he also teamed up with Scott Drinkwater for one magical four-pointer against the Tigers to earn Dally M Try of the Year.
After his 11th season in the top grade for the Roosters, he sits second for the club as the overall try scorer and added another 16 to his tally last year.
It was another impressive season for the veteran, with 75 tackle breaks, 21 line breaks and 17 offloads, as well as averaging 148 running metres.
He represented NSW and also scored six tries in his four matches for Tonga at the World Cup.
Entertainment plus, with just the right amount of attitude.
The Sharks flyer had another solid year, was his club’s top try scorer with 17, and was third for the entire competition.
He averaged 134 running metres as well as one line break and four tackle breaks during his 24 games.
Mulitalo also played an important part in the Kiwis’ World Cup side, scoring two tries and averaging 154 running metres during the tournament.