The best and most important players in the NRL are often spine players.
All of the top teams have a number of excellent players in the spine, and the Dally M Medal count was dominated by spine players in 2021.
While fullback Tom Trbojevic won it, the top five was made up of halves Nathan Cleary, Cody Walker and Daly Cherry-Evans, while another fullback rounded it out with James Tedesco finishing fifth.
All of those players are at the peak of their powers, and their teams made up those going deep into the finals.
There could be a change a foot for 2022 though, with a few bottom-eight teams from 2021 appearing in the top eight of this list.
Yesterday, we ran through the bottom eight spines in the competition, and now, it's time for the top eight.
Here is the list.
2. Penrith Panthers
Dylan Edwards, Jarome Luai, Nathan Cleary, Apisai Koroisau
No surprises here. The game’s best halves of Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai, pairing along with an Origin hooker in Apisai Koroisau and the tireless Dylan Edwards presents a remarkable threat to opposition defences, with all four also strong defensive players.
Cleary picked up the Clive Churchill medal, captains Penrith and vice-captains New South Wales come State of Origin time, and there’s no secret why.
His unrivalled kicking game allows Penrith to dominate the field position battle every game, while Edwards’ fitness, work ethic and positioning are perhaps only matched by James Tedesco, with his tally of over 200 run metres with a broken foot in the grand final a testament to his character.
Koroisau’s ability to make decisive runs from dummy-half is a valuable quality in today’s game, while Blues Origin five-eighth Luai continues to be the perfect halves foil for Cleary.
