How often do we hear it? Halves can't play behind beaten forward packs!
NRL middles are perhaps the most under appreciated sportspeople on the planet.
They do all the hard work. They take that first hit up in the big games. They get smashed. They make a mountain of tackles.
Today we are here to talk about the best of the big men.
If you're looking for Pat Carrigan, he will be in the locks. Played 13 games at lock, 12 at prop. Tino Fa'asuamaleaui also played more at lock than at prop.
Mitch Barnett, unfortunately, won't feature due to only playing 11 games, but he was well on track to place very highly.
As always, this list is purely based on 2025 performance rather than being a flat Top Ten list.
With that said, below are the Top Ten props from the 2025 season:
Honourable Mentions: James Fisher-Harris and Fonua Pole
5. Naufahu Whyte
Naufahu Whyte was one of the true breakout stars of 2025. He stepped up in the absence of Jared Waerea-Hargreaves and others who departed.
To say the 23-year-old played beyond his years is a massive understatement.
Twenty-three games for the Roosters saw him score three tries, break 69 tackles, produce nine offloads, run for 1520 post-contact metres, run for just shy of 150 metres per game and tackle at 95%.
His Pacific Championships Final was absolutely monstrous. 203 metres, 75 of those post-contact, in just 46 minutes. Against that Samoan pack!
There are no bums in that crowd, Dan.
For me, Lindsay Smith is the “Mr. Unappreciated” of the NRL.
He has stepped up as the replacement for James Fisher-Harris (who had a quiet season at the Warriors – maybe weighed down by all that coin in his pockets).
The fact that the Panthers middle didn’t seem to miss JFH says a lot about the effectiveness of Smith, last season.