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
3. Joseph Tapine
Joseph Tapine is one of the most likeable players in the game. That said, you'd have to go a long way to find an NRL player who enjoys playing against him.
Tapine was gigantic all season long for the Raiders and helped lay the platform that saw them crowned NRL Minor Premiers.
In 23 games, he scored five tries, broke 45 tackles, produced 44 offloads, made 1,332 post-contact metres, averaged 142 metres per game, and tackled at a 94% success rate.
Tapine capped off his incredible season by helping lead the Kiwis to Pacific Championship glory. He is just the perfect all-round, modern-day NRL middle.
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.