Earlier this week I was discussing with a group of friends the current crop of match-winning centres in the NRL.
We've seen some world-class number threes and fours in the past but never has the role been as important as it is in modern day league.
Centres are now required to defend and run like forwards, ball play like halves and score tries like wingers.
In 2022, we saw some special performances. Narrowing down a top ten was much easier when it came to fullbacks and wingers than it was here.
Some monster performers will miss out below, such was the talent on show in the position in 2022.
Here though are the top ten centres from 2022. As with the previous lists, a player can only qualify if he played more games at centre then other positions. Again, this isn't necessarily the top 10 centres in the game but the ten best performers in 2022.
5. Siosifa Talakai
Talakai was probably a victim of his own success in a way. Comments that his destruction of Manly was his only standout game this season as laughable as they are untrue.
His stats are slightly skewed by two short stints off the bench but his 2022 saw a return of seven tries, nine line-breaks, 14 line-break assists, 176 metres per game and 86% tackling efficiency.
Talakai was routinely the Sharks second best player, behind Nicho Hynes, and his metres coming out of his own end tore opposition defences to shreds.
Talakai earned his Origin spot, although he was used without any thought. He routinely bodied his opposition centre. It's a shame the carnage he caused against Morgan Harper is all many remember.
