Over the past decade-or-so, we've seen the fullback role both change and increase in importance.
Fullbacks are now expected to have the ballplaying skills of halves, the running metres of forwards, and try scoring abilities of wingers.
We're in a golden age of Rugby League fullbacks. 2022 saw a number of brilliant performances in the custodial role.
Below we look at the ten best performances by fullbacks in 2022. To be eligible, the player in question must have played fullback in more games than he did another position.
Please note this is a best of 2022 list and not necessarily the best fullbacks in the game. For example, Tom Trbojevic won't feature below despite being undisputedly in the top two or three fullbacks in the game.
3. Scott Drinkwater
Jason Taumalolo, Val Holmes and the halves receive most of the applause across social media but in my opinion the Cowboys best in 2022 was their fullback.
Relegated to watching on from the stands until Round Five, Drinkwater could have been forgiven for pushing for a release.
Instead he doubled down, worked his way back into the Cowboys run on side and his efforts have seen the club allow the Hammer, long touted as the future up north, to walk to the Dolphins.
11 tries, 16 try assists, 84 tackle breaks, 14 line breaks, 148 running metres per game and a ridiculous 84% tackle completion show every bit of his worth to 2022's surprise packets.
You could put the top four in any order and I would not disagree with your conclusion. There is little to choose between any of them. All excellent players.