Was 2022 the year of the lock forward? We have elite number 13s now in a quantity that it's hard to remember seeing before.
There are so many different types of locks these days. We have arguably the best ever metre-eating number 13 and two of the best ballplaying middle forwards in history, plying their trade right now.
Truthfully, the ten here were really hard to rank. Numbers five, six and seven could very well have ended up in the top five. The top three all have credentials to finish top of the list.
Spoiler alert! Brandon Smith did not make the list. Despite his incredible talents, he only started on six occasions in the number 13 in 2022.
Below are the top ten locks from 2022. Again, this only takes into account performances in 2022. For a player to qualify, they must have played more games at lock than any other position.
8. Dale Finucane
Injury robbed Finucane of a full season but the impact he made in his first season at the Sharks cannot be understated.
On field, he ran for just under 100 metres per game, tackled at over 95% and added leadership the club horribly lacked in 2021.
Finucane instantly strengthened the weakness that cost the Sharks Final's footy last year, their middle defence.
The Sharks culture completely shifted in 2022 and co-captain Dale Finucane had a lot to do with that. His signing was worth its weight in gold.
