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.
6. Ryan Matterson
The Eels wrecking ball was probably the best interchange player across 2022. He started most game from the bench before slotting in at lock, where he was borderline unstoppable.
153 metres run per game, four line breaks, four tries, 48 offloads and over 95% of his tackles made, make for very pretty reading.
Matterson bossed the middle and was re-signed for four years based on his 2022 efforts. Earlier in the season he was almost certainly headed for the Dolphins until he made it impossible to let go.
There must have been the temptation to start Matterson but given the way he had his way with opposition defenders, why change what is working so well?
