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.
4. Patrick Carrigan
Carrigan only managed 14 appearances in 2022 due to injury and suspension but his efforts were undoubtedly those of a top five lock this year.
150 metres per game, 21 tackle breaks, 19 offloads and over 850 post contact metres represent his 2022. Remember those stats were produced in 14 games!
Carrigan's absence due to a horror tackle played a big part in the Broncos late season fade out. They could have used their near flawless middleman. He'll regret that moment.
His performances in Origin lead to his being awarded the Wally Lewis Medal for player of the series. What a season!
