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.
2. Cameron Murray
In any other season, Cameron Murray would have walked into the Dally M Team of the Year. His 2022 efforts for both Souths and the Blues were almost unmatched.
His 120 metres run per game would have been even higher if not for a concussion in the first tackle of the game prior to the Finals. A first minute injury in Origin cost NSW one of their most potent threats.
He tackled at 96%, crossed for four tries, broke 45 tackles and made 38 offloads for the Bunnies.
Murray is one of the game's elite players, across all positions, let alone in the 13 jersey. There's a genuine argument he could be number one here.
