The prop forwards. Not a position that draws the attention of the halfback role, or even the modern-day fullback, but just as important.
They say that Origin is won in the forwards. It's hard to name a brilliant halfback who stars with any sort of consistency whilst playing behind a beaten forward pack.
In 2022 we are spoilt when it comes to middle forwards. The shortlist here was 18, without even deep diving for names that didn't come to mind right away.
Some super-performing props are going to miss out here, but here are the 10 props I believe performed best in 2022.
Only 2022 is taken into account. To qualify a player must have played more games in the front row than elsewhere. There may be some crossover with the lock position, but we'll cross that if and when we come to it.
8. David Klemmer
Talks that the Knights are shopping around their best forward, and arguably their best player in 2022, continue to baffle me.
The fact Klemmer did not win the Knights player of the year shows they don't value him. He was head and shoulders above the rest of their pack.
His 2022 stats are as follows. 155 metres run per game, 36 offloads, 22 tackle breaks and a 97% tackle efficiency. Yet they're supposedly shopping him!?
Klemmer's frustration boiled over toward the end of the season but prior to that he was near flawless up front in an otherwise dire Knights outfit.
Personally, I would have dropped David Klemmer for Jordan McLean, but I can’t really grumble about that list.