Straight off the bat, I'm going to admit that ranking the second rowers in 2022 was the most difficult of all lists.
There were so many good performers this season which made narrowing it down to just the ten very difficult.
Ranking them was even more difficult. I very much look forward to the comments, which again I expect only to be complimentary.
Here are the top 10 NRL backrowers from 2022. Only performances this year are taken into account and only players who were named in the back row more often than they were in other positions are eligible.
For the record Liam Martin, Briton Nikora and Jai Arrow were all shortlisted but missed the final cut.
6. Hudson Young
Hudson Young finished the season in red hot form. Perhaps recency bias has him a slot or two higher here, but I cannot ignore the way he roared home.
14 tries, 11 line breaks, five line break assists, 26 offloads, 106 metres per game and 91% of his tackles made. Makes for pleasant reading.
He also broke 74 tackles, including 14 in their final two, must win games of the season. When the pressure was on, Hudson Young was super reliable.
If he wasn't in rep discussions this year, he should be moving forward. What a season. He played a massive part in Canberra's late season charge.
Koloamatangi for me, for consistency.
I was surprised you gave Briton Nikora a place in the shortlist. I don’t rate him as highly as Cronulla compatriots Williams and Wilton (but you’re probably a better judge of Sharks personnel than I am).