Top ten hookers from 2023

With the off-season comes the usual troupes. Talk of expansion, the divisions talk, player movements and of course post-season rankings. Today we're here to focus on the rankings. More specifically, the NRL hooker rankings from 2023. Please keep in mind that these rankings are based only on 2023. Both NRL and Origin performances will be taken into account. Not specifically who is the best hooker outright. Before we start, I'm going to take a moment to answer some of the usual questions to appear in the comments to any sort of rankings. Do I even watch football? Yes, every game. Are my eyes painted on? No. That would be funny though. Who am I? Just a fan. With that said, below are the top 10 NRL hookers based purely and totally on 2023: Hon Mention: Phoenix Crossland Damien Cook I almost left the NSW rep hooker off the list here but then I realised I was being unfair. Cook, by his own incredible standards, had a down year, but was still a comfortable top 10 number nine across the competition. Cook ran out 23 times for the Bunnies for a return of three tries, eight try assists, eight line break assists, two forced drop outs, 67 run metres per game and a tackle percentage of 95%. I really feel as though Cook feel victim of his own lofty expectations in 2023 as he was far from bad. That said, I expect a top five return next season. Mitch Kenny The big question heading into 2023, at least at the foot of the mountains, was could Mitch Kenny replace the outgoing Api Koroisau? He wasn't Api, nor did he need to be. What Kenny did was play his hand to perfection. He chimed in but also, and perhaps more important, didn't get in the way. That may sound like a cop out but when your halves and forwards are do dominant, it's all about crisp, early service. That said, Kenny played 23 games this season for a try, three try assists, five line break assists, three forced drop outs and a 90% tackle completion rate. Great stuff from the youngster. Lachlan Croker I'm stating this right now, Lachlan Croker is the most under appreciated and under rated player on this list. Croker landed the equal most 40/20s in 2023, with four. He has turned games on his own boot, not that headline writers ever take notice. Across his 23 games this year he scored six tries, had four try assists, five line break assists, and made over 850 tackles at almost 93%. He's never going to win any individual awards but you always know you're going to get 110% from Croker every single week. Blayke Brailey I'm here to fully admit that I am torn almost right down the middle on Blayke Brailey. Half the Sharks fan base loves him, the other not so much. On one hand he won the Sharks player of the year award yet on the other hand he ignored Nicho Hynes, who called for the ball with a massive overlap in an elimination Final. Across his 25 games for the Sharks in 2023 he scored just the one try but did set up 10. He also had nine line break assists, two forced drop outs, 46 run meteres per game and tackled at 92%. Brailey has all the attributes to become a truly elite hooker. He has shown signs. My belief is if we don't start seeing it consistently in 2024, it my never come. Billy Walters I just want to point out that earlier in the season the Broncos were very publicly trying to recruit Ben Hunt to take over in the number nine. Billy Walters seemed to take that personally and make it his individual mission to silence his doubters. Safe to say he achieved that and then some. He played 26 games this year for Brisbane, scoring two tries, assisting two, running for almost 50 metres per game and tackling at 90%. He was arguably best on ground for the Broncs in their Prelim win over the Warriors. He was very good in the Grand Final also. This kid is legit! Jeremy Marshall-King If injury didn't rob JMK of multiple games this season, I'm confident that he would have cracked the top four here. What a brilliant recruitment decision by Wayne Bennett. In his 15 games he delivered a pair of tries, an incredible eight try assists, eight line break assists, over 50 run metres per game and tackled at 92%. When fit, I believe he's the Kiwis first choice hooker. That is saying something considering the talent available. I'm really excited to see what Marshall-King can do with a full season to his name next year. Reece Robson Prior to the State of Origin series, Reece Robson may have been the form hooker of the competition. Top three at absolute worst. Unfortunately he, and truthfully the entire Cowboys side, fell away late on and largely limped to the finish. That said, Robson comfortably rates in the elite number nines for 2023. He was very much worthy of his Origin call up and looks set to become a NSW regular over the next few years. His 23 games for the Cowboys netted two tries, three try assists, six line-break assists, three forced drop outs, almost 70 run metres per game and a tackle percentage of over 92%. Apisai Koroisau There was a worry that Api's move to the Tigers would effect his form and even potentially cost him his Origin spot. Fans needn't have worried. He ran out 21 times for the Tigers and scored six tries, assisted a further seven, had six line-break assists, three forced drop outs, ran for almost 60 metres per game and made 87% of his tackles. His numbers were always going to drop off moving from the competition's best side to the Tigers but he lifted players around him. I still believe his signing will be looked back upon as a club changing one in a few years time. He has brought so much to the Tigers in such a short time. Wayde Egan Wayde Egan may have been the breakout player of 2023. He played a huge part in the Warriors success this season. 22 games saw him score six tries, assist five tries, record nine line-break assists, force two drop outs, run for over 50 metres per game and tackle at 92%. It's worth remembering that those stats are effected by a series of HIA stints that cost him minutes, and unfortunately games. I honestly can't say enough how well Egan was this year. He played his role to perfection. Harry Grant Straight up, I don't understand the Harry Grant negatively ... at all! Ok he was below par for the Kangaroos in the Pacific Cup Final, as were 16 others, while he was best on ground a week earlier. Grant was huge for the Storm, and QLD, in 2023. He is the best hooker in the game. For the Storm he ran out 25 times for nine tries, 12 try assists, 11 line-break assists, seven forced drop outs, 18 offloads, 70 run metres per game and a tackle percentage of almost 91%. Despite some brilliant efforts elsewhere, I see nothing to suggest the current Dally M hooker of the year wasn't a clear choice for number one here.

		P	W	L	PTS	+/-
1	PEN	4	4	0	8	110
2	NZW	4	3	1	6	66
3	WST	3	2	1	6	42
4	NEW	4	3	1	6	12
5	SOU	3	2	1	6	6
6	CAN	3	2	1	6	-3
7	SYD	4	2	2	6	-35
8	MEL	4	2	2	4	66

Top ten hookers from 2023

Who were the best dummy halves in 2023?

8. Lachlan Croker

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