NRL power rankings: Who is the top lock in the NRL?
WE’RE currently in the golden age of lock forwards, but who are the best in town? We run the eye over every lock in the competition in the latest instalment of our NRL power rankings.
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LOCK forward might be the single deepest position in the NRL.
Of the 16 players on our list, 13 are quality starters, two are highly regarded rookies and only one is yet to play a game at the back of the scrum.
The big man on campus might not be in doubt but this proved to be our toughest power rankings yet.
16) Adam Elliott — Canterbury Bulldogs
Elliott clocks in at 16th on our list purely because he’s never played significant minutes at lock before.
After making his NRL debut in 2016, Elliott played all 24 games last year and had some nice moments, showcasing his intensity and motor on the left edge.
The Tathra product will likely be required to operate in a defensive capacity given the talents of Aaron Woods and David Klemmer but he also has the ability to jump in at first receiver if required, a task he should be equal to given he played five-eighth on occasion in the juniors.
15) Cameron Murray — South Sydney Rabbitohs
All reports out of Redfern seem to indicate Sam Burgess will be switching to second row in 2018, a role he has occupied to varying degrees of success in his NRL career.
Rabbitohs Sam Burgess set to play as edge 2RF in 2018
— Wackos Whispers (@WackosWhispers) January 22, 2018
Such is the Englishman’s prowess he can be effective in either spot but had he stayed at lock he would have been an automatic inclusion in the top three on this list. As it stands, Souths will turn to Cameron Murray, with Burgess still expected to slot into the middle from time to time during matches.
Murray has no shortage of admirers in Redfern and had some eye-catching performances towards the back of last season when he was given his chance in the run-on side, but he’s still only 20 and asking him to play a significant role in an undermanned middle contingent is a serious ask.
With a paltry nine first grade games to his name, Murray is a player with a future in the NRL but he’ll need to grow up very quickly.
14) Jai Arrow — Gold Coast Titans
Arrow was likened to Corey Parker in his Under 20s days and was named in the NYC team of the year in 2015. His defensive output has already been apparent despite his limited first grade opportunities.
He’s left the Broncos for the Titans, where he should have a chance to begin the season at the back of the scrum.
If Arrow can bring his offloading ability and footwork around the ruck to first grade, a transition which may take some time given his inexperience, he can be a real asset for the Titans and even if he can’t, he’s the kind of stout defender Gold Coast has been crying out for since Greg Bird left the club.
13) Sia Soliola — Canberra Raiders
Sia Soliola finishing 13th on this list says more about the outstanding quality of current lock forwards than it does about Soliola’s ability because the 31-year old is still a crucial and underrated contributor for the Green Machine.
The former St Helens man was one of several players rotated through lock last year for Canberra, alongside Luke Bateman, Joseph Tapine, Clay Priest, Elliott Whitehead and Dave Taylor, and while Whitehead is the best option for the spot to my eye, the Englishman will return to the right edge in 2018.
Much of Canberra’s turnaround on and off the field since the disastrous 2014 season can be traced to the recruitment of Soliola, a player Ricky Stuart describes as “a leader of men”.
He is still Canberra’s most important forward defensively and is crucial to their line-speed to the point where his absence can become all too conspicuous when he’s off the field.
Capable of playing in the middle and on the edge, Soliola is a vital tool in Stuart’s kit.
12) Mitch Barnett — Newcastle Knights
There is a top footballer somewhere in Mitch Barnett. The fiery 23-year old was a shrewd purchase for the Knights midway through 2016 after picking up the NSW Cup Player of the Year award the season before.
In his first full season in first grade, Barnett showed moments of real brilliance while also struggling at times as the rough edges in his game bubbled to the surface.
Mobile, rangy and skilful, Barnett can be one of the best locks in the league once he gets his game fully together.
The final hurdle for Barnett, aside from securing a starting spot in what has rapidly become a rather deep Knights forward pack, is cutting the errors and penalties.
As a consequence of his ball-playing abilities, sloppy errors can creep into his game and his fiery nature all too often manifests in to needless penalties — he conceded 20 in 22 games last season, the fourth most in the league. Cut these mishaps, and Barnett can be a star.
11) Elijah Taylor — Wests Tigers
It speaks volumes about the depth of the position when Taylor, a Test caliber player I rate very highly who has excelled in a number of roles for the Tigers since joining them from Penrith, can only land in 11th place.
A smart, tough player, Taylor knows exactly what he’s good at and plays to those strengths at all times.
Skilful enough to deputise at hooker and also able to slot in on the edge, lock remains Taylor’s best position, and he can set the tone defensively with his great tackling technique and ability to lead the line speed.
Taylor is no prolific metre-eater — he’s cracked the 100 metres gained mark just twice in his 142 first grade matches, but he makes an offensive impact in other ways, usually at first receiver.
He’s always been a favourite of Ivan Cleary’s and when you focus on the totality of his contribution it’s easy to see why.
10) Nathan Brown — Parramatta Eels
Brown seemed set for a career as a fiery bench-forward who came on to wreak havoc in short bursts after an eye-catching season with the Bunnies in 2017.
To this writer’s surprise, he completely reinvented himself in his first year with Parramatta, transforming into an industrious grinder while still retaining the intensity that made him such a good impact player to begin with.
In 67 minutes of playing time, Brown cranked out 15.3 run for 132 metres to go with 31.8 tackles and over the course of the season he popped 41 offloads.
By the end of the year he was the most important middle forward at the club, a truly incredible rise for the 24-year old. Backing up that breakout season is the new challenge for Brown, but given his terrific form you’d be brave to back against him.
9) Dale Finucane — Melbourne Storm
The former Bulldog finally won his maiden premiership with the Storm last season after being denied in three previous grand finals and it was a fitting reward for such a wholehearted workhorse.
One of the more overlooked players in the league, Finucane is one of Melbourne coach Craig Bellamy’s favourites and has found a home in his three seasons with the Storm, playing a huge role in their incredibly resilient defence in the middle of the field.
His attacking contributions pale in comparison to other players on this list — his 94 metres gained per game is respectable without being outstanding — it is on the other side of the ball where Finucane shines and he is the latest keeper of the flame when it comes to toughness for the Storm.
Witness the job he did slowing down Jason Taumalolo in the decider last year for further evidence.
8) Sio Suia Taukeiaho — Sydney Roosters
Taukeiaho faces a serious fight just to make the Roosters starting 17 given the excellent form of Isaac Liu at the back end of last season.
Liu was best known for his work off the bench but thrived after he was given more responsibility by coach Trent Robinson and the hard-running Kiwi was a Test representative by year’s end.
He would certainly not look out of place in the starting side, but also harbours the ability to be one of the best forwards in the competition.
Despite coming off a serious knee injury in 2016, Taukeiaho slowly built on his past performances with a strong 2017 season, averaging 43 minutes per game off the bench.
Now that he’s had ample time to work his way back into prime condition, he could be poised to detonate on the competition.
With a sharp right foot step and blessed with the mobility to beat defenders and the strength to carry them, Taukeiaho’s excellent World Cup campaign with Tonga could be the harbinger of his arrival as an elite lock forward. Of all the players on this list, he has the most scope for improvement in 2018.
7) Trent Merrin — Penrith Panthers
According to the stat sheet, Trent Merrin had one of the worst years of his career in 2018. His 117 metres per game was his lowest mark since 2011 when he was still a bench player at the Dragons, and he struggled to showcase the footwork and ball skills that have made him such a weapon over the last few seasons.
Merrin’s 12.7 runs and 26.9 tackles per game represented troubling drops from the year before (16.2 and 31) as the lack of a full pre-season perhaps took its toll on the 28-year old.
Merrin still has the capabilities to be one of the top forwards in the competition, and we can expect a strong bounce back season at the foot of the mountains.
As above, a full pre-season can do wonders for a player and Merrin’s output last year was still quite adequate compared to league averages — albeit well below what we know he’s capable of producing.
6) Simon Mannering — New Zealand Warriors
No team is more disappointing on a regular basis than the Warriors but amid all the chaos and unrealised expectations, Simon Mannering just keeps doing what he’s always done and he’ll keep doing those things for as long as he needs to do them.
Since moving to lock on a permanent basis in 2015, Mannering has found a home in that position, thriving in the workhorse role and subtly transforming his attacking game to match.
Mannering averaged 42 tackles per game last season, the third highest total in the league, while also notching 110 metres gained per game, 12.6 runs per game and six line break assists, all career highs.
He can be overlooked among the chaos across the Tasman, but Mannering is one of the best players in Warriors’ history and at 31 still has plenty of good football left in him.
5) Jack de Belin — St George Illawarra Dragons
The Dragons lock has been on the rise for several seasons now and exploded in 2017 with the best year of his career.
Always a stout defender, De Belin’s attacking game surged into life as he recorded career highs in terms of runs per game (12.2), metres per game (110), line break assists (7) and offloads (37).
Coupled with his always excellent defence, which has been the cornerstone of his game since breaking into first grade in 2011, the 26-year old shot into Origin contention and formed the bedrock of a terrific Dragons pack that promises to get even better with the addition of James Graham.
An underrated facet of lock forward play is the need to jump into first receiver at times.
With so many teams employing their halves as second and third receivers off a charging forward, it becomes crucial for teams to find workhorses with ball-playing nous and De Belin has that in spades.
His seven line break assists, a marvellous total for his position, speaks to that and is part of what makes the Cootamundra junior one of the most well-rounded locks in the competition.
4) Jake Trbojevic — Manly Sea Eagles
Trbojevic Snr was in great form for Manly in 2017, putting together the best season of his young career and making a strong Origin debut off the bench for New South Wales.
The 23-year-old averaged 12.8 runs for 118 metres per game while also accruing six line break assists and 23 offloads, all career highs, while playing 76 minutes per game.
Trboejvic worked well in tandem with Martin Taupau and his nine tries were second only to Coen Hess among forwards.
The final step for Trbojevic is to become a heavy contributor in rep football, and he should have the chance to do so this season for New South Wales at the very least.
The Blues made the puzzling decision to play Josh Jackson, an edge backrower, at lock in all three games last year and while Jackson performed the role to the best of his ability, a specialist is required.
With Trbojevic competing for the job alongside De Belin, Finucane, Merrin and Brown it promises to bring the best out of each of these very talented players.
3) Josh McGuire — Brisbane Broncos
Given he finished the season as first choice lock for Queensland and Australia, it safe to say Josh McGuire’s first year in the position went well.
Despite taking one less run per match than in 2016 (15.5 to 14.8), McGuire’s average run metres barely moved (135 in 2016 compared to 134 in 2017) and he remained the bristling, aggressive customer he’s been since he came into first grade in 2009.
Not only does McGuire shoulder more responsibility than any other Brisbane forward, he also emerged in 2018 as the focal point of Queensland’s new look forward pack.
With the Maroons currently experiencing a dearth of experienced middle forwards, McGuire stepped up the plate in the final two matches of the series and made it his personal mission to shut down Blues tearaway Andrew Fifita.
By no means was it a one man show, but McGuire was the pack leader and he carried that form into an excellent World Cup campaign, particularly in the blood and guts win over England in the final.
2) Paul Gallen — Cronulla Sharks
The oldest player in the league takes a licking but keeps on ticking.
In his first year away from representative football, Gallen was terrific for the Sharks and averaged 173 metres per game, the second highest mark in the league behind Jason Taumalolo.
His 45 tackle busts were his most since 2013, his 51 offloads were his highest mark since 2010 and he appeared in 25 games, the most he’s played in a season since 2005.
A slight reduction in minutes — Gallen averaged 64 minutes per game, making 2017 the third season since 2005 where he averaged less than 70 minutes — has helped prolong his career and we can expect more of the same from Gallen in 2018 and possibly beyond.
He might not be a fan favourite for people who don’t wear black, white and blue, but his continued excellence at 36 is something to be commended.
1) Jason Taumalolo — North Queensland Cowboys
The best lock forward in the NRL, the best forward in the NRL and maybe even the best player in the world.
Jason Taumalolo won the Dally M medal in 2016 and was somehow better in 2017, averaging a cartoonish 194 metres per game, the highest mark in the competition.
He also broke 121 tackles, the third best mark in the comp, and averaged 62 minutes per game, a full 10 minute increase on 2016 and the highest total since his move to the middle at the end of 2014.
Along with Michael Morgan, Taumalolo was the flag the club rallied around when Johnathan Thurston went down and his thunderous charges to finish games once he comes on for his second stint at around the 60 minute mark are fast taking on mythical qualities.
Throw in his incredible World Cup with Tonga, a decision that will reverberate through the ages of rugby league history in ways we can’t even perceive right now and there’s a chance we’re seeing Taumalolo develop into one of the greatest players in of this era.
High praise perhaps, but there are no other words that fit the bill.