Class number nines can make such a huge different to a team's fortunes.
Cameron Smith, for over a decade, pulled the strings for the Storm. Despite Melbourne losing millions of dollars of talent, they never really dipped thanks mainly to Smith's genius.
2024 saw a host of class hookers emerge. It did make ranking them very tough.
Please remember that these rankings are compiled using 2024's form only. This isn't necessarily a list of the best hookers, per se.
Below are the top 10 hookers from 2024:
26 year-old Mitch Kenny now has four full seasons of NRL action under his belt for a return of four NRL titles.
Kenny plays his role to perfection. He doesn't have the stats of some of the others on here but no one can argue he doesn't belong in elite company.
Kenny played 24 games for the Panthers this season for two tries, five try assists, four line-break assists, two forced dropouts and over 88% tackle efficiency.
The fact the Panthers aren't missing Apisai Koroisau is the biggest compliment you can pay Kenny.
We're accustomed to seeing the Rabbitohs number nine much higher on lists like this. He was solid in 2024 but a slow start saw him fall here.
In his 23 games he crossed for four tries, assisted seven, had four line-break assists, forced two drop outs, ran for 80 metres per game and tackled at over 93%.
The former Blues rake fell into the Bunnies curse in '24. At times he was great but lacked any real consistency.
Cook will move to the Dragons next year, providing a fresh start for both club and player. I expect him to return to a higher rank in 2025.
Make no mistake, if Marshall-King doesn't suffer a mid-to-late season injury, he lands much higher here.
His 17 games saw him score twice, assist six tries, lay on seven line-break assists, run for 50 metres per game and tackle at almost 92%.
His service is as crisp as can be. He would walk into the Kiwi side if fully fit.
I'm an unashamed fan of the 28 year-old. He will play a huge part in the post Wayne Bennett area. If 2024 is anything to go by, you can expect big things next year.
I'm here to say right now that I believe the Dragons number nine is the most underrated hooker in the NRL.
He was magnificent for the Red V in 2024. A real highlight in a season that ended on such a negative for his club.
22 games saw him cross for five tries, assist three, ran for over 60 metres per game and tackle at 92%.
There will comments re Liddle, I am absolutely convinced. I am very confident in adding him here. He was so good and I'd argue the Dragons best across the entire season.
Reed Mahoney was at the his scheming best (or should we say pest?) in 2024.
He ran out 25 times for the Dogs for a return of four tries, 12 assists, five line-break assists, eight forced dropouts and a tackle percentage just under 92%.
Mahoney lead from the front, literally, all season as the Dogs retuned to Finals footy for the first time in a long tine.
He won't attract the attention of the likes of Burton, Kikau and Chrichton, but Mahoney played a huge part in the Dogs return to grace in 2024.
Although the Warriors fell a long way from repeating their 2023 heroics, Wayde Egan was one who stood up in a big way.
His stats were skewed by a host of early exits and some missed games, but his 2024 return was significant.
20 games saw him score a try, assist six, lay on nine line-break assists, run for almost 50 metres per game and tackle at almost 93%.
The ultimate no frills number nine, Egan is a monster in the middle. We see so many hookers targeted in defence. You're wasting your time if your tactic is targeting Egan.
The Tigers may have finished last but it was through no fault of their outstanding number nine Api Koroisau.
Across his 22 games he had five tries, nine try assists, eight line-break assists, 54 run metres per game and tackles at over 86%. Throw in two forced dropouts and 43 goals for good measure.
As a Sharks fan I will never forget the early season game where Koroisau, fighting gastro, tore the Sharks to shreds at Leichhardt Oval.
The Tigers struggled in 2024 but Koroisau, Galvin and Samuela Fainu were three points of excitement for the side. Api lead them extremely well in equally extreme circumstances.
I fully admit to being critical of Brailey in 2023, but his 2024 was nothing less than absolutely stellar!
Most of the Sharks stars had a noticeable form dip at some point during the season but Brailey probably bucked that trend, being consistently impressive all year.
His 27 games netted three tries, eight try assists, five line-break assists, 45 metres run per game and a tackle percentage of 94%. Considering his big minutes, that last stat is super impressive.
Perhaps most importantly Brailey emerged as a real leader in the Sharks outfit this season. He is super important as they look to go a game better in 2025.
Truthfully, it almost came down to a coin toss as to who finished first and who finished second here. For a time, I had Robson at number one.
His 23 games for the Cowboys saw him cross three times, assist six tries, lay on seven line-break assists, produce 13 offloads, run for over 65 metres per game and make 919 tackles at almost 94%. His performances for the Blues were just as good.
I'd argue his performance way out did his stats, as impressive as they may be.
Robson has, undoubtedly, emerged as the number one hooker for the Blues moving forward. An incredible season, although I feel even better things are ahead.
Another season, another Harry Grant masterclass across 12 amazing months.
His 23 games for the Storm saw a return of 12 tries, eight try assists, nine line-break assists, four forced dropouts, almost 70 run metres per game and a tackle percentage of almost 92%.
Grant was also breathtaking for the Kangaroos recently and turned in a brilliant Game One for the Maroons.
The Storm number nine is the undisputed king of the role. Despite a brief thought of naming Robson here, Grant again sits atop the best rakes in the game.