There's a mentality, especially in big games, that the forward pack who wins the battle, ultimately goes on to win the game.
We've seen elite halfbacks shut out of games after seeing their forward pack dominated.
Today we are here to celebrate the competition's elite big men.
Putting together a shortlist for this was incredibly easy. We have some brilliant engine rooms in the competition.
Leaving players out was difficult. That said, we can only name 10. A brilliant brilliant at that.
Again, this list isn't a list of the best ten middles in the game, and it's based purely on 2024 efforts.
Below are the top ten prop forwards from 2024:
The fact that Payne Haas only played 14 games this year yet still cracks the top 10 shows just how dominant he was.
Truthfully he is a lock for the top three spots when fully fit. This year would have been no different.
In those 14 games, he scored two tries, broke 73 tackles, produced 23 offloads, made 136 run metres per game and tackled at over 98%.
The 24-year-old is set to reign as king of the props for many, many years to come.
Moses Leota, a wrecking ball in his own right, formed the perfect prop partnership at Penrith for the past five years.
Coming off a career year in 2023, including an all time Grand Final effort, Leota was almost as brilliant all over again in 2025.
He ran out 26 times for Penrith for two tries, 13 offloads, over 90 run metres per game and a tackle percentage over 90%.
Leota's role as the second man up will increase next year following the departure of James Fisher-Harris. I have no concerns he is up to it.
The Eels big man wound back the clock in 2024. I was in shock when the Eels allowed him to walk to the Titans.
The 31-year-old played 24 games in 2025 for two tries, 124 run metres per game, a tackle percentage of 89%, 45 tackle breaks and 11 offloads.
He was the Eels best middle forward in a team that largely struggled.
He signed off on his Eels five-year stint with a monster season. He'll be missed in 2025.
The only regular bench prop to crack this list, the Roosters middle was pure destruction when on the park in 2024.
27 appearances, 19 of which came from the bench, saw a return of six tries, 64 tackle breaks, 110 run metres per game and a tackle efficiency of almost 98%.
If there weren't seven or eight sides talking to his agent earlier this year when his contract was being discussed, then huge mistakes were made.
He'll likely start next season, and we should see those numbers rise. Frightening.
Josh King enjoyed a career best year in 2024. Considering his efforts for the Storm across the past two years, that is a big compliment.
His 26 games in purple this year saw him cross for three tries, run for 112 metres per game, and make 733 tackles at almost 94%.
King's name was in Origin talks earlier this year, and truthfully, it should be again in 2025.
King is never going to stand out in a Storm outfit littered by rep spine players but they can't do what they do without King's efforts in the middle.
Earlier in the season, James Fisher-Harris shocked the NRL community by announcing that he was leaving to join the Warriors. Right then you knew he'd go out with another Premiership.
The Panthers leader was as enormous as ever in 2024 and leaves as one of the all-time Panthers.
23 games in 2024 saw a return of four tries, 14 offloads, 128 run metres per game and a tackle percentage of almost 96%.
Every year we predict that player x is the one that will see Penrith come back to the pack. Losing their pack leader looks a tough loss.
Mitch Barnett graduated from handy utility to out and out middle monster in 2024. His efforts even earned him calls ups to the rep arena.
Although he covered back row positions across a few rounds, it was the damage he did at prop that saw him land so high on any list.
23 appearances saw him score four times, make 46 tackle breaks, run for almost 150 metres per game and tackle at 94%.
Barnett will have to step up again in the absence of his front-row partner next year, but judging by his 2024 season, he will have no issues doing so.
If there was ever a case of a player performing beyond his stats, it's Lindsay Collins in 2024.
His 23 games for the Roosters netted him a try, 27 tackle breaks, 11 offloads, 85 run metres per game and a tackle percentage of of over 92%.
If you'd have asked me before I cross checked, I'd have sworn it was 130 metres, five tries and almost flawless tackling.
His stats are heavily skewed via two early exits, including a first minute HIA that robbed the Roosters of their main man in the Prelim Final. He was massive in 2024, make no mistake!
Selecting the top two spots here was super easy. Ranking those two was very, very difficult as in any other season, the Raiders hitman would be number one.
Tapine was a giant in 2024 in every sense of the word. He walks into literally any side in the world.
His 24 games produced 52 tackle breaks, 28 offloads, 166 run metres per game and a tackle efficiency of over 94%.
The Raiders did not have a great season but Tapine should have swept every single club award he was nominated for, and was an easy selection in the Dally M Team of the Year.
I would have been happy to hear an argument re Tapine being the best prop in the competition in 2024, until I revisited AFB's stat line and highlights.
23 games, eight tries, 84 tackle breaks, 24 offloads, a massive 175 run metres per game, a tackle percentage of 96%, nine line breaks and over 4000 run metres.
Yes, Payne Haas missed a chunk of the season, but Fonua Blake's 2024 was as dominant as a prop could possibly enjoy. In an often well beaten side no less.
The Warriors loss is the Sharks gain as he heads across the Tasman in 2025. He signed off in an impeccable fashion.