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 centres 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 centre 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 centres based purely and totally on 2023:
Honourable mentions: Valentine Holmes, Will Penisini, Euan Aitken, Tolutau Koula
6. Jesse Ramien
Jesse Ramien produced his best season to date in 2023. I could hear an argument for his 2018 "rookie" season (after one appearance in 2017) but he feels a far more complete footballer now.
Cronulla's left edge was lethal in 2022, with their right side falling away slightly. In 2023, it was the Cronulla right edge that shone on both sides of the ball.
Over 25 appearances for the Sharks this year, Ramien scored 11 tries, assisted six, made nine breaks, broke 80 tackles and averaged 140 metres per game.
Defensively, Ramien's stocks went up three fold in 2023. Tackling at almost 90%, he sured up that right edge and forced sides to target the Sharks left all season.
