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
The Bulldog utility was fantastic for his side in every position he was asked to play in 2023. He played most at centre and thus qualifies here.
Throughout his 24 appearances for the Dogs he crossed for 12 tries, made 12 line breaks, assist seven tries, broke 65 tackles and ran for over 100 metres per game.
Those stats are impressive but are multiplied by two or three given the side he played in and the lack of help around him.
It was horrible to see him injured late on but he is still going to be an absolute megastar for the Dolphins.
Matt Timoko was Canberra's best in 2023 and I will stand and argue with anyone who suggests otherwise.
He may be the most difficult centre in the competition to tackle one on one. It's frightening that he is still only 23 year's of age.
Across 25 games for the Green Machine he broke 118 tackles, scored 11 tries, made 14 line breaks and ran for over 150 metres per game.
He was as close to an automatic selection for the Kiwis as you could find. He was brilliant on debut.
At one point this season, Campbell Graham was the form centre of the competition. He very much earned his Origin call up and I am shattered he was forced to withdraw.
The Souths centre ran out 21 times this season, crossing for 16 tries, laying on five assists, making 21 line breaks and running for over 130 metres per game.
Much like the Bunnies as a whole, Graham's form fell off at the back end of the season. This stops him from placing higher.
At 24 year's of age, Graham is very much the present and future at Redfern. If he can avoid injury, the sky is the limit.
Before we dive in, Manu's stats and form are both going to be skewed by having being forced to play in the halves for so many weeks.
Manu produced, undoubtedly, his best footy of the season once he was in his regular centre role. As a run first five-eighth, he was more than fine, but simply deadly out wide.
21 caps for the Roosters in '23 produced eight tries, a ridiculous 123 tackle breaks and almost 140 metres per game. Again, his time in the six needs to be considered.
There is no doubt that Manu can return to the top of this list in 2024 should he remain in the three-quarters.
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.
At the time, Bradman Best's Origin selection was a shock. Right now though, he looks every bit the Origin regular.
He used his Origin selection to kick start a run of form that saw him emerge as one of the competition's elite centres for 2023.
In his 25 games he had 13 tries, a magnificent 16 try assists, made 11 breaks and averaged 131 metres run per game.
2023 saw Best reach the levels we all expected him capable of. Watch out in 2024. There is no reason he can't match, and better, his 2023 numbers.
Tago was such a monster this season that he finishes in the top four despite only making 16 appearances for Penrith in 2023.
In those 16 games he scored 10 tries, assisted eight, made 11 line breaks, broke 67 tackles and averaged over 155 run metres per game.
Tago is an absolute freak on and off the field. The injury he suffered would have ruled may others out for the season.
If he played a full 20+ games, there's no reason he wouldn't have pushed his fellow Penrith centre partner all the way for a Dally M Team of the Year spot.
2023 was the year where Kotoni Staggs really came of age. He has always been brilliant but he found a level of consistency this year that will scare opposing centres moving forward.
Staggs played 26 times for the Broncs in 2023, scoring 13 tries, setting up seven, making 14 line breaks, breaking 92 tackles and running for 117 metres per game.
The "this is our house" post-try celebration against the Dolphins will be used in every Broncos promotion for the next decade.
Staggs earned his spot in the Kangaroos side and you have to believe, if he can replicate his 2023 form, that Origin spot will be his again before too long.
I could absolutely hear an argument that Stephen Crichton should be number one here. He was simply breathtaking in 2023.
The Bulldogs have landed a marquee name in the outgoing Penrith, Blues and Samoan superstar. If he's half the talent at fullback as he is a centre, it will be a wise investment.
Crichton ran out 24 times for the Panthers in 2023, scoring 15 tries, kicking 21 goals, laying on a remarkable 15 try assists, breaking 86 tackles and running for 125 metres per game.
He will be missed at the foot of the mountains, both on and off the field, but boy did he leave them in the very best fashion.
What a season it was for the departing Broncos ace. The Dolphins will be licking their lips and having the star Englishman making the ever so short trip to Redcliffe next season.
Farnworth had a majestic season in 2023 and, for mine, just pips Stephen Crichton as the best in the business for the year.
Across his 26 games he crossed for 16 tries, made 16 line breaks, set up three tries, broke 136 tackles and ran for almost 170 metres per game. All while tackling at over 92%.
Herbie's "moonwalk" finish may be the highlight of the season. He produced a plethora of them himself in a supremely successful season.