It is very, very difficult to win a competition without a truly elite five-eighth. We certainly saw the cream rise to the top comes the finals.
That seems like an obvious statement, but getting the spine right in modern Rugby League is paramount.
In 2022, we saw a series of world-class five-eight performances. While I believe there is a clear number one in the position, grading the next nine was very, very difficult.
Here are the Top ten five-eighths from 2022. Again, this doesn't necessarily mean they are the best in the position, with performances in 2022 the only factor.
For a player to qualify, he must have played more games in the six than in any other position this season.
4. Tom Dearden
Dearden's odds to appear here may have been even longer than Matt Moylan's but he was one of the top performers in the position in 2022.
His efforts even earned him Origin selection where he was brilliant in a Series winning performance.
Dearden was magical in 2022. Nine tries, 15 try assists, 11 line break assists, six forced drop outs and 92 run metres per game only tell part of the story.
The Cowboys set up the perfect system in 2022. More importantly they filled the positions in the system with the perfect players for that system. Dearden fit like a glove and now has a monster future ahead of him.
