Entering the 2022 NRL season following a record-breaking 2021 presents a few options in the top points scorer market.

If the game continues to trend towards points over everything, goal-kicking wingers will remain as the fruitful option in the market. However, if yet another adjustment to the rules slows down the try-scoring in 2022, above average goal-kickers on high-scoring teams enter the fray.

Reuben Garrick finished on top in 2021 thanks to an outlier season never before seen in the NRL.

A year earlier it was Adam Reynolds kicking his way to the top after adding a whopping +26.5 points compared to the average kicker. Cameron Smith ended second on the list at +13.5.

Latrell scored 18 tries and kicked goals for the best-attacking team in the NRL in 2019 while Jamayne Isaako did something similar for the Broncos in 2017 while knocking them over at 83%.

*20-game season

Each year is a little bit different when it comes to the Top Points Scorer in the NRL. It's difficult to pick up the trends before the season starts, but we do have a couple of thoughts on the market ahead of Round 1 kicking off on Thursday night. 

RELATED: Betting Ahead- Mining The Top Try Scorer Market For Gold

Reuben Garrick - $2.65

Reuben Garrick finished at the top of the pile in 2021 smashing Hazim El Masri's previous regular-season record (288 points) with 308 points in 24 games. While he is amongst the best goal-kickers in the NRL, playing outside Tom Trbojevic and scoring 23 tries certainly helped his case.

The 24-year-old became the first player in NRL history to score 20+ tries and kick 100+ goals in a season and enters 2022 as the justifiable favourite.

He has already been mentioned as a potential top try-scorer this year, but proceed with caution. The extra attention on Trbojevic this season will have an impact on how the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles play with the ball and we're yet to see how that influences Garrick's try-scoring tally. Anticipating a dip in points scored across the NRL, it's not difficult to imagine Garrick dipping below the 20 try mark this season.

He's going to be in the conversation given he's the goal kicker in one of the best-attacking sides in the competition. However, there is too much uncertainty around how well he can replicate his try-scoring feats of 2021 to get around his current price.

Punters- At TopSport, the season wins market has been set at 15.5 where Manly are concerned. 

Latrell Mitchell - $6.50

Latrell Mitchell is one of the best players in the game when he manages to stay on the field.

Whether it be due to injury or suspension, he's missed too much time to feature in this conversation in recent years but he kicks off the 2022 season at an appealing $6.50.

He finished up at the top of the pile in 2019 while scoring 18 tries and kicking 89 goals in 25 games. Expected to be handed the tee for 2022, Mitchell is a huge consideration here.

Adam Reynolds' departure not only provides Mitchell with an opportunity to kick goals but also hands him more responsibility in attack. The bloke who scored 13 tries in 17 games last season (including seven in his last eight games before being suspended), is going to see MORE of the ball in 2022. 

Mitchell is one of the most destructive players in the game close to the line and is likely to be put in more positions to use his size and speed. He acted as a ball-player out the back of shape a lot last year but is unlikely to be presented with the same space without Reynolds doing a lot of the hard work inside him. Running the ball himself or being put into centre-like positions is going to be the better option more often in 2022, likely to result in an increase to his 13 tries last season. 

With the Rabbitohs once again expected to be one of the better attacking teams in the NRL, Mitchell will have plenty of cracks at goal to keep the points ticking over, too.

If the 24-year-old can behave himself and avoid the naughty chair, he's going to pile up the points.

Punters- At TopSport, the Rabbitohs season wins market has been set at 14.5

Reece Walsh - $23

The uncertainty around who will do the goal kicking for the Warriors is surely playing a part on Reece Walsh's price here but there is a lot of potential in his point-scoring output this year.

He scored nine tries in 16 games last season and the assumption is he will be in better positions to score more often in 2022 with Shaun Johnson running the team around. Walsh has great instincts which is how he managed to feature on the scoresheet so often despite playing within a disjointed attack in 2021. Having Johnson playing the Warriors to positions on the field and making the right pass to his outside men more often than not is going to play into Walsh's hands as a try-scorer this season.

The suggestion is he will kick goals, too.

Shaun Johnson is the best goalkicker available but he might look to preserve his nagging groin and pass up on the job. 

Chanel Harris-Tavita is the next best on the roster but is out of favour and unlikely to be in the starting side once Walsh replaces him at fullback for Round 2.

That leaves Kodi Nikorima whose numbers don't make for great reading, and Walsh, who doesn't have great numbers himself but seems eager to take on what he can.

Warriors assistant coach Justin Morgan said "the players will decide" who kicks goals a couple of weeks ago and given Walsh was handed the tee for their one and only trial, he looks like the man for the job. 

Punters- At TopSport, the Warriors are paying $7 to collect their first wooden spoon in club history.

Extras

Adam Keighran - $23: He's one of the best goalkickers in the NRL but his spot in the first-choice 17 isn't assured all season owing to the quality the Roosters have in the centres.

Mitchell Moses - $19: He's not a prolific try-scorer but the Eels know how to cross the line and are capable of a jump up the ladder this year. Moses won't be short of shots at goal.

Matt Burton - $67: The Bulldogs are going to struggle in attack but everything is going to revolve around Burton. He will score a few and kick the goals as well. Represents value as a roughie. 

Jake Clifford - $101: Kalyn Ponga is the worst-performing full-time goalkicker across the last two seasons. The Knights will likely persist with him, but Clifford surely becomes an option if Ponga misses a few bunnies early. 

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