NRL Team of the Season 2022

We're approaching awards time in the NRL so the Stats Insider model has looked through every game of the regular season to select the 2022 NRL Team of the Season. 

MORE: NRL Preliminary Finals Predictions

How is Stats Insider’s NRL Team of the Season 2022 selected?

Using Stats Insider's NRL Player Rating system, players have been allocated a rating for each match they played in the 2022 season.

A player’s game-by-game ratings, for their 21 highest scoring matches (when named to start in each position), are then added together and the players with the highest overall rating in each position are selected for the Team of the Season.

Because players accumulate rating points in each match they play, this method tends to reward players who have performed consistently over the entire 2022 season. It also makes it difficult for players who have missed a chunk of games (through injury or suspension) to poll highly. 

With that in mind, it's important to remember that just because a player is selected in our Team of the Season, that isn't to say the rating system necessarily regards them as the best player at their position. Only that they have performed consistently well throughout 2022 and that performance has been recognised and rewarded by our Player Rating System.

1. James Tedesco (Roosters)

Slow to start the season by his standards, James Tedesco left little doubt over the best fullback in the game tag by the end of it.

He managed only one try and three try assists across the opening seven rounds of the 2022 NRL season. And in typical rugby league fashion, the race was on to announce his successor and declare him on the decline.

Finishing the year with 13 tries, 12 try assists while leading the NRL in total yardage with 5,092 running metres (212.2m per game) and tackle breaks with 169 (7 per game), Tedesco quickly assumed his place at the top with little fuss.

His best involvements within the Sydney Roosters attack aren't always noticed or displayed in the numbers either. A crucial carry out of yardage or a scheming run to scramble the defensive line could have a significant impact on the game. He's the best fullback in the competition and it won't be a surprise to see him back here in 12 months.

2. Taylan May (Panthers)

His season has been struck by injury and controversy, but before all of that, Taylan May played out an incredible rookie season in the NRL.

The 21-year-old took over the left wing spot at the Panthers and has admirably filled the void. He's effective in yardage for 155 running metres per game. As Brian To'o did before him on that side of the field, May is starting Penrith's sets well and laying the foundation for a raid deep into opposition territory.

In good ball, May has a nose for the line. He's strong in contact in the corner. Most importantly, he's not afraid of contact and often beats defenders by cutting back in against the grain to score one of his 16 tries this season.

Penrith just keep churning out the youngsters. Given what we've seen in his first full season in the top grade, May is set for a long career manning Penrith's left wing.

RELATED: Panthers vs Rabbitohs Preliminary Final Predictions

3. Joseph Manu (Roosters)

Whatever Joseph Manu signed in December when extending his contract with the Roosters for another two years, it wasn't enough.

The 26-year-old has played out a career-best year and did it all for the Roosters in trying times. As Trent Robinson's side struggled through injury and played inconsistent football, Manu turned up every week to dominate in different positions.

Fullback, five-eighth or centre, it didn't matter. 

Robinson gave Manu a licence to roam when the Roosters were in possession. In yardage, Manu would often put himself into dummy half or first receiver to take a carry on 3rd tackle, often moving to the other side of the field to do so. In good ball, Manu could often be seen sweeping around to the left edge in a fullback-like shape.

He popped up everywhere to finish with 11 tries, 12 try assists, 13 line breaks, 145 tackle breaks and 140 running metres per game. 

4. Siosifa Talakai (Sharks)

Siosifa Talakai set the bar ridiculously high with his Round 7 dismantling of the Sea Eagles.

With two tries, three try assists, three linebreaks, eight tackle breaks and 262 running metres in a single game, Talakai copped the over-hype treatment. He was talked about as though this could become a regular occurrence. Instead, Talakai went on to play a consistent but relatively low-frills remainder of the season.

He only scored two more tries following that Round 7 double. After handing out three try assists in that one, he threw only three more across the following 14 games.

Where Talakai earns his spot here is in the yardage game. The 178cm and 100kg wrecking ball averaged 186 running metres per game in the centres. His 176 running metres per game overall saw him rank 6th in the NRL - impressive numbers for somebody in his position.

Talakai was never going to live up to the standard he set in Round 7. He caught lightning in a bottle that day. Still, as a key feature in the Sharks yardage game and a big part of their dangerous left-edge attack, Talakai played out a superb season and has found a long-term home in the centres moving forward.

5. Alex Johnston (Rabbitohs)

Alex Johnston tries:

• 2021 - 30 tries
• 2022 - 30 tries

Alex Johnston became the first player in NRL history to score 30 tries in a season twice, and he did it in back-to-back years out on the South Sydney Rabbitohs left edge.

He didn't always need to do a lot to score; having Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell link up often creates a lot of space out wide. The 27-year-old leans into the idea that he's a catch-and-fall merchant. However, when you watch closely and see the work he has to do, you see Johnston's speed off the mark, his footwork to stand up sliding defences, and his ability to finish through contact in the corner.

Add his 118 running metres per game as he continues to improve as a contributor in yardage, and AJ clearly becomes one of the best wingers in the NRL.

6. Cameron Munster (Storm)

Cameron Munster made a few changes to his life off the field and produced the best season of his career on it in 2022.

He stood up when the Melbourne Storm needed him most as injuries struck down key players around him. Whether it be at five-eighth, fullback or a combination of the two across 80 minutes, Munster produced the goods.

Cameron Munster 2022 stats:

His 117 tackle breaks ended up as the fourth-most in the competition. How somebody his size can break so many tackles - often in the middle of the field - doesn't make any sense, but Munster is constantly pushing and weaving his way through contact to extend the play. 

Munster created with the ball for himself and others to score 11 tries and hand out 16 try assists as the Storm led the NRL with 26 points per game. Despite injuries to Jahrome Hughes, Ryan Papenhuyzen and other key players throughout the year, Munster kept the Storm rolling with the ball. 

7. Nicho Hynes (Sharks)

Those in the Shire didn't need any convincing but most fans elsewhere had concerns over Nicho Hynes' ability to become a top shelf #7 in the NRL.

It's an overused trope that has been proven wrong plenty of times before, but the idea that players can't perform well after leaving the Storm arrived with Hynes at the Sharks. It didn't take long to wipe those thoughts away, though.

It became clear early on that the 26-year-old could make the #7 jersey his own. Playing on the ball and moving his team around the field, Hynes became one of the most influential players in the NRL this year. 

Only Jackson Hastings and Ben Hunt averaged more touches than Hynes' 61.7 per game. With them, Hynes scored six tries, sent 21 teammates over the line and led the competition in line break assists with 29. A triple threat with the ball, he managed 117 running metres and forced 21 dropouts along the way, too.

Most encouraging is the fact that Hynes still has a lot of room to improve. 

8. Joseph Tapine (Raiders)

And just like that, Joseph Tapine has become one of the best props in the world.

He has produced good games, back-to-back weeks, and even months of solid football in the past, but in 2022, the Raiders star put it all together across 25 games.

Tapine led all forwards with 165 running metres per game in 2022, while topping the post-contact metres count at 1,731 metres for the season. He pushed through tackles all season and constantly got his arms free for 47 offloads - only Tevita Pangai Jr. threw more.

A constant threat as a ball-carrier, Tapine's tip-on passes caused havoc with his ball to Elliott Whitehead in Week 1 of the NRL Finals, a particular highlight.

It's taken a little bit longer than perhaps he would have hoped, but Tapine finally reached the level of play he has been capable of for years.

9. Harry Grant (Storm)

Harry Grant has flown under the radar somewhat this season.

Playing in a Storm side that has struggled at times, the 24-year-old has quietly put together a superb 21 games.

Grant scored seven tries himself but it's his 17 try assists that stand out. Having assisted on only 14 tries across 30 games in the two seasons prior to this one, Grant has more than doubled his career tally in a single season. He could have had more too if not for injuries to key players around him.

A big part of what makes him so dangerous is his 93 running metres per game. No hooker jumped out from dummy half more than Grant's 8.6 runs per game. In fact, Damien Cook ended up second way back at only 5.6 dummy half runs per game.

In an injury-riddled team that demanded any semblance of consistency in the spine, Grant produced to play out an excellent 2022 season.

10. Payne Haas (Broncos)

It's quite ridiculous that Payne Haas can run for 163 metres, make 30 tackles at a 97% efficiency and average 62 minutes per game, and it be considered a rather 'quiet' season.

The Broncos star is just that good.

Still only 22 years old, Haas is approaching Jason Taumalolo territory when it comes to his consistency. There is a point where it becomes normal for a player like this to put up massive numbers every week, and Haas is getting close.

Add a handful of off-field issues and contract dramas this season and it's scary to think what Haas might be able to produce when footy is his focus in a good side.

11. Isaiah Papali'i (Eels)

Isaiah Papali'i signed his big deal with the Parramatta Eels leaving some to assume he couldn't possibly back up his Dally M Backrower of the Year 2021 season with another of the same quality in 2022. 

Running for 193 metres and breaking eight tackles in Round 1, those thoughts quickly subsided.

The 23-year-old continued in his rise as one of the best edge backrowers in the game with another impressive season. So impressive he is having second thoughts on the contract he signed for 2023. If he was negotiating again, Papali'i would be commanding even more on his pay packet.

10 tries, 93 tackle breaks and 141 running metres per game will do that for a player. With 33 offloads this season, he has set a new career high. 

Destructive with the ball in hand, capable of an offload and brutal in defence, Papali'i backed up one brilliant season with another. The question now is where will he attempt to make it three in a row next year?

RELATED: Cowboys vs Eels Preliminary Final Predictions

12. Shaun Lane (Eels)

Shaun Lane has played 145 NRL matches but it's only in his last 24 that he has started to play at the level many knew he was capable of reaching.

Out of nowhere and following a 2021 season in which he was shuffled in and out of the starting side, Lane has locked down the left edge back-row spot in Parramatta. It's his consistency that has allowed that to happen and his partnership with Dylan Brown has blossomed as a result.

Lane is a big unit. At 198cm and 110kg, he's an imposing figure for the opposition defence. Running hard lines and targeting the right shoulder of the defenders in front of him, Lane - even without the ball - has played a significant role in how the Eels attack down the left edge.

When he is receiving the ball and getting up the field, the Eels are winning games. He's averaging 129 metres per game this season but when he ticks that number up and over 140 metres the Eels are 8-3.

With 34 offloads in 24 games, Lane has set a new career high while becoming a prominent feature of the Eels attack in good ball.

Always stacked with potential, Shaun Lane has played up to it in 2022.

13. Isaah Yeo (Panthers)

You always know what you're going to get with Isaah Yeo and 2022 has been no different.

Incredibly consistent, versatile and importantly this year, available, Yeo stepped up for the Panthers as they navigated some relatively difficult periods of the season.

Yeo upped his yardage to 140 metres per game in 2022 from 122 metres per game in 2021. With 12 offloads, he more than doubled his count from 2021 (5). Outside of the numbers, Yeo completes the little parts of the game that have a big effect on the result.

He digs into the line to create space for Nathan Cleary and Jarome Luai to manufacture points. No forward engages the line more than Yeo's 5 line engaged runs per game. Whether it be swinging the ball wide or tipping short to a teammate in yardage, Yeo plays on the ball around the ruck and makes life for the key playmakers easier. 

Consistency is the key and while Cameron Murray and Jason Taumalolo both deserve honourable mentions here, it's Yeo that finished on top in the lock position for a second consecutive season.