The regular season is done and dusted, and now it's time to look back at how some of the great individuals in the NRL performed in 2021.
James Fisher-Harris, Payne Haas and Tom Burgess all had stellar seasons in the front-row, while some others struggled to make an impact for their side.
Sporting News will be ranking all positions throughout the season, continuing with the front-rowers below.
(In positions where there are two players per side, we've ranked based on combinations for each club as opposed to individual players. Rankings are based solely on 2021 regular season performances and who played the most games for their club in that particular position).
16. Jordan McLean/Francis Molo - Cowboys
McLean (24 games) - 14 tackle breaks, 105 metres per game, 43 post-contact metres per game, 25 tackles per game
Molo (19 games) - 10 offloads, 12 tackle breaks, 100 metres per game, 21 tackles per game
Two really solid players, but they didn't have the best campaigns as the Cowboys struggled.
McLean hasn't kicked on since his early days at Melbourne earned him a Kangaroos debut, and didn't make much impact for North Queensland this season.
Molo made the jump to Origin football this year, and while he performed well off the bench for the Maroons, he struggled for consistency at club level.
The latter will move to the Dragons next year - could we see Jason Taumalolo play as a prop on a permanent basis?
15. Luke Thompson/Jack Hetherington - Bulldogs
Thompson (15 games) - 36 tackle breaks, 13 offloads, 142 metres per game, 35 tackles per game
Hetherington (17 games) - 20 tackle breaks, 15 offloads, 101 metres per game, 25 tackles per game
It's hard to rank these two men much higher, due to their ill-discipline costing them a total of 16 games during the year.
Thompson is a brilliant player, and has the potential to be one of the best front-rowers in the competiton. The English import averaged over 140 metres and 35 tackles per game for Canterbury this year.
Plenty has been made of Hetherington's career judiciary record, and it is crippling his ability to become a top-level first grade player.
With the likes of Paul Vaughan and Tevita Pangai Junior joining the club in 2022, there will be more competition for spots in the engine room and both men will need to wind back their hot-headedness.
14. Stefano Utoikamanu/James Tamou - Tigers
Utoikamanu (21 games) - 6 tries, 35 tackle breaks, 18 offloads, 97 metres per game
Tamou (19 games) - 9 tackle breaks, 5 offloads, 81 metres per game, 26 tackles per game
Two players at opposite parts of their careers.
Tamou was signed by the club and was immediately named captain, after his leadership helped Penrith to a grand final berth in 2020.
Unfortunately, the veteran prop struggled for form and didn't make the impact on the field that Michael Maguire was hoping to see.
Utoikamanu on the other hand had a fantastic season, even earning him a spot in the NSW Blues extended squad, and the 21-year-old will only improve in years to come.
13. Aaron Woods/Aiden Tolman - Sharks
Woods (24 games) - 18 offloads, 47 post-contact metres per game, 111 metres per game, 26 tackles per game
Tolman (21 games) - 7 tackle breaks, 40 post-contact metres per game, 106 metres per game, 37 tackles per game
An experienced duo, Tolman and Woods both had solid enough seasons for the Sharks.
Woods has the ability to pop an offload with multiple defenders holding on to him, and also averages just under 50 post-contact metres per game.
Tolman is a workhorse and has been around for an eternity, and provides plenty of experience. Unfortunately, he doesn't provide a lot of punch in the middle as he enters the twilight of his career.
With the former in Woods moving on in 2022 and Tolman remaining unsigned, we will likely see a changing of the guard in the front-row rotation in the Shire.
12. Blake Lawrie/Josh McGuire - Dragons
Lawrie (21 games) - 26 tackle breaks, 41 post-contact metres per game, 108 metres per game, 32 tackles per game
McGuire (17 games) - 25 tackle breaks, 10 offloads, 116 metres per game, 35 tackles per game
St George Illawarra could have had a different man on this list in Paul Vaughan, but unfortunately he was sacked after the BBQ that derailed their season.
Lawrie continues to go about his business, and is a real throwback-style prop. The local junior averaged over 100 metres and over 30 tackles per game, which is real solid.
McGuire is a polarising figure and will spend the start of next year on the sidelines through suspension, but he is still a handy enough player to have at Anthony Griffin's disposal if he can stay on the field.
With the likes of Francis Molo and George Burgess arriving at the club next year, there will be plenty of competition for spots in the Red V.
11. Josh Papalii/Emre Guler - Raiders
Papalii (20 games) - 48 tackle breaks, 30 offloads, 131 metres per game, 27 tackles per game
Guler (19 games) - 16 tackle breaks, 11 offloads, 96 metres per game, 26 tackles per game
He's been one of the most damaging big men in the NRL for many years - but 2021 wasn't a great year for Josh Papalii.
The 29-year-old spent time out of the side and on the bench during the season for Canberra, and lacked the impact for his side that we've come to expect.
Guler is a rising star for the Raiders and proved that to Ricky Stuart, who gave him plenty of starting opportunities this year and allowed him to shine.
In a year where the Raiders missed the finals, it's no surprise to see their front-rowers a bit further down this list.
10. Addin Fonua-Blake/Matt Lodge - Warriors
Fonua-Blake (15 games) - 33 tackle breaks, 20 offloads, 75 post-contact metres per game, 160 metres per game, 26 tackles per game
Lodge (18 games) - 65 tackle breaks, 44 offloads, 129 metres per game, 26 tackles per game
A disrupted year for both players, but there's no doubting their performances while they were on the field were strong.
Fonua-Blake remains one of the game's elite props, and you only need to look at his stats to prove it. His season was hampered by injury, but he made the most of his time on the field.
Lodge started his year at the Broncos, and while he was playing some good footy there, was released early from his contract and took up a deal with the Warriors.
Nobody's favourite player, Lodge adds plenty of value in the middle of the park but still needs to work on his discipline - as shown in the final game of the season against the Titans.
9. Payne Haas/Tom Flegler - Broncos
Haas (20 games) - 68 tackle breaks, 74 post-contact metres per game, 168 metres per game, 35 tackles per game
Flegler (20 games) - 30 tackle breaks, 28 offloads, 89 metres per game, 23 tackles per game
Despite finishing in the bottom-four once again and struggling for results, Brisbane's marquee man performed admirably again this year.
Haas has cemented himself as one of the best front-rowers in the NRL at such a young age, and capped of his season by winning the Dally M Prop of the Year award.
Flegler had a solid campaign and is still a raw talent with plenty of upside. He brings aggression and punch in the middle of the park, and will be an important part of the Broncos' forward pack in years to come.
With some big-name signings for 2022 and beyond, Brisbane will be happy with how their front-rowers are progressing and will be hoping for some better results next year.
8. Martin Taupau/Taniela Paseka - Sea Eagles
Taupau (23 games) - 51 tackle breaks, 31 offloads, 155 metres per game, 26 tackles per game
Paseka (21 games) - 27 tackle breaks, 28 offloads, 112 metres per game, 21 tackles per game
A year that started slow for Manly ended with them in the top four and a prelim final, and a lot of that will come down to Tom Trbojevic's form.
But let's not dismiss the efforts of their front-rowers, who produced some strong form in 2021.
Taupau is the leader of the pack and his numbers remain among the best in the competition, averaging over 150 metres per game and keeping his trademark offload front and centre.
This year was a breakout year for Paseka, who always had promise but struggled with form and injury. He played 21 games and averaged over 100 metres, and his size and presence always got Manly on the front foot.
7. Moeaki Fotuaika/Jarrod Wallace - Titans
Fotuaika (21 games) - 50 tackle breaks, 23 offloads, 143 metres per game, 27 tackles per game
Wallace (24 games) - 5 tries, 33 offloads, 102 metres per game, 23 tackles per game
A return to the finals for the Titans was aided by their two front-row stars.
Fotuaika performed well in both club and Origin footy, averaging over 140 metres per game for the Titans and earning himself a contract extension.
As for Wallace, it was a real return to form this year and it was great to see him back playing the football he was always capable of.
Gold Coast's middle-forward rotation will receive another boost in 2022 with the arrival of Isaac Liu, as they look to cement themselves a premiership force.
6. Tom Burgess/Tevita Tatola - Rabbitohs
Burgess (23 games) - 38 tackle breaks, 55 post-contact metres per game, 142 metres per game, 24 tackles per game
Tatola (18 games) - 12 tackle breaks, 10 offloads, 112 metres per game, 24 tackles per game
A real underrated factor of South Sydney's rise to the grand final was their big men.
Burgess had a career-best year, averaging over 140 metres and 50 post-contact metres per game, and made a major impact both off the bench and in the starting side for Wayne Bennett.
Tatola carried on his form from last year into this year, before a knee injury derailed his season. Since returning, he's looked just as good as he did before and averaged over 100 metres per game this year.
Special mention must also go to Mark Nicholls - he's gone from an average or fringe first-grader to an integral part of the Rabbitohs' success this year.
5. Junior Paulo/Reagan Campbell-Gillard - Eels
Paulo (21 games) - 34 tackle breaks, 41 offloads, 126 metres per game, 25 tackles per game
Campbell-Gillard (18 games) - 20 tackle breaks, 54 post-contact metres per game, 143 metres per game, 25 tackles per game
As far as pure combinations go, they don't get much better than these two in the middle of the field.
Paulo is equal-parts damaging and skilful, and again shined in the State of Origin arena in 2021.
Campbell-Gillard returned to his best during the season, and the Eels had a few lean performances while he was sidelined with injury at the back-end of the year.
This is a real solid front-row duo, with the pair starting a large chunk of the season together in the No.8 and No.10 jerseys.
4. Jesse Bromwich/Christian Welch - Storm
Bromwich (22 games) - 17 tackle breaks, 21 offloads, 101 metres per game, 20 tackles per game
Welch (19 games) - 21 tackle breaks, 45 offloads, 145 metres per game, 26 tackles per game
The competition's benchmark remains the Melbourne Storm, so it's no surprise to see them so high up the list.
Bromwich continues to go about his business and is a fantastic leader for the club. He averages over 100 metres per game and can always be relied upon to do the hard yards.
Welch is a smart, tough and uncompromising footballer. He averages 145 metres per game and can produce offloads better than most front-rowers.
Melbourne won 19 straight games during the year and won the minor premiership, and their front-rowers were as big a part of that sucess than anyone else.
3. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves/Sio Siua Taukeiaho - Roosters
Waerea-Hargreaves (21 games) - 10 offloads, 56 post-contact metres per game, 145 metres per game, 29 tackles per game
Taukeiaho (20 games) - 21 tackle breaks, 54 post-contact metres per game, 136 metres per game, 29 tackles per game
It's been well-documented that the Roosters had a tough year with injuries, and perhaps nobody stood up more than Jared Waerea-Hargreaves.
The 32-year-old started the season a bit slow and was struggling for form, but something flipped and he went on to have a remarkable campaign and was forced to play huge minutes on a weekly basis.
Taukeiaho has dropped off from his form a couple of years ago, but still provided great go-forward for the Tricolours and led from the front on many occasions.
With the likes of Egan Butcher and Fletcher Baker getting plenty of game time this year, Lindsay Collins set to return and Renouf Atoni joining next year, the Roosters' middle will be near-unstoppable.
2. Daniel Saifiti/David Klemmer - Knights
Saifiti (19 games) - 25 tackle breaks, 59 post-contact metres per game, 149 metres per game, 29 tackles per game
Klemmer (20 games) - 15 offloads, 67 post-contact metres per game, 165 metres per game, 29 tackles per game
Newcastle made the finals for the second year running, and a lot of that comes down to their front-rowers.
Saifiti was made co-captain earlier in the year and took the new role in his stride, continuing his stellar form at both club and Origin level.
Klemmer has fallen out of favour with rep selectors, but his numbers remain among the best in the NRL for props. In fact, the only front-rower to average more metres per game this year was Payne Haas.
Special mention must also go to Jacob Saifiti, who stood up during the year when injury or suspensions struck and has become an important part of the Knights' outfit.
1. James Fisher-Harris/Moses Leota - Panthers
Fisher-Harris (20 games) - 39 tackle breaks, 28 offloads, 61 post-contact metres per game, 164 metres per game, 29 tackles per game
Leota (22 games) - 29 tackle breaks, 43 post-contact metres per game, 110 metres per game, 27 tackles per game
This was a tough one to pick, but it's almost impossible to ignore the continued dominance of James Fisher-Harris.
The 25-year-old has established himself as the premier prop in the NRL based on stats alone, but his leadership in the middle elevated Penrith to another grand final berth.
Leota also stepped up this year after the departure of James Tamou, and had a fantastic campaign for the Panthers with over 100 metres and 27 tackles per game.
In a tough list full of bruising big men, Penrith's duo stood tall in 2021.
