Top Dogs

Jonathan Thurston - He's simply the best. Everything he does oozes class whether it's his signature passes, pin point kicks or toughness, JT simply gets the job done. He's at his best when he's got good hole runners alongside him and quality finishers out wide but he's shown plenty of times this season that you don't have to be too good at either of those to look good alongside JT.

Cooper Cronk - I think State of Origin gave us a solid idea about how awesome Cronk is. Without him, Queensland didn't look quite the same and Cronk has shown since his return from a broken arm that he's definitely up there with Thurston. Cronk, like Thurston makes his edge back rowers look like Olympic sprinters thanks to perfect timed passes while his kicking game both long at short is envied throughout the league.

Daly Cherry-Evans - DCE rarely plays a bad game and is always ensuring that Manly are in good field position and are always a threat. He does this thanks to a running game which in my opinion is second to none, seeing him scoot down the short side and somehow create an extra man from nothing is his specialty.

Almost There's

Ben Hunt - He's relished the opportunity to play some consistent footy at halfback this season and is looking like a lock as the long term halfback for the Broncos. If the Broncs don't want him, I'm sure many teams will be keen to snap him up as he's developed in to a strong half with all the basics sorted and a threatening running game on deck.

Adam Reynolds - Solid, extremely solid. He gives you everything you want from a halfback and he doesn't overplay his hand which is the key. With their being a fair amount of talent at Souths, Reynolds does a great job of getting them in the right areas as well as directing his troops.

Shaun Johnson - Still finding where he fits in to this whole NRL carry on, Johnson has definitely shown signs of swift development. He's taken responsibility of leading the Warriors and he's reaped the rewards of doing so however, he's got to show that he can do this in the clutch for the NRL to take note and for him to reach greater heights.

Luke Brooks - The quality of Brooks is seen in how different the Tigers look without him. He's very much a young pup but has looked at home in the NRL and the Tigers look far less threatening without Brooks doing his thing. He's a quality ball player and runs the ball in two hands which always gives him options while also having a range of kicks to call upon.

Mitchell Pearce - Having suffered a rather dramatic season, Pearce has still looked like the very good halfback that he is. I reckon if the Roosters are going to go deep in to the finals then Pearce will have a starring role, but so far this season we haven't seen him too close to his peak.

Trent Hodkinson - How can the NSW halfback be below all these jokers? Well the Bulldogs rely the least on their halves and Hodkinson's role is fairly simple. He's had a fantastic season, but I'd pick any of the guys above, before I settled on Hodkinson ... he just doesn't seem as clinical as the others.

Benji Marshall - He's surprised many with his return to the NRL and we've seen him slot in to a Dragons side that probably need his touches of class. Thanks to having Gareth Widdop alongside him, he doesn't have to overplay his hand but we've seen him do his core roles as well as break games open with touches of typical Benji quality.

Chris Sandow - I've loved watching the re-birth of Sandow and I think he's got a fair amount left to give this season. Seeing him change the outcome of games with plays that only he got attempt reminds me that halfbacks still have a bit of pizzazz in their play. He's matched his confidence/audacity with consistent execution of the basics which allows the likes of Jarryd Hayne to chime in when they feel the need.

Battlers

Tyrone Roberts - I've seen glimpses of what makes many people excited about Roberts, but not nearly enough.

Daniel Mortimer/Albert Kelly - This one's interesting because if Kelly had been playing all season, I have no doubt he'd be higher up the list. But he hasn't and his absence opened the spot for Mortimer to fill which he's done reasonably well. I hope Neil Henry is on the same page as me when I say that I'm bloody excited to see Kelly slot in to fullback with Aidan Sezer and Mortimer in the halves.

Jeff Robson - A very solid half who was the perfect foil to the play of Todd Carney and how the Sharks have gone since Carney's sacking is a testament to Robson.

Peter Wallace - Along with Jamie Soward, Wallace has looked very good in a simple system which gives him clear roles and objectives. He doesn't have to do much creating, just give the ball to the right bloke at the right time.