I would say I love Sam Lisone, but it's hard to say he's better than Albert Vete or Charlie Gubb #GoodTimes

Props and locks. Some would say that they are now the same thing, commonly falling under the 'middle forward' umbrella and it's safe to say that the lines between being a prop and a lock are blurred in many NRL teams.

In 2016, the Warriors have an abundance of exciting forwards who will operate in the middle of the field as either a prop or lock. For the purpose of this exercise I have separated the two positions as the Warriors, but keep in mind that they are all 'middle forwards'.

Props

Ben Matulino, Jacob Lillyman, Sam Lisone, Albert Vete, Charlie Gubb, James Gavet, Toafofoa Sipley, Bunty Afoa

Straight off the top (similar to the edge-forwards) the Warriors have two representative-calibre props in Ben Matulino and Jacob Lillyman. This is one of the better starting prop combinations in the NRL and it's nicely suited to the Warriors' strength which is exciting/razzle dazzle/funky football as Matulino especially loves to push the offload. Matulino had 53 offloads last season, which had him ranked 2nd of all players last season and that along with he and Mr Cannonball Lillyman's ability to make consistent metres ensures that the Warriors should always be in the mix regardless of who's in the opposing forward pack.

What Matulino and Lillyman lack though is a bit of agro, footwork and mongrel, step in the terrible trio. Sam Lisone, Albert Vete and Charlie Gubb all gave Warriors fans plenty to look forward to last season as they stepped up to the NRL and not only looked comfortable but also stood out as guys who could have an impact on the game.

Each one has a signature element to their game which offers a bit of variety as well. Lisone is the most mobile and has great footwork for a prop, Vete is straight up the guts and always demands attention to bring him to ground while Gubb is the sort of grubby grafter that we have all wanted for a few years.

I'm eager to see Lisone, Vete and Gubb given three bench spots (or all three in the starting 17 somewhere - possibly Vete starting?) as they earned this right last season.

The Warriors have had former Tiger and Bronco James Gavet on their roster over the offseason on a train and trial contract; it's highly likely that Gavet will be offered a full-time NRL contract. See the lock bit below for more on Gavet.

Waiting in the wings are young props Toafofoa Sipley and Bunty Afoa who have both been trucking away admirably in the Junior Warriors. Afoa received the Sonny Fai Medal as the Under-20s player of the year while Sipley was re-signed last year until the end of the 2017 season and has graduated to big boy footy. Expect them both to be get plenty of game time in the NSW Cup where they'll wait for an opportunity, which won't be too far away as it will only take an injury or suspension for them to get a sniff.

Locks

Simon Mannering, Ligi Sao, James Gavet

We can expect former skipper Simon Mannering to start in the No.13 jersey for the Warriors and I don't think anything surrounding the captaincy will impact Mannering's job within the Warriors side. Mannering is the heart and soul of the Warriors, leading by his actions and intent which belongs in the middle of the field where he can make plenty of tackles and add some low key skill to the Warriors attack; keep an eye on his passing game.

Whether Mannering rolls through 80 minutes or not though is the big question for me as the Warriors have brought in former Junior Warrior Ligi Sao who looked good with Manly last season. Sao could easily fit into the prop rotation and the blurring of the lines between props and locks is most evident in players like Sao and James Gavet. Sao has shown that he's got a high work-rate and loves to rip into everything, oozing the sort of effort and desire that Warriors teams have perhaps lacked in the past.

Gavet is very similar to Sao, he does however offer a bit more aggressiveness and gives the Warriors a very rugged edge. When facing forward packs like the Roosters' and Rabbitohs' the Warriors have often been overhauled by more aggressive forwards who are out to hurt and intimidate, Gavet is bloke the Warriors need to first of all stop this from happening and then flip that and intimidate opposing teams.

To come full-circle, there are three locked in selections with Matulino, Lillyman and Mannering certainties in the top-17. I've got a bench spot reserved for Thomas Leuluai to offer cover for Issac Luke which leaves us with three bench spots up for grabs and five blokes (Lisone, Gubb, Vete, Gavet and Sao) fighting for those three spots.

To be honest, I'd be happy with any combination of those five big boppers on the bench and the luxury of options shouldn't be slept on. Coach Andrew McFadden can pick and chose who gets those three bench spots depending on how he wants his team to play and who they are playing against, options are always good folks. Most importantly, like the other positions I've examined so far, there is depth and quality depth raring to go, putting pressure on the starters to perform.