Fox Sports journos rank Sam Tomkins No 10 full back in NRL

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STAFF WRITERS FOX SPORTS NOVEMBER 26, 2014 10Fullback power rankings.[/size
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THE rugby league season has finally come to an end, so we can take a breath and cast our eyes back over another big year of action.

And now we’ve got a bit of time on our hands, we can consider the game’s big issues — like, who is the best fullback in the competition?

We’ve ranked each club’s starting No.1 below based on their performances in 2014. Take a look at the list, cast your vote and have your say.

1. Greg Inglis

Hard to split the Rabbitohs fullback with his Queensland teammate Slater but his performance through 2014 for the Bunnies, including possibly the greatest try ever scored against the Broncos, earned GI top spot. He imposed himself on all opponents, busted 112 tackles and made 21 line breaks during the season. We couldn’t ignore his claims as the current best in the game.

2. Billy Slater

This generation’s pre-eminent fullback. Probably didn’t reach his usual elite standards enough in 2014 to maintain the top spot, yet even if he is slightly off his game he is still pretty close to the complete package. In 2014 he still made 15 line breaks, 88 tackle busts and crossed for 12 tries.

3. Matt Moylan

Exploded on to the scene in 2014 with a number of match-winning performances for the Panthers. And when you start being compared to the likes of Darren Lockyer, you have reached the elite ranks. He capped a brilliant season with a late call-up to the Kangaroos squad for the Four Nations. He is sure to be pushing for an Origin berth in 2015 with Jarryd Hayne off chasing an NFL start.

4. Brett Stewart

Like Slater, Stewart has been the standard-bearer for fullbacks over the last decade. The Manly star is a try-scoring freak, particularly on his home ground of Brookvale Oval, where he has touched down for 77 tries in 84 games. His cover defence is near impeccable and one try-saving tackle on his opposite number Greg Inglis this season had to be seen to be believed. He will be in the hunt with Moylan for the Blues fullback role in 2015.

5. Josh Dugan

He may have spent the bulk of 2014 in the centres but expect to see the 24-year-old return to his true home of fullback next season. As we have seen in the past, Dugan can do it all, be it break a line at blistering pace or change the momentum of a game with a piece of brilliance. He finished the year with 10 tries but with the NSW fullback role up for grabs, Dugan will be eager to throw his name back in the ring.

6. Michael Morgan

What’s a player who wasn’t even supposed to play fullback this season doing so high up the list? Look up revelation in the dictionary and there is likely to be a picture of Morgan. The Cowboys’ No.1 was thrust into the fullback’s role after new recruit Lachlan Coote’s ACL injury and boy, didn’t he deliver. From starting last year as a fringe first-grader, he was called into the Queensland Origin squad as 19th man for the final game.

7. Brett Morris

The best winger in the game has, throughout his career, spent some time at fullback for the Dragons but it looks as though Des Hasler will slot him straight into the No.1 jersey at the Bulldogs. As one of the game’s best broken field runners, the extra space afforded him could be a nightmare for opponents. Under the tutelage of Hasler and playing behind a massive forward pack, alongside his brother Josh and the Blues Origin halves, Morris looks set to add significantly to his 112 first grade tries.

8. Darius Boyd

Brilliant under the high-ball, has great hands and a solid running game, if not quite to the standards of his Queensland teammates Slater and Inglis. After a miserable season at the Knights, Boyd moves back to Queensland alongside his mentor Wayne Bennett. Having confronted personal issues off the field, a relaxed and confident Boyd at fullback for the Broncos will be a dangerous proposition for opponents.

9. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck

Could sky-rocket into the top three if he can fulfil his potential. After biding his time on the wing behind the now-retired Anthony Minichiello, Tuivasa-Sheck finally will get an extended run in the No.1 jersey. Arguably has the best footwork in the game and Roosters fans are in for a treat if he can live up to the hype.

10. Sam Tomkins

The Warriors brought him to the NRL on a reported $1 million a season following his spectacular success in the English Super League. He didn’t quite produce the performances that demand a hefty price tag but he did show glimpses of the class he demonstrated for Wigan. Will be better for having a full NRL season behind him and so he should be.

11. James Tedesco

Injury prone but there is no denying the Tigers fullback’s undoubted talent. He fractured his left knee in June playing against the club he had signed for before reneging on the contract, Canberra. It was the latest in a series of injuries that have disrupted his career. But there is no denying his potential. In eight matches this year he scored six tries for the Tigers.

12. Michael Gordon

The Sharks’ best player during a period of tumult and the only one to play in all 24 games in 2014. Gordon was named Player of the Year for the second year running after a season in which he was the steadying influence while the club lurched from one crisis to the next. He managed six tries and 82 tackle busts as well as 14 line breaks in 2014.

13. Josh Hoffman

The New Zealander will finally get his chance for an extended run at fullback after a tumultuous couple of years at the Broncos, where he played on the wing before being trialled at five-eighth. But he produces his best in the No.1 jersey, as he demonstrated at the back end of last season for the Broncos with some quality displays.

14. Will Hopoate

Hard to put him any higher on the list because we just don’t know how he will cut it in the No.1 jersey for the Eels. He has huge shoes to fill following Jarryd Hayne’s departure but there is no denying he is a super talent. Having spent two years out of the game he quickly found his feet on his return, earning a call up to the NSW team during the Origin series.

15. Jack Wighton

Played at five-eighth then the centres before finishing the year at fullback, where he is likely to stay for the start of the 2015 season. No denying his undoubted potential, Wighton was even mentioned as a NSW bolter this year. Defensively he has some frailties to work on but is an elusive runner with the ball in hand. In two of his last three games of the 2014 season he ran for more than 200 metres in the No.1 jersey.

16. Kurt Gidley

Gidley’s versatility has always been his best attribute - but his Achilles heel as well. Being able to play anywhere in the spine, he rarely finds himself in the one position for an extended run. He used to be one of the best fullbacks in the game and while he is still a very good first-grader, he has been overtaken by a younger brigade of brilliant attacking custodians in recent seasons. He scored only two tries and made three line breaks in 2014.