16 sleeps to go

Today marks 16 more sleeps until NRL 2013 and I'm a little taken back at how quickly it is going by. I started writing these out of boredom, fun and primarily to help me count down until the season begins, after finishing this number 16, that will have been 15 of these articles I have written, 15 nights checked off the calendar, the halfway point! so let's get on with number 16 in the countdown

#16 Matthew Scott

2012 was just another year for the 27 year old Cowboys front rower, and I mean that in only the most complimentary fashion. Backing up from his 2011 Dally M and RLIF Prop of the Year awards, Scott once again displayed the leadership and consistency that has seen him become widely regarded as the top prop in the game. At 185 cm and 106kg, the Cowboys co captain has been the model of consistency and reliability for some years now. Entering his 10th season, Scott has ascended to the level where he is often taken for granted, he puts in a workhorse effort week in week out, you always know what you are going to get from him, leading from the front. He's reached the top of the mountain and now as he embarks on his prime years, he stands to be the alpha prop in the competition for several years to come. The Cowboys had a fantastic 2012 season, and most of the attention is given to the electrifying back line with the likes of Thurston, Bowen, Graham, Linnett, Tate, but the scintillating form of those backs was made possible from the likes of Scott powering one hell of an engine room.

While the spotlight shines on Thurston, Scott carries a lot of the load

While over the next few years I believe some props may rise above Scott in terms of performance, even if only temporarily, what makes Scott deserving of being ranked so highly is his status as the spearhead of not only the Cowboys forward pack, but the Queensland and Australian forward packs also. He's the alpha prop in Rugby League now. While some young pups may come along who can put out a better showing, Scott is now the guy that has been there, done that, especially with the retirement of Civoniceva. While other props may have surpassed Petro later in his career, he still maintained the status of being the old hand in the front row, now that torch has to be passed on and to me Scott is the guy that is picking it up. Entering 2013, Scott has logged 141 games for the Cowboys, 8 tests for Australia, and 11 Origins for Queensland, he's been starting at prop in the last 9 straight Origins. There may be a couple of guys further down my list who I would suggest had better 2012 seasons than Scott, but his overall package of leadership, experience, proven track record at the highest levels, separate Scott from the pack. There may be no more reliable player in the NRL than this guy. 

No matter the stage, the performances remain the same

2012 didn't see Scott dominate the competitions statistical categories. You won't find around the top of the metres or hit up lists, but as always he was putting in the heavy work. The scouting report on Matt Scott is really pretty simple. Think of everything you want in your prop, you want a big motor, you want legs that don't stop pumping, you want courage, you want a guy who leads from the front, everything you want from a prop, Matt Scott has it. There's nothing fancy about him, he can make a nice offload, but what defines Matt Scott  is just simply being a fantastic, genuine prop. a big strong bloke with a tireless work ethic. I almost feel like I'm not doing him justice, that I'm making it sound easy, but if it was that easy, a whole lot of us would be doing it. Think about some of the big units floating around the NRL, putting big shots on the ball carrier, Scott is the guy who runs at these big opposing forwards over and over again. The grand stage of Origin, big hits galore, and Scott is the guy who is leading from the front, ball in hand, running into those big shots time and time again. It all starts up front, and it really says it all that the Queensland Origin team have turned to Scott to lead the way in their last 9 games. His performance in 2011 Origin I remains one of the most impressive front row performances in recent times, eclipsed perhaps only by the herculean effort from Paul Gallen in the following contest.

This is really more of a JT video, but Scott videos were lacking and this one never bores me

Check back in tomorrow for 15, can't believe that we've almost hit the two weeks to go mark! as always if you have any feedback, positive and negative, but preferably constructive, then give me a tweet on @WellsNorthShore