Stats Insider: NRL's dodgiest defenders revealed

[Benek]

Ouch! Statistically Warriors win the honor of worst team, and worst individual players in missed tackles.

We need to toughen up this defense pronto!

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AVERAGE MISSED TACKLES – TEAM

1. Broncos: 24.4; 2. Storm: 25.2; 3. Sharks: 25.3; 4. Dragons: 25.8; 5. Bulldogs: 26.6; 6. Rabbitohs: 26.6; 7. Cowboys: 28.8; 8. Roosters: 29.3; 9. Raiders: 29.8; 10. Panthers: 30.1; 11. Knights: 31.1; 12. Titans: 32.1; 13. Eels: 32.1; 14. Wests Tigers: 33; 15. Sea Eagles: 33.9; 16. Warriors: 36.6

AVERAGE MISSED TACKLES – PLAYER

1. James Maloney (Warriors): 5.4 – 11 games; 2. Chris Sandow (Eels): 4.9 – 10 games; =3. Josh Reynolds (Bulldogs): 4.4 – 12 games; =3. Glenn Stewart (Sea Eagles): 4.4 – 5 games; =3. Shaun Johnson (Warriors): 4.4 – 10 games; 6. Liam Foran (Sea Eagles): 4.1 – 7 games; 7. Tony Williams (Sea Eagles): 4 – 3 games; 8. Anthony Watmough (Sea Eagles): 3.9 – 12 games; 9. Scott Prince (Titans): 3.8 – 10 games; 10. Luke Lewis (Panthers): 3.7 – 11 games.

 

[vvvrulz]

Maloney 5.4 per game! Thats just plain shocking. Hate to think what Ro would be on if he played all his games.

 

[KeepingTheFaith]

Is anyone surprised by this? Thought it was fairly obvious just watching the game how ordinary our halves are defensively.

 

[TheDMC]

On the upside, last year we were leading the team missed tackles stat as well, and quite high up with errors too. Our defense did strengthen by the end of the year obviously and hopefully will this time to. Point is missed tackles is not necessarily the end of the world, though not a great indicator.

 

[TheDMC]

And a dumb thing about those stats is that it is based on average misses per game. Much much more relevant would be % of tackles made or missed. Obviously someone, ie Glenn Stewart, is going to do a helluva lot more tackling than Johnson and thus has more opportunities to miss more. In saying that, Maloney and Johnson would still hold their positions on tis list of shame quite comfortably, but it would more closely reflect who the shit defenders really are.

 

[Manu Vatuvei]

"Missed tackles" is a bullshit statistic which means next to nothing. How do you define a "missed tackle"? When a player puts a hand on an attacking player but doesn't complete the tackle? You only need to think about the permutations of that for 5 seconds to realise how little it shows.

(and yes, cards on the table- I realise that my namesake has a very high % of missed tackles, and yes, I have an excuse for him just like I do for his very high number of "errors" as they are calculated by the NRL. On the other hand, I can't stand Maloney as a player but it has nothing to do with the missed tackles.)

 

[ozbash]

I think people read to much into stats..

Biggest stat is the one on the scoreboard after the 80th minute...

 

[Benek]

It's obviously not the most important stat in the game, but it's no surprise that Melbourne, Brisbane, and Cronella lead the stats. It's a fairly accurate indication of defensive toughness.

I haven't compared them directly but my guess is that missed tackles also correlates strongly with points allowed. Warriors must be worst or close to worst in points allowed. At one point earlier this season it was something like 25 pts per game. Now that's a stat that matters. Defense wins championships.

 

[TheDMC]

It's obviously not the most important stat in the game, but it's no surprise that Melbourne, Brisbane, and Cronella lead the stats. It's a fairly accurate indication of defensive toughness.

I haven't compared them directly but my guess is that missed tackles also correlates strongly with points allowed. Warriors must be worst or close to worst in points allowed. At one point earlier this season it was something like 25 pts per game. Now that's a stat that matters. Defense wins championships.

Most important stat is definitely the score-board as Oz Bash says, next is for and against (by mid to end of the season anyway) and then they start to become less relevant. But the stats are important, they clearly show what areas a team or individual need to work on to improve. They are useful indicators.

 

[Skinner]

I think people read to much into stats..

Biggest stat is the one on the scoreboard after the 80th minute...

That's the one alright ;-)

 

[Benek]

Stats help you figure out how to get up by the 80th minute. Right now stats are telling us we should start playing defense and we'll win more games. If I were Bluey I'd be working on 100% defense in training. It doesn't take a bunch of stats to know that's our weakness, and the stats are confirming what we can plainly see.

 

[Iafeta]

Stats help you figure out how to get up by the 80th minute. Right now stats are telling us we should start playing defense and we'll win more games. If I were Bluey I'd be working on 100% defense in training. It doesn't take a bunch of stats to know that's our weakness, and the stats are confirming what we can plainly see.

Agree entirely. You'd be blind not to see that defence is a massive issue at the club, the structures are horrific, communication almost seems non existent, the ruck isn't been won effectively... all the stats do is verify and validate this. The extent of how bad we are going defensively is borne out by the stats.

 

[Meth]

Maloney 5.4 per game! Thats just plain shocking. Hate to think what Ro would be on if he played all his games.

Ropati (at centre) would have less missed tackles than he actually makes because when he never gets a hand to them. He creates yawning gaps.

 

[ozbash]

Agree entirely. You'd be blind not to see that defence is a massive issue at the club, the structures are horrific, communication almost seems non existent, the ruck isn't been won effectively... all the stats do is verify and validate this. The extent of how bad we are going defensively is borne out by the stats.

If we are still winning even with shonky defence, whats the problem ?

The best defensive teams in the comp still lose because their attacking options are shit.

We were the same at roughly the same stage last year, and if any of you would like to check the "stats" we made a GF.

Means sfa, Id rather Shaun and Maloney terrorised teams on offense than comprimise their brilliance becoming tackle bots.

 

[Iafeta]

If we are still winning even with shonky defence, whats the problem ?

The best defensive teams in the comp still lose because their attacking options are shit.

We were the same at roughly the same stage last year, and if any of you would like to check the "stats" we made a GF.

Means sfa, Id rather Shaun and Maloney terrorised teams on offense than comprimise their brilliance becoming tackle bots.

Thats a big if ozbash. If I'm not mistaken we are currently outside the top 8. There are a lot of very very soft tries given up with the structures employed, and the techniques of some of our players. Burying our head in the sand about it is not going to help, this is a big elephant in the room and its time we accepted we have a fairly significant issue.

 

[Skinner]

I think Luck is missed much more than anyone realised he would be. He provides starch (in large quantities) and motivates those around him.

 

[Iafeta]

I agree with that. He's an outstanding defender.

 

[Wheeled Warrior]

We are doing crap because we have no Luck.

That will change soon aye, I also know we are top 3 attacking side atm
Once our D is up this competition should get interesting for the Warrirors. I like it when people rule us out that's when we hit our straps. Also we need Locke back to organise the backs better and we should make some ripples

 

[Fast Eddie]

You say it is a given that 'our D is up', it's been terrible for half the season, Luck is supposed to take it from one end of the spectrum to the other by coming back? I wouldn't even be that sure that he plays many games this season anyway. I caught a bit of that Deaker on Sport the other day and Johnson pointed out one of the differences between the coaches was that Cleary like focusing on defense and McClennan is about attack and giving the ball width. Which I thought was funny since they hardly spread the ball.

 

[Benek]

If we are still winning even with shonky defence, whats the problem ?

Are we still winning?

Last I checked we had a losing record, sit outside the top 8, and just came off a bad loss to the Tigers.

That doesn't sound like winning to me. Sounds like we have a lot of improvement to do.