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2021 NRL Season Statistics

Messages
8,480
Hi Folks,

Lots of conjecture about this season, rule changes, sin bin/send-offs, injuries etc etc... and a lot to do with points scored / "blow-outs". We'll all have our own views on the quality of this season and why, but with a lot of talk around scoring, blowouts - I couldn't find any firm stats on this available so over a few cups of coffee I've trawled back through all the results of the season thus far in order to get some perspective here.

This is what I've found.

Up to the end of Round 15....

TOTAL GAMES = 116.

WINNING MARGINGAMES% OF TOTAL GAMES
18-231311%
24-292219%
30+2219%
TOTALS (ie Games with winning margin of 18 or more)5749%

- So basically almost half of this seasons games have been decided by 18 or more points. 1 in every 2 games.
- 1 in every 5 games has been decided by 30 points or more...
- Further to margins - the number of times the half-time margin in games has been 18 or more points is 22. Or 19% of total games.


TEAM SCORES (HIGH)GAMES% of TOTAL GAMES
40+2118%
50+87%
TOTAL (ie games with a team scoring 40 points or more)2925%

- So a quarter of all games this season have involved a side scoring 40 or more points. 1 in 4 games.

TEAM SCORES (LOW)GAMES% of TOTAL GAMES
1-9 (single figures)2925%
Zero87%
TOTAL (ie games with a team scoring less than 10)3732%


** - Note %'s are rounded to the nearest whole - for all you maths nerds out there. And for all you Simpsons nerds, yes you can quote the Homer Simpson Smartline Statistics gif if you wish.

____

So what to make of this??

Up to you.

My personal view.... amongst others is...where a quarter of the games have a side scoring 40 points or more, and where almost half the games have a margin of 18 or more, makes a circus of this season, which is due in part (IMO) with constant rule changes, sin bins, and other factors that are the responsibility of the NRL.


Very keen on anyone posting other relevant stats here for a look - yes the Homer Smartline one too if you feel compelled..
 
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Perth Red

Post Whore
Messages
65,407
Like I posted in other thread the avg number of games by end of round 15 where a team scored 40 points or more was 9 games for recent pre covid seasons. This season it is more than THREE times that at 29! Games have become a lottery of sinbins, restarts and teams rolling over the top of the opposition.
 

forby

Juniors
Messages
2,137
There was only one restart in the first half of Penrith v Roosters yet Penrith dominated possession by some of the best kicking from Penrith in years. They forced 6 dropouts in the first half. None of this had anything whatever to do with the new rules.
it just has to be acknowledged that some teams don’t have the players or coaches to compete with the best. This happens every so often, and can’t be blamed on the rules!
with regards to high tackles and sin bins, you should watch some more of the NSW Cup which is under the same rules yet has very few sin bins because the players dont tackle as high anymore.
 

mongoose

Coach
Messages
11,214
I'm interested to see what the Panthers and Storm's for and against will be by the end of the season. The Storm are currently on +344 and the Panthers +311. They both have 9 more games to add to that. I can see the Storm smashing the all-time record held by Easts in 1935. Panthers will go close too.

Easts (1935) +447
Manly (1995) +439
Parramatta (2001) +433
Canberra (1994) +379
Canberra (1995) +379
 

Someguy

First Grade
Messages
6,699
those running the NRL can never win, a few years ago there was talk of dropping the teams to 12 players on field to open up the game.

the way I see it is it’s just follow the leader. A few years ago everyone on the field was similar size, backs were bulking up and forwards slimming down, structure and wrestle was the model for success. In the last few seasons Storm in particular has focused on speed and size to their side, this has led to more tries from both barge over and long range. Other teams have followed a similar attacking structure but for the most part defence has caught up
 

Timmah

LeagueUnlimited News Editor
Staff member
Messages
100,874
There was only one restart in the first half of Penrith v Roosters yet Penrith dominated possession by some of the best kicking from Penrith in years. They forced 6 dropouts in the first half. None of this had anything whatever to do with the new rules.
it just has to be acknowledged that some teams don’t have the players or coaches to compete with the best. This happens every so often, and can’t be blamed on the rules!
with regards to high tackles and sin bins, you should watch some more of the NSW Cup which is under the same rules yet has very few sin bins because the players dont tackle as high anymore.
A trend doesn't mean all games ascribe to that trend. Citing one game isn't really disproving the theories put forward.

As for "NSW Cup getting very few sin bins" - there is more than one reserve grade comp. There were 11 sin bins across seven games (six in one game alone) last weekend (R10) in QLD Cup.
 

Valheru

Coach
Messages
17,506
There was only one restart in the first half of Penrith v Roosters yet Penrith dominated possession by some of the best kicking from Penrith in years. They forced 6 dropouts in the first half. None of this had anything whatever to do with the new rules.
it just has to be acknowledged that some teams don’t have the players or coaches to compete with the best. This happens every so often, and can’t be blamed on the rules!
with regards to high tackles and sin bins, you should watch some more of the NSW Cup which is under the same rules yet has very few sin bins because the players dont tackle as high anymore.

Dude, citing one instance of the opposite is not disproving what is plainly in front of you. The rules have made it easier to score tries and are resulting in higher scorelines and more blowouts, it is obvious. That is not a personal attack against the panthers nor does it diminish their achievements the last 2 years.

The defensive stand is literally gone from the sport now. it is impossible to defend for 4 or 5 sets in a row without conceding a try. What we are seeing now is the better team in any given contest isn't having to defend their line because the ball rarely gets down there.
 
Messages
8,480
I'm interested to see what the Panthers and Storm's for and against will be by the end of the season. The Storm are currently on +344 and the Panthers +311. They both have 9 more games to add to that. I can see the Storm smashing the all-time record held by Easts in 1935. Panthers will go close too.

Easts (1935) +447
Manly (1995) +439
Parramatta (2001) +433
Canberra (1994) +379
Canberra (1995) +379

Indeed that'll be interesting. The Storm "only" needing an average winning margin of 12 points in their remaining games to get there. Panthers a bit more.

I reckon that because the competition is pretty ordinary after the top 6 teams, both the Storm n Panthers should annihilate that record.

The 1994 Canberra side has always, for me, been the best club side I've witnessed (having watched league properly from the early 80's - Parra's dominance). But both this years' Storm n Panthers will most likely smash their F&A record to bits.... That said - Id still have the '94 Raiders at the top of my list of best club sides, followed by "begrudgingly" Brisbane '92 and Storm 2017 (I'd also have the Dragons 2010 in the mix if there was a top 5... but that's another thread in itself.. )
 
Messages
8,480
Dude, citing one instance of the opposite is not disproving what is plainly in front of you. The rules have made it easier to score tries and are resulting in higher scorelines and more blowouts, it is obvious. That is not a personal attack against the panthers nor does it diminish their achievements the last 2 years.

The defensive stand is literally gone from the sport now. it is impossible to defend for 4 or 5 sets in a row without conceding a try. What we are seeing now is the better team in any given contest isn't having to defend their line because the ball rarely gets down there.

I'm with you regarding defence.... and to me it's a lot of why I'm not nearly as interested in watching games this year as I have before. Irrespective of the Dragons going like a busted arse, coz they've been like that for years.

The game in 2021 devalues defence.... and the volume of rule changes that are supposedly designed to "bring back fatigue" have just ruined the fabric of the game IMO. Throw in the sin-bin directive and it's pretty much a complete turn-off for me. I haven't watched a club game in the last 2 rounds - I just got fed up with what I was seeing. I've never done that before unless I couldn't physically watch a game. Now I've chosen to take a break from it.

What I was seeing is teams being blown off the park across entire games, and/or in bursts of "momentum" that can effectively end the contest. Players (such as Ben Hunt) have suggested that fatigue this season isn't so much built up over the course of the match, but comes in waves - depending on set restarts and the like. What that does is a few things

1 - Makes it very hard to defend/prevent the opposition from scoring - and when they do they get the ball back. But if you can stop them and regain possession.....
2 - when you get the ball back it's with gassed players and you can struggle for forward momentum... which then..
3 - gives the ball back to the opposition (sometimes in great field position for them) to start the cycle again...

It's not all games - but so many have these huge momentum shifts where teams are scoring in bursts that are extremely difficult to curb. This kind of fatigue is not just making it harder to defend - it's making it harder to attack, or in other words the quality of attack is compromised... and so the gap widens.

And to this point - 38% of all games are being decided by 24 points or more... almost 50% are 18+points... To me that's alarming.

This so-called "fatigue" becomes unbalanced. And throw in the odd ridiculous sin binning for someone falling into a tackle / "innocuous head contact"... or even one milked by a ball-carrier.... and it just ruins the spectacle for mine.

Teams like Penrith & Melbourne should be absolutely applauded and respected for how dominant they've been playing this season - they are miles ahead of the rest. But personally I could not be less interested right now in watching them blow sides to smithereens each week. But to the fans of these teams - good for you.
 
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some11

Referee
Messages
23,313
Dude, citing one instance of the opposite is not disproving what is plainly in front of you. The rules have made it easier to score tries and are resulting in higher scorelines and more blowouts, it is obvious. That is not a personal attack against the panthers nor does it diminish their achievements the last 2 years.

The defensive stand is literally gone from the sport now. it is impossible to defend for 4 or 5 sets in a row without conceding a try. What we are seeing now is the better team in any given contest isn't having to defend their line because the ball rarely gets down there.
Great post.
 

dogslife

Coach
Messages
18,559
There's already a thread for Panthers fans to tell us there's nothing wrong with the game and that it's never been better isn't there?
 
Messages
8,480
I thought the OP wasn't interested in the NRL this year

No idea what OP stands for but did you mean me Greeny?

Either way, I’m not interested in watching NRL games out the moment but the stats as a result of what’s happening at the moment in the sport. Had a look through given the thought of many about blowouts etc and seen if there was basis.. and others can refer to them should they like/mention their own..

Sad state when I’m only interested in stats I suppose.
 

The_Frog

First Grade
Messages
6,390
I'm interested to see what the Panthers and Storm's for and against will be by the end of the season. The Storm are currently on +344 and the Panthers +311. They both have 9 more games to add to that. I can see the Storm smashing the all-time record held by Easts in 1935. Panthers will go close too.

Easts (1935) +447
Manly (1995) +439
Parramatta (2001) +433
Canberra (1994) +379
Canberra (1995) +379
Easts in 1935 achieved their points difference in 18 games, however 2 of them against Canterbury produced 135 of them. This year's teams have had 15.
 
Messages
8,480
Aside from the NRL Competition - some SOO stats that have the potential to be broken/equalled in 2021.

- Lowest Points Scored in an Origin Series = 15 (Qld, 1992). Qld 2021 current on 6.

- Highest Points Scored in an Origin Series = 104 (NSW, 2000). NSW 2021 currently 76.

- Largest Points Differential in an Origin Series = +62 (NSW) / -62 (QLD) in 2000.

- Lowest "Highest" Score in an Origin Series = 6 (Qld in 1992).
 
Messages
8,480
On Margins...

With 2 games to go this round (122 NRL games played)... these are the current margin stats for the season...

WINNING MARGINSGAMES% of total NRL GAMES
30+ Points2621%
24-29 Points2218%
18-23 Points1311%
TOTAL GAMES 18+ Points6150%

Further to that..

HALF-TIME MARGINGAMES% of total NRL GAMES
18+2823%

___

So half of NRL games this year have had a margin of 18 or more, but (more concerningly), most of these games have been won by a margin of 30 or more!

And almost 1 in 4 games (2 per round) have been blowout margins of 18+ points at half-time.
 
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