2021 NRL Season Statistics

[Bring back John Fifita]

And Scores Stats

TEAM SCORES	GAMES	% of TOTAL NRL GAMES
40+ Points	23	19%
50+ Points	9	7%
TOTAL Scores 40 or Over	32	26%
Single Figures (1-9)	33	27%
0 (nil, nothing)	11	9%
TOTAL Scores under 10 points	44	36%

So basically...

A quarter of games have a team scoring 40 or more points, and additionally over a third of games have a team scoring single figures..... a total of 62% of games have either/both of these scorelines.

So when each of these happen in the same game - your margins exceed 30 points...

 

[Jono078]

I think it's 12 Nil games now after the Cowboys were held to 0 last night.

Sportsbet are going to have to change their margin bets I think! 0-18 and 19+

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

I think it's 12 Nil games now after the Cowboys were held to 0 last night.

Sportsbet are going to have to change their margin bets I think! 0-18 and 19+

I might go back and recheck the "Nil" scores again - although I didn't include the 2nd SOO.. if that's inclusive in your 12?

And yep - the sports companies no doubt would have to change... surely the smart money each week is on any team at 13+....

 

[Jono078]

Rd 1 - Panthers 24-0 Cowboys
Rd 2 - Panthers 28-0 Bulldogs
Rd 3 - Broncos 24-0 Bulldogs
Rd 4 - Rabbitohs 38-0 Bulldogs
Rd 6 - Sea Eagles 36-0 Titans
Rd 9 - Storm 50-0 Rabbitohs
Rd 9 - Panthers 48-0 Sharks
Rd 15 - Rabbitohs 46-0 Broncos
Rd 16 - Storm 46-0 Roosters
Rd 16 - Sea Eagles 66-0 Bulldogs
Rd 16 - Knights 38-0 Cowboys

You're right, 11. Titans f**ked it up from being 12 in the dying minutes.

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

Rd 1 - Panthers 24-0 Cowboys
Rd 2 - Panthers 28-0 Bulldogs
Rd 3 - Broncos 24-0 Bulldogs
Rd 4 - Rabbitohs 38-0 Bulldogs
Rd 6 - Sea Eagles 36-0 Titans
Rd 9 - Storm 50-0 Rabbitohs
Rd 9 - Panthers 48-0 Sharks
Rd 15 - Rabbitohs 46-0 Broncos
Rd 16 - Storm 46-0 Roosters
Rd 16 - Sea Eagles 66-0 Bulldogs
Rd 16 - Knights 38-0 Cowboys

You're right, 11. Titans f**ked it up from being 12 in the dying minutes.

Bloody Titans....

All good though mate - cheers!

And it is actually 12 games if SOO is inclusive..

 

[Valheru]

The NRL us bearing emergency level IMO. Look at yesterday's games, atrocious.

PVL will point to the 3 thrillers as evidence everything is hunky dory but they all featured teams on the day with very similar ability. The rules absolutely make it easier to score points or more concerning a run of points as momentum is so hard to stop and any discrepancy in talent is exacerbated by the rules.

We don't like to mention the big bad AFL on here but their competition this year is objectively tighter and much less predictable than the NRL. That hasn't always be the case and changed in round 3 2020 so we can pretend it is all swing and roundabouts or address the rules.

 

[BunniesMan]

Look at the Souths v Tigers game. This isn't the fault of PVL or any rule. The bad teams are just not even at professional standard. The game does not need to be changing the rules again just to handicap the good teams and to artificially keep 30 point losses from becoming 50 point losses.

Tell the crap teams to be less crap.

 

[forby]

If it is so easy to score points how come Penrith has less than 10 points per game scored against them?
Combine good attack and defence against lousy attack and defence and you get lobsided score lines. It is not the rules - just bad teams which cant handle adversity!

 

[Perth Red]

Look at the Souths v Tigers game. This isn't the fault of PVL or any rule. The bad teams are just not even at professional standard. The game does not need to be changing the rules again just to handicap the good teams and to artificially keep 30 point losses from becoming 50 point losses.

Tell the crap teams to be less crap.

75% of the comp doesn’t just get shite in two seasons! The rule changes have clearly opened up a gulf. you can call it artificially getting a leg up if you like but what we now have is not entertaining. The product is fluffed and the customer don’t want to buy it.

 

[franklin2323]

75% of the comp doesn’t just get shite in two seasons! The rule changes have clearly opened up a gulf. you can call it artificially getting a leg up if you like but what we now have is not entertaining. The product is fluffed and the customer don’t want to buy it.

Well how do they improve with no 2nd tier footy?

 

[franklin2323]

Look at the Souths v Tigers game. This isn't the fault of PVL or any rule. The bad teams are just not even at professional standard. The game does not need to be changing the rules again just to handicap the good teams and to artificially keep 30 point losses from becoming 50 point losses.

Tell the crap teams to be less crap.

There were some very poor defence this round. Some of the tries the Storm scored were poor..

Canberra.. how do you let a side score 3 tries with 12 players

 

[franklin2323]

The NRL us bearing emergency level IMO. Look at yesterday's games, atrocious.

PVL will point to the 3 thrillers as evidence everything is hunky dory but they all featured teams on the day with very similar ability. The rules absolutely make it easier to score points or more concerning a run of points as momentum is so hard to stop and any discrepancy in talent is exacerbated by the rules.

We don't like to mention the big bad AFL on here but their competition this year is objectively tighter and much less predictable than the NRL. That hasn't always be the case and changed in round 3 2020 so we can pretend it is all swing and roundabouts or address the rules.

AFL closer.
A team lost today 118-26
98-57
111-59

Last week

62-22
94-50
98-43

 

[Bring back John Fifita]

75% of the comp doesn’t just get shite in two seasons! The rule changes have clearly opened up a gulf. you can call it artificially getting a leg up if you like but what we now have is not entertaining. The product is fluffed and the customer don’t want to buy it.

Franklin makes a great point about hangover from last year with no lower tier football, and underdevelopment of emerging players as a result. FOr the Panthers though as an example- they now have an excellent pathways system which produces "NRL-ready" players. The Storm have a different demographic of juniors but again - their system produce NRL-Ready players. No surprise given this that they are dominating the competition in spades.

But I truly believe the rules are a major factor as well. Particularly the 6-again combined with the high-tackle-sin-bin crackdown - both just exhausting the defence.

After Magic round - what I saw was defensive teams retreating, rather than attacking... like trying to catch a baby dropped out of the window of a burning building.. The attack had all the momentum. Teams seemed to be doing this not only to avoid high contact but possibly to conserve energy.

Anyway whatever the factors are/have been - the product on TV was woeful to watch - and only judging by the socrelines over the last few weeks, it's not improved - possibly got worse. Up to other to judge that coz I've not been watching apart from Origin.

I agree with you that the majority of teams haven't just turned to shit on their own.

 

[Perth Red]

theres zero doubt the six again has massively changed the way the game is unfolding. As teams get more tired from getting six agains against them they struggle defensively. Without a penalty stoppage to catch your breath your on the back foot and defensively not able to mark up. These are 100kg plus blokes, not skinny marathon runners and as they are getting gassed the defensive is just non existant. I also think not kicking for touch means that teams that are on the back foot dont get the momentum change that field position can bring when they get a penalty, or six again as it is now. The sin bin stuff is just a lottery tbh and either team can suffer the consequences of a ref or VR rolling the dice on the severity. Yes weve speed the game up massively but in doing so the game has become almost unwatchable for half the games a round. Its a dumb business that changes its product to a poorer one and doesnt do anything about it!

Lack of reserve grade, loss uf the U20's comp, clubs not spending enough on their development pathways, quality of coaching, coaching merry go round, etc may also be leading to a weaker level of quality coming through but is incredibly hard to judge by how much given so many significant rule change factors we have had in last two years.

 

[franklin2323]

Franklin makes a great point about hangover from last year with no lower tier football, and underdevelopment of emerging players as a result. FOr the Panthers though as an example- they now have an excellent pathways system which produces "NRL-ready" players. The Storm have a different demographic of juniors but again - their system produce NRL-Ready players. No surprise given this that they are dominating the competition in spades.

But I truly believe the rules are a major factor as well. Particularly the 6-again combined with the high-tackle-sin-bin crackdown - both just exhausting the defence.

After Magic round - what I saw was defensive teams retreating, rather than attacking... like trying to catch a baby dropped out of the window of a burning building.. The attack had all the momentum. Teams seemed to be doing this not only to avoid high contact but possibly to conserve energy.

Anyway whatever the factors are/have been - the product on TV was woeful to watch - and only judging by the socrelines over the last few weeks, it's not improved - possibly got worse. Up to other to judge that coz I've not been watching apart from Origin.

I agree with you that the majority of teams haven't just turned to shit on their own.

Seems when a few injuries come sides can't handle it. GC full strength and win. Souths getting 50 put on them were missing heaps of players

 

[Perth Red]

“A lot of people are blaming the six-again,” V’landys said of the blowouts. “Well, no doubt the six-again is a contributing factor. I don’t disagree. But there’s a multitude of reasons.”
“The teams have to adjust,” V’landys says. “I think it’s highlighted the best teams and the best coached teams. It’s made the game more open and faster. The three factors were: stop the wrestle, speed up the ruck and bring in fatigue. Well, the six-again has certainly achieved that.”
Unapologetically, V’landys has said he will always listen to the fans. When asked would he scrap the six-again rule next year, he said “no”.
“There’s an element of fans that don’t like it, but you’ve got others who tell me to stick solid with it and don’t back down,” V’landys said.

The six-again rule is causing NRL blowouts, but it’s here to stay: V’landys

The Australian Rugby League Commission chairman says the controversial rule is part of the reason for an unprecedented number of lopsided games as the NRL shatters unwanted records.

www.smh.com.au

 

[mave]

FFS V’landys.....it takes teams years to adjust to snap, mid season rule changes, with zero consultation and forewarning.

Do the Cowboys sign Jason T to a 10 year deal if they know what's coming?
Do Manly sign Jake T to a monster 900k per year deal(other than keeping Tom happy) in a new era that clearly does not play to his strengths.

We got lucky being able to offload AFB, and pick up the infinately faster, and more mobile Aloiai, so there is certainly an element of roster management that is to blame, but again, it can take years to undo previous decisions.

 

[yobbo84]

I know this doesn't mean much, but here's the Top 8's records against each other in 2021:

Panthers - Played 12, Won 11, Lost 1 (92%), +205 Point Diff
Storm - Played 12, Won 9, Lost 3 (75%), +203 Point Diff
Rabbitohs - Played 12, Won 8, Lost 4 (67%), +51 Point Diff
Roosters - Played 12, Won 5, Lost 7 (42%), -34 Point Diff
Eels - Played 12, Won 5, Lost 7 (42%), -94 Point Diff
Sea Eagles - Played 10, Won 4, Lost 6 (40%), +10 Point Diff
Knights - Played 9, Won 2, Lost 7 (22%), -183 Point Diff
Titans - Played 11, Won 1, Lost 10 (9%), -158 Point Diff

 

[yobbo84]

First up, I understand the issues with the below. Teams in the top half of the ladder defeating teams means those teams end up in the bottom half. It also references each team's final ladder positions, not the position they were when the teams played each other. No system is perfect. But I still find it interesting.

So for those interested, this is the draw difficulty of each team in 2021, in order of hardest draw to easiest.

The Knights and Sea Eagles had the softest draws, and the Broncos and Bulldogs the hardest.

From this I'd say the Dragons had the worst season, given the relative ease of their draw, whilst the Eels and Roosters have done pretty well considering their tough draws.

Team	Games v Top 4	Games v Top 8	Games v Bottom 8	Games v Bottom 4	Opposition Ladder Pos Total	Opposition Ladder Pos Average
Broncos	7	15	9	4	178	7.42
Bulldogs	7	14	10	4	183	7.63
Raiders	6	14	10	4	189	7.88
Eels	8	12	12	7	198	8.25
Tigers	7	13	11	5	199	8.29
Roosters	7	12	12	6	200	8.33
Warriors	6	12	12	6	202	8.42
Cowboys	5	12	12	5	204	8.50
Storm	5	12	12	5	204	8.50
Panthers	6	12	12	7	205	8.54
Rabbitohs	5	12	12	7	209	8.71
Titans	7	11	13	7	210	8.75
Dragons	6	11	13	7	212	8.83
Sharks	6	11	13	7	215	8.96
Sea Eagles	4	10	14	7	225	9.38
Knights	4	9	15	8	231	9.63

 

[Munky]

I know this doesn't mean much, but here's the Top 8's records against each other in 2021:

Panthers - Played 12, Won 11, Lost 1 (92%), +205 Point Diff
Storm - Played 12, Won 9, Lost 3 (75%), +203 Point Diff
Rabbitohs - Played 12, Won 8, Lost 4 (67%), +51 Point Diff
Roosters - Played 12, Won 5, Lost 7 (42%), -34 Point Diff
Eels - Played 12, Won 5, Lost 7 (42%), -94 Point Diff
Sea Eagles - Played 10, Won 4, Lost 6 (40%), +10 Point Diff
Knights - Played 9, Won 2, Lost 7 (22%), -183 Point Diff
Titans - Played 11, Won 1, Lost 10 (9%), -158 Point Diff

PENRITH!

Honestly, pretty amazing two seasons from our boys.

I just hope we can go one further this year otherwise pretty meaningless in the scheme of things.