Food for thought regarding the whole 'big game choke' conversation:
Since the introduction of the 6 again for ruck infringements/10meters, we've received on average 3.9 set restarts across 42 regular season games.
In our past 4 matches, we've received 6 set restarts total (1.5 per match on average).
Across the same time 42 regular season games, we've received on average 5.3 penalties.
Our past 4 matches we've received 27 penalties (6.75 per match on average).
Our team relies on our fitness and discipline to wear down the opposition. We prioritise line speed in defence over slowing down the ruck with wrestling, because we're consciously trying to avoid set restarts. And we rely on other teams playing the same way (or the ref doing their job if they can't keep up), to build pressure, dominate field position, and strangle our opposition out of the game.
Towards the end of the season, and in semi-finals, referees tend to 'put the whistle away'. With the introduction of the set restart instead of a penalty, this means less set restarts. The smart teams know this, and exploit it by slowing down the ruck, standing offside, and taking their chances with the ref. Especially early in the tackle count after a deep kick, and when defending their goal-line.
We saw consistently during the 2010's, that conceding penalties does not correlate to winning - in fact the opposite - the Roosters and Storm were consistently winning comps during that period, and were always top of the list in penalties conceded too. They knew that giving away a penalty was worth it to get a breather, and slow things down. The same principal applies now when the set restarts dry up.
While it's the fault of the referees that we have different standards and interpretations for finals matches, we shouldn't be blaming them for our losses. Because we can't control them.
The end result though, is that we're waiting for opportunities to come to us via repeat sets, fatigue, weight of possession etc, that isn't ever going to occur. And we don't have a plan B.
Not sure if that constitutes a choke, or just outlines the hilarity that we pretty much play touch footy for the first 20 weeks of the comp, and then revert to Wrestlemania for the rest. I suppose Melbourne and Souths can do both, so why can't we?
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