The most important factor in NRL games is limiting the opposition’s running metres, the statistical category most likely to decide whether a team wins or loses | ramy_haidar proshenks
The most important factor in NRL games is limiting the opposition’s running metres, the statistical category most likely to decide whether a team wins or loses.has conducted an analysis of the past six NRL seasons, assessing the reasons for the outcome of each contest. While coaches often talk at length about completions, possession and errors in their post-match press conferences, none of those indicators are among the top-10 pointers to success.
Former Brisbane and South Sydney coach Anthony Seibold, now working as a member of the England national rugby team’s staff alongside Eddie Jones, wasn’t surprised by the importance of yardage in determining outcomes. Jason Taumalolo has been one of the NRL’s best metre-eaters for years, and limiting his impact is crucial to success.So, why are run metres conceded more important than run metres gained? Perhaps the psychology of repelling an opponent harms a team’s confidence and, therefore, their execution. To illustrate, restricting run metres has been measured as having a stronger correlation with opposition errors than simply advancing the Steeden.
Based on the results, the biggest misnomer in rugby league is that completion rates are the be-all and end-all in deciding results. For proof, look no further than Canterbury, who had the best completion rate last year, but scored the least number of tries and finished with the wooden spoon.
“Completion rates and missed tackles, for me, are an outdated way of looking at it,” says Seibold, a former Dally M coach of the year.“Missed tackles aren’t an indicator of whether you win or lose because I’ve seen the Storm and the Roosters miss 40-odd tackles and still win games.
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