The NRL’s controversial Contribution Value Rating (CVR) system was thrown into the spotlight again this week, with the Newcastle Herald revealing that incoming Knights back-rower Beau Scott is outshone in every aspect of his game by incumbent Knights back-rower Zeb Taia, the man Scott is set to replace.
The CVR system is the brain child of NRL statistician Andrew Moufarrige and current New South Wales Blues video analyst Will Badel.
The CVR system takes into account over 50 different aspects of the game, broadening the statistical horizon which traditionally only measured tackles, line breaks and metres gained.
Thanks to the CVR system players are now held accountable for ineffective tackles, causing line breaks and their efforts over every minute they are on-field, with the CVR system producing a per minute score.
Since the CVR systems creation, at the request of then-Manly Coach Des Hasler, it has been regarded as the tool that turned the Sea Eagles from eighth place table dwellers in 2010 to a premiership winning side in 2011.
Blues coach Ricky Stuart is also said to be a firm believer in the CVR system, while Super Coach Wayne Bennett is yet to weigh in on the statistics versus gut feeling debate.
What the CVR system doesn’t take into account is player attitude, pairing with other players, off-field behaviour and relationships with coaching staff and teammates. While many would argue that on-field performances should be the number one contributing factor when it comes to team naming day, in professional sport that is not always the case.
This month alone has seen Michael Jennings demoted to New South Wales Cup after an ANZAC Day drinking incident, young Bronco’s gun Dane Gagai released by the club for an unspecified string of off-field incidents and NRL’s most infamous off-field offender Todd Carney thrive under the tutelage of Shane Flanagan, named in the New South Wales Blues team for the State of Origin opener.
A lot goes on behind the scenes that can see a player fall out of favour with those who select the team. I have heard of a player not being selected for a team due to his inability to clean up after himself in the team kitchen and changing sheds.
The coach’s philosophy was if the player caused more work for his teammates off the field, he would probably do the same on-field and needed to learn to be a team player.
The decision to omit players from the team due to off-field incidents is a contentious issue among league followers. While the CVR system and similar statistics gives a great picture of a player’s skills and game, it doesn’t paint the whole picture in terms of who the player is, and how easily he gets along with those who hold his future in their hands.
Until a system is developed that takes these factors into consideration, gut-feeling and the player’s ability to maintain positive relationships with their colleagues will always play into team selection.
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