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Mike Meehall Wood is a rugby league writer, Celtic supporter and cricket tragic. He has written extensively about rugby league for publications in the UK and Australia, and about sports more widely for Forbes, VICE, LADbible and more.
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The have been some great nights over the years in this part of the Northern Beaches, and you can stick this one right up…
South Sydney's horror start to the year has continued with a demoralising 34-4 defeat the Warriors, overshadowed by two first half incidents that saw…
Newcastle have taken the two points over St George Illawarra at McDonald Jones Stadium, edging the Dragons 30-10 on a night when the weather…
Sometimes in rugby league, it seems like everything that can go wrong will. That was the Roosters in the first half: they trailing the…
It’s rare in rugby league that you get a deal that suits all parties, but Zac Lomax’s departure from St George Illawarra might be…
Remember the Melbourne Storm? Nasty bunch, no mates, everyone wanted them to lose, ruining rugby league. Oh wait, that’s not them. Now, they’re fun,…
There are few topics that present more of an existential threat to what modern sport looks like than concussion. To use one metaphor, it…
Sometimes, a player comes onto the open market that sets the NRL's transfer rumour mill into overdrive, and with Zac Lomax finally getting his…
Super Rugby is currently experiencing what the NRL and NFL have gone through plenty of in the last few years: a hip-drop drama. Over…
Lachlan Galvin won't have had a more topsy-turvy day in his life. The 18-year-old five eighth was the star as the Wests Tigers pulled…
Aiden Sezer has delivered a famous Easter Monday victory to the Wests Tigers with a last-minute field goal to upset Parramatta 17-16 on an…
It was billed as a meeting of two of the great coaches of our time; Wayne Bennett against Des Hasler. Between them, they've coached…
It was like an NRL match ordered off Wish. There was a packed stadium, two line-ups with superstars and perfect playing conditions, but both…
Jack Wighton might have thought that he had seen it all. 10 Origin appearances, a World Cup winners medal with Kangaroos, a Dally M…
The NRL likes to go through phases where everyone throws their hands up and wonders what the rules actually are - and boy, are…
Souths are on the board for 2024 after a hard-fought 20-16 win over the Bulldogs on a topsy-turvy afternoon at Accor Stadium that saw…
It was more like an A-League game than the NRL at times on Thursday night. A packed bay, all in black, cheering and chanting…
Why did we ever doubt them? The Panthers entered this clash as clear outsiders, but sent out the strongest statement yet that the Premiership…
The NRLW is set to expand to 12 teams from the 2025 season, with Canterbury Bulldogs set to debut in the competition alongside the…
It wasn’t that long ago that the Roosters’ attack was the biggest mystery in the NRL. Though they started 4-1 in 2023, they hadn’t…
Leg speed is a woolly phrase that I find very hard to back up with any numbers – but the numbers are clear that the Panthers generate far more of their yardage through backs, which does help the forwards be more impactful on the carries they have and to save their legs for line speed.
Too old, too slow: Do these two stats explain why Souths have fallen off a cliff in 2024?
Horses for courses I’d say – he prioritised culture building at Redcliffe for one, and for two, he’s not expected to win the Premiership. If you want a third, the Phins are the single most conservative side with ball in hand, likely to maximise negative possession.
Too old, too slow: Do these two stats explain why Souths have fallen off a cliff in 2024?
Returns are a pretty inconsequential part of total yards – On Sat night there were 21 distance kicks, 12 kick-offs and 4 dropouts from a total of 384 runs, so that’s just shy of 10% of all runs that were from returns, assuming that all kicks were returned and all dropouts were long (which they weren’t). Not a big chunk at all.
A fullback like Dylan Edwards might get 50% of their metres in KRM and a good winger might get 25% but the other 11 blokes get basically zero.
KRM was seen as linking to success for a bit but is now largely attributed to specifically the way that Penrith play, everyone else has different methodologies.
Statistically speaking, total yardage is about the other plays, which is why MPR is such a useful number to have.
Too old, too slow: Do these two stats explain why Souths have fallen off a cliff in 2024?
Stokes > Stakhanov
Five and a kick: Joey Manu is not the Roosters' best fullback, unless they want to run him into the ground
Turbo
Walsh
Teddy
Ponga
Manu
Latrell can’t be there on form, Edwards/CNK great yardage but not great elsewhere, Papi maybe but obvs injury prone, Hammer/Kennedy/Drinkwater just that level below, love Gutho for all his effort but he’s not the best of the best at 1.
Manu would be better than DE or CNK if he played there every week, I’d say he’s closest to Turbo in style but yet to prove over a long enough period that he’s that quality (as a FB at least, he’s best centre in the world for mine)
Five and a kick: Joey Manu is not the Roosters' best fullback, unless they want to run him into the ground
Top scorer in NLDs, almost twice as many as any single Arsenal player…last time I checked penalties are still goals too (and as a Celtic fan whose side convert about 50% of the pens we get, I’d bite your hand off for a competent penalty taker…)
UCL Preview: A heavyweight clash in Madrid, PSG's open wounds and Kane's return to his favourite hunting ground
Rob is absolutely one of the good guys (and not just because I know him) – he’s a safeguarding lawyer by trade so knows this inside and out, and half his job now is PR on fans/players on why this is happening.
'Will that change in the NRL? It probably will': Why Walsh is the canary in the coalmine for concussion
I did find a reference to it being specifically banned in the RFL’s guidebooks, but in truth it’s a tackle without wrapping anyway so would likely be either a shoulder charge or trip or a bit of both in the modern NRL, or just a dangerous contact. Also it was a really inefficient tackle anyway so not sure anyone would try it on those grounds alone.
A history of hip-drops: What Super Rugby can learn from NRL & NFL to stamp out footy's most dangerous tackle
I guess you could split them into two – the ones from a standing position where it’s an attempt to break a stalemate and the ones where it’s a last ditch attempt not to miss a tackle.
The motion of a hip-drop is very common in judo-based grappling (inc BJJ), a tani otoshi, which I can tell you is very dangerous and will likely get you told off by your coach if you do it too much, especially if you’re not that good. That’s the standing one, and anyone with a background in judo or BJJ could point one out instantly.
The second is a bit more instinctual, because the line between a desperate attempt at a tackle involving dragging someone down and throwing your hips at the floor is much greyer. Bateman on Rudolf (iirc) was more a tackle attempt for example – someone trying to effect a tackle at all rather than win a contact.
But I agree that the addition of wrestling brings in these technique because anyone who knows those disciplines could immediately coach them, and it would take an RL person without any grappling background a while notice what was happening, by which point everyone would already know it. The genie is out of the bottle there a bit.
A history of hip-drops: What Super Rugby can learn from NRL & NFL to stamp out footy's most dangerous tackle
Between that and Top Gun on Thursday night (all Paul’s work) it’s been a bumper weekend
Hail Sezer! Veteran slots field goal to deliver fairytale Tigers win as Galvin announces himself NRL's hottest talent
He did win the Super League and had an 80% winning record with Saints, so I’d guess he can be head coach too. Defo one of the nicer guys you meet, the Gold Coast is just the Bermuda Triangle of sport.
How Dom Young and Justin Holbrook have turned the Roosters inside out - and helped Tedesco get back to his best
Tbh in attack (when he stays wide) you want your wingers to avoid contact, it’s in the early plays that you want them to win it. He had 9 tackle busts, almost all of them in yardage, so I’d say that side went alright v Souths.
Defo true on Keary, though that only happened really when Walker came back in.
And I’ll never complain about them not turning up against Manly 😛
How Dom Young and Justin Holbrook have turned the Roosters inside out - and helped Tedesco get back to his best
One of the biggest correlations in RL is between mistakes and assists so it’s not so much Cody (or anyone) making them so much as providing a framework to create opportunities and then defend errors when they occur.
'We're carrying the burden of last season': What sports psychology can teach Souths about making mistakes
I think (and I asked the question…) what JD was referring to was a late pass from Walker that went forward when he might have landed it. He was just using it as an example (as the game was gone by then) rather than anything more. That was the vibe in the room at least.
On the second part, I’d guess what he was getting at was that they can focus on what is in front of them and not what is behind. I’m not sure not training will help anyone at this stage.
'We're carrying the burden of last season': What sports psychology can teach Souths about making mistakes
FWIW comparing stats between a HB and a FB is beyond pointless. Totally different roles, totally different KPIs.
I watched the game and thought both played well.
'We're carrying the burden of last season': What sports psychology can teach Souths about making mistakes
Kevin Keegan, Wembley toilets, 2000.
Demetriou has 'no doubt' he can turn around Souths after disaster derby sees Latrell binned in Roosters riot
Check the phonetic spelling of my name to help Anglos
'They need to know why it’s important': How Izack Tago rediscovered his name - and his culture
First one I have no idea…second you’re allowed to count the 15 mins of HT in your ten mins so if you pass at the break you can come back on.
'It didn't look great': Ciraldo rages at ref after Nikora escapes send-off on wild night in Cronulla
Tbf pretty much all sport as we know it was organised precisely so that people could gamble on it so I doubt you’re ever going to break that link.
The only reason cricket/football/rugby were ever codified in their rules (or split into different codes) was so that bookies and punters could agree on the parameters of their bets.
Exclusive: 'We want $1 billion'- V'landy's bullish vision of expansion, new Cup comp and staggering wealth
Both were created, meaning it was 2-2 between Roosters and Broncos, with the intercept the difference.
Try, try and try again: How much of the scoring in the NRL's opening round was sustainable?
There’s a whole piece in the works about this once we’ve seen a bit more because my gut reaction is that it will significantly impact attacking strategy by devalueing the repeat set. Lots more running on the 5th in good ball etc etc.
Try, try and try again: How much of the scoring in the NRL's opening round was sustainable?
Yes just a set play from a scrum/tap. I was also tracking the plays leading (B Cartwright 1st try I gave an assist to Paulo for the play before) but in terms of set plays it meant a planned move.
Try, try and try again: How much of the scoring in the NRL's opening round was sustainable?
The first ten million years were the worst. After that I went into something of a decline.
Give it a trial! How to watch the NRL’s Pre-season Challenge (without getting carried away)
Didn’t make the stats cut but the Titans have the lowest % of long kicks hitting the deck of any team in the NRL…
Also speaks to their recruitment that they had one of the league’s best set starters, Greg Marzhew, and let him go.
In defence of the Titans: Why Des Hasler can be the man to finally bring tackling to the Gold Coast
The top 5 of your roster win in the finals, but 18-30 are the ones that get you to the finals in the first place.
Too old, too slow: Do these two stats explain why Souths have fallen off a cliff in 2024?