Let’s skip the intro – if you’re new to the site, I’d recommend reading this post on Tackle %, which explains how it works and why I think it’s an important statistic for identifying high motor middle and interchange forwards.
Here’s how the Tackle % chart looked for Round 19 without a minute restriction
No single digit minute shenanigans this week. The Cowboys Emry Pere takes top spot with a Tackle % of 46.58%, indicating he completed a tackle on nearly half of the possession his team defended whilst Pere was on the field.
Second and third place goes to a pair of Warriors, and sadly one wasn’t Daniel Alvaro. Lachlan Burr took second place with a tackle rate of 43.94% and debutant Tom Ale at 41.67%. Ale completed 9 tackles in his 12 minutes.
Sam McIntyre (40.55%) from the Wests Tigers was the only other player above 40% this round.
Next, we’ll look at those players who spent at least half a game on the field this round
Burr takes top spot for those who played at least 40 minutes, with his tackle rate of 43.93%. One of the NRL’s most improved players Moses Leota from Penrith grabbed second spot with a Tackle % of 35.63%. Jacob Saifiti takes third place as the Knights prop posted a tackle rate of 33.93% in his 41 minutes on field during their win over the Dragons.
There was a number of 80 minute hookers making this list this week – Penrith’s Mitch Kenny (31.61%), North Queensland’s Reuben Cotter (30.98%) and South’s Damien Cook (28.50%).
Finally, here is the 2020 season leader board for Tackle % with one round to go.
No movement in the top three, with Nathan Peats (34.08%), Mitch Rein (33.22%) and Elijah Taylor (32.28%) sitting in the same spots as last week and unlikely to change with one game remaining.
Want to also wish fourth placed Tim Glasby (31.75%) the best in his post NRL career.
