NRL

At the end of the first four rounds of the NRL 2023 season, the average margin thus far this season is 9.1 points per game, or roughly half of what it was during the peak Vlandoball era of 2021 (18.3) for the same rounds. I wish that was a misprint. Not that I’m complaining, and I’m sure fans and broadcasters aren’t either after. Close games mean more engaged viewers meaning happier broadcasters. If only there was a way for the head of the NRL to use this and extract some more compensation out of said broadcasters. But I digress. It...

First up this week is a bit of good news. I’ve managed to be able to produce some Eye Test Expected Points (ETxP) data for a few games this season, specifically the Round 2 and 3 losses by South Sydney. Hopefully I’ll be able to continue producing them throughout the season but no promises. Secondly, one of the reasons we’re focusing on Souths, is that their two losses this season can be traced back to a lack of quality field position in the second half and their inability to contain their opponents in that same period. For those new to...

It’s funny how the littlest things can provide some inspiration. But first, for those who don’t want to read the next 1600 words I’ll give some quick answers. Very young, and slightly yes but more so for bench players than anywhere else. Now we can get back on track now regarding inspiration. Case in point – randomly checking my @LeagueEyeTest mentions on Thursday afternoon – which is usually a slow period since most of my content is posted Mon/Tues – I see that someone has tagged me in a tweet from Phil Gould. A cold shiver raced down my spine....

Round 1 of the 2023 National Rugby League season is in the books and there’s so many positives from the weekend that even Peter V’Landys couldn’t ruin. Everyone managed to find something to enjoy about the slate of games, especially Dragons fans who managed another week’s reprieve before having to suffer through another Hook coached season. We were treated to some enthralling games and close finishes the likes of which were rarely seen in a whole season, let alone a whole round. Funny that rugby league is more engaging when the teams the scores are closer because teams aren’t fatigued....

One of the great tragedies of the 2021 National Rugby League season was that it created a set of circumstances which resulted in some impossible benchmarks that players would never reach again. Untested rule changes widened the gap between the haves and the have nots, and the result was some very predictable outcomes and unparalleled statistical accumulation. Friend of the site Ben Quagliata wrote about it earlier this season: “If anything, 2021 has had a negative impact on how we view these stars. 2021 has created negative discourse about how we measure the performances of a Tedesco, a Trbojevic, a...