Workhorse Watch Rd 3
Thursday night was a tough night all round for Roosters captain Jake Friend. Physically, Friend got through a mountain of work with 62 tackles and now leads the competition’s tackle count with 160. But mentally the strain of another towel up appears to be taking its toll as the Roosters’ number 9 leads a team that has lost a lot of talent in a very short space of time. Through injuries, suspensions and departures, the Roosters look nothing like the side that won three straight Minor Premierships (I had to really fight the urge to write something like ‘Jake finds himself friendless’). Adding injury to insult is the long term damage sustained by Ian Henderson which may only add to Friend’s workload, which won’t displease NRLCEOs.
Exclusive special stat investigation
With the debate over stats raging, it was clear there had to be an investigation. It was time to tabulate my own stats and reveal why the adding up, didn’t add up. Armed with a notepad and pen I was ready to watch workhorses in a way I’d never watched them before. Tackle by tackle, run by run.
Test Subject #1 was Corey Parker. Parker was selected for two reasons. Number 1, he’s in my fantasy team and number 2, his salt and pepper hair is easy to distinguish in the defensive line. Parker’s first two involvements were from hit ups after the Broncos received the ball from a Panthers turn over off the kick off and then in the subsequent set after Milford scored a try. Parker fell off his first attempt at a tackle but League Live counted it anyway. Later in the half, Parker came in for what was a borderline flop, the League Live App (stats from Prozone) counted it, Champion Data did not.
At half time I had Parker down for 12 tackles and 10 hit ups as did NRL Stats. Fox Sports had credited him with 13 tackles, my guess was they counted the borderline flop. Champion Data were much thriftier with their stats, giving the 326 game veteran just 11 tackles and 8 hit ups. League Live and NRL.com had him down for 16 tackles and 12 runs. Clearly they’d included the 12 tackles I rated as fair, plus the borderline flop as well as the two tackles he fell off and possibly even the attempted charge down midway through the half. Parker had left the field in the 33rd minute and when he returned in the 54th the trends of the first half continued. My interpretation was in line with the team at Fox Sports while League Live and NRL.com were counting anything and everything. Champion Data weren’t counting anything at first, Parker had been back on the field for four minutes before there was a change to the Champion Data numbers; I’m going to assume it was just a technical delay, not that they missed he was back on the field!
Test Subject #2 was Aaron Woods who, like Parker, was chosen because he stands out in a crowd. The mane of hair, the bushy beard, the head tape, unmistakable. There was far less variation in Woods’ stats with his style of play far less open to interpretation. Woods went to the line and took the tackle with every run. At half time both myself and the stats providers all had him down for 8 runs and at full time everyone had him at 18.
There was a small amount of variation in his tackle count but only by one or two. That’s because Woods was usually the first or second man in the tackle. There were times where Woods could’ve flopped in over the top but knowing his team mates had their man wrapped up, chose to keep running back to get set for the next play. I counted 18 tackles in the first half, as did Champion Data and NRL Stats. Fox Sports only counted 17 and whilst League Live and NRL.com had once again counted more, this time it was just the one extra.
A similar story unfolded in the second half and by full time the stats were pretty close. Once again, League Live and NRL.com counted a few more than I did, Fox Sports counted two less than I did while NRL Stats were way short on everyone else before their numbers were eventually revised.
The complaints against Champion Data are that they’re not counting stats the way that many other providers are. Whilst they might be a little stingy, they’re not nearly as stingy as League Live is generous. If League Live were any more generous, kicking the ball away in disgust would count towards a player’s Kick Metres!
The whole point of a workhorse try is to reward tireless efforts in the world’s toughest game, not hand out four pointers to anyone who wants to play ‘stacks on the mill’ once a player has pretty much been stopped. I prefer the frugal approach to stat keeping. When everyone has something, that something is no longer special. Sure workhorse tries are now harder to come by, but win or lose, if a player scores a workhorse in your match, you know he bloody well earned it.
Workhorse of the Week:
Paul Carter: Just when you think workhorse weekly honours are staying in Belmore, along comes a dour game like the one at the SCG. Both Jack De Belin and Paul Carter scored double workhorse tries in atrocious conditions but it was Carter who takes Workhorse of the Week honours with a few more involvements.
WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK
- Aiden Tolman: 41 tackles + 19 hitups = 60
- Mitch Rein: 49 tackles + 9 hitups = 58
- Dylan Napa: 43 tackles + 13 hitups = 56
- Paul Carter: 52 tackles + 15 hitups = 67
- Jack De Belin: 46 tackles + 17 hitups = 63
- Shaun Fensom: 55 tackles + 15 hitups = 70
- Jake Friend: 62 tackles + 2 hitups = 64
- Sia Soliola: 39 tackles + 15 hitups = 54
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR
Kane Evans: 30 tackles + 9 hitups = 39
Martin Taupau: 22 tackles + 17 hitups = 39
Nate Myles: 30 tackles + 9 hitups = 39
Tim Grant: 26 tackles + 13 hitups = 39
STATS PER MINUTE
Siosiua Tauheiako scored his second workhorse of the season with 51 involvements (34 tackles, 17 hitups). Tauheiako played the full 80 minutes for an SPM of 0.64 and looms as a valuable back row option if he can keep producing workhorse tries. Tauheiako is one of only three forwards to score a Metre Eater every week; the other two are Aaron Woods and Andrew Fifita so he’s in fair company.
At the Auckland Nines, Agnatius Paasi showed he could just about do it all and on Saturday night he proved it. The hulking backrower broke through for his first ever workhorse try against the Tigers, getting 41 involvements in 54 min (0.76 SPM). Paasi also got a try assist/line break assist which means this season he has now registered a stat in every category NRLCEO has to offer. Well almost, he just needs to kick a goal and pot a field goal.
South Sydney’s Nathan Brown again played at a good work rate with 36 involvements in 38 minutes (0.95 SPM). Brown finds himself named at lock in the absence of Sam Burgess so he’s definitely worth a pick up if you need some cover.
Well done to Peter Wallace who becomes this year’s first back to score a workhorse try with 44 involvements in 80 minutes (0.55 SPM). While Wallace was playing at hooker, Euan Aitkin and Daly Cherry-Evans also scored workhorses this week whilst actually playing in the backs. After being criticised before the game for having gone missing in the opening fortnight, DCE was right in the thick of it against the Sharks, registering 34 tackles and 9 runs (0.54 SPM). Mind you, all that means diddly squat if your league doesn’t count workhorse tries for backs; Cherry-Evans is the only half back in the league who has not registered a single point this season. Even Jeff Robson got a try assist last week.
JUST QUICKLY:
NRL Micro Figures have now come out with something called Inflatables. That’s right they’re blow up dolls of some of your favourite NRL players. Sorry Scottie Boyden, there’s no Shaun Fensom… Probably just as well!
Geoff Adams
Latest posts by Geoff Adams (see all)
- 2018 Workhorse Watch Awards - September 3, 2018
- Workhorse Watch – Round 24 - August 29, 2018
- Workhorse Watch – Round 23 - August 22, 2018
