Workhorse Watch Rd 24
There have been some truly epic workhorse performances this season and although there’s still 2 weeks to go, this week we count down the 10 with the most involvements.
10. Dale Finucane: 57 tackles + 14 hit ups = 71 (Round 7)
The Melbourne backrower has enjoyed his best workhorse season ever with 20 workhorse tries whilst playing every game. What’s more, there have been only two rounds where he failed to trouble the score. His only double workhorse was in Round 7 when he posted a massive 71 involvements.
9. Sam Burgess: 54 tackles + 17 hit ups = 71 (Round 22)
Slammin Sam might be the face of Souths’ woeful season but his workhorse effort continues to be outstanding with 24 workhorse tries for the season including 5 double workhorses.
8. Ryan James: 53 tackles + 20 hit ups = 73 (Round 7)
Like Finucane, James has been another player putting together a breakout season. James is yet to miss a game this season and he too has only gone scoreless twice this year.
7. Jake Friend: 73 tackles + 2 runs = 75 (Round 20)
Poor Jake Friend. No one has made more tackles this season than the Roosters captain but unfortunately, involvements without the runs don’t quite cut it. His 55 involvements per game are enough to average a double workhorse every week. Unfortunately his 29 metres per game are not.
6. Sam Burgess: 52 tackles + 23 hit ups = 75 (Round 13)
Fresh off the bye and in a game that went for 88 minutes, Sam Burgess scored a huge double workhorse against the Titans in Round 13, a match that had 13 workhorse tries in total with Burgess also running for 266 metres.
5. Simon Mannering: 70 tackles + 7 hit ups = 77 (Round 24)
Mannering has put some huge numbers up this season and continued to do it this past weekend as the Warriors were completely skittled by the Cowboys. Unfortunately he hasn’t been able to translate any of his high involvements into double workhorses.
4. Simon Mannering: 63 tackles + 14 hit ups = 77 (Round 21)
See previous.
3. Jake Friend: 71 tackles + 8 hit ups = 79 (Round 7)
Maybe the whole double workhorse thing is overrated. Mitch Rein has scored the most double workhorse tries among hookers this year but only sits two ahead of Friend. And when you factor in all the other ways to score, Friend is actually slightly ahead.
2. Simon Mannering: 70 tackles + 10 hit ups = 80 (Round 16)
This was the performance that made NRLCEOs stand up and take notice. Sure it was only worth 4 points, but 80 involvements was unheard of! It almost deserved to be worth twice as much. Like the 4 minute mile or breaking the sound barrier, it set a new benchmark on what could be achieved.
1. James Graham: 63 tackles + 19 hit ups = 82 (Round 23)
Mannering’s Round 16 performance soon led to the greatest workhorse performance in NRLCEO history. Not only did Graham have the quantity, he also had the quality to go with it, with his 180 running metres ensuring his mammoth effort received maximum reward.
Workhorse of the Week:
Sam Burgess: It was a big week for back rowers as they made up 6 of the 8 positions in this week’s workhorse pack of the week. The best, and only one to score a double workhorse though was Sam Burgess.
WORKHORSE PACK OF THE WEEK
- Jack De Belin: 52 tackles + 8 hitups = 60
- Andrew McCullough: 62 tackles + 3 hitups = 65
- Josh McGuire: 43 tackles + 16 hitups = 59
- Mitchell Barnett: 51 tackles + 16 hitups = 67
- Sam Burgess: 51 tackles + 18 hitups = 69
- Simon Mannering: 70 tackles + 7 hitups = 77
- Elijah Taylor: 60 tackles + 6 hitups = 66
- Jacob Safiti: 43 tackles + 17 hitups = 60
CLOSE BUT NO CIGAR
Peter Wallace: 36 tackles + 3 hitups = 39
Greg Bird: 21 tackles + 18 hitups = 39
Chad Townsend: 35 tackles + 4 hitups = 39
STATS PER MINUTE
There might have only been three players in the Close But No Cigar Club this week but there were a further 11 players who finished the match on 38 involvements. The most prominent and therefore most disappointing, was Trent Merrin. Merrin had 22 involvements at half time so when he scored a try eight minutes into the second half, NRLCEOs would have been licking their lips over a potential try/workhorse try combo but Merrin only ended up with 38 involvements in 53 minutes (0.72 SPM) as the Panthers dominated the Tigers.
Back in Round 19 I highlighted the success of Mitchell Barnett since switching to the Knights and he continues to impress from a workhorse point of view. Barnett set a personal best with 67 involvements against the Titans (0.84 SPM) and was just 7 metres off scoring a double workhorse. News that Robbie Rochow is off to Souths and Jeremy Smith is set to retire only lifts Barnett’s stock for next year making him the perfect player to hold onto if you’re in a keeper league.
Meanwhile teammate Jacob Saifiti was also agonisingly close to a double workhorse. The younger Saifiti twin had 60 involvements (1.02 SPM) and ran 113 metres, his best game to date. However it was 12 metres short of the criteria for a double. Brother Daniel also had his best ever game racking up 49 involvements in 56 minutes (0.88 SPM). His only other workhorse try was back in round 14 when he had 42 involvements.
It was another big week for Matt Prior with Paul Gallen again not a part of the Sharks’ line up. Prior equalled his personal best with 53 involvements for the game in 58 minutes (0.91 SPM). The Sharks will been keen for Gallen to return having lost their last three games but in his absence, both Prior and Wade Graham (0.65 SPM) have stepped up, each scoring back to back workhorses.
Geoff Adams
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