Wests Tigers Stat to Fix: Metres per carry

[TheDaBoss]

Wests Tigers Stat to Fix: Metres per carry
Author
Troy Whittaker
NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Wed 20 Jan 2021, 08:00 AM

Wests Tigers battled to dent defences last year and averaged the third-fewest metres per carry (8.8m) as they fell short of breaking their famous finals drought.

A team's average gain per run proved to be a decent gauge of their overall success in 2020. Parramatta, who finished third, topped this category in the regular season with 9.5m a carry, followed by eventual premiers Melbourne (9.4m) and South Sydney (9.4).


Only 15th-placed Canterbury (8.5m) and 13th-placed Manly (8.6m) were ranked lower than the Tigers, who came 10th on the ladder.

Michael Maguire's side came in 12th for overall metres gained (31,823) and had a differential of -49.1m having conceded 32,805m.

The Tigers will want more yardage from their big men, with prop Josh Aloiai (137m) – who is now at the Sea Eagles – one of only three forwards to have averaged more than 100m per game.

Bench front-rower Matt Eisenhuth and edge weapon Luciano Leilua (102m) were the others, while lock Alex Twal, whose season was interrupted by injury, averaged 99m.


Winger David Nofoaluma was the team's best player last year, averaging a high of 179m a match as well as scoring 17 tries.

Fullback/centre Adam Doueihi (155m) and winger Tommy Talau (120m) were the other regular backs to average three figures.

The acquisition of Panthers captain James Tamou could be crucial for the Tigers as they look to replace Aloiai's work ethic while raising the yardage output of their pack across the board.


 

[earl]

The big problem that we have is that we lost our best middle forward to Manly and he was carrying us up the middle.

In saying that we've gained Tamou, Joe O and Stef plus Musgrove didn't play much last year. I also think Twal and Mikaele could improve.

Luciano is a weapon but he will be even better if our middle forwards do the job.

I think we also had one of the worst defense when it comes to post contact metres from other teams.

I suppose basically we are losing that battle up the middle.

 

[Speed2burn]

Musgrove is basically better than Aloiai if he can stay on the field, and a lot cheaper

Joe O, Tamou, Luciano and Twal are better than average NRL standard forwards. Then we have boom rookies with Stef and Blore where the sky is the limit, and the possibility of dev players breaking through.

For once I am reasonably confident our engine room won't be an issue this year

 

[happy_tiger]

Look we need to fix the other side of the game as well

If we defend better and stop the opposition's metres per carry and post contact metres we will end up in far better field position

Lot easier starting a set 25 metres out from your line than it is scrambling from 5 metres out

 

[tonza]

It will make a big difference with a hooker who passes the ball off the deck most of the times. Unfortunately our forwards only got the pill when Harry did not want it any more. This stuttered our attack with big forwards stopping and starting waiting for the pill. I dont mind being a target.

 

[Tiger5150]

The big problem that we have is that we lost our best middle forward to Manly and he was carrying us up the middle.

In saying that we've gained ***Tamou, Joe O and Stef plus Musgrove didn't play much last year. I also think Twal and Mikaele could improve.***

***Luciano is a weapon*** but he will be even better if our middle forwards do the job.

I think we also had one of the worst defense when it comes to post contact metres from other teams.

I suppose basically we are losing that battle up the middle.

I agree with your summary of our middle forwards and I hope Luciano is never used to earn metres, that is not his strength. I hope to see him running wide, engaging defenders and providing space for his centre which I agree with you will be easier for him of the middle do their job.

 

[jrtiger]

a lot of what ifs surrounding the forward pack for 2021, most of it whether or not Musgrove, Mikaele, Twal and Stefano will improve enough to cover the loss of Aloiai, and whether or not Tamou is still the same player he was at Penrith. Ofahengaue is also a massive risk but I'm willing to say he'll be a far better player than last year, similar to RCG's year at Parra.

 

[sleeve]

Wests Tigers Stat to Fix: Metres per carry
Author
Troy Whittaker
NRL.com Reporter
Timestamp
Wed 20 Jan 2021, 08:00 AM

Wests Tigers battled to dent defences last year and averaged the third-fewest metres per carry (8.8m) as they fell short of breaking their famous finals drought.

A team's average gain per run proved to be a decent gauge of their overall success in 2020. Parramatta, who finished third, topped this category in the regular season with 9.5m a carry, followed by eventual premiers Melbourne (9.4m) and South Sydney (9.4).


Only 15th-placed Canterbury (8.5m) and 13th-placed Manly (8.6m) were ranked lower than the Tigers, who came 10th on the ladder.

Michael Maguire's side came in 12th for overall metres gained (31,823) and had a differential of -49.1m having conceded 32,805m.

The Tigers will want more yardage from their big men, with prop Josh Aloiai (137m) – who is now at the Sea Eagles – one of only three forwards to have averaged more than 100m per game.

Bench front-rower Matt Eisenhuth and edge weapon Luciano Leilua (102m) were the others, while lock Alex Twal, whose season was interrupted by injury, averaged 99m.


Winger David Nofoaluma was the team's best player last year, averaging a high of 179m a match as well as scoring 17 tries.

Fullback/centre Adam Doueihi (155m) and winger Tommy Talau (120m) were the other regular backs to average three figures.

The acquisition of Panthers captain James Tamou could be crucial for the Tigers as they look to replace Aloiai's work ethic while raising the yardage output of their pack across the board.


Good post.I wonder if anyone can compare the weight and size ofWT'S pack last year compared to this year.I believe we have the equal third heavest pack in the comp this year.Most of the sides have a big boppa forward like Papali or Tamalola that eat the meters,you need big guys to stop them,

 

[JC99]

We were missing Musgrove and Twal for most of the year who are two of our better metre eaters. Joe can also average 110m+ a game playing in the middle and Tamou has the most metres gained per minute in the NRL last year.

We should be fine for metres up the middle, it’s the defence that will need to improve. Our game management and defence was awful last season which put us on the back foot a lot, hard to make metres coming out of your own 20 all game

 

[Guest]

I feel we'll improve on that stat this year, we've got more size in the forwards, better leadership with Tamou and Joe O coming into the middle and hopefully more impact from the bench, depending how Madge uses his bench this year.

 

[sleeve]

Look we need to fix the other side of the game as well

If we defend better and stop the opposition's metres per carry and post contact metres we will end up in far better field position

Lot easier starting a set 25 metres out from your line than it is scrambling from 5 metres out

Penriths defence,and winning 17 straight was impessive. I hope Tamou passes on some secrets.

 

[innsaneink]

I feel we'll improve on that stat this year, we've got more size in the forwards, better leadership with Tamou and Joe O coming into the middle and hopefully more impact from the bench, depending how Madge uses his bench this year.

Its critical we do

 

[Needaname]

Stat to fix. Handling errors per carry.
I’m pretty sure we were one of the worst teams for unforced errors also.
So in what ever momentum we were trying to gain in that set we would squander our opportunities with a heap of unforced errors.
We all know our forwards worked hard last year but it was like the team was running up an incline all season.
Agree that having a more traditional ball distributor at Hooker this year will also make a difference to not just our final tackles of our set but the tough carries as well.

 

[Tigerwould]

Madge wouldn’t have been happy with the middle last year in both defence and yardage gained. We seemed to be struggling to get into the oppositions half. When we did we didn’t have any trouble scoring points.
There has been quite a change in the engine room for the coming season. Tamou strength as a forward leader Is something we haven’t had for some time. I can see Joe O starting along side of him. If there are injuries or lack of form
, Musgrove and Twal are both starting forwards.

I have no doubt 2021 will see a big improvement in meters gained. Hopefully we spend a lot less energy getting out of our own quarter.

 

[twentyforty]

I think this new look forward pack will deliver the much needed post contact metres, which in turn will put our halves on the front foot. I don’t know what the pc metres numbers were, but surely would have been negative?

 

[crazycat]

Madge wouldn’t have been happy with the middle last year in both defence and yardage gained. We seemed to be struggling to get into the oppositions half. When we did we didn’t have any trouble scoring points.
There has been quite a change in the engine room for the coming season. Tamou strength as a forward leader Is something we haven’t had for some time. I can see Joe O starting along side of him. If there are injuries or lack of form
, Musgrove and Twal are both starting forwards.

I have no doubt 2021 will see a big improvement in meters gained. Hopefully we spend a lot less energy getting out of our own quarter.

I agree. It will be good to see Tamou and Joe O work together. With Twal and Musgrove back we will see impact, Yet I still think were a forward down.

We lost sam McIntyre, Josh Alolai and the Huff. Now our replacements are greater. But we still
Have a gap and we dont have replacements when our front line gets injured.

The Parra game showed us what happens when we go toe to toe seriously with Junior Paulo, RCG, Matterson. We would be similarly in trouble with Canberra, Cronulla, Cowboys (with Todd Payten shaping their front line up), warriors maybe, Easts, Storm, Newcastle (saifiti, Klemmer and others) and anyone who has a decent pack going forward (forgot Gold coast).

We need one more top shelf or very promissing young forward to step up. Lets see.

 

[TYGA]

It’s an important statistic but they need to drill it down to middle forwards. Kick pressure and kick returns with a gun fullback will make this measure redundant.

 

[Tigerwould]

I think we will give many teams a good run for there money in the forwards. We need to win the battle of the packs to give our backs a chance.
Good thing is have depth in the front row this. I’m still worried about the second row.

 

[Harvey]

The stat to fix is the metres we concede up the middle.

Has been a problem for years. No line speed and plenty of post contact metres allowed

 

[JC99]

Our forward pack overall is improved from last year but a lot of teams could definitely beat us up the middle still. If brooks and Doueihi can manage a game better than we did last year it will massively help our forwards too.