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Defense Wins Championships: Why Melbourne always wins (and your team doesn’t)

March 8, 2017, 4:19 pm By Joel Leave a Comment

“Offense sells tickets, but defense wins championships”. An exciting offense may indeed sell tickets (as the 2016 Raiders did, attracting their highest crowd average since 1995), but does defense really win championships? Some hacks put it forward as assumed fact without question (as we ourselves did in our 2016 Finals Preview). Others claim it’s a self-perpetuating myth. So, which is it? Do elite defensive teams really outperform elite offensive teams? And if so, why? Let’s take a look at the Melbourne Storm to find out.

[Read more…]

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Related NRL News & Posts:

  • The Month In Review: March ’17
  • A Numbers Game: Finals Week Three Previews
  • NRL Finals Preview: Why your team can win
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Filed Under: NRL Features & Analysis, Rugby League Theory Tagged With: Canberra Raiders News, defense, Melbourne Storm News, Newcastle Knights News, North Queensland Cowboys News, NRL, NRL Finals, offense

The Greatest Game of All: Tigers defeat Warriors

August 30, 2016, 3:33 pm By Joel Leave a Comment

The Tigers went across the ditch and ended the Warriors’ finals hopes. The Obstruction Rule looks at how it went down, as well as reviewing the Tigers’ performances sans-Robbie Farah and turning the microscope on their opponents’ coach, Andrew McFadden. [Read more…]

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Related NRL News & Posts:

  • The Robbie Farah Effect: Can a team be better off without its star?
  • The Weekend Wrap: 13/8/17
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Filed Under: NRL Features & Analysis, The Greatest Game Of All Tagged With: Andrew McFadden, defense, James Tedesco, Jason Taylor, Neil Henry, New Zealand Warriors News, Robbie Farah, VOA, Wests Tigers News

The Greatest Game of All: Dragons defeat Sharks

August 16, 2016, 4:08 pm By Joel Leave a Comment

The Obstruction Rule discusses the week’s most surprising upset – the hapless Dragons defeating the 2nd-placed Sharks. [Read more…]

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Related NRL News & Posts:

  • The Weekend Wrap: 27/8/17
  • The Weekend Wrap: 23/7/17
  • The Weekend Wrap: 7/5/17
  • The Weekend Wrap: 30/4/17
  • Sharks interested in potential Maloney-Moylan swap

Filed Under: NRL Features & Analysis, The Greatest Game Of All Tagged With: Chris Heighnington, Cronulla Sharks News, defense, Gareth Widdop, James Maloney, Joseph Paulo, Paul Gallen, St George Illawarra Dragons News, Tariq Sims, VOA

The Greatest Game of All: Storm defeat Cowboys

August 2, 2016, 5:32 pm By Joel Leave a Comment

Without a major upset in Round 21,  The Obstruction Rule turns its eye to the battle of the premiership heavyweights – the Melbourne Storm and the North Queensland Cowboys, in this edition of The Greatest Game of All. [Read more…]

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Related NRL News & Posts:

  • Film Study: The 2nd Man Play
  • Life After Cronk: The Thurston Eleven
  • Defense Wins Championships: Why Melbourne always wins (and your team doesn’t)
  • The Weekend Wrap: 25/6/17
  • The Weekend Wrap: 30/4/17

Filed Under: NRL Features & Analysis, The Greatest Game Of All Tagged With: Cooper Cronk, defense, Johnathan Thurston, Justin O'Neill, Kevin Proctor, Lachlan Coote, Melbourne Storm News, North Queensland Cowboys News, offense, Rory Kostjaysn, VOA

The Greatest Game Of All: Panthers defeat Broncos

July 26, 2016, 2:56 pm By Joel Leave a Comment

The Obstruction Rule takes a look at the biggest upset of the round – the Penrith Panthers defeating the Brisbane Broncos, and asks how it happened and whether we could have seen it coming? [Read more…]

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Related NRL News & Posts:

  • The Weekend Wrap: 2/7/17
  • The Weekend Wrap: 23/7/17
  • The Weekend Wrap: 21/5/17
  • The Weekend Wrap: 14/5/17
  • The Month In Review: March ’17

Filed Under: NRL Features & Analysis, The Greatest Game Of All Tagged With: Alex Glenn, Anthony Milford, Beau Scott, Brad Arthur, Brisbane Broncos News, Bryce Cartwright, Corey Oates, defense, Jack Reed, James Fisher-Harris, Josh McGuire, Michael Jennings, New Zealand Warriors News, offense, Penrith Panthers News, South Sydney Rabbitohs News, Te Maire Martin, VOA, Waqa Blake, Wayne Bennett

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Top 5 NRL Offense VOA

Melbourne34.04%
Cronulla26.65%
Penrith23.46%
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Sydney21.79%

Top 5 NRL Defense VOA

Penrith-46.43%
North Queensland-24.33%
Melbourne-22.88%
Cronulla-20.29%
Sydney-20.25%

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