The telling stat that could define the finals series
Jasper Bruce |
Sam Walker believes the Sydney Roosters’ attack is the best in the NRL, but it is their defensive effort that will have finals rivals on edge.
According to the statistics, the premiership dark horses enter finals in the best defensive form.
Each of the last eight NRL premiers finished the regular season as one of the two best defensive teams in terms of points conceded.
The eighth-placed Roosters are the worst team in this year’s finals series by that metric, having leaked 107 more points than best-in-class Canterbury through 27 rounds.
But their defence has had a makeover in recent weeks, with players crediting a three-day camp at Avoca Beach for the turnaround.
The Roosters hold a camp at the same Central Coast location every year as a way to mix up their training routine.
“I think it just narrows your focus on what you have to do,” Walker told AAP of the camp.
The way the Roosters’ byes fell this season meant the club travelled up ahead of round 22, later in the season than usual.
Pushing the camp closer to the finals looks to have been a masterstroke.
In the six games since, the Roosters have conceded an average of only 12.3 points per game, down from 22.5 in the six games prior.
In fact, no side enters finals having conceded at a more miserly rate across their last six games.
Saturday’s elimination final foes Cronulla are the next best at 15 points per game, with the Roosters more than a converted try better than each of the top four across their past six games.
“It just goes back to probably five or six weeks ago we went up for a camp at the Central Coast before our Manly game (in round 22),” halfback Hugo Savala told AAP.
“We had a really good chat, the whole squad and the whole coaching staff about our defence and our goal-line defence.
“That’s something we’re really taking pride in, our goal-line defence. Defending our home, we call it.”
As long as they can get their defence right, the Roosters hold no fears for their ability to rack up big scores in finals.
They’ve notched at least 30 points in four of their past five games.
“We’ve probably got the best attacking team in the competition,” Walker said.
“If we can just make sure our defence is up to that level as well, if we’re at our best we can beat anyone in this competition.”
The round-25 loss to Parramatta accounts for almost half of the 74 points the Roosters have conceded since their camp.
But the Roosters have learned their lesson from that 30-10 loss, with the Eels scoring four of their six tries on fifth tackles that day.
“We had a little bit of work to be done on last plays,” forward Angus Crichton told AAP.
“Since then I think we’ve probably let in one or two (tries) a game. We’ve just got to keep working for each other, keep moving when the ball’s not in your space and make sure when the ball bounces, we’re the one that are jumping on it.”
AAP
