THE RL1908 BLOG
News, Reviews & Opinion - Sean Fagan - RL1908.com
| IS 2007 LEAGUE AS BORING AS MANY THINK? |
Here is a table of some statistics I've compiled - it shows the average score being achieved by teams over the premiership rounds of each season. My observations of what these stats appear to reveal are provided after the table.
| 2007 |
19.9 |
| 2006 |
21.9 |
| 2005 |
23.5 |
| 2004 |
24.2 |
| 2003 |
23.9 |
| 2002 |
24.1 |
| 2001 |
24.4 |
| 2000 |
21.1 |
| 1999 |
20.8 |
| 1998 |
20.1 |
| 1997 (97 SL) |
19.0 (21.3) |
| 1996 |
19.2 |
| 1995 |
21.1 |
| 1994 |
20.5 |
| 10m rule (1994 - first full season) |
|
| 1993 |
16.9 |
| 1992 |
16.6 |
| 1991 |
17.3 |
| 1990 |
16.8 |
| 1989 |
14.9 |
| 1988 |
18.1 |
| 1987 |
16.3 |
| 1986 |
16.0 |
| 1985 |
16.8 |
| Try = 4 pts (1983) |
|
| 1980 |
16.1 |
| 1975 |
16.1 |
| 6 tackles (1971) |
|
| 1970 |
16.3 |
| 4 tackles (1967) |
|
| 1965 |
13.2 |
| 1960 |
15.7 |
| 1955 |
17.5 |
| 1950 |
15.5 |
| 1945 |
16.3 |
1. The introduction of 4 tackle football (1967) restored scoring averages to the mid-1950s levels i.e. the league administrators were right to intervene and take action to eradicate "bash-and-barge" football of the late 1950s and early 1960s. However, the change to 6 tackle football didn't make an additional positive impact on points scoring - but if you ask anyone the football was better after 1971 - which can only mean that the use of "average of points being scored annually" as a measure of entertainment value is poor - apart from winning, fans want an overall entertaining match, not a dreary one interspersed with tries (I guess soccer scoring proves that!).
2. 1983 - increasing tries from 3 points to 4 did not generate more tries being scored (in 1982 there were 1143 tries scored, in 1983 there were 1153 tries scored).
3. 1986-1993 - referees starting to pull teams back to 7 or 8m after 1986 didn't have a significant impact during 1987 and subsequent seasons, other than to have different teams (favoured by a different style of football) in the ensuing Grand Finals - apart from the 1986 GF, points scoring averages didn't change much (1989 was a year of rain & floods in NSW).
4. From 1945 to 1993 there was no appreciable change in points-scoring averages. The 10m rule came in 1994 and inter-change just before that. Many assert that football under the 10m rule is not as entertaining, while at the same time points-scoring average increased 25% under the 10m rule (1994-2005).
5. 2007 isn't the lowest scoring season under the 10m rule - 1996 & 1997 were lower. Again, many claim that the football in 1996 & 97 (ARL) was better than today.
6. Much of the high points scoring between 2000 and 2004 came in blow-outs, pushing the average up. It also coincides with goal-kickers using kicking tees, training full-time and using uniform shaped all-weather footballs - possibly meaning that many of the additional points being scored are a combination of not just more tries, but a higher success rate with goal conversions.
7. 2007 at 19.9 is still higher than every season pre the 10m rule (i.e. pre 1994) - yet many are adamant the footy was better under the 5m rule.
My conclusions: fans aren't wanting more tries being scored - they want more entertaining football/contest between the tries being scored (and possibly how they are scored) i.e. how the teams move up and down the field is the key to providing entertainment. Ball-passing, chip kicks and footwork as oppossed to dummy-half runs, hit-ups, drawing penalties, momentum etc.
|
