The Cumberland Throw

Discipline – The Final Frontier

Tim Mannah leads the squad through a fitness drill.

How the players respond to fatigue situations may determine their season.

Discipline. Is this the key for Parramatta to unlock the door to a finals appearance in 2016?

Listen to any of the coaching staff and they will emphasise its importance. Read the statistics from 2015 and they are damning.

From the 24 matches played by the Eels in 2015, the penalty count was won on six occasions, drawn on two occasions and lost on a whopping sixteen occasions. There was no evening out of this count. Delve deeper into  these figures and the following statistics are produced:

  • Average winning penalty count advantage – 2.3. This statistic is actually skewed by a single match in which the Eels enjoyed 8 extra penalties. Take this single match out and the average advantage decreases to 1.2
  • Average losing penalty count deficit – 3.2

Putting these numbers into context, in five of the six matches which produced winning penalty counts, Parramatta enjoyed one extra set of six as a result of having better discipline than their opponent. In sixteen matches, the opposition enjoyed an average of three extra sets of six as a result of the Eels poor discipline.

Of course, it’s not as simple as this. Extra or repeat possessions are often not just a matter of a single extra set of six. Rugby League is a sport in which controlling possession means controlling the game. Increased opportunities for the opposition through a penalty means a greater defensive workload, which means greater fatigue, which means more errors and consequently more penalties are likely. It becomes a vicious circle. The momentum of a match can be swung on the back of a penalty. As fans, we all saw the impact of this in crucial games. In almost every match during 2015, the Eels led at some stage of the second half, only to be run down during decisive moments late in the contest.

So, how is this remedied?

Plenty of Eels supporters, myself included, immediately looked and cast the blame towards the referees. We would see Parramatta penalised for certain infringements with the opposition seemingly given greater latitude. But such an attitude will never rectify the problem.

The only solution for Parramatta is to change the aspects of their own game that they are in control of. The Eels can’t control whether a referee will penalise the opposition, but they can control whether they themselves will be penalised through their discipline.

In their post-season review, Brad Arthur and his team analysed all aspects of team infringements in 2015. They know who infringed, what it was for, when and where it occurred, whether the player was under fatigue at that time and what the result of the penalty meant for the team.

Brad Arthur delivering his message in pre-season training.

Brad Arthur delivering his message in pre-season training.

Training has focussed on improving discipline for every player. Furthermore, every player is being placed under fatigue situations and then monitored for how they respond. It is a meticulous preparation designed to effect change. A clock displaying match times features prominently at the Saleyards Complex. No player, no matter the name, is spared from the expectation of discipline.

In a team sport where results are largely determined by time in possession, improvements in team and individual discipline are paramount in changing the Eels’ fortunes in 2016. If this can be achieved, the blue and gold faithful might enjoy a season which pushes closer to October.

Sixties

If you liked this article, you might consider supporting The Cumberland Throw.