Discipline is an often-overlooked factor in NRL games and their results, particularly since the advent of the six-again rule.
Penalty counts will always come up from the losing side if they are on the wrong side of them, but other than that, it's rare penalties are referenced as a determining factor in NRL matches.
But why do losing teams blame the penalty count, or the six-again figures? Sure, it has an impact on possession, territory and the overall momentum of the game, but the stats will show it's possible be both good and undisciplined, with two of the top six finishing outside the top eight when it comes to penalties conceded.
In saying that, those two sides proved themselves as excellent defenders, and the remainder of the top six were all in the top half.
However, you could almost say the NRL need to look into these numbers and work out how to yet again clean the game up. Simply put, there is no way that teams conceding penalties for fun should be winning the competition, but that's the exact position the competition finds itself in.
On this list, we look at the top six teams in the competition and their position relative to penalties conceded throughout the 2021 regular season, with a full list of every NRL club on the final page so you can compare for yourself.
4. Manly Sea Eagles
Ladder position: 4th
Penalties conceded: 99
Penalties conceded rank: = 6th
It's hard to know exactly what to make of the Sea Eagles.
They came into the new season not expected to do great things, but then churned out consistently outstanding performance after performance.
It may not have happened with Tom Trbojevic sitting on the sidelines, but the moment he returned, they looked like a new footy club who weren't going to be beaten by many.
Manly may have finished equal sixth for penalties, but they played a generally disciplined style. They won plenty of penalty counts during their strong times, and it was only when they fell badly behind that penalties seemed to mount, such as in their qualifying final in Week 1 of the finals against the Melbourne Storm.
It's not a knock on Manly, and most struggling teams will resort to the strategy, but they simply didn't have the defence to hold up their end of the bargain in those circumstances like the Roosters did.
