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.
3. South Sydney Rabbitohs
Ladder position: 3rd
Penalties conceded: 87
Penalties conceded rank: 2nd
The Rabbitohs were one of the most disciplined teams this season, and it showed.
They struggled badly with their defence during the first half of the season, at one point letting in 50 points - twice.
While the stat suggesting no team will ever win a premiership after conceding 50 points still stands after their grand final loss, the turnaround in defence over the second half of the season would have pleased Wayne Bennett.
Bennett is a coach who has always built disciplined football teams who do the little things right and let the big picture follow.
And that is exactly where the Rabbitohs got to by the end of the season, led by Origin-calibre middle third stars in Cameron Murray and Damien Cook, while the improvement of Thomas Burgess, Tevita Tatola and Mark Nicholls was equally impressive.
Jason Demetriou takes over in 2022, and having learnt from Bennett, you could almost put money on it that South Sydney will play a similar brand and style to the one they presented in 2021, allowing their attack to sing from excellent defence.
