Now before you call me stupid, hear me out on this one.

We’re blessed to follow a sport eclipsed in nail biters, games more often than not going down to the wire, only decided by a few points. Which means in today’s day and age, goal kicking can be the difference between winning the competition and finishing in 9th spot.

Look at Cronulla in 2019 - they lost three consecutive games where they scored more tries than their opposition. THREE. Purely down to some shocking form off the boot from Shaun Johnson, Chad Townsend and Kyle Flanagan. They were one loss away from missing the finals.

Had they kicked all their goals during those three games, it would’ve meant they finished the season on 32 points. One of those games was against the Raiders, who finished on 32 competition points and in 4th place. Had Cronulla kicked their goals, Canberra would’ve finished on 30 career points and the Sharks would’ve made the top four on 32 points, and two bites at the cherry in September.

Instead, they were eliminated first week of the finals by Manly.

What I’m getting at is goal kicking is integral. And if you’ve got a good goal kicker in your side, it should be utilised, but what if you’ve got multiple?

South Sydney look all but certain to pick up Latrell Mitchell in the coming days.

While Latrell was the top point scorer for the NRL in 2019, Adam Reynolds is one of the competitions biggest sharp shooters off the kicking tee, slotting goals at just over 82% across his career.

Mitchell is lower off percentage wise, knocking them over at 74% across his four seasons in the NRL.

Now it’s important to remember - Adam Reynolds is right footed, Latrell slots them with his left.

Obviously, it’s a lot easier for a right footed kicker to nail goals from the left hand side of the field than it is the right, purely off the angle. And vice versa for left footed kickers preferring to kick from the right side of the field.

Between Latrell and Daniel Tupou, the duo scored 34 tries on the left edge for the Roosters, which for a left footed kicker, is as tough as it gets, hence the 74%.

So if South Sydney have two of the best goal kickers in the league, why not utilise both?

South Sydney could and should become the first side in the competition to utilise two goal kickers.

If a try is scored down the left edge, hand the tee over to Adam Reynolds, or if James Roberts manages to plant the ball down just inside the right hand touch line, then chuck the tee over to Latrell.

It eliminates the ‘tough angles’ for both kickers, and hands the Rabbitohs an immense advantage heading into the 2020 season.

It might sound absurd, you may call me stupid, but it would dramatically improve South Sydney’s already high goal kicking percentage, and mean they win more close games than they lose.

And don’t get me started on Origin pressure kicker, Ethan Lowe.

16 COMMENTS

  1. Dude, he said Could be an option for left side kick if Reynolds didn’t want to Kick. I agree Reynolds is better. Drop kick option also.

  2. Thanks for bringing up that painful reminder of what could have been for me Sharkies last year. Hope Johnson & Townsend have been getting tips off Halligan.

  3. 74% isn’t a good rate but it’s a really good point.
    The article also says most of the roosters tries were scored on the left side between Tupou and Mitchell. Which are the tougher kicks for Mitchell from his left foot.

    Now if you take away those tougher kicks and give him the kicks from the right side I think that percentage increases to about 80% and Reynolds if he kicks less and only takes his more favourable right sides kicks I think his percentage also rises to about 88%. Another thing you should take in is, it means both kickers don’t have to kick as often taking pressure and fatigue off one another which is also a great benefit.

    Imagine then knowing your going to hit about 8 or 9 kicks out of 10 from all over the field. That’s a pretty big advantage.

  4. A simple game, you need to score trys to kick goals… you need a good forward pack to feed your halves … you also need a good 5/8 to feed a star studded backline.
    “Huston we have a problem”

  5. The only problem is goal kickers are vain and full of self interest and want to score as many career points as possible. In sharing these duties both players lose out on that basis.

  8. Maybe kickers should emulate Mike Eden – kicked with both feet (not at the same time for all you smart….es).

  9. EOD, you are forgetting there is a requirement on the number of Latrell stories. So when there is no story, one needs to be manufactured.

  10. I must be eels47.
    Maybe they can write a story about Mitchell’s childhood struggles & how league changed his young life next? Or perhaps again?

  11. Shouldnt the headline read second team to use two kickers i seem to remember Penriff had MALONEY AND CLEARY didnt they
    What about DRUGNULLA they had mythlan Johns stone and Haircut

  12. Lane when you coming out of the closet? Come on, we know you’re a roosters. I promise I won’t be mad.

  14. Sorry for ‘I’ instead of ‘It’ above.
    Still, ‘hanged’ his life is also a little strange LaneWood? No need to hang him. He’s only changing clubs & it is just a sport.
    He was just another import Woodenhousen. So you let one import go & then buy another five. Just the same as with the Halves.

  15. I can remember when Issac Luke was South’s kicker, then Chris Sandow made first grade and took over the kicking duties. Both players score over a hundred points each. Has that ever been done before?

Comments are closed.