Who are KR’S stats leaders?
WE’VE taken a look at the key statistical areas to work out who is making key contributions to Hull KR’S success this season.
TRIES: Peta Hiku (11) =2nd in Super League
HE arrived as a fullback but has found a home at centre, New Zealand international Hiku has been prolific, already in double figures just past the midway point of the season. Only Wigan winger Liam Marshall has scored more tries this year, emphasising the attacking threat Hiku poses.
ASSISTS: Mikey Lewis and Niall Evalds (16) =2 in Super League
ONLY St Helens have scored more tries than Rovers this season, so it’s no surprise to see two of their players near the top for creativity.
It goes to show just how important both Lewis and Evalds are to the side, and it’s impressive that both have produced so many assists. Only one player, Salford’s Marc Sneyd, can better their haul of 16.
TACKLES: Elliot Minchella
(498) =3 in Super League
NOBODY would dispute Minchella’s importance, playing huge stints in the middle. As a result, the captain’s stats are high across the board, but none more so than his tackling, with the loose forward averaging over 35 per appearance this season. Rhinos’ Cameron Smith tops the chart with 595, some way ahead of the rest.
MARKER TACKLES: James Batchelor (111) 3rd in Super League
THIS is a stat many won’t appreciate, but teammates do, as it demonstrates the effort players are putting in to back up one tackle with another, giving everyone else a rest.
You will have heard Willie Peters praise Batchelor for doing the things supporters don’t always see, and this is one area of that. Only Cam Smith and Kallum Watkins have made more marker tackles this year.
CARRIES: Ryan Hall (280) 4th in Super League
RYAN Hall is about to shine now. The winger is best known for his scoring exploits, having become Super League’s all-time leader a few weeks ago. But work in the backfield at the start of sets is just as important for a winger these days, and the stats go to show Hall is one of the best at it.
Fourth in Super League for the number of carries, which shows that his workload is where it needs to be.
TACKLE BUSTS: Ryan Hall (90) 4th in Super League WE’RE now starting to see that there’s quality to his carries, too. The England international regularly breaks the tackle of defenders, allowing him to make more metres and force defences into more tackles. Only Tim Lafai, Lachie Miller and Matt Dufty have done more in this department.
METRES MADE: Ryan Hall (2115) 4th in Super League
And finally, the number of metres he makes stands with almost everyone. Averaging over 140 metres every game, Hall is one of the best yardage wingers in the competition.
Dufty, Nene Macdonald and Esan Marsters are the only players to make more metres this season.
OFFLOADS: Sam Luckley (20) 12= in Super League
OFFLOADING has become more prominent this year, according to the statistics, but given Luckley’s relatively short stints on the field, it’s impressive to see him only narrowly miss out on a top ten spot.
Most of the players above him in the competition are backs or forwards who play longer stints.