NRL Analysis: Why Standing Tackles Kill

Highlight reels are made up of tries from a kickoff, wingers diving over in the corner and props breaking into the backfield.

What happens before a highlight reel play is often glossed over, if it features in the reel at all. But if you look out for it over the weekend, you’ll see just how many of the most dangerous actions in the game come following a standing tackle.

Standing Tackles Kill

Standing tackles can be just as bad for a defence as a missed tackle. They scramble the line, generate momentum and impact numbers and spacings. There is often a third man in the tackle who isn’t able to finish his job around the legs, making it difficult for the markers to get set and for the third man himself to get back into the line.

I covered how standing tackles kill after Stefano Utoikamanu walked four Canberra Raiders defenders underneath their own posts before the Melbourne Storm scored in the corner.

His standing tackle on Friday night compressed the Raiders defence around the posts to make the shift to Will Warbrick on the edge all too easy.

It allows Jahrome Hughes to skip across the four-man and into three to create the numbers advantage on the edge to score. - Round 7 Review

Standing tackles are incredibly dangerous for an defending team. Just how missed tackles aren’t an accurate measure of defence, making a tackle isn’t always an accurate positve measure either.

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