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Mugwump "Quote: Mugwump "Perhaps, but it's one thing looking decent against Super League teams and another doing it against Australia and New Zealand. Sarginson was one of our better players in the tournament last year. Tomkins is big and athletic with decent hands for a back rower, plus it's one of our weakest positions. His control of the ruck should improve as he carries on re-adapting to the code. Not like we have an abundance of big, athletic second rowers!
Chris Hill ran for 127 metres against us compared to 96 for Sims, made 7.47m per carry compared to Sims 6m, made 32 tackles to Sims' 23 and missed 1 tackle to Sims' 2.'"
Yes. You've provided a statistical interpretation of the game. Which, I'm sure you know is like providing a photograph of a person which starts at the kneecap and finishes at the soles of his feet.'"
Perhaps for a halfback or hooker for example your point would be valid. For example, Cameron Smith might make less metres or make less tackles than James Roby, but this doesn't show how well Smith controls the game, meaning Smith's superiority wouldn't be reflected in the stats.
However, with props, stats tell you most of the things that matter for them. How many carries they make, how many metres per carry and how many tackles they make. This grunt work is the main job of props, and Hill, both in that match in particular, and over the season has outperformed Sims. It's no coincidence that probably the 4 best props in Super League at the minute - Walmsley, Peacock, Hill and Cuthbertson - are the 4 props who have made the most metres.
While stuff like getting a quick play the ball is hard to reflect in stats, there are two ways you can estimate this. Average gain - Hill made 7.47m per carry compared to Sims 6m - so on average Hill had a 1.5m bigger run up every time the defenders tackled him, so is more likely to find his front and get a quick play the ball. Tackle busts - if a player is breaking tackles he's more likely to find a half gap or a weak tackle and get a quick play the ball - Hill made 5 (the most for a forward after Walmsley with 7), compared to Sims with 0. Perhaps there is some obvious key component of a prop's game that I'm missing beyond carries, metres per carry, tackles and tackle busts, that isn't reflected in the stats, but I'd be really curious to find out what it is.
