The NRL has been blessed with some truly talented goal kicking wizards over the years, and there’s no shortage of talent in 2018.
This season, Eels’ playmaker Mitchell Moses has been as good as it gets when it comes to finding the two points from the sideline.
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Moses has been successful with 15 of his 23 attempts from either sideline, to be the only player in the competition with a success rate above 60%
NRL GOAL SUCCESS FROM THE SIDELINES
Min. 10 attempts
| PLAYER | GOALS | ATTEMPTS | SUCCESS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mitchell Moses | 15 | 23 | 65% |
| Latrell Mitchell | 17 | 29 | 59% |
| Cameron Smith | 18 | 31 | 58 |
| Johnathan Thurston | 16 | 28 | 57% |
| Shaun Johnson | 14 | 25 | 56% |
Latrell Mitchell (59%), Cameron Smith (58%), and Jonathan Thurston (57%) are all not far behind Moses, with Smith’s 18 successful sideline goals the second-highest total of any player in the competition behind Gareth Widdop (19/34).
If we move the goalposts and bring the criteria down to players who have made at least five attempts from the sideline, none have been more effective than Rhyse Martin.
The Bulldogs revelation has kicked six of seven attempts (86%) from the sideline, and maintains an impressive 97% (28/29) record from all positions.
Tui Lolohea (5/6, 83%) and Blake Ferguson (4/5, 80%) have also been impressive from their brief stints in attempts from the edges, while Brock Lamb (3/3) has kicked the most goals from the side-line of any player who is yet to miss.
Three players in 2018 have bucked the trend and are more successful from the sidelines than they are from everywhere else. Brodie Croft (+33%), Kieran Foran (+25%), and Tui Lolohea (+17%) are those three, with Croft and Foran unblemished in their attempts from either edge.
At the other end of the spectrum, there are plenty who have suffered on the outskirts of the field.
NRL GOAL KICKING SWEET SPOTS
Min. 10 attempts
| PLAYER | SIDELINE ATTEMPTS | SIDELINE SUCCESS | EVERYWHERE ELSE SUCCESS | PERCENTAGE CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ken Sio | 11 | 18% | 95% | -77% |
| Esan Marsters | 14 | 29% | 92% | -64% |
| Chad Townsend | 32 | 38% | 96% | -59% |
| Kalyn Ponga | 13 | 31% | 88% | -58% |
| Moses Mbye | 13 | 38% | 94% | -55% |
Ken Sio has kicked just two of his 11 attempts at goal from the sidelines, a success rate of just 18%. Comparatively, he’s hit 95% of attempts from everywhere else on the field successfully.
The 77%-point drop in his success rate when he’s forced to kick from the edges is the largest of any player in the competition this season (min. 10 sideline attempts).
Club mate Kalyn Ponga has also struggled from the sidelines despite showing promise with more favourable positions, seeing his success rate drop by 58 percentage points.
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The Knights’ woes when kicking from the sideline have left them wanting, particular given three of their last six defeats have come by single-figure margins - including two by just two points.
Esan Marsters misses have been equally as painful for the West Tigers. Marsters has seen his success rate drop from 92% to 29% when kicking from sidelines.
They crucial points given that only the Raiders (five) have lost more games by two points or fewer than Wests Tigers (four) this season.