NRL GoatGooooners!

After calculating the top players by form in my previous post, the only thing to do now is calculate the under performers. A few surprises in my opinion, and some not so surprising. Again in brackets, team and career games.

Fullback
1. Luke Burt (Parramatta - 252)
2. Matthew Bowen (Cowboys - 235)
3. Kevin Locke (Warriors - 58)
4. Tim Moltzen (Tiger - 75)
5. Nathan Merritt (Souths -186)
(That is a star studded field that just isn't doing the business)

Wingers
1. Michael Gordan (Penrith - 102)*though to be fair, this is only after 1 game this season
2. Jharal Yow Yeh (Brisbane - 60)
3. Kevin Gordan (Titans - 60)
4. Andrew Everingham (Souths - 10)*Just slips into my 10 career games minimum
5. Gerard Beale (Brisbane - 50)

Centers
1. Shaun Corrigan (Canberra - 25)
2. Jamal Idris (Titans -77)
3. Esikeli Tonga (Parramatta - 39)
4. Ryan Morgan (Parramatta - 23)
5. Willie Tonga (Parramatta - 157)
(We now know why Parramatta have been performing poorly)

5/8
1. Terry Campese (Canberra - 103)
2. Jamie Soward (St George - 142)
3. Jarrod Mullen (Newcastle - 133)
4. Benji Marshall (Tigers - 167)
5. Braith Anasta (Roosters - 246)
(Another star studded lineup. I think Benji is getting better as the season goes along though (he had a shocking start which is why he is in the bottom 5...he will move out of the bottom five soon enough)

Half
Luke Walsh (Penrith - 86)
Chris Sandow (Parramatta - 95)
Scott Prince (Titans - 267)
Tyrone Roberts (Newcastle - 13)
Adam Reynolds (Souths - 12)
(Sandow worth $550,000 a season?)

Lock
1. Vic Mauro (Manly - 40)
2. Matt Gillett (Brisbane - 52)
3. Neville Costigan (Newcastle - 139)
4. Reni Maitua (Parramatta - 127)
5. Justin Horo (Parramatta - 48)

Second
1. Luke O'Dwyer (Titans - 106)
2. Joe Picker (Canberra - 90)
3. Taniela Lasalo (Parramatta - 35)
4. Clint Newton (Penrith - 127)
5. Glenn Hall (Cowboys - 127)

Prop
1. Scott Anderson (Brisbane - 61)
2. Sione Lousi (Warriors - 21)
3. David Tyrrell (Souths - 55)
4. Scott Geddes (Souths - 123)
5. Petro Civoniceva (Brisbane - 299)
(I think it's time for Petro to hang up the boots)

Hooker
1. Isaac De Gois (Cronulla - 128)
2. Aaron Payne (Cowboys - 207)
3. Glenn Buttriss (Canberra - 72)
4. Michael Ennis (Bulldogs - 157)
5. Mitch Rein (St George - 28)

Interchange
1.Luke Capewell (Brisbane -36)
2. Joel Romelo (Bulldogs - 21)
3. Josh Miller (St George - 114)
4. Trent Hodkinson (Bulldogs - 52)
5. Tim Robinson (Manly -16)

So that sums it up for Parramatta - 8 players out of form means bottom of the ladder. Also interesting that Queensland keep picking Petro for State of Origin, even though he is horrible out of form at the moment. Go the blues!

NRL Form - By Position

Watched the movie "Moneyball" the other day. What a top movie. Anything that can make statistics interesting to the masses can only be a good thing.
Which led me to ask whether it was possible to do the same thing for Rugby League. So using a few metrics, in both attack and defensive areas, from the official nrl.com.au website, I have come up with the "GoatGoodness" ranking for all players. Here are my top 5 in each position based on form in the 2012 NRL season (after 13 rounds, 10 game career minimum)

Fullbacks (numbers in brakets are career games)
1. Brent Morris (St George - 120)
2. Josh Hoffman (Brisbane - 54)
3. Anthony Minichiello (Roosters - 239)
4. Billy Slater (Melbourne - 215)
5. Jared Hayne (Parramatta - 136)

Wingers
1. Daniel Vidot (St George - 56)
2. Justin O'Neill (Melbourne - 31) -Bolter! *(under 50 games)
3. Blake Ferguson (Canberra - 77)
4. Jason Nightingale (St George - 122)
5. Ken Sio (Parramatta - 12) - Bolter!

Centres
1. Matt Prior (St George -87)
2. Justin Hodges (Brisbane - 192)
3. Michael Jennings (Penrith - 113)
4. Kane Linnett (Cowboys - 34 ) - Bolter!
5. Josh Morris (Bulldogs - 119)

5/8
1. Greg Bird (Titans - 158)
2. John Sutton (Souths - 167)
3. Josh Reynolds (Bulldogs - 23) - Bolter!
4. Travis Burns (Penrith - 124)
5. Gareth Widdop (Melbourne - 40) - Bolter!

Half
1. Daly Cherry-Evens (Manly - 40) - Bolter!
2. Mitchell Pearce (Roosters - 119)
3. Ray Thompson (Cowboys - 43) - Bolter!
4. Cooper Cronk (Melbourne - 196)
5. Jeff Robson (Sharks - 76)

Lock
1. Paul Gallen (Sharks - 206)
2. Ashley Harrison (Titans - 241)
3. Luke Lewis (Penrith - 206)
4. Dallas Johnson (Cowboys - 194)
5. Josh Papalii (Canberra - 26) - Bolter!

Second Row
1.Nate Miles (Titans - 141)
2. Anthony Watmough (Manly  - 227)
3. Chris Houston (Newcastle - 100)
4. Liam Fulton (Tigers - 126)
5. Nathan Hindmarsh (Parramatta - 317)

Props
1. James Tamou (Cowboys - 66)
2. Aaron Woods (Tigers - 36 ) - Bolter!
3. Tim Grant (Penrith - 80)
4. Keith Galloway (Tigers - 150)
5. Aiden Tolman (Bulldogs - 88)

Hooker
1. Issac Luke (Souths - 113)
2. Matt Ballin (Manly - 130)
3. Cameron Smith (Melbourne - 225)
4. Kevin Kingston (Penrith - 138)
5. Jake Friend (Roosters - 81)

Interchange
1. Corey Parker (Brisbane - 247)
2. Trent Merrin (St George - 63)
3. James Graham (Bulldogs - 13) - Bolter!
4. Shaun Fensom (Canberra - 50) - Bolter!
5. Matthew Scott (Cowboys - 131)

If I was a scout, I would be locking up the bolters pretty quickly. You are going to get quality cattle for a pretty reasonable price!