Statistics show why Wests Tigers NRL club desperately need captain Robbie Farah
RARELY has an NRL team relied on one player as much as the Tigers rely on Robbie Farah. And here are the stats that prove it.
Tigers
Don't miss out on the headlines from Tigers. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TRY these stats on for size.
Robbie Farah doubles the Tigers’ chances of winning.
In fact, he makes them a better side by more than two tries.
Oh, and he has hammered Cameron Smith in the numbers this year.
Here is why the Tigers need their captain courageous.
Farah, by his own admission, was on the verge of walking out on the Tigers just last week.
There have also been murmurings of a “CEO or me” ultimatum at the club given Farah’s ongoing feud with club boss Grant Mayer.
Both situations would be disastrous, as these numbers show (full stats below).
The Wests Tigers win at 30 per cent without Farah in the last five years. That jumps to 53 per cent when Farah is in the side – almost double.
In fact, Farah is worth a massive 8.9 points per game to the Tigers given they score 4.5 less points and concede 4.4 more when Farah is on the sidelines.
Further, Farah has produced a better 2014 season than Queensland and Melbourne counterpart Cameron Smith. Far better.
In fact, the Wests Tigers skipper leads or equals Smith in all key attacking stats, despite playing four less games.
Farah has produced more tries (five to two), try assists (seven to four), linebreaks (six to three), average runs (8.6 to 5.9), average metres (87 to 47) and tackle busts (34 to 18).
Despite the difference in games played, Farah and Smith sit equal on linebreak assists (nine each) and forced drop outs (six each).
Farah sits almost equal with Smith in key defensive stats, including average tackles (35.5 to 36.6) and average missed tackles (1.6 to 1.4).
The only category in which Smith holds a commanding lead is errors, with the Storm superstar producing just three to Farah’s 11.
However, that stat is cancelled out by Smith conceding five more penalties (12 to seven).
Check out the stats below and have you say in our poll and comment box.
Wests Tigers without Farah 2010-2014
Games 20
Won 6
Drawn 0
Lost 14
Win % 30
Points for 326
Points against 525
Avg For 16.3
Avg Against 26.3
Wests Tigers with Farah 2010-2014
Games 100
Won 53
Drawn 0
Lost 47
Win % 53
Points for 2078
Points against 2188
Avg For 20.8
Avg Against 21.9
Robbie Farah vs Cameron Smith 2014
Robbie Farah
Games 13
Avg Minutes 79.4
Tries 5
Avg Possessions 117.8
Avg Runs 8.6
Avg Metres 87
Tackle Busts 34
Linebreaks 6
LB Assists 9
Try Assists 7
Errors 11
Penalties Conceded 7
Forced Drop Outs 6
Average tackles 35.5
Avg Missed Tackles 1.6
Cameron Smith
Games 17
Avg Minutes 79.2
Tries 2
Avg Possessions 103
Avg Runs 5.9
Avg Metres 47
Tackle Busts 18
Linebreaks 3
LB Assists 9
Try Assists 4
Errors 3
Penalties Conceded 12
Forced Drop Outs 6
Average tackles 36.6
Avg Missed Tackles 1.4
Ben Elias v Robbie Farah
Ben Elias
Seasons 13
Games 234
Tries 36
Origins 19
Tests 6
Elias played in ’88 and ’89 grand finals
Robbie Farah
Seasons 12
Games 216
Tries 57
Origins: 11
Tests 7
Farah played in ’05 premiership
Originally published as Statistics show why Wests Tigers NRL club desperately need captain Robbie Farah