Defending penalties the key to success in 2018

There were 3177 penalties blown in the 2018 Telstra Premiership regular season with 15.5% (492) resulting in tries being scored in the following set of six.

NRL.com Stats has crunched the numbers to highlight which teams were most likely to concede tries after a tap penalty or kick for touch.

The ability to defend a set after an error or penalty conceded remains a key statistic for most teams to improve on in the new year.

Grand finalists the Sydney Roosters and Melbourne Storm have a proven ability to defend their line after giving away a penalty.

Melbourne joined St George Illawarra as joint leaders in this department with just 21 tries from penalties conceded in 24 regular-season games, with the Storm conceding just one try per every 9.3 penalties – the best ratio in the league. The Roosters finished in the top three with 23 tries on their way to a 14th premiership.

South Sydney, who ended the year with a preliminary final exit, were ranked worst out of the top four sides to finish ninth in this area with 30 tries conceded.

Penrith made it to the second week of the finals but their discipline let them down, finishing as the most penalised team of the regular season and ranking worst of the top-eight sides for conceding penalties from tries, with 36.

Bottom-eight sides Newcastle (35), Canberra (37) and Manly (39) were their own worst enemies at times in 2018 and will need to improve on their resolve after conceding penalities.

Canberra's ill-discipline late in games effectively cost them a finals berth

Bottom-placed Parramatta finished equal last with the Gold Coast in conceding tries after a penalty on 42 - an average of almost two per game.