After looking into where each NRL club is scoring their tries a couple of rounds ago, this week we take a look at where clubs are conceding tries this season. 

Brisbane Broncos

Once a side that dominated on both sides of the ball, the Brisbane Broncos are the worst defensive team in the NRL at the halfway point of the 2020 season.

Incredible.

Their fall from grace and the resulting pressure on Anthony Seibold's future employment starts with the 29.1 points they're conceding per game. While the holes are spread across the park, Brodie Croft's right-side is the worst in the competition allowing 22 tries through them in ten games. While Kotoni Staggs is an excellent attacking centre, he's amongst the worst in the game defensively. His return for Round 11 may add to Brisbane's woes without the ball. 

Canberra Raiders

The Canberra Raiders built their 2019 Grand Final run on the back of an improved defence and, so far, have replicated the 15 points per game they're allowing the opposition to score. The difference at the moment is in where the points are coming. 

The Raiders conceded 31 tries through the left (46%), 13 through the middle (19%) and 23 through the right (34%) last season. While it's not a significant cause for concern right now, it will be interesting to see how the right side improves if John Bateman can return to full fitness and his 2019 form.

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs left edge is the most fruitful avenue for opposing teams in the competition. No area of the field has seen more tries run through it than Canterbury's 25 tries down their left side. An all too regular turnover of decidedly average defensive players in the centre position is the leading cause of Canterbury's woes. 

Reimis Smith, Jake Averillo, Marcelo Montoya and Kerrod Holland have all had a crack and failed to clog up the left edge. We were saying the same things about Montoya and Holland, in particular, this time last year.

The Bulldogs are plagued with a number of issues but their edge defence is one they need to address as soon as possible. 

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

The Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks left edge struggles can be summed up fairly well with two tries.

Round 3 against the Wests Tigers:

And Round 9 against the Penrith Panthers:

Gold Coast Titans

Numbers don't always tell the story, but here, they do.

The Gold Coast Titans haven't produced defensively anywhere on the field. They've had moments, but have ultimately proven to leak points from sideline to sideline. Poor defensive players filling edge positions is the main cause with Tyrone Peachey, Bryce Cartwright, Brian Kelly and Keegan Hipgrave regular targets for an opposition attack.

They're making promising moves in positions of need for 2021, but we're unlikely to see too much improvement before then. Although, Young Tonumaipea's return will help if he's able to get back out on the field this season.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

The Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles have thrown out some inconsistent performances over the last month. They've allowed the Sharks and Dragons to combine for 74 points while keeping far superior Knights and Eels sides to just 32 points. 

Overall, they're 8th in the NRL in points conceded at 18.1 points per game. 

Tom Trbojevic's influence in defence can't be understated. The Sea Eagles have missed consistently having one of the best fullbacks in the game barking instructions and getting in the right positions at the right time. They are still a good defensive team without him, but not good enough to be in the premiership hunt.

Melbourne Storm

If ever you needed proof of what a good coach and a long-term consistent system can do for a team, just look at who the Melbourne Storm have trotted out in the centre position this season:

• Justin Olam: 10 games, 3 try causes
• Marion Seve: 5 games, 1 try cause
• Brenko Lee: 5 games, 2 try causes
• Paul Momirovski: 4 games, 5 try causes

Two things come from that.

First, Paul Momirovski spent much of the off-season between clubs and has also switched between wing and centre since joining the Storm. He's yet to truly benefit from the Storm system.

Second, the other three aren't players that move the needle at any other club. Brenko Lee spent the summer on a train and trial deal. Yet, Craig Bellamy and the Storm continue to boast one of the best defences in the NRL. 

Newcastle Knights

The Newcastle Knights conceded 21.7 points per game with largely the same squad in 2019. At the halfway point in 2020, the Knights rank sixth in defence conceding just 16 points per game.

Adam O'Brien has inspired this group to work hard in defence by doing the simple things right; good line speed, body in front, and scrambling to help when somebody does poke their head through. The 14-14 draw against the Panthers as players fell like flies is all we needed to see before confirming that this is a different Knights team to seasons past. While so much of the focus is on what Mitchell Pearce and Kalyn Ponga offer to the Knights attack, their rise into the Top 8 started in defence. 

North Queensland Cowboys

Matt Ikuvalu's five tries through the North Queensland Cowboys left edge throws the numbers a bit. The Roosters had a field day down there as only they can. While that has blown out the percentage on the left side to 50%, it's the right side that is proving consistently poor.

Esan Marsters makes some, let's say, questionable decisions at centre. He often hangs Kyle Feldt out to dry. Although, Feldt has some clangers in him too. As a result, the pair make up the worst defensive duo in the NRL with Marsters registering 14 try causes and Feldt 13 try causes - the most and second-most in the competition respectively. 

It's the first thing Josh Hannay needs to address in the wake of Paul Green's departure. Some consistency in team selections will be a good place to start.

"The Cowboys back-five has changed an outrageous 24 times in their last 34 matches." - Life after Paul Green: The Cowboys don't need to worry

Parramatta Eels

It's a small sample size and ultimately not a desperately pressing cause for concern, but 65% is an eye-catching number. 

If there is one area the Parramatta Eels can put in some extra work as they look to make a run at the premiership, it's the partnership between Blake Ferguson and Waqa Blake. The pair have combined for 13 try causes this season. Meanwhile, Michael Jennings and Maika Sivo out on the left side have combined for just four.

While the 65% is a big number, the one that matters is not: 11.8 points conceded per game (1st in the NRL).

Penrith Panthers

There isn't much to take away from these numbers for the Penrith Panthers.

They sit at the top of the NRL ladder and the 14.4 points conceded per game is the fourth-fewest in the competition. 

Having Jarome Luai, Viliame Kikau and Stephen Crichton play almost every game together down the left edge has helped form a strong partnership. Nathan Cleary and Liam Martin are doing the same down the right side with further improvement to come if Dean Whare can stay on the field. 

Penrith's current 13.8% to win the premiership will only grow if their defence continues to hold up this well.

South Sydney Rabbitohs

The South Sydney Rabbitohs have quietly gone about their business as a relatively good defensive team despite the poisoned chalice those playing in the centre position seem to hold. James Roberts and Braidon Burns are both out for the season while Campbell Graham has also missed a week. This after the Bunnies churned through left-side centres last season, too.

Still, the 17.4 points they're conceding per game will surprise a few people.

The 44% of tries coming through the right side, however, will not. While Campbell Graham is developing nicely as an attacking centre, he still has work to do defensively. He offers strong contact when he commits to shutting down a shift but is still getting caught out a little too often when displaying the slightest moment of indecision. And improvement there will make a big difference to South Sydney's overall defence.

St George-Illawarra Dragons

Similar to Campbell Graham at the Rabbitohs, Zac Lomax is playing excellent attacking footy after finally landing in one position for an extended period. He has scored a try in four of his last five games while offering strong carries as a ball-runner. But, his 11 try causes is the most for the St George Illawarra Dragons and fifth-most in the NRL.

It's resulted in the Dragons allowing 17 of the 32 tries they've conceded this season to come through the right edge. That's enough for opposing coaches to target.

Sydney Roosters

Shock: The Sydney Roosters are an elite defensive team.

Another Shock: Their left-edge propped up by a defensive specialist in Josh Morris has conceded an NRL-low four tries in ten games.

The Roosters always know where they are meant to be. As a team shifts the ball from left to right, the Roosters move as one like a synchronised swimming team. They know the little men in Luke Keary and Kyle Flanagan aren't going to put many players on their back, but with the pair consistently getting their bodies in front and at least acting as a speed bump, the defence soon closes in to complete the tackle. 

Just like their attack, the Roosters defence is a thing of beauty.

New Zealand Warriors

It's no surprise to see the New Zealand Warriors left edge leaking too many tries.

Kodi Nikorima has never been known for his defence at five-eighth while he's spent much of the season beside a rookie back rower in Eli Katoa. Out wider, Peta Hiku and Ken Maumalo are just behind Marsters and Feldt to be the second-worst defensive duo with 12 and 13 try causes this season. 

With so many issues out of their control, improving their left-edge defence - even with Ken Maumalo leaving - is one thing the Warriors can actively work on over the second half of the season.

Wests Tigers

Michael Maguire saw the issues in the Wests Tigers right-edge defence and addressed them early by moving Luciano Leilua to the left side. He attempted to make further adjustments by dropping Benji Marshall. While Marshall is back and the Tigers have improved in the area, the right side is still their biggest hole defensively.

For everything he can provide in attack, Joey Leilua has a defensive brain snap in him. Following an incident with Luciano, Joey chose to put a shot on Connor Watson instead of wrapping him up in Round 2. The Knights utility bounced off Leilua on his way to the line. 

The Panthers left edge cause Leilua all sorts of problems in Round 8 before he lost his head and close lined Dylan Edwards:

With a few weeks off to think about what he's done, Maguire will no doubt be asking the big centre to put in some defensive work while serving his suspension.

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