Between the introduction of the captain's challenge, the suspended portion of the season, removing a referee and adding another rule before adjusting it five weeks later, we've never experienced eight rounds of footy quite like we have so far in 2020.

With so much to digest, it's clear that some teams are handling it all better than others.

Here, we take a look at how each team is travelling in attack and where they're scoring the majority of their points ahead of Round 9.

Brisbane Broncos

Forget thinking about where the Broncos are scoring tries. It's the '19' that needs talking about.

The Broncos rank 13th in total tries so far this season, and they scored nine of the 19 in the first fortnight of the competition. Since then, Anthony Seibold has failed to name the same backline in back-to-back weeks. The pack has disappointed since the season restarted, Anthony Milford and Brodie Croft have offered next to nothing, and usual try-scoring machine Corey Oates is yet to dot down in 2020. 

It's only one of the many reasons they sit 14th on the ladder, but few expected the Broncos to find scoring points so difficult this season. 

Canberra Raiders

No surprises here, really. The Raiders have scored half of their 26 tries down Jack Wighton's left edge so far this season. He's scored four of them himself while handing out a try assist in each of Canberra's last three games. Although, Elliott Whitehead deserves more credit than he's currently receiving. The 'other' English back rower has scored four tries and broken the line six times - the most of any forward in the NRL.

The Raiders left edge remains their most dangerous attacking weapon, but it has as much to do with the main-man in Wighton as it does the underappreciated Whitehead. 

Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs

The Bulldogs are the worst attacking team in the NRL averaging just 10.8 points per game. Their 14 total tries scored is the fewest in the competition. We don't have much to work with here.

Like the Broncos, the Bulldogs have failed to name the same backline in back-to-back weeks since the season restarted. Injuries have played a part - to Will Hopoate, in particular. He's the difference for the Bulldogs in attack. Smart and with some of the quickest hands in the competition, the Bulldogs look their best with Hopoate at the back. Hopoate hasn't been able to spend enough time on the field alongside Kieran Foran for the Bulldogs to start developing the team attack.

The Bulldogs will continue to struggle until Hopoate returns (Round 13-15). Here's hoping Foran is still out there when he does.

Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks

Just as they did last year, the Sharks are scoring the majority of their tries down Shaun Johnson's right side. The Warriors did the same with the Kiwi international in 2018 as well.

While somewhat predictable, defences can't seem to contain the Sharks on that edge. Sione Katoa has come out of nowhere to be one of the best finishers in the game while Jesse Ramien has forgotten his horror 2019 season in Newcastle to have scored three tries in eight games (he scored two in 17 with the Knights) while running for a career-high 140.8 metres per game.

The Sharks have dominated down that side while Briton Nikora struggles to replicate his 2019 form. If the young back rower can recapture the sort of form that saw him break the line 11 times last season, lookout.

Gold Coast Titans

Despite the change in coach, the Titans remain as one of the worst attacking teams in the NRL averaging 13.3 points per game.

Changing the starting hooker five times in nine games might have something to do with that. So too would the regular rotation of players filling the fullback and outside back positions. Injuries have played a part; AJ Brimson's return in August could change everything. But overall, the Titans don't threaten often enough to be considered anything more than a wooden spoon contender. 

However, it's not all doom and gloom. 

Ash Taylor has shown glimpses in attack. Even in the instances that he's not been able to execute, his footy smarts are on display regularly enough to be hopeful. Taylor has found a handy halves partner in Jamal Fogarty, too. Brian Kelly is an exciting player capable of producing a game-winning play out of nothing if the Titans can stay close enough. Meanwhile, Corey Thompson and Anthony Don offer reliability and consistency in positions the Gold Coast have struggled to fill. 

"The attack will come" gets thrown around by the fan base of every struggling team every year. In reality, it often doesn't. That is likely to be the reality for the Titans in 2020 despite the encouraging moments.

Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles

The Sea Eagles are scoring just 16.1 points per game. We can point to a couple of things to explain this. 

First, Manly scored just 13 points in the opening two rounds against elite defensive teams in the Storm and Roosters. Second, Tom Trbojevic was involved in 11 of their 16 tries scored before he went down with another injury. For better or worse, and with or without the ball, Tom Trbojevic is the most important part of the Sea Eagles attack. It's further evidenced in the 55% of their total tries coming down his prefered left edge.

In the full games Trbojevic played after the NRL season resumed, the Sea Eagles averaged 22.6 points per game. 

The numbers don't make for great reading right now. Being so reliant on an injury-prone player isn't ideal either. But, unlike others, "the attack will come" for the Sea Eagles.

Trbojevic is expected to return by Round 16.

Melbourne Storm

Cameron Munster is averaging ten fewer touches of the ball per game and it shows in where the Storm have scored their tries so far this season. Just five of their 28 through eight rounds have come down their superstar five-eighth's left side. The 18% is a number sure to surprise given Munster's excellent form before succumbing to injury in Round 7. The surprises keep coming when you consider the Storm scored 48% of their 113 tries in 2019 down the left edge.

Suliasi Vunivalu has been the big beneficiary. He's scored seven tries in eight games this season after managing just 11 across 24 games in 2019. Meanwhile, Josh Addo-Carr has crossed the line just three times in seven games following his 16-try haul last season.

Newcastle Knights

You would be forgiven for thinking the Knights hadn't scored a try down the left side all season given recent reactions to where on the field Kalyn Ponga is playing. Sure, he's spent a little more time on the Knights right side than he has done in the past. Perhaps that is a reason for their fifth-ranked 22.9 points per game?

While the Knights still rely on their left edge to produce points, they're not so one-dimensional anymore. Bradman Best is a try-scorer in his own right and Edrick Lee (before breaking his hand) has planted himself into the Origin conversation. It's no longer down to Ponga deciding to throw a short-ball or a cut out pass on a left-swinging shift as it was in recent years.

The numbers don't show it here, but the Knights have a much better-balanced attack in 2020.

North Queensland Cowboys

The split of where the Cowboys have scored their tries is a testament to the developing halves partnership of Scott Drinkwater and Jake Clifford.

In Drinkwater, the Cowboys have an excellent runner of the football down the left side who can play at the line and make snap decisions. On the right side, Clifford has grown as a commanding half and has excelled in his kicking game. Kyle Feldt leads the NRL in tries scored with nine this season, thanks in large part to Clifford's accelerated development in Michael Morgan's absence.

The backline rarely features the same players in the same positions from week to week making cohesion a difficult element to develop, but Drinkwater and Clifford manage to make-do often enough for the Cowboys to average 22.4 points per game (6th in the NRL).

Parramatta Eels

First of all, Blake Ferguson is yet to score a try in 2020.

What?

Even with the Eels only scoring 27% of their tries down the right side, Ferguson not crossing the line after eight games is a shock.

However, it has more to do with Parramatta's excellent left edge than anything else. Shaun Lane is playing career-best football. The Eels are using him as a ball-runner early before cutting him out as a lead runner in good ball sets. Remarkably, Michael Jennings is one of the form centres of the competition and is proving to be the perfect partner for Maika Sivo out wide. There is no second-year syndrome here; Sivo has eight tries already in 2020 and might beat the 22 he scored last year despite the shortened season.

Already second in scoring at 25 points per game, the Eels still have room to improve if Mitchell Moses can play the right edge into points on his return. 

Penrith Panthers

No team in the NRL scores a larger proportion of their tries in one area of the field than Penrith's 67% down the left side.

Viliame Kikau is the name that springs to mind first. He's scored four already this season and looks better than he ever has. However, it's the improvement of Jarome Luai and introduction of Stephen Crichton that has really seen the left side take flight. Luai combined for four try involvements in 13 games last season (0 tries, 4 try assists) but has bumped that up to seven already in 2020 (1 try, 6 try assists). Crichton, meanwhile, has found himself involved in nine tries in eight games (6 tries, 3 try assists).

Kikau is still the centrepiece of the Panthers left edge, but the decorations around him attract a lot more attention in 2020.

South Sydney Rabbitohs

If there is one team that can leap the Panthers in the percentage of total tries scored down the left side, it's the Rabbitohs. They've been experts down that edge for three seasons now and have begun to strike gold in recent weeks.

Latrell Mitchell's improvements and willingness to get involved have helped. For all the questions over his effort and defensive play at fullback, there are no arguments over his ability as a ball-player.

With Cody Walker back in the side and some consistency in who is named outside him finally forming, the left edge remains South Sydney's most potent attacking weapon.

St George-Illawarra Dragons

It's difficult to read anything into the Dragons attack to start this season. All we really know is that it isn't very good.

Ben Hunt has been dumped as the starting half, moved to the bench and now starts at hooker. Matt Dufty has completed his typical cycle of playing, getting dropped, being crowbarred off the bench and later reinstated at fullback. Although, he's played well for a month now and might finally have cemented his place in the team.

Rookie halfback, Adam Clune, has been slow to start. That's understandable given he walked into a shambles of a football side, though. And Corey Norman, well, if he could evade tackles like he does Paul McGregor's axe then he would be a future immortal. 

Unfortunately for the Dragons, their current 15.3 points per game look set to stay. There is little to suggest another reshuffle of the deck chairs will inspire a significant improvement in attack.

Sydney Roosters

The Roosters have flown out of the suspended portion of the NRL season to restate their claim as the best-attacking team in the competition.

Balanced across the park, they can score from anywhere.

The Chooks have scored slightly more tries down the left side; fairly typical with most players preferring to catch and pass from right to left. But their right side reacts to moments in a match better than any other. In Angus Crichton, Joseph Manu and Brett Morris, the Roosters are always in shape and ready to pounce if the prior shift to the left doesn't yield results. 

With James Tedesco popping up everywhere on the field at fullback, the defence doesn't have a second to switch off. 

New Zealand Warriors

The Warriors have been one of the worst attacking sides in the NRL to start the season scoring just 13.1 points per game.

Part of that comes down to the obvious challenges the club has faced due to the global pandemic and the unique situation players and staff currently find themselves in. 

Another part is the changing focus of their most dangerous attacking weapon, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck. Without a try or try assist in seven games, it's safe to say the change hasn't worked. Sacking the coach that implemented that change is likely to have had an impact on the team as well.

But Eli Katoa's injury might be the most notable point. Poor in attack overall, Katoa offered brute power and strength to a Warriors left side that was becoming a genuine threat. He has the potential to have a Shaun Lane-like influence to that side of the field which the Warriors scored 44% of their tries down last season.

With Katoa due back for Round 10, the Warriors can restart the development of a left edge attack bursting with potential. That is, of course, if Ken Maumalo doesn't return to New Zealand a week later as planned.

Wests Tigers

Wests Tigers' 23.4 points per game (3rd in the NRL) isn't an accurate reflection of their ability in attack. They've scored some freak tries that involved a large slice of luck and have captured a few more through interceptions. In terms of creativity and constructing a try in good ball, the Tigers still struggle. A frustrating incident will see one of their best weapons close to the line in Joey Leilua spend the next four weeks on the sideline too.

However, the development of Moses Mbye as a ball-player on the left edge is promising. He runs as somewhat of a hybrid centre/fullback in some of Wests left-swinging shifts and it's getting the most out of Mbye as a ball-player. Adam Doueihi has also increased his involvement with Benji Marshall no longer part of the side and is looking a better player for it.

There is still plenty of debate over whether or not Josh Reynolds should be partnering Luke Brooks ahead of Marshall. With the toughest remaining schedule in the competition featuring some elite defensive sides still to come, it won't be a surprise to see Marshall back out there before the end of Round 20.

Did you enjoy this article? Join our free mailing list to get the best content delivered straight to your inbox, or join the conversation by leaving a comment below or on the Stats Insider Twitter or Facebook page.