With the NRL season almost here it's time to look back on where teams scored their tries in 2021 and how that might translate into 2022.

For some, there isn't any reason to change a winning formula. The South Sydney Rabbitohs lost their halfback but Cody Walker still remains to lead a dominant left edge.

Meanwhile, the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and New Zealand Warriors will look to integrate key playmakers into struggling attacks as they look to right the wrongs of last season. 

A lot can change over 25 rounds, but we have some idea about how things will look for Round 1.

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Broncos

2021 Try Locations: Left - 26%, Middle - 19%, Right 55%

It’s all about Adam Reynolds for the Brisbane Broncos this year.

He is the halfback they have been lacking and it’s going to be interesting to see how he influences the Broncos attack moving forward.

It helps that he will have Kotoni Staggs outside him on the right side. Reynolds is excellent at engaging the line and isolating the two-in or three-in defender. If he can get Staggs one-on-one with either of them, it’s all over.

Like last year (55%), the right side is going to need to be where the Broncos find their points. The turnover of players in the halves has ended on one side of the field, but there are too many options for Kevin Walters at five-eighth for him not to spend a few weeks tinkering with combinations.

It’s going to take some time for Reynolds to develop the combinations down the right edge. An injury to Tesi Niu hasn’t helped things to start the season. However, if the key players can stay healthy and string a few games together, the Broncos right side will become a force to be reckoned with.

Punters- The Broncos have never missed 3-straight final series. At TopSport they are currently paying $2.50 to climb back into the top8 in 2022. 

Raiders

2021 Try Locations: Left - 41%, Middle - 28%, Right 31%

Despite Jack Wighton’s dip in form and the overall disruption to key playmaking positions throughout 2021 the Raiders still scored most of their tries down the left edge, just as they did in 2020.

The Green Machine scored 41% of their tries down the left edge last season compared with 42% a season earlier.

Wighton appeared to roam around the field a little bit more last season. Perhaps it was an attempt to take on more of the attacking load following his Dally M-winning campaign. It may have been part of the original attacking game plan before George Williams left the club. Whatever the reason, it didn’t play out particularly well. Jamal Fogarty does present as a solid partner for Wighton, though.

Whether the five-eighth moves to both sides of the field or the Raiders halves play more of a split style, they’re likely to be left-leaning.

Punters- Canberra haven't won a premiership since 1994, and at TopSport they are paying $21 to break that drought this season. 

Bulldogs

2021 Try Locations: Left - 37%, Middle - 28%, Right 35%

It doesn’t particularly matter where the Bulldogs scored their points last season. They didn’t score enough at only 14.2 points per game and the players they hope are involved in their most dangerous actions this year are new to the club.

Matt Burton will be the focus of the attack and how he performs will determine just how far this Bulldogs team goes. A lot needs to go right in front of him, though.

The Bulldogs pack needs to lay a platform to at least replicate their 26.3 tackles inside the opposition's 20-metre line per game (9th-most in the NRL last season). Where Burton can make the difference is in their efficiency. The Bulldogs scored an abysmal 0.59 points per tackle inside the opposition's 20-metre line in 2021 - far and away the worst strike rate in the competition.

Given Josh Addo-Carr’s inclusion on the left wing and the relatively high-profile signing of Brent Naden to pair with him in the centres, it makes sense for the Bulldogs to look left when attacking the opposition goal line. Burton’s running game should open up opportunities for the speedsters out wide further away from the line, too.

Punters- At TopSport, the Bulldogs are paying $13 to win their second-straight wooden spoon in 2022. 

Sharks

2021 Try Locations: Left - 41%, Middle - 18%, Right 40%

Shaun Johnson led the Sharks to the best right-side attack in the NRL throughout the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Scoring 46% of their tries down his right side across the two seasons, that number dropped to 41% in 2021.

It’s not entirely clear how the Sharks will play with the ball this season. A lot of that will depend on who Craig Fitzgibbon pairs with Nicho Hynes in the halves. At this stage, Matt Moylan appears to be the front-runner which makes this all particularly interesting.

In Hynes, Moylan and Will Kennedy, the Sharks have three excellent runners of the football. It’s the strength of all three, but all three can make the final pass on the end of a shift, too.

There are question marks over who orders the side around the field which has plenty of people calling for Braydon Trindall. However, between Blayke Brailey at hooker and Cameron McInnes at lock, the Sharks have two players in key positions that can orchestrate a set.

After scoring 41% of their 87 tries down the left side and 40% down the right in 2021, expect something similar in 2022 if this Hynes/Moylan/Kennedy combination catches fire.

Punters- At TopSport, the Sharks are paying $1.90 to play finals for an 7th time in 8 seasons. 

Titans

2021 Try Locations: Left - 44%, Middle - 31%, Right 25%

The Titans right edge didn’t offer a lot last season. Even with David Fifita shifting to that side and causing havoc later in the year, the Gold Coast scored only 25% of their 108 tries down the right edge. No team finished with a lower proportion of tries down that side and it goes a long way to summing up not only their predictability in attack, but reliance on Fifita to create points himself.

Ideally, he isn’t such a huge part of the Titans attack in 2022. AJ Brimson, Toby Sexton and Jayden Campbell need to find new ways to manufacture points outside of ‘give it to Fifi’ this year.

He’s a destructive ball-carrier. A hold-your-breath sort that features on highlight reels every other week. Still, it’s those other weeks - the ones where Fifita didn’t cross the line - that the Titans struggled.

Where the Titans try to score points remains to be seen. However, they will need to spread their efforts across the field if they’re to play finals footy in back-to-back seasons.

Punters- Gold Coast haven't made back-to-back finals appearances in 12 years. At TopSport they are paying $1.9 to do so this year. 

Sea Eagles

2021 Try Locations: Left - 36%, Middle - 25%, Right 39%

Tom Trbojevic is, quite obviously, going to have a big influence on where the Sea Eagles score their tries in 2022. His ability to play both sides of the field as a ball-player and ball-carrier saw Des Hasler’s side split their tries relatively evenly across the field last season and there is little reason to think much will change in this one.

The 25-year-old finished up with 28 tries, 28 try assists, 33 line breaks and a whopping 209 running metres per game in 2021. He was in everything. By the pointy end of the season and against the top sides in the competition, his influence wasn’t so strong. The Storm, in particular, put a target on his back and did their best to take him out of the game.

Where the difference might come is in what role Trbojevic plays.

The Sea Eagles need to vary the way Trbojevic pops up in the attack. That might be more as a decoy this season, using his gravity to drag players out of the defensive line and create opportunities for others. It’s the next step in getting the most points out of this team.

Like last year, expect that to be on both sides of the field with Jason Saab and Reuben Garrick once again the beneficiaries.

Punters- At TopSport, Manly is paying $1.80 to finish top4 for a second-straight season. 

Storm

2021 Try Locations: Left - 38%, Middle - 28%, Right 34%

The Melbourne Storm scored 43 tries in the middle of the field in 2021 - the most in the NRL by a distance. They ranked second in 2020 behind only the Raiders.

Where it was Cameron Smith isolating defenders and passing his big forwards over the line in 2020, it was Brandon Smith isolating the same defenders but crashing over himself in 2021.

That dominance in the middle is so valuable to the attacking edges. Defending teams can’t premeditate the slide or get out in front of the line and in the face of playmakers when they know Melbourne have the tools to break through the middle.

Brandon Smith might not spend so much time behind the ruck this season, but that's unlikely to negatively impact Melbourne’s try-scoring dominance in the middle. Harry Grant has the vision to pass players over the line like Cameron and the speed to get out from behind the ruck and dart over himself like Brandon.

From there, Jahrome Hughes and Cameron Munster are likely to continue in their split-field attack which resulted in an even spread of tries on the edges. Most teams lean left where the Storm score 38% of their tries with 34% coming down the right side. Again, though, it’s that dominance in the middle that helps compress the defence and create space out wide. Look for that to continue in 2022.

Punters- At TopSport, the Storm are paying $2.75 to make a 6th Grand Final appearance in 11 seasons. 

Knights

2021 Try Locations: Left - 51%, Middle - 24%, Right 25%

Shock: The Newcastle Knights scored a lot of tries down the left edge.

Just as they did in 2020, the Knights scored 51% of their total tries down the left side of the field in 2021.

It’s Kalyn Ponga’s favoured side and he is their best and most consistent attacking player. Strangely, the Knights pointed him towards the right side a lot more often last season and their attack suffered as a result. Only the Bulldogs finished with a worse attack as the Knights scored just 17.9 points per game.

Is that all part of the plan?

Were the Knights prepared to give up a few points in 2021 with an improved attack across the field in mind for 2022?

How Newcastle uses Ponga, and where, will be on the watch list to start the season.

Punters- At TopSport, the Knights are paying $2.80 to play finals for a 3rd straight year. 

Cowboys

2021 Try Locations: Left - 45%, Middle - 21%, Right 34%

The North Queensland Cowboys attack is overdue a makeover.

Todd Payten tried to implement some changes last season but wasn’t able to consistently name a strong 17. Of the players available, he often didn’t have the players that he wanted to fill certain roles.

North Queensland have lacked ball-playing in the middle for too long but Reuben Cotter started to bridge that gap. This year, Mitch Dunn has moved into the middle and is an exceptional ball-player for somebody his size. He could have a huge impact on how the Cowboys move the ball.

They’ll have some more firepower on the edges, too. Shane Wright, Coen Hess (also moving to the middle) and Ben Condon are all serviceable backrowers but much of the same together. In Jeremiah Nanai, Heilum Luki, and possibly Murray Taulagi, Payten now has some danger-men on the edges. He has more than hole-runners. That variation will help the Cowboys move away from the block-heavy style that is four years out of date.

After scoring 45% of their tries down the left edge last season, expect a switch in this one. Chad Townsend is an organising half capable of creating points but tries tend to follow Scott Drinkwater wherever he goes. If he lines up on the right side this season, expect the try locations to swing to the right side with him.

Punters- The Cowboys haven't claimed a wooden spoon in 25 years, but at TopSport they are paying $4.6 and are second favourites to do so in 2022.

Eels

2021 Try Locations: Left - 46%, Middle - 25%, Right 29%

The Parramatta Eels have targeted the left side over the last two seasons and we can expect more of the same in 2022.

While Dylan Brown will surely improve on his disappointing year which featured only two try assists in 21 games down the right side of the field, Mitchell Moses is the leader of the team. The ball will naturally find itself on the left side where he is organising the Eels attack.

It’s important that the ball doesn’t end up too far down either channel too early in a set this year. The Eels play their best football (like every other team) when they’re dominating the advantage line and compressing the defence through the middle. From there, a cohesive and varied attack is able to create points out wide. Parramatta’s biggest problems came when they went too wide too early - often against teams lower down the NRL ladder.

Moses will continue to see more of the ball and Parramatta’s left edge will be the focus in attack. However, the halfback needs to ensure the hard work is first done inside him if the Eels are to become a more consistent side with the ball in hand.

Punters- At TopSport, Parramatta are paying $4 to make the top4 for a 3rd time in 5 seasons. 

Panthers

2021 Try Locations: Left - 44%, Middle - 20%, Right 36%

The Penrith Panthers ripped through opposing defences to score 25.6 points per game last season. They dominated possession, excelled in the kicking game, and suffocated teams into giving up territory, and eventually, points. No team averaged more tackles inside the opposition's 20-metre line than Penrith’s 31.5 per game.

Scoring 44% of their tries down the left edge, 20% through the middle and 36% down the right side, expect the left and right numbers to come closer together in 2022.

Matt Burton is a massive loss to the Panthers left side. He became one of the best centres in the competition overnight and Jarome Luai is now without his most consistent partner on that side of the field.

However, Nathan Cleary is more than capable of picking up some of the slack down the right side. He can strike up a similar partnership with Stephen Crichton who started to recapture his best form towards the end of the 2021 season.

The Panthers left edge is still a danger. It always will be when Brian To’o is involved. But with Burton’s departure to the Bulldogs, we’re likely to see the ball sent in Cleary’s direction in good ball more often this season.

Punters- At TopSport, the Panthers are paying $5.5 to win back-to-back flags. 

Rabbitohs

2021 Try Locations: Left - 55%, Middle - 15%, Right 29%

Why change a winning formula?

The South Sydney Rabbitohs scored an incredible 79 tries down the left side of the field last season. That’s 55% of their total tries - the highest proportion of tries scored by any team anywhere on the field in 2021.

Adam Reynolds is a significant loss. It still doesn’t make a lot of sense for the Rabbitohs to allow their halfback to leave the club with the premiership window wide open. Dane Gagai’s departure feels underrated right now, too. But in Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell, they still have the pieces to generate plenty of points, down the left side, especially.

Defences can know it’s coming. They knew for most of last season that Souths would set up on the right post and shift the ball to Walker via Reynolds or Cameron Murray before the five-eighth made his move towards 16 tries and 33 try assists.

Lachlan Ilias looked relatively comfortable in his only first grade game last season. There are shades of Reynolds in the way he moves across the field and engages the line. You can see why the Rabbitohs think they have their Reynolds replacement. Still, it’s going to take time for Ilias to develop the consistency and even longer to generate the cohesion within the side.

The Rabbitohs may not have much choice other than to look left again in 2022.

Punters- At TopSport, the Bunnies are paying $1.25 to play finals for a 9th time in 10 seasons. 

Dragons

2021 Try Locations: Left - 27%, Middle - 31%, Right 42%

The St. George-Illawarra Dragons had their moments in attack throughout 2021. Few were repeatable, though.

Matthew Dufty had a big influence on the attack early but his premeditated cutout passes were soon shut down. A lack of variation on the edges didn’t provide Dufty or any of the Dragons playmakers many options with the ball.

Ben Hunt’s return to form was one of the stories of the year but being kept to 15 games stalled their improvement with the ball.

Corey Norman, well, the last play of his NRL career just about sums up his three years at the club.

The Dragons found success down the right side to find 42% of their total tries. Zac Lomax and Mikaele Ravalawa became their best weapon with the ball outside Hunt but didn’t spend enough time on the field together. Lomax and Ravalawa played beside each other 11 times in 2021 but the pair had Hunt inside them in only three of those games.

Already playing with a right-dominant attack, it’s where the Dragons should be looking early in 2022 as they look to get the most out of what is an exciting trio with the ball.

Punters- The St George/Illawarra Dragons have never missed 4 straight finals campaigns. At TopSport, they are paying $4 for that not to become an eventuality. 

Roosters

2021 Try Locations: Left - 37%, Middle - 29%, Right 44%

The Sydney Roosters attack is set for big changes in 2022.

Playing without Luke Keary had a significant impact on how they used the ball last season, and while they still managed to score 25.4 points per game (5th), they missed his ability to identify and dominate on short side opportunities.

James Tedesco picked up the slack in the middle of the field, therefore, taking him away from where he works best - out wide.

With both returning to their typical roles in 2022 and with Sam Walker rested and ready to build on an impressive rookie season, the Roosters attack is set for improvements.

Expect them to spread themselves across the field, just as they did in 2020:

Left - 40%, Middle 19%, Right - 41%

With limited options on the left side, the Roosters spent more time searching down the right side through Walker (19 try assists) and Joseph Manu (10 tries, 7 try assists) in 2021:

Left - 37%, Middle 19%, Right - 44%

This Roosters squad has the potential to be the best attacking team in the NRL this season. They can score points anywhere and will likely return to the more even split of 2020 with Keary back in the side.

Punters- At TopSport, the Roosters are 3rd favourites for the flag and are currently paying $6.

Warriors

2021 Try Locations: Left - 35%, Middle - 29%, Right 36%

The New Zealand Warriors attack struggled to score just 18.9 points per game last season.

Their biggest issue - cohesion - can be summed up by Roger Tuivasa-Sheck being moved to the wing to make way for an 18-year-old rookie. While Reece Walsh impressed and displayed some exciting signs, he lacked consistency and that soon became the story of the Warriors attack.

Shaun Johnson returns to the club this season and that will more than likely trigger a return to a right-side dominant attack. Tries follow Johnson. After scoring 36% of their 80 tries down the right side in 2021, expect that number to jump well over 40% in 2022. Not only is Johnson the best creative player in the side, there are also plenty of question marks around the Warriors five-eighth jersey which could add another issue to their left side.

The Warriors are a big side in the middle. Wayde Egan isn’t short of bodies to send charging over the line in good ball. Similarly, Addin Fonua-Blake, Matthew Lodge and Tohu Harris can all tip each other onto a single defender with a quick pass at the line.

The left edge is a concern heading into Round 1. However, the Warriors attack has a lot of potential overall and should improve, even if it is all down to Johnson’s right side.

Punters- In 27 seasons of the NZ Warriors playing in the NRL, they have just two top4 finishers. At TopSport they are currently paying $10 to make it a third. 

Tigers

2021 Try Locations: Left - 39%, Middle - 21%, Right 40%

The Wests Tigers have always been able to score points in bunches.

They’re not particularly consistent and often come via actions that aren’t repeatable the following week (hence the lack of consistency), but the Tigers have a knack for piling up points. Fittingly, they finished up 9th in attack scoring 20.8 points per game last season.

Luke Brooks played well and displayed promising signs of improved halfback play.

Adam Doueihi dominated the right side before Michael Maguire’s brain fade moved him out into the centres. Unsurprisingly, Doueihi registered five try assists in his return to the halves later in the year.

With Jackson Hastings and Tyrone Peachey now at the club, the Tigers have the ball-playing they’ve desperately lacked in the middle in recent years. That will only open things up further for Brooks and Doueihi and we can anticipate a similar split to last season (L - 39%, R - 40%) once Doueihi is healthy.

It would be asking a lot for the Tigers to improve on their 20.8 points per game this season. Instead, scoring those points through repeatable actions and doing so more often will be considered a significant improvement.

Punters- The Tigers haven't played finals since 2011. At TopSport they are paying $5 for that streak to end in 2022. They are also $3.30 favourites for the wooden spoon. 

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